I expect this has a certain poster here firmly in mind, but I’m at my wit’s end (or wits’ end?) with this particular first world problem.
I have a 2022 Kia Sportage (newest shape). It has wired Apple Car Play, which works very nicely, but…
The only cable I can find that reliably works all the time is an actual Apple OEM cable. All others (from Poundshop to Amazon quite expensive) either don’t work at all, or result in Car Play working for any time between 2 minutes and 1 hour plus, then suddenly just switching off, and it reverts to the Bluetooth connection. Re-plug it in and it reverts to working, but for shorter periods…
The issue is of course, that Apple cables in that environment last about a a month before the plastic coating frays and it starts to fall apart. At Apple Shop prices, that’s expensive.
So, my questions are…
Can I trust the “Genuine Apple cables” on ebay for a fiver or better?
What makes the cables so blinking special?
Is there a recommended and reasonable priced third party alternative cable?
I have been told there are such things as “Wireless Car Play converters” (plug into your USB and Car Play will connect without a cable). Do these actually work? Are they worth £50+?
Sub questions…
Why on Earth does it keep seemingly randomly losing the connection with a non-Apple cable, especially after being OK for up to a whole journey?
What makes the genuine cables so blinking special?
Anything anyone can sensibly say about any of the above will be very gratefully received.
The only place you can be sure of a genuine Apple cable is to buy from an Apple Store.
I can’t help with anything else but yes a certain poster will without a doubt put you right.
But any MFi (Made For iPod/iPad/iPhone) branded cable will be licensed, tested, and approved by Apple. In return for a 30% cut, if I remember correctly.
Apple don’t make their own cables, they have a specification and get them made in China. So even their own branded cables can vary a bit.
See, I knew I was wrong.
I’ve had the same actual Apple cable in my car for 3 years, and it shows no sign of fraying, so maybe you’re a bit rough or unlucky. But one of those braided Made for Apple cables should see you right.
Have you tried Bluetooth? I haven’t had consistent results with it, but your mileage may vary (SWIDT?).
Correct version is: wits’ end.
You’re at the end of your wits, not of your wit.
Thanks, Nigel – noted for the future use.
Yours,
A Pedant.
P.S. how are you doing?
Slow – very slow – progress, Steve, but each physio and OT session shows a tiny but discernable improvement. Yesterday I had a first walk using a zimmer frame rather than between parallel bars. Maybe 10 yards in total, it felt like a vigorous full body work-out, and was really scary to boot.
The up side is that for many years now there’s been a distressing dearth of the gentle touch of pretty young women, which has now, for the time being, come to a double edged, welcome end. Daisy to Roisin yesterday: “Yes, I’m holding his pelvis…”
My first goal is to be able to take myself to the toilet, rather than waiting until someone has the time to wheel me there on a Sarasteady*.
*subs, check spelling.
I bought one for my daughter the other day from Shoppers Drug Mart (like a Boots equivalent), was a bit cheaper than getting an Apple one (about $20) and the thing is really built to last.
Strangely I too have had the same issue with Apple Car Play in my less than a month old 2023 Seat Arona FR ( newest shape) and took the car into the garage on Monday so they could check the infotainment programme/head unit etc
They found nothing and on the way back from the garage it happened again and cut out etc.
I had a good old think and checked the iphone input didn’t have any fluff in it…it did, quite a lot!
So I have cleaned it out with a wooden toothpick and so far (fingers crossed) all has been ok.
I had actually contacted @fentonsteve yesterday regarding an audiophile type cable upgrade as I thought that may help and also make a percentage uptick on the sound ..makes no discernible difference said our friend.
Have a look at the cable input on your phone Bobness, it could need a clean out and may help.
Disintegration of the outer sheath of USB mini and micro cables at the device end seems very common, particularly when devices are left on charge longer than strictly necessary.
The connector can get quite warm to the touch, affecting the plastic sheath material, which becomes less flexible, then brittle and starts to flake off, exposing the wire braiding below. A shortcoming of the USB standard IMO.
Hey Beavis, he said “sheath” huh huh
Yeah, huh huh. He said it again! “Sheath” hehehehehe “sheath”.
I think he’s, like, a pervert or something..
Not so much a shortcoming of the USB standard, as a penny-pinching exercise by cheapskate manufacturers. From Universal Serial Bus Specification Revision 2.0, section 6.6.1:
“High-/full-speed cable consists of one 28 to 20 AWG non-twisted power pair and one 28 AWG twisted data pair with an aluminum metallized polyester inner shield, 28 AWG stranded tinned copper drain wire, > 65% tinned copper wire interwoven (braided) outer shield, and PVC outer jacket.”
From 6.4.3:
“The VBUS lead provides power to the connected device. The minimum wire gauge is vendor specific.”
Now, of course, manufacturers know the laws of Physics better than anyone, and always choose the thickest cable they can to ensure least heating, longest life and happiest customers. Or… they choose the thinnest old shit they can get away with, and – bonus – everyone has to buy another replacement cable in a few months.
This site https://www.gq.com/story/the-best-iphone-charging-cables
has some suggestions, including this brand of ruggedised cables, which are available from Dodgers UK
https://www.fusechicken.com/collections/charge-cables
I will post my anti-Lightning technical discussion/rant later.
I wouldn’t bother – they’re on their way out, and we iPhone/iPad owners don’t have any choice anyway.
I’ve been connecting iPhones by lightning to USB to different cars for some years now and, for the last 14 months, to CarPlay in a Ford Kuga. That’s several different iPhones, several different cars and MANY different cables, Apple included, and I’ve NEVER had one that didn’t occasionally drop the connection somehow.
The Kuga will be absolutely fine for weeks on end and then with no apparent cause it will disconnect and the only way to reconnect is to stop the car, turn it off and lock it as if I have left the vehicle, then start it again, at which point it will either do it again 10 minutes later or be fine for weeks until the next time.
I think it’s just inherently a troubled relationship.
Check for fluff in your phone hole, or
Turn off Bluetooth on your car unit, maybe the phone loses connection briefly and tries to connect via Bluetooth, if it’s off it might not try
Also, the issue might not be at the phone end, when I have had the same issue (and it’s not caused by fluff) it’s the usb end that slips out
Check for fluff in your phone hole
Sound advice for us all, I feel…
I’ve used Amazon branded and Apple and both have occasional blips. I hold the power button down on the car radio and it resets and it always works after that. I think it’s a software issue in the car. Just make sure the cable is described as for data and charging and not just charging.
To update all, and thanks all for posting above.
I ditched the older cables, tried an OEM Apple cable from the drawer of a thousand delights, and it worked perfectly for a trip to Edinburgh and back, not a single issue.
I then bought a FuseChicken metallised cable, and that’s been prefect too, though this morning, it connected to Carplay but still played the sound out of the phone. (Initially at least.)
So I think my woes are to a pretty large extent over. You need that “MFi” brand, it seems.
Thanks again.