Activating CarPlay and Android Auto on MIB2 units: patch, firmware and FEC

Recognise the problem and identify the unit

Start by reading the full firmware train string. On MST2 units, owners open the update/version screen by holding the MENU button for about 5 to 10 seconds with the ignition on. The last letter of the train tells which supplier built the unit: D means Delphi, T means Technisat. The method differs completely between the two, so this step matters.

For Technisat units, also note whether the train is PQ or ZR, whether the unit has two SD slots or one, and whether navigation is fitted. Patches are built for an exact train and for PQ or ZR specifically; a PQ patch should not be used on a ZR unit and vice versa.

Also note the head unit part number. The last digits of the part number indicate the hardware level and are the quickest way to rule a unit in or out.

• Symptoms: no App Connect or SmartLink entry, only MirrorLink offered, phone reported as incompatible on USB, or a 'CarPlay not activated' message.
• Train ending in D: Delphi; train ending in T: Technisat.
• Count SD slots and check whether navigation is present.
• Write down the train, the part number and the MU/software version before changing anything.

Units that cannot be enabled

Owners consistently report that some hardware cannot run App Connect regardless of patch, activator or firmware. Patching such a unit may make the menu look enabled, but CarPlay or Android Auto then hangs on a loading screen, reboots the unit or never appears.

Technisat units that left the factory with 01xx firmware (for example MST2_EU_VW_ZR_P0138T or MST2_EU_VW_ZR_P0140T) have roughly half the RAM of 02xx units. Forcing 02xx software onto them has been reported to install, but App Connect then freezes or restarts the unit when a phone is connected. These units are effectively limited to MirrorLink.

Units with part numbers ending in 819 or 820 (for example 3Q0035819A) are reported to lack App Connect support. A simple check reported by owners: if there is no App Connect button in the media menu, activation is not possible on that unit. For 3Q0035819B there are reports of converting the unit to STDPlus with coding and an edited metainfo file, but this is described as risky and was not widely confirmed.

Software variant also matters: App Connect needs STDPlus or Nav software. A unit running basic STD software may show the App Connect icon but the function does not work.

Audi MST2 units (for example on MST2_EU_AU_P0673D) do not contain the CarPlay and Android Auto binaries. The Congo/Duke activator and FEC additions do not make it work; owners report the only route is replacing the unit with an MHS2 or MHI2 unit. MIB1 units (MSTD trains) do not support CarPlay either.

• Technisat factory 01xx firmware: not supported, firmware update does not change the hardware.
• Part number ending 819 or 820: not supported. Units ending 824 or higher (840, 842, 846, 864, 874) are reported as capable.
• STD software variant: needs STDPlus or Nav.
• Audi MST2 and MIB1: no working method reported.

Before you start: safety

Patches, activators and toolbox operations modify the unit's software or feature codes. Note the current train and part number, back up coding and adaptations with your diagnostic tool, and where the toolbox is used, make its backup before patching. Keep a stable power supply throughout; owners recommend running the engine or using a battery charger and never interrupting a running update.

Use a good quality, branded SD card formatted FAT32 (owners report better results formatting on a Windows PC), and copy all files from the archive to the root of the card. Missing files or files left in a subfolder caused 'release file could not be read' errors and, in one report, a blue screen that needed the card to be rewritten.

• Record train, part number and MU version.
• Back up coding and adaptations first.
• Stable power; do not cancel an update in progress.
• FAT32 card, all files in the root folder.

Delphi MST2 units (train ending in D)

Delphi units are usually activated with the Congo/Duke activator, run from an SD card as a normal software update. Owners report that no OBD coding or developer mode is needed for the activator itself on Delphi units. The Congo/Duke activator is for Delphi units only and does not work on Technisat units.

Advice on firmware level is mixed. On older units (for example MST2_EU_VW_E0220D or MST2_EU_VW_P0225D) several owners recommend updating to MST2_EU_VW_P0231D first, noting E0220D sometimes fails. Others report the patch working on the 0220 train without updating. Newer 06xx and 08xx trains are generally activated on the current firmware; K and P trains with the same number (MST2_EU_VW_K0642D and MST2_EU_VW_P0642D) are reported to be the same firmware. Where a specific software version has no activator support, owners updated to a newer version first.

• Check the train ends in D.
• If on a very old train, consider updating to a supported train first; reports differ on whether this is required.
• Prepare a FAT32 SD card with the activator files in the root.
• Hold MENU, choose the software update, select the SD card and let the update finish with the engine running.
• Owners recommend the original activator files rather than variants with extra scripts unless you need them.
• Then check coding and adaptations as described below.

Technisat MST2 units with two SD slots and navigation

These units can usually be patched by SD card alone. The patch must match the exact train. Many owners update a ZR unit to MST2_EU_VW_ZR_P0480T first and then apply the matching patch; this route has the most confirmations. Some owners report that a 0480 patch works on any VW ZR 04xx train (for example MST2_EU_VW_ZR_P0468T) because the swap codes are shared, making the update optional, but this was disputed and is safest only when the patch matches your train.

