[SteveJ10]

I love CarPlay. But it won't always start up. I usually start my Volt, then plug in the phone, then unlock the phone. And the button CarPlay appears on the center screen. But that doesn't always work. Sometimes CarPlay just won't appear. I can unplug and replug the phone, restart the car, restart the phone, and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. (Instead of the icon for CarPlay I'll see an icon that says, I think, "Projection" -- this is on a 2018, recently leased.)

Has anybody got any experience with this? Any suggestions? Am I doing something wrong?

Steve

 

[darrin]

Yeah I've had the same problem since I bought my 2016 model almost 3 years ago.

I've had the radio firmware updated twice, but still no fix. Usually unplugging and replugging fixes it.

Probably happens about 15-20% of the time. Very hard to show to a service technician.

And now we have the static problem too (there is another thread about), its all a bit frustrating.

 

[SoCalBeach]

I get in my car and before I do anything else, I plug in my iPhone. Then I put on my seatbelt. Then I start the car. I am consistent in this process so that I know what to expect. My CarPlay music will 95% of the time start up with no problem after about 10 seconds. I have a problem when I have an event on the phone expecting a response that I have not answered, i.e. a text message or an IOS update, and it's waiting for me to enter a response on the phone. That's when I have to open the phone. I generally don't have to unlock the phone.

 

[tlevy]

My CarPlay music will 95% of the time start up with no problem after about 10 seconds.

Hi - just to clarify - 5% of the time it doesn’t work when you follow your steps, or is it that 5% of the time it doesn’t work because you don’t follow your steps?

This happens to me, and it is very frustrating. Sometimes with bluetooth, the car will find my phone, but when I try and play music, it plays the music with no sound!!

Annoying...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[VoltenRock]

This happens to me about once every 2 weeks, sometimes more.

SOMETIMES unplugging it and plugging it back in will work. SOMETIMES after 10+ minutes it will spontaneously read it. SOMETIMES furiously pushing the "projection" icon will eventually wake it up. SOMETIMES nothing works.

In those nothing works cases, the best thing is--unfortunately--pulling over, turning off the car, opening the door, physically leaving the car so it doesn't detect the remote, locking it, and then getting back in the car and trying it all over. This has worked.

Given my experience with APPLE lately, I blame Apple.

 

[SteveJ10]

Wow, thanks folks. That's not very encouraging, but at least I'm not alone. I spoke to Chevy customer support today and the rep suggested that I see if it does this with another phone. If so, it's the car, and if I bring the car in they might do a software update. It sounded like the rep really didn't know what to say, and based on your comments here, I'm skeptical, but I'll keep experimenting.

 

[VoltenRock]

I'll tell you what, I'm glad you're pursuing it. I've spun my wheels too many times with customer service on a variety of issues that I actually have MORE patience to keep the problem than to pursue solutions. Yes, it's true--they've "won"--and beaten me down.

However, if you're successful I'll be the first one scheduling an appointment to deal with it. Hope it works!

 

[jcanoe]

CarPlay is an Apple product. I doubt Chevrolet can provide any assistance. I have been using CarPlay with my 2017 Volt since July, 2016. Most of the time CarPlay works for me with my iPhone SE. Sometimes the audio would mute, as when I was using Apple Maps with voice navigation, then I could not continue to listen to my music while driving until I unplugged and rebooted my iPhone. These days I mostly stream Amazon Music with and without CarPlay. Listening to Amazon Music while streaming over the Volt's 4G LTE and WiFi is buggy enough that I feel relief when I use CarPlay and Apple Music to listen to my iTunes library.

 

[SoCalBeach]

Hi - just to clarify - 5% of the time it doesn’t work when you follow your steps, or is it that 5% of the time it doesn’t work because you don’t follow your steps?

This happens to me, and it is very frustrating. Sometimes with bluetooth, the car will find my phone, but when I try and play music, it plays the music with no sound!!

Annoying...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

5% of the time after following my steps, it just doesn't start. CarPlay has a few bugs. Since the car system is rebooting it's radio OS at every start, you have to know it's something on the Apple side.

 

[barich]

My experience with Android Auto is that I have much better results if I wait to plug the phone in until after I turn on the car, the infotainment has booted up, and the bluetooth pairing is successful (chime plays). I believe it always has worked if I do it this way. If I plug the phone in before I turn the car on, sometimes the display never changes from "Projection" to "Android Auto" and unplugging/replugging the phone, rebooting it, and turning the car off and on again will not fix it unless I leave the car off several minutes, which is obviously not an option at a traffic light.

My 2017 was manufactured in 6/17, and when I took it in for its first service several months ago I complained about this. There were no updates available for the infotainment system at that time.

 

[SteveJ10]

Interesting. I've been doing the opposite, per SoCalBeach's suggestion. First plug in the phone, then start the car. That has worked for the last few days. Sometimes it takes a few seconds, and you see "projection" rather than "carplay," but it's always eventually worked without a restart of the phone or car. Another variable -- I updated iOS to 11.4.1 last week, so that may have influenced it, too.

 

[supchrgamx]

had the wifi turned off on phone
turned wifi on then plugged it into the car and then carplay connected right up
only way it would work

 

[joe_u]

Have 2017 Volt since March of 2016.

