PCM and my Iphone really don't get along
 

Wondering if i'm the only one, my PCM has a very hard time accessing the music on my iphone. whether it's dropping the song mid stream, or restarting my playlist, or freezing up in the middle, it seems to have a real problem linking up. i assume this is something i need to take to the dealer but wondering if anyone else has experienced this and if there is a quicker solution

Same problem.

Are you linking via Bluetooth or USB?

There have been several software updates to the PCM. What version are you running?


I had mine updated to resolve a Bluetooth problem and automatic restarts. I would take it to the dealer and ask for the latest PCM update. I have version 4.73 IIRC.

I have found that Bluetooth is more reliable than the USB. Sometimes USB connects, some times not. It seems that if you start on Bluetooth and then switch to USB it is more likely to talk to the phone.

i have tried both plugging through UBS and through bluetooth, and i even made it a point to use the OEM lightning cord. maybe it's marginally better with the UBS connection, but still terrible. not sure which version i am running, maybe thats all it needs

I have two iPhones that seem to have varying degrees of success with PCM. My work phone, a 6+, seems to work fairly well over Bluetooth or USB. The one exception is whenever I use Sriri to read texts, etc., which seems to cause the music controls to stop working, although the music continues to play. So far the only solution I've found is to switch to the radio and back, at which point all is well.

My personal phone, a 6, doesn't seem to work very well at all. When connected via USB it might display the list of songs, but it doesn't seem to want to play them, and I've had PCM reboot at least twice when that phone was plugged in. Besides being the smaller model, it's on Verizon vs AT&T, but I don't know why those differences would make it behave so oddly. I haven't tried pairing it to see if that helps it work more reliably, and that seems like a strange remedy.

I look forward to using CarPlay in future Porsches, and hope that all manufacturers support it. Let the experts handle the UI, apps, etc.! :burnout:

will say that the main reason why im asking is because my goal has been to keep the volume a little higher as the amount of rattles and buzzes in the cabin is just as "impressive" as my e92 m3 which was essentially a 3 series w a massive engine in it. ie i wasn't too surprised as to the fit and finish on the cabin of that one. this is a little more vexing.

and to all those who say "just listen to the engine", yeah i get it. but im not always wailing on the engine

What is a OEM lightning cord?

Dealer paired my iPhone 6+ in our 2016. Using bluetooth with no problems. Actually sounds fairly good with the Bose in Surround mode.

I had my dealer update mine to 4.76, and it has been great since. It was previously at 4.73, and had the same issues as the O.P.

not that i think it really matters, but it's the cord you actually get from apple that's a little shorter. will take advice here and update to 4.76, i got the car in july so maybe it's an older version.

I use a ProClipUSA cell phone holder, with integrated Lightning cable, to hold my iPhone 6s Plus. The Lightning cable is plugged into the USB port in the glove box for charging and controlling music playback through the PCM.

I have an occasional issue where, during music playback, the PCM will switch to my previous FM station and display something like "iPod not ready". At the same time, the phone will indicate that it is not charging. Within a few seconds, the phone will show that it is charging again and the PCM will display "iPod ready". Sometimes this "not ready/ready" and "not charging/charging" cycle will happen multiple times a few seconds apart.

As near as I can tell, this typically happens in the same places (for example, a specific place on a certain street), but does not seem tied to any bumps in the road or anything else that might affect the physical connection by jarring the car. I suspect some issue in the phone when switching towers (and, possibly, from LTE to non-LTE or vice versa, or a similar change that is giving the phone's internals an issue.).

I keep forgetting to take an Apple Lightning cable down to the car to see if I can replicate the issue using it in place of the ProClipUSA cable.

(Note: I had them update the PCM to 4.76, and see little-to-no improvement in the issue.)

I found the iPhone didn't really work that well with it, so I just put all my music on a USB stick, plugged it into the glove compartment, and haven't had any issues since.

try completely removing and unpairing phone from you car and the next day pairing it as if for the first time - that may help

I had numerous issues too when I first got my car. I am using a iPhone 6 Plus connected to USB in the glove box. I use it for music via Apple Music and for phone calling. Previously, I would always run into one of the 2 errors below:
1. Cannot play track at all
2. Can play track, but navigation (next, previous) has to be done on the iPhone. If you press the button on the PCM, it tries to skip to the next track by pausing slightly, but then fails and continues playing the current song.

My current solution works 90% of the time for me.
1. I first start the car up
2. Plug iPhone into USB Lightning cable
3. Wait for PCM to recognize iPod
4. Turn on Bluetooth on my iPhone
5. Drive off

I think I am on PCM ver 4.73