All,

I purchased a used 2017 F150 in mid October, I have had it in under warranty 3 times already.

The latest has been for Android Auto Issues. My phone only connected sporadically. I have read as much as I have seen on here, tried new cords, old cords, original/factory cords etc. Updated sync. Got a warranty replacement phone, still nothing worked..

Took it to the dealer, BT issues, AA issues, GPS signal failure. Normally this stuff magically doesn't perform when I take a car in. This time it did, I was so excited as it all duplicated at the same time - 1500 miles left on warranty - great right?!?

2 weeks later, after replacement APIM and problems have started again. It feels like a bad USB port except for the GPS signal loss - could I have gotten another bad APIM? Anything else I'm not thinking about? Samsung Note 8 - 3 months old (replacement) also tested with my wife's Samsung S8. My previous car had a pioneer AA unit and never had issues with either phone...

Sorry to dive right in with no intro, but I'm at my wit's end here! Thanks and any help/encouragement is welcomed!!

 

These threads suck cause there are so many things that can cause this crap. I feel your pain. GPS can be inconsistent if you don't have a great view of the sky. There are ways to see how many satellites you can connect to in a given spot at a given time of day. This may sound weird but pay attention to where you are when BT fails. I have certain intersections where BT fails on me everytime. I'm sure it's 2.4g interference killing my signal from someones squealing hot wi-fi router. Android sucks to test because all the manufacturers ruin it. They load their bloat and never update the OS and things get weird. If you could test carplay on apple somehow that would prove your USB thinking. I wish I had better advice but you just have to divide and conquer to find issues like this.

 

Thanks, I thought about that last night. My wife does have an iPad, I bet I can load up car play on that and test.

I'll have to test it when my AA is not working on my Note to isolate. Sometimes it works perfectly with my device.

It also seems that Ford/Samsung may not play well together as there are a lot of threads on this. Honestly, that preferable to another bad APIM because I'm losing confidence that it will get fixed as the dealer has had it twice. I can upgrade my phone, but don't want to do so with false hope.

I have a friend with a pixel, I may try to test that if I get the opportunity (i.e. it stops working when he's around)

Thanks.

 

Android was such a good idea when it came out but the different companies and carriers ruined it with bloat and problematic default apps. I've used nexus/pixel exclusively for years and almost all my quirky problems went away.

 

Yeah, honestly that (AA), and the overall comfort of the Cab was that nudge that put me over the edge for Ford vs. a Tundra. I just got rid of a 2006 Tundra that I had put an aftermarket system in 3 or so years ago and came to love AA for it's simplicity and ease of use.

Never once had a problem with that aftermarket unit...

 

I fought with AA in my '16 for a while even with my Google Pixel 2XL. I can tell you from experience that it is very, very cable dependent. The only cable that I could reliably count on was the one I purchased from the Google store. My Pixel used the USB-C connector so when I changed from an LG phone to it the cable had to change from a Micro USB connectored cable. The USB-C to USB-A cable that I purchased from the Google Store has worked very well. I wish I knew what was different about it but I haven't found that answer and as I installed the cable semi-permanently it just stays in the truck now so until the USB-C end fails from overuse I should be good. On one road trip I had a buddy with an iPhone and we could both connect up when driving for GPS mapping so it was very convenient. As for satellite signals, my truck is pretty good but there are a few times when it gets sporadic but overall it's been solid. Heavy cloud cover/rain and tall structures can affect reception. Good luck.

 

Thanks, I have used 4 cords. The one that worked in my old truck for years, a brand new high quality short cable (anker) 12", a brand new different grade 3' anker cable, and my original Samsung cable (this is admittedly older - I guess will buy a new OEM cable and try that).

Once I got the APIM replaced, it worked for a couple of weeks with no issues - my plan (and what I did), was leave the 12" cord plugged in to the truck at all times, and just plug my phone in...

Then the problems started again. If anyone knows specifically of any cords they have had success with let me know (I saw a list that listed Anker as one of the good ones) - maybe I should buy a Pixel cord and try it on my samsung?

 

Ok,

Got the issue to duplicate on my phone, plugged a friends iPhone into same port and Car Play started up instantly. Removed apple, and plugged my phone back in and still nothing (sometime I get a cord error and others it doesn't register at all).

Got in his 2019 Trailboss with my phone, and the OE Samsung cord. It didn't initiate at all. So it is either my phone or my cord - which I am ok with - better that than the new to me truck with new APIM module...I plan to try a new OE cord before replacing my phone.

I still would like to find someone with a newer Android phone to test, because I like Android over Apple, but if Android is this finicky I might go with an iPhone.

Thanks all for the help.

 

Pixel 3 here with an Anker aftermarket USB cable and have zero issues. It's 100% stable for me so it can be done.

 

I'm currently using one of these:


No issues for a couple months.
OnePlus 7 Pro, Had a Nexus 6 before that that worked fine too.