Connecting your iPhone to the Volt's USB Port before starting the car usually activates Apple CarPlay on the phone. Once the car is started, CarPlay will appear were the "projection" icon was. Tap CarPlay and the CarPlay screen will appear.

If the above fails after plugging the iPhone into the Volt's USB Port, try tapping the projection icon multiple times. Usually CarPlay will appear on the Projection Icon in 3 to 5 seconds.

Sometimes it just won't connect and appear on the Projection Icon. Get out of the car with the fob and walk away about 50 Ft, come back and start over again. Usually works after taking the walk with the fob!

On my Volt I always have better luck with the upper USB port getting the iPhone to sync up and appear on the Projection Icon. Lower USB port I have less luck with.

Very seldom have static issues anymore. Occasionally have loss of volume control not only for CarPlay but he entire audio system for the radio plus Sirius XM. To fix volume control issue have to stop car and walk away with the fob again. Start the car back up, volume control issue fixed.

Used the same iPhone 7 on a rented Chevy Cruze and never had a single problem syncing the phone the the radio infotainment system.

There was an over-all radio / infotainment software update early summer of 2016 that made the syncing issue less glitchy but never a complete fix. Over-all CarPlay syncs up the radio / Infotainment system about 95% of the time.

Also on third Human Interface Module. Infotainment screen went black twice. Fix was to replace the module each time.

Will take car to the dealer to see if there is a newer software update for the radio / Infotainment system before my 3 year warrantee expires.

 

[SteveJ10]

I've tried plugging in the phone before starting the car, and also the reverse. Neither is particularly reliable. Maybe 1/3 of the time there's a glitch and I have to try again -- unplug the phone, plug it in again, hit 'projection' over and over, restart the car, etc.

Chevy ought to fix this. It's one key reason I bought the car, and it's too much hassle when all you want to do is get on the road.

 

[joe_u]

With a 2018 model you should have access to the GM App Shop on your Infotainment System. I believe the GM App Shop offers the Tune-In Radio App and iHeart Radio App as well as a bunch of retail Apps as well. You can download these onto your infotainment system and launch directly from your car's screen providing you subscribe to OnStar in car wifi. In this manner your can accomplish directly on the Infotainment Screen what you would via Apple Car Play or Android Auto. No fussing around with syncing of the phone. I don't have access to the GM App Shop as my early model 2017 Volt has an older version Infotainment System hardware version. So, can't give first hand experience with this but should work for you.

Other option is taking the car to the dealer and presenting your list of Apple Car Play issues. They may have an update to provide that may reduce the occurrence of the Apple CarPlay bugginess.

As an FYI the latest Apple iOS version is 11.4.1. iOS 12 will be out this fall. One thing that can cause issues with iPhone syncing is lint in the lightening connector receptacle at the bottom of the phone. If you see any there, blow out with a can of compressed air from local computer store or Best Buy.

 

[Wrover]

I was able to resolve this issue by “enabling” restrictions on the iPhone and setting the restriction to allow on CarPlay. It works every time for me now. It was counterintuitive for me but it works.

Go to settings - general - restrictions; then enable and make sure the switch for CarPlay is allowed/green. I enabled restrictions but didn’t restrict anything. This reminds me of “features” cough problems of windows 98/2000 .

Good luck

 

[SteveJ10]

A week later, and it seems that the phone will almost always connect if I give it enough time. Unplugging and re-plugging is almost never needed. I thought Carplay would show up on the Volt's screen within a second or two of plugging the phone in -- that rarely happens. But if you simply have patience and wait more like 10 seconds or so you will eventually be rewarded with a connection.

I will try to the Restrictions idea, as well. But for now, I'm getting it to work. (They really ought to improve the speed though!)

 

[Insight Refugee]

It seems like everyone has their own version of the CarPlay chicken dance.

My version is: (1) Get in and immediately power the car up (2) buckle up; put on sunglasses; put away reading glasses; (3) by now the car has initialized and made a BT connection to the phone; (4) plug phone in.

Waiting those 10 seconds or so to plug the phone in seems to make all the difference in terms of reliable CarPlay projection. It's a little irritating because I need to deal with the handoff between BT and wired CarPlay, but it seems to be *much* more reliable.

In getting out the car, the dance is (1) put car in park; (2) turn off car; (3) open driver's door; (4) unplug phone. There's something about opening the car door and having the CarPlay connection cut out on its own before unplugging that avoids weirdness.

 

[joe_u]

Good suggestion on enabling restrictions. So far CarPlay is syncing up to the Infotainment screen every time the iPhone is plugged in.

I was able to resolve this issue by “enabling” restrictions on the iPhone and setting the restriction to allow on CarPlay. It works every time for me now. It was counterintuitive for me but it works.

Go to settings - general - restrictions; then enable and make sure the switch for CarPlay is allowed/green. I enabled restrictions but didn’t restrict anything. This reminds me of “features” cough problems of windows 98/2000 .

Good luck

 

[boberonicus]

Carplay always connects for me (icon changes from Projection to Carplay) , BUT as the podcast plays, I get no audio. To fix this:

• Press the physical "home" button
• Choose the "audio" screen button
• Select some other source (AM, FM, etc)
• Select "Media"
• Bang! Now I can hear my podcast.