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Apple Car Play - Wifi

mikegibson

PCGB Member
Member
I have a 2019 992 C2S registered late July 2019 so an early 992 - it is MY2020 as far as I am aware.

I have read various forums and am still unable to establish whether CarPlay over wifi is possible on my car or not. Some forums seem to suggest earlier 992s do not have the wifi option; others do; some suggest differences between US and EU models; I am very confused.

I have CarPlay working fine over a USB connection and for the majority of time this is perfect as it keeps phone charged up and even with wifi option I would connect it via USB for long journeys etc. However, there is the odd occasion, short journeys for example, where it would be easier if it would just connect over wifi (if that were possible).

I cannot figure out for the life of me whether my car supports CarPlay wifi connection or not or whether I am doing something wrong. Perhaps I am connecting my iPhone in an incorrect manner?

Does anyone else have a similar aged car who can confirm whether cars of my vintage should support it or not?

If not, any idea whether it is a PCM update to add this capability or whether there are actual hardware differences.


 
mikegibson said:
I have a 2019 992 C2S registered late July 2019 so an early 992 - it is MY2020 as far as I am aware.

I have read various forums and am still unable to establish whether CarPlay over wifi is possible on my car or not. Some forums seem to suggest earlier 992s do not have the wifi option; others do; some suggest differences between US and EU models; I am very confused.

I have CarPlay working fine over a USB connection and for the majority of time this is perfect as it keeps phone charged up and even with wifi option I would connect it via USB for long journeys etc. However, there is the odd occasion, short journeys for example, where it would be easier if it would just connect over wifi (if that were possible).

I cannot figure out for the life of me whether my car supports CarPlay wifi connection or not or whether I am doing something wrong. Perhaps I am connecting my iPhone in an incorrect manner?

Does anyone else have a similar aged car who can confirm whether cars of my vintage should support it or not?

If not, any idea whether it is a PCM update to add this capability or whether there are actual hardware differences.


Hi Mike,
My 992 C2S Cab was registered June 2019 and I can only do wired Apple Car Play.
According to my dealer later cars can do wireless though I'm not sure from which date.
It can't be retrofitted either apparently.
 
Hi Mike,
My 992 C2S was registered in Oct 2019 and came with wifi car play. It was one of the first things I checked on hand-over and actually surprised the salesman to find it had it! For daily driving an essential IMO.
 
MBB said:
Hi Mike,
My 992 C2S was registered in Oct 2019 and came with wifi car play. It was one of the first things I checked on hand-over and actually surprised the salesman to find it had it! For daily driving an essential IMO.


MBB - Do you recall what you had to do to set it up?

The "Getting to Know" app seems to suggest it just happens when the phone connected via Bluetooth. Given that Carplay uses wi-fi, I presumed that it seamlessly connected to the car's wi-fi hotspot as part of the carplay connection handshake when the phone was connected over Bluetooth. When I connect my phone via Bluetooth, it connects the telephone and I can play media from the phone but nothing on CarPlay screen; ie the car is not recognising the phone as Car Play? When I plug it in via USB, the car recognises the iPhone and Car Play starts.


 
Senna said:
Hi Mike,
My 992 C2S Cab was registered June 2019 and I can only do wired Apple Car Play.
According to my dealer later cars can do wireless though I'm not sure from which date.
It can't be retrofitted either apparently.
Hi Senna. Do you happen to know the model year of your car. I am pretty sure mine is MY2020 based on the VIN. The manual I have refers to wifi BUT also states in "certain countries".

To be honest, this is turning into more of a crusade to figure out whether it can or not rather than my having any desperate need for it!
 
Sorry it just seemed to work from the off once connected with bluetooth... if you're local to Guildford OPC, suggest you take it in there and they will sort it out - speak to the technical manager Tim
 
After a bit of detective work, I have come to the conclusion that my car, albeit registered in July 2019 is one of the earlier MY2020 cars which lack Apple CarPlay Wifi. My car has two diamond function buttons (lacks a dedicated PSE button albeit has a sports exhaust) and I suspect that's a give-away for it being manufactured before/during May 2019 despite being registered in July 2019. There are 3 versions of the User Manual for MY2020 on the "Good to Know" app and there seems to be a point where prior to May 2019 the manual makes no reference to Wifi and after that point it does; that same post May 2019 manual also features a dedicated PSE switch.
 
mikegibson said:
Senna said:
Hi Mike,
My 992 C2S Cab was registered June 2019 and I can only do wired Apple Car Play.
According to my dealer later cars can do wireless though I'm not sure from which date.
It can't be retrofitted either apparently.
Hi Senna. Do you happen to know the model year of your car. I am pretty sure mine is MY2020 based on the VIN. The manual I have refers to wifi BUT also states in "certain countries".

