Mr12Volt P2000 - Carplay/Android Auto w/M.O.S.T *New Model Update*

[Raphc]

Originally Posted by Cyberdemon

That's a good point. Is there a clear wire for 12v in on the unit? Wonder if it makes sense to splice in an inline switch so you don't have to take the car apart for updates.

All of the various software notes along the way make me think there will be some bugs to squish along the way. I've yet to install mine.

I'm thinking of doing this anyway so I can avoid my phone randomly connecting to android auto when I'm at home. This is still the biggest annoyance with this unit. Android doesn't show any call controls on the phone once connected so you have no way of answering the call or changing audio to handset.

[drwankel]

Originally Posted by Raphc

I'm thinking of doing this anyway so I can avoid my phone randomly connecting to android auto when I'm at home. This is still the biggest annoyance with this unit. Android doesn't show any call controls on the phone once connected so you have no way of answering the call or changing audio to handset.

That sounds like a limitation of android auto/android and not the P2000. Can you explain the scenario better? You arrive home, and you have to take a call before the P2000 goes into sleep mode?

Carplay/iOS does not have this limitation. You have full control over the phone when using carplay and can switch what device is handling the call.

[tylerzgl]

Originally Posted by RUG8RB8

Finally completed this Upgrade and I could not be anymore happy, both with function and looks! Thanks to all the pioneers ahead of me with all the guidance. Just to have a phone conversation with somebody now at speed on the freeway with my Uber loud open exhaust is a pleasure! The supplied mic works great, I placed in the E93 stock location and now everyone says difference is amazing. The front camera was a bit finicky at first but I figured it out and works wonderfully now. I will finally installed my GT2 splitter. The DSP equalizer is nothing short of amazing! Can't wait to go by my friends shop with a spectrum analyzer and tunes things in perfectly. Thanks again for all the great information in this thread!!!

Not sure if I missed it in this post but what front camera did you end up using and how did/where did you mount it to the front.

thanks

[Raphc]

Originally Posted by drwankel

That sounds like a limitation of android auto/android and not the P2000. Can you explain the scenario better? You arrive home, and you have to take a call before the P2000 goes into sleep mode?

Carplay/iOS does not have this limitation. You have full control over the phone when using carplay and can switch what device is handling the call.

It is an android thing. It's a recent "improvement" to minimise phone use while driving. Massive pain if you receive a call while stepping out of the car as there is no way to answer unless you get back in the car and turn the screen back on.

The issue with the P2000 or the CIC is that it will randomly wake up and connect to the phone. I noticed it happens much less frequently if I lock the car. Still happens once or twice a day. (I live in an old wooden house with only floorboards and plaster between the garage and the main part of the house)

I remember someone else on this thread found this annoying enough that they returned their unit.

[eddiegordo]

Originally Posted by Raphc

It is an android thing. It's a recent "improvement" to minimise phone use while driving. Massive pain if you receive a call while stepping out of the car as there is no way to answer unless you get back in the car and turn the screen back on.

The issue with the P2000 or the CIC is that it will randomly wake up and connect to the phone. I noticed it happens much less frequently if I lock the car. Still happens once or twice a day. (I live in an old wooden house with only floorboards and plaster between the garage and the main part of the house)

I remember someone else on this thread found this annoying enough that they returned their unit.

Do you not usually lock the car?

[Raphc]

Originally Posted by eddiegordo

Do you not usually lock the car?

Nope. It's in a lock up garage in my house.

[kd7iwp]

I believe my MMI box (no-name one that plugs into the aux-in) stays on until the car goes to sleep (roughly 10-15 min) and if I try to use Siri after I come into my house (still in range of the car in the garage) that the mic in the car from CarPlay will be used. I can change it on my phone but fortunately this rarely happens.

[kd7iwp]

I contacted Mr12Volt on WhatsApp and was disappointed to learn that the P2000 only goes into reverse mode if you have the 12v wire connected to the reverse lights. I have an E61 wagon and really don't want to send a wire all the way through to the tail gate and the current MMI box I have is working great with my wireless backup cam. I guess it senses over the can bus when I'm in reverse (manual transmission) but the Mr12Volt box does not do it this way and requires a wire to be run to the rear.

[BayAreaE93]

Does anyone know if any of these options (Avin, Mr12Volt, etc) have a way to output audio via Digital Optical cable (Not MOST)? Reason being I have an aftermarket amplifier installed that accepts Digital Optical audio input, and I would rather be sending audio to it over Digital Optical rather than via some RCA cables (Aux). I cannot use the MOST bus from Mr 12 Volt because of the aftermarket amplifier, since it is not the OEM MOST Individual Audio amplifier.

Or does the Mr12Volt unit send it over the MOST bus to the head unit which then takes over the audio routing? As in, the head unit would then send the audio to the amplifier via MOST if Individual Audio equipped, or unbalanced analog signal in the case of Hifi audio.

I recoded my head unit to Hifi down from Individual Audio to send an analog signal to my current aftermarket amplifier, so the audio is currently being sent via RCA cables. If possible I would like to send it to the amp via Digital Optical, hence why I am writing this post.