Where a patch is offered in two variants, owners advise using the one without CP (component protection) in its name unless you specifically need it. On older 02xx units, an update to MST2_EU_VW_ZR_P0254T or MST2_EU_VW_PQ_P0254T followed by the matching patch is reported to work.

• Confirm PQ or ZR and download the patch built for your exact train.
• If no patch exists for your train, update to a train that has one, then patch.
• Copy the patch to the root of a FAT32 SD card and insert it in slot 1.
• Hold MENU, select the software update, choose the SD card and confirm.
• Check the log on the SD card root afterwards if App Connect did not activate; a bad SD card was a reported cause.

Technisat units via the M.I.B. toolbox

An alternative on Technisat units is the M.I.B. toolbox for MIB2 STD (PQ/ZR). It requires the green developer (engineering) menu, which owners enable through a 5F adaptation with an OBD tool such as VCDS, VCP or OBDeleven. The toolbox is installed from SD, then used to dump, patch and upload the SWaP data. This method generally works on the current firmware without an update.

Older toolbox versions were reported not to enable CarPlay; using the current release solved it. In one case the toolbox did nothing because the old GEM CPU folder was still on the card; replacing it with the CPU folder supplied in the toolbox package fixed the install.

• Enable developer mode in 5F with an OBD tool.
• Install the current toolbox version and make its backup.
• Patch SWaP and let the unit restart.
• If the toolbox menu stays blank, check the CPU folder on the card was replaced.

Technisat units with one SD slot or no navigation

Owners report the SD-only patch does not work on single-slot or non-navigation Technisat units, including composition media units. These need the eMMC method (reading and patching the unit's internal storage) or the OTG method. eMMC is described as more reliable; OTG does not work on every unit. SEAT 05xx Technisat trains such as MST2_EU_SE_ZR_P0514T were reported to have no SD solution at all.

The eMMC method involves opening the unit and should only be attempted by someone comfortable with that work. Keep a copy of the original image before patching.

• Single SD slot or no nav: plan for eMMC or OTG, not SD.
• Keep an untouched copy of the original eMMC image.
• 05xx SEAT trains: no SD route reported.

After patching: adaptations, coding and FECs

Patching alone often leaves CarPlay and Android Auto hidden because the smartphone adaptations are off by default. This step was the most consistently confirmed fix when App Connect was active but CarPlay or Android Auto did not appear, or when SmartLink showed only MirrorLink after an update.

In the 5F unit, Vehicle Configuration adaptations, owners set Google_GAL, Apple_DIO and Smartphone_interface_for_rhmi to ON (and Mirror_link if wanted). For CarPlay, the USB coding must be set to the iPod mode; owners report changing long coding byte 19, bit 7 to usb_ipod. A USB coding set to full instead of iPod caused 'function not available' and MirrorLink only.

Check the feature codes in the activation codes menu (long press on MENU). Owners report App Connect will not run without valid FECs 0060800 and 0060900, and that invalid FECs after an update disabled features. In some cases FECs had to be added with a diagnostic tool after patching.

• 5F adaptations: Google_GAL ON, Apple_DIO ON, Smartphone_interface_for_rhmi ON.
• 5F long coding: USB set to usb_ipod for CarPlay.
• Confirm FECs 0060800 and 0060900 are present and valid.
• Back up coding before changing it.

USB port and cable

Android Auto generally works with the original port, but CarPlay needs a CarPlay-capable USB port. Owners describe checking the connector colour: green is reported as CarPlay-capable, purple as Android Auto only. On SEAT units, 5G0035222F was reported without CarPlay support and 5G0035222E as the compatible part.

Several cases that looked like activation failures turned out to be the wrong port (some cars have charge-only ports with different pinouts), a charge-only or poor-quality cable, or a USB-C adapter. Use an original or good data-capable cable in the data port.

• Inspect or replace the USB port for CarPlay.
• Code the USB port to match the installed hardware.
• Use a data-capable cable directly in the data port.

Harman MIB2 High (MHI2) units

On Harman units the usual route is to bring the unit to a firmware that the M.I.B. toolbox supports, make a backup, then patch. If the current firmware is too old for the patch, owners update first. Pre-patched all-in-one packages are widely used on Audi units, but results are mixed: some owners had CarPlay keep loading, missing FECs or problems on Porsche, and fixed it by installing normal firmware and patching with the toolbox instead. Mixing firmware variants that are not official successors was reported to damage the unit's datasets.

On Audi models with a virtual cockpit, the cluster firmware may need updating before the smartphone interface icon appears, even when the head unit is correctly patched.

• Check the patch supports your exact firmware before updating.
• Back up with the toolbox before patching.
• If an all-in-one package misbehaves, owners reverted to standard firmware plus toolbox patching.
• Check cluster firmware if the smartphone icon is missing on Audi.

What did not help

Owners reported these attempts failing or not applying.

• Updating firmware on 01xx Technisat or 819/820 hardware: the hardware limit remains.
• Congo/Duke activator on Technisat units: it is for Delphi only.
• Any activator or FEC addition on Audi MST2 units.
• SD-only patching on single-slot or non-nav Technisat units.
• Using a patch built for a different train, or a PQ patch on a ZR unit.
• Outdated toolbox versions.
• Firmware updates alone, without a patch and the 5F adaptations.