To be honest, this is turning into more of a crusade to figure out whether it can or not rather than my having any desperate need for it!


I'm not sure Mike to be honest. I know cars that arrived just a few months later than mine were able to do wireless car play with a software update. I was pretty miffed when the dealer told me mine couldn't do it ??
 
mikegibson said:
I have a 2019 992 C2S registered late July 2019 so an early 992 - it is MY2020 as far as I am aware.


When I was browsing 911s for sale on the Porsche Cars GB website earlier last year I notice that some of the cars that were registered in the early part of 2020 (e.g April) were being advertised as MY2020. I contacted my PC and they advised that this was indeed incorrect. Probably another sales ploy to get the interested parties drawn in.

I think you will find that 911s manufactured prior to the factory shutdown in August are that year’s model. That would make your own car a MY2019.

 
Peter_Bull said:
When I was browsing 911s for sale on the Porsche Cars GB website earlier last year I notice that some of the cars that were registered in the early part of 2020 (e.g April) were being advertised as MY2020. I contacted my PC and they advised that this was indeed incorrect. Probably another sales ploy to get the interested parties drawn in.

I think you will find that 911s manufactured prior to the factory shutdown in August are that year’s model. That would make your own car a MY2019.
The car was advertised as MY2020 and the information appearing on the "My Porsche” web site seems to confirm this. At the end of the day it’s not a biggie but I may reach out to Porsche to put it to rest.


 
Just closing off this thread as the following information relating to incorporation of wireless CarPlay might be helpful to others.

I contacted Porsche and have been told the following:

"The change-point for this feature (Wireless Apple CarPlay) was not aligned to a Model Year changeover. Wireless Apple CarPlay was introduced into vehicles built from Calendar Week 25, 17th June 2019 onwards."

They also confirmed that my car is MY2020 (VIN indicated MY2020 as well). Surprisingly, however, the car was built in April 2019, but not registered until end July which suggests a dealership pre-order and that the car sat in a pound for some time prior to registration; I cannot believe it took 12 weeks to get from factory to dealer. It is rather odd as I also believed that MY changes coincided with a factory shutdown but apparently not. I do wonder whether there were some odd things going on around the timing of MY2019/MY2020 change over. Anyhow, back to enjoying my car as best I can in the current climate!

 
Cheers spoke to Tim, he confirmed early 992 did not have wifi for Apple or android carplay. PCM has 2.4Ghz whereas for Apple and Android need 5Ghz. From a Rennlist post you can buy a kit, about £300 plus, to fit an additional motherboard in the PCM behind the head unit! On Porsche warranty cars, one would loose warranty!
According to Tim, cannot fit another Porsche PCM with the necessary board as number would not match the car number held by Porsche and they would not upgrade the software. Also new usb appears to be the new small one!
From my own research there may be a usb dongle which plugs into the current usb and gives wifi access for Apple to the PCM. Works on earlier 911s but still trying to see if one will work with 992.
 
There appear to be two usb Apple dongles on the market to give wifi Apple CarPlay to the early 992 and indeed other early Porsche models eg Panamera, Boxster etc if they have CarPlay installed already. They are JoyeAuto and Carlinkit 2.0. The only alternatives are change cars to later model with wifi!!!! or fit a kit with the extra motherboard with 5Ghz which is costly and would negate the warranty. The dongles do not affect the warranty and work fairly well if one looks up the reviews on the internet. I have a friend who fitted the motherboard kit to a 991 that works well as is about to get a dongle for another Porsche. Will keep you informed.
 
Following on from the posts re USB Apple dongles for wireless Apple CarPlay: news from the colleague who has a Boxster is the Carlinkit works. I have ordered one a U2WPlus Carlinkit 2.0 and await its arrival. Ordered direct in American Dollars on Paypal and paid the equivalent of £77.96 rather than the price through Amazon of £145. Once fitted will update. From various reviews all this dongles can fail and then you may have to reboot to get the connection but then I have found that even wired in direct from the phone Apple CarPlay fails and I have to stop the car to reset!
 
The Carlink 2 Plus arrived this morning so fitted it to the USB port in the centre between the front seats, followed the simple instructions to link the phone to the Bluetooth on the PCM and hey presto it worked thereafter as a wifi link for Apple CarPlay. Went for a short drive with the iPhone in my pocket and worked with inter alia Waze and the music on the phone. So a far cheaper alternative to taking out the PCM and putting in an extra motherboard. Colleague who has both the board in a 991 and the Carlink in the Boxster said that in the Boxster the Carlink easily picks up 2 different phones when his wife is in the car. Son on my first use I think it is worth it. Moreover you can take the Carlink from one car to another that has CarPlay where you have to use a USB wire from your phone in the second car.
 

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