[drwankel]

Originally Posted by BayAreaE93

Does anyone know if any of these options (Avin, Mr12Volt, etc) have a way to output audio via Digital Optical cable (Not MOST)? Reason being I have an aftermarket amplifier installed that accepts Digital Optical audio input, and I would rather be sending audio to it over Digital Optical rather than via some RCA cables (Aux). I cannot use the MOST bus from Mr 12 Volt because of the aftermarket amplifier, since it is not the OEM MOST Individual Audio amplifier.

No. Nothing like that exists.

Originally Posted by BayAreaE93

Or does the Mr12Volt unit send it over the MOST bus to the head unit which then takes over the audio routing? As in, the head unit would then send the audio to the amplifier via MOST if Individual Audio equipped, or unbalanced analog signal in the case of Hifi audio.

I recoded my head unit to Hifi down from Individual Audio to send an analog signal to my current aftermarket amplifier, so the audio is currently being sent via RCA cables. If possible I would like to send it to the amp via Digital Optical, hence why I am writing this post.

The way you describe it is accurate.

[BayAreaE93]

Thanks for the quick reply. So I guess I'm in a bit of a catch-22.

Since I have CCC, the Mr12Volt unit would be nice to have, but the OEM display is of much lesser quality than the CIC OEM display so the graphic quality would be poor compared to an aftermarket screen such as the Avin head unit. But the Mr12Volt unit sends audio over MOST instead of OEM aux which improves audio quality, and I want to minimize connection points in my overall audio routing, as my audio is already travelling 17 feet over RCA from my head unit to my aftermarket amplifier.

Does the Avin unit send audio directly out of its I/O as an analog signal, or does it go through the quadralock into the OEM radio/head unit?
Am I overthinking this or does the Mr12Volt really make a noticeable difference in audio quality? I'ev already dedicated time and effort to upgrading my sound system so you can see why I am considering these options carefully. Thanks for your input.

[drwankel]

Originally Posted by BayAreaE93

Thanks for the quick reply. So I guess I'm in a bit of a catch-22.

Since I have CCC, the Mr12Volt unit would be nice to have, but the OEM display is of much lesser quality than the CIC OEM display so the graphic quality would be poor compared to an aftermarket screen such as the Avin head unit. But the Mr12Volt unit sends audio over MOST instead of OEM aux which improves audio quality, and I want to minimize connection points in my overall audio routing, as my audio is already travelling 17 feet over RCA from my head unit to my aftermarket amplifier.

Does the Avin unit send audio directly out of its I/O as an analog signal, or does it go through the quadralock into the OEM radio/head unit?
Am I overthinking this or does the Mr12Volt really make a noticeable difference in audio quality? I'ev already dedicated time and effort to upgrading my sound system so you can see why I am considering these options carefully. Thanks for your input.

Analog input in any capacity will always be inferior to MOST.

Honestly the "best" thing to do would be to do a CIC retrofit, and then add the CIC P2000. Not the cheapest option, but it will give you the best result.

If my car had CCC, I wouldn't even think twice.

[BayAreaE93]

That's true, but after all the CIC parts plus the P2000 it would be 800+ versus an Avin unit which is around $500.
Ideally, I would get the CIC P2000 and keep the audio on the MOST bus all the way to the amplifier, but MOST decoders are ridiculously expensive running $500+. They're crazy expensive compared to downgrading to Hifi and running RCA cables to the amp.

There is one other option and that is since my amp if the Match UP7 DSP, it has an extension card slot that lets me add lossless Bluetooth functionality for ~$100, but in this case audio would have to be sent straight from my iphone's Bluetooth, and then that sort of disables my ability to use carplay, since the Avin/Mr12Volt doesn't have the ability to send audio via Bluetooth.

Are there any ways to decode MOST audio signal without shelling out $500+ on a decoder?

There seems to be readily available encoders ($100) which will convert an analog signal to MOST bus, but not the other way around...

[Raphc]

Originally Posted by kd7iwp

I contacted Mr12Volt on WhatsApp and was disappointed to learn that the P2000 only goes into reverse mode if you have the 12v wire connected to the reverse lights. I have an E61 wagon and really don't want to send a wire all the way through to the tail gate and the current MMI box I have is working great with my wireless backup cam. I guess it senses over the can bus when I'm in reverse (manual transmission) but the Mr12Volt box does not do it this way and requires a wire to be run to the rear.

This is not the case. There is no need to tap the reverse lights or any other wire You just need the camera RCA and signal wire. These two come in one sheath if you buy the GreenYi camera recommended in this thread.
All you need to do is route this one cable from the camera to the Mr12Volt unit and change the settings (Mr12Volt) to aftermarket camera and reverse gear.

[eddiegordo]

Originally Posted by Raphc

Nope. It's in a lock up garage in my house.

Different realities we live in I guess. I don't have a lock up garage in my house but even if I did I would still lock the car and keep it with a disklok in the steering wheel.

[GTiceman]

Originally Posted by Raphc

Nope. It's in a lock up garage in my house.

