Carplay Issues (connecting, static/crackling sound)

[philmctim]

Hi everyone

I bought a new Nissan Leaf 2020 about 10 weeks ago.

This whole time, I have had problems with using Apple CarPlay.
- Sometimes it connects...sometimes it doesn't. On some occasions I plug and unplug the cable ten times, and on the 10th time it connects
- Static audio using Siri and on phone calls (music and podcasts are mostly fine...the occasional crackle)

Any thoughts? I should just take it back to the dealer but I feel they are going to give me the run around and not fix it.

[LimeLeaf]

I've got the same exact crackling/static issue with my new 2022 Leaf (62 kWh battery) and CarPlay. Device is iPhone 12 Pro, connected using the original Apple cable. I tried multiple cables (Apple and AmazonBasics brands, USB type A and type C, long and short) without any success.

The crackling/static is only after driving the car for a bit (not during first ~5-10min of drive/on-time), and is ONLY evident when using Siri or making/receiving phone calls. People on the other end of the call also cannot hear me properly, so it affects the microphone as well, not jsut speakers. Music from my iPhone (via Carplay!) will always play perfectly.

Clearly a software bug somewhere, but not sure whose side it's on -- Apple or Nissan.

[LimeLeaf]

By turning off vehicle transmission I was able to fix this issue. I think the ATT 4G is interfering somehow with my service. I’m not sure if that’s the real reason, but turning it off solved my problem and CarPlay works fine now.

I turned off the Leaf's Wifi, Bluetooth, and "vehicle transmission" for Nissan Connect, none of those fixed the issue unfortunately. The issue on my 2022 Leaf SV Plus is only present when using Siri or making a phone call, never when playing music -- and seemingly only when actually driving the car (not when parked).

EDIT: I notice the issue is only present when the vehicle is moving. If the vehicle is in Drive (or Reverse, or Park) but STOPPED, there is no issue with Siri or phone calls.
Multiple iPhones have the same issue, tested on iOS 15. I tested with a USB-C to Lightning as well as USB-A to lightning cable, and different length cables and manufacturers for each type (Apple and AmazonBasics)

The fact that the issue occurs only when moving makes me think there is some sort of interference/signal being sent through the cable or speakers, which only becomes apparent in "phone" or "assistant" (Siri) modes, since they use different audio channels than music, or so it seems. Quite frustrating for a brand new car, and sad to hear it's been happening to so many for so long!

[LimeLeaf]

I tried multiple things to diagnose this issue, without much success. I also posted this in another thread, but will post it here for increased visibility to users.

I have a 2022 Leaf, SV Plus, just got it a few days ago. The issue is only present when using Siri or making a phone call, never when playing music - and seemingly only when actually driving the car -- if the car is parked, or NOT moving but still in Drive/Reverse (like at a red light) this is NOT an issue at all and Siri/phone calls are perfectly normal. As soon as I start moving again, issue reappears.

I turned off the Leaf's Wifi, Bluetooth, and "vehicle transmission" for Nissan Connect, none of those fixed the issue unfortunately

I tested multiple iPhones and all have the same issue, all running iOS 15. I tested a USB-C to lightning as well as USB-A to lightning cable, as well as different length cables, and manufacturers for each type (Apple and AmazonBasics) -- no change at all.

The fact that the issue occurs only when moving makes me think there is some sort of interference/signal being sent through the cable or
speakers, which only becomes apparent in "phone" or "assistant (Siri) modes, since they use different audio channels than music, or so it
seems. Quite frustrating for a brand new car, and sad to hear it's been happening to so many for so long!

Unclear who to contact regarding this, Nissan or Apple. It does seem to be specific to the Leaf for some reason.

[LimeLeaf]

I was at the dealer today to change to winter tires, and brought up the CarPlay issue. They said it's "well known" and is "due to a recent iPhone/iOS update"... This doesn't really make sense, since the issue has been happening since iOS 14 (and/or earlier, in mid/early-2020), while the latest iOS is iOS 15.

Anyway, they also wrote this on the maintenance invoice for today's work:

CHECKED FOR BULLETIN AND FOUND NONE. CHECKED DATA BASE AND THERE ARE FEW CASES AND THIS ISSUE IS CURRENTLY UNDER ENGINEERING REVIEW. NEED TO WAIT FOR THE UPDATE FROM THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT FOR ANY FURTHER DIAGNOSTICS OR REPAIRS.

So seems like it's being worked on internally -- I hope. Also reached out to Nissan Connect, who directed me to Nissan Consumer Affairs, and they said to speak with the dealer about the issue.

There was a brief ~40min period yesterday where everything was working flawlessly all of a sudden. I couldn't narrow down why this would be happening, as I didn't change cables/settings or do any updates, nor did I change my driving or charging habits, so maybe it was just luck!

[jlv]

[Mod: I've merged three threads about Carplay issues together]

[robmcbell]

2021 SV - same issue. Will be following to see if there is a fix issued. I plan to ask my local Nissan about it as well.

[GaRailroader]

Also have this issue with my 22 SV 40 kWh model. I hope they can fix it. I read a different thread that said delete your car and add it back. I'll give that a shot but after reading this thread I have low confidence it will fix it. Very disappointed because Apple Car Play was a must have feature for me so having to unplug the phone so I can have a phone conversation in Bluetooth is unacceptable.

[robmcbell]

Took my car in to Nissan to see if they could fix this - they could not. They did a “software update”, but the issue persisted. Advisor said they can’t do much about the ever changing hardware on the iPhone since the car hardware is not upgradeable. I get it, but it still sucks.

CarPlay does work better now, though (eg switches to CarPlay when I plug in my iPhone more consistently, Spotify bugs are fewer). Take what you can get, I suppose.

[LimeLeaf]

Took my car in to Nissan to see if they could fix this - they could not. They did a “software update”, but the issue persisted. Advisor said they can’t do much about the ever changing hardware on the iPhone since the car hardware is not upgradeable. I get it, but it still sucks.

CarPlay does work better now, though (eg switches to CarPlay when I plug in my iPhone more consistently, Spotify bugs are fewer). Take what you can get, I suppose.

What software versions do you have now? Curious if there’s an update for mine as well.