I thought I had a root in my glove compartment, and in fact there seems to be a corresponding module already installed there.

BHPian Ads11 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I have a question for the community. A few months ago I saw an ad on social media for a system that would allow you to switch the car’s built-in infotainment system to Android Auto or Car Play. I was thinking about adapting one of my systems. The Golf was out of the question – at least not if you remove the CD and cassette deck, which is a no-go on a Mercedes. It’s a 2013 W204 C180 running that era’s COMMAND system. The display and interface buttons all work fine, it’s just functionally useless in this day and age. So I started Googling.

At first I saw a lot of such systems where the center console had to be opened as shown here.

If I have to remove the head unit it’s much more hassle than it’s worth. Plus these all cost at least £400-500. Further research revealed that some options come with a module that plugs into a Harman-Becker slot (?!) which happens to be in the glove box. I’d never come across this before but this was one of the options listed.

The videos linked to that URL seem to indicate that the installation is much easier. While it might be a little clunky to use, it seems like Android Auto can be activated wirelessly using the built-in buttons. And it’s a lot cheaper.

I thought I had a root in my glove box and in fact there seems to be a module of this type already installed there. Forgive the less than perfect photos, I had to contort myself to reach it.

Glove box – no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t pull out the already plugged-in module

I’m really struggling to stomach this, but I can just make out the word Becker. What could it be if it’s already there?

However, I wanted to ask the community: Has anyone made this change to their car before? Is it worth it? I mostly use my phone in a mount and only on long trips (which is what we mostly use the Mercedes for – my old Golf is my usual daily car). Wireless Android Auto or Car Play would be nice for my parents when they come to visit and could borrow the car.

I couldn’t find an existing thread on W204s where something like this has been done, at least not on Team BHP. I’m happy to be redirected if I missed something here or elsewhere like Reddit.

Here is what BHPianNissan1180 had to say on this topic:

You can add a portable Carplay screen. These units are detachable and offer a decent experience if your expectations are limited to running Google Maps and music streaming apps. These units are unfortunately generic. You can search for the term “portable Carplay screen” on Amazon.

The other option is to replace the existing screen with a larger unit that keeps the original features and adds CarPlay + rear camera.

I’ve been using a portable Carplay screen on my W204 and it’s held up well so far.

Here is what BHPian androdev had to say on this topic:

If you are unable to pull out the Becker unit using the button (A1727550061), you can improvise and make three pieces of plastic or wood strip to copy the button movement. You will need to press two rectangular tabs that hold the unit in place and slide the round pin to pull the unit out.

Read the BHPian comments for more insights and information.