We lock all the cars in the garage, but I notice the same on a different unit regarding the car waking and connecting to AA if I leave it unlocked. Once I lock the car I notice a disconnect within a few minutes actually. I don't know that there is a way around it if the car is unlocked until the car goes into deep sleep but I think it still wakes.

[e30if]

Originally Posted by BayAreaE93

Does anyone know if any of these options (Avin, Mr12Volt, etc) have a way to output audio via Digital Optical cable (Not MOST)? Reason being I have an aftermarket amplifier installed that accepts Digital Optical audio input, and I would rather be sending audio to it over Digital Optical rather than via some RCA cables (Aux). I cannot use the MOST bus from Mr 12 Volt because of the aftermarket amplifier, since it is not the OEM MOST Individual Audio amplifier.

Or does the Mr12Volt unit send it over the MOST bus to the head unit which then takes over the audio routing? As in, the head unit would then send the audio to the amplifier via MOST if Individual Audio equipped, or unbalanced analog signal in the case of Hifi audio.

I recoded my head unit to Hifi down from Individual Audio to send an analog signal to my current aftermarket amplifier, so the audio is currently being sent via RCA cables. If possible I would like to send it to the amp via Digital Optical, hence why I am writing this post.

You can use something like this Helix MOST Converter to take the MOST signal and convert it to optical for your amp/DSP. I believe Audison and also makes a similar product, I've been out of the loop for a little while so I don't know what is currently available though.

[BayAreaE93]

Originally Posted by e30if

You can use something like this Helix MOST Converter to take the MOST signal and convert it to optical for your amp/DSP. I believe Audison and also makes a similar product, I've been out of the loop for a little while so I don't know what is currently available though.

I've considered those options, and while the SDMI25 looks like the best option, they are out of my car budget for now as I just had to drop some cash on new front wheel bearings/hubs and parking brake components. For now I have the technicPNP kit which lets me use the MATCH amp by running RCA cables from the head unit and downcoding from IA to Hifi. Eventually if I want to upgrade again it's all PnP, so I can just install one of those MOST decoders and recode to Individual Audio, as the MOST wiring will still be there.

[kd7iwp]

Originally Posted by Raphc

This is not the case. There is no need to tap the reverse lights or any other wire You just need the camera RCA and signal wire. These two come in one sheath if you buy the GreenYi camera recommended in this thread.
All you need to do is route this one cable from the camera to the Mr12Volt unit and change the settings (Mr12Volt) to aftermarket camera and reverse gear.

If I’m reading what you said correctly, I still need to run a camera wire to the rear though? Currently I have zero wires running to the rear for my backup camera. It gets its power from the reverse light wiring in the rear hatch and transmits wirelessly to a unit in the dashboard. Even with that dashboard. I believe that my MMI unit will still switch to reverse camera input even without that receiver box connected because it knows it is in reverse from the can bus. I could certainly be mistaken here. Perhaps the camera receiver unit can detect when the transmitter from the rear is on and then provide power to the MMI reverse wire, I’m not sure.

[Raphc]

Originally Posted by kd7iwp

If I’m reading what you said correctly, I still need to run a camera wire to the rear though? Currently I have zero wires running to the rear for my backup camera. It gets its power from the reverse light wiring in the rear hatch and transmits wirelessly to a unit in the dashboard. Even with that dashboard. I believe that my MMI unit will still switch to reverse camera input even without that receiver box connected because it knows it is in reverse from the can bus. I could certainly be mistaken here. Perhaps the camera receiver unit can detect when the transmitter from the rear is on and then provide power to the MMI reverse wire, I’m not sure.

That is correct. With the set up that most are using with this unit you need to run a cable from the camera all the way to the P2000.
It is a bit of work but really not that bad, especially if you already have all the trim and centre console removed.

I wonder if your wireless camera can be made to work with the P2000. AFAIK it gets a signal when the car is in reverse (or any other condition that would trigger the PDC if you have it) and then sends power to the camera and switches to the camera's video feed through the RCA input.

[Raphc]

Originally Posted by eddiegordo

Different realities we live in I guess. I don't have a lock up garage in my house but even if I did I would still lock the car and keep it with a disklok in the steering wheel.

The Brisbane suburbs and London are worlds apart I've lived in both and I miss London a bit but Brisbane is great with small kids (or maybe its my 20s i miss )

[eddiegordo]

I'm trying to install this new mr12volt box on my car.

I have 2 issues.

First one is that I've plugged everything to test it and the iDrive screen comes up but the iDrive knob buttons or scroll wheel don't do anything. I also get a warning on the screen saying "no acoustic tones". It seems that the mr12volt unit doesn't have power as well as I don't see any LED on. I've rechecked all connections multiple times and all seems okay, even the arrows on the optical connections seem to be okay. Any ideas?

Second issue is that I can't seem to find a way to route the cable from the iDrive knob to the back of the head unit. I've seen the installation video but I can't remove the trim as much as they do for some reason. My car is RHD. Spent hours in this today.

Thanks for the help in advance.

Edit - I've seen in an older post that the connector to the actual knob needs a bit more force to seat correctly. I did that just now, a lot of force was needed and it did click into place, but the issue remains unfortunately.