No Audio at times when using Apple Car Play

[gmarcucio]

Intermittent no audio
I'm having an issue with my 2023 Lightning Lariat. I have wireless apple car play and play iHeart radio most of the time. Sometimes when I start the truck the apple car play connects but I won't have any audio. I can see the little lines moving on iHeart Radio moving so I know it's connected and playing, but I don't have audio. Also, when this is happening, if I press the call button on the steering wheel to speak a request, I don't get any audio prompt. Then if I start the truck the next time it may work normal. It does this about 4 times out of 10. Is this happening to anyone else?

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[Refactoringdr]

Yep. There are a few threads on it. Until Ford fixes it via update, the best procedures are:
1) Disconnect the phone's CarPlay via the Phone List and then reconnect it.
2) If that doesn't work, reboot the APIM by long-pressing the bottom two outside buttons on the steering wheel for 10s (I never remember which buttons they are). This almost always works.
3) Reboot your phone

 

[XENOILPHOBE]

Mine does it about 50% of the time in my 2024 Platinum... I usually switch to radio then back and it on occasion will regain audio. This is same crap I deal with in my 20 year old FJ, I put a Pioneering floating screen system in (almost $2K just for the head unit + install) and the damn thing sometimes connects to Airplay and other times it doesn't. It almost feels like there is a software battle going on between Apple, Spotify, etc on who is going to own the media desktop.... another option is to hard connect to the USB C and it will override all this, but I didnt pay for a platinum to go back to 1999...

 

[MichaelCA]

Ford is aware of it. I sent them logs like around this time last year.

 

[FordTough98198]

When this happens to me I hit the power button (the one on the big screen in the center of the volume knob) and wait a few seconds then turn it back on and the sound works.

 

[srspring551]

The "stop, turn off truck, open door, close door, turn on truck" troubleshooting method also works for me.

 

[chl]

A Ctrl-Alt-Del solution to reboot the system seems to be what many frustrated users have to resort to.

An old-school trick that worked for me with some external devices (XM portable radios) was to use an old Griffin "i-Trip" FM transmitter that will connect with the head unit FM radio on a selected unused FM frequency. Of course you need your iPhone or whathaveyou to have an audio-out jack.

I gave up on the BlueTooth connection - besides losing the connection completely sometimes, there were many drop-outs during playback.

Now I just put my music collection on a portable USB device (formatted in xfat) and play music that way through the USB data port...no commercial interruptions, no stale play lists and DJ yappity yapping, just my preferred music. I had a spare SSD HD (500GB) and put all my music from ripped CD's and so forth on it with room to spare.

The USB port would not play nice with my iPod or Zunes (yes I have a couple of those) and only works with an XFAT formatted USB stick or SSD. By contrast, my 2012 Nissan Leaf integrates perfectly with the iPod and anything else I plug into the USB.

WTF, FORD...whatever.

 

[G-Zeus]

Or you can just plug it in with the USB cable. You get better sound quality that way, anyway. And yes you have to pull out your phone, you don't get the convenience, etc etc etc.... so it's a question of reliability vs. convenience. At least when it's connected by cable, it will charge.

 

[MichaelCA]

When this happens to me I hit the power button (the one on the big screen in the center of the volume knob) and wait a few seconds then turn it back on and the sound works.

this would save so much time and save me from the distraction of disconnecting carplay. good tip

 

[LightningB514]

Yes this happens about 50% of the time on my 2023 Lariat ER. I just go into settings and disconnect from CarPlay and immediately reconnect. That fixes the issue for me. Also for me, once every couple weeks I get where the audio is only coming out of one speaker. Have to pull over and turn off truck, open door, close door and start truck back on.

 

[Ford Motor Company]

Intermittent no audio
I'm having an issue with my 2023 Lightning Lariat. I have wireless apple car play and play iHeart radio most of the time. Sometimes when I start the truck the apple car play connects but I won't have any audio. I can see the little lines moving on iHeart Radio moving so I know it's connected and playing, but I don't have audio. Also, when this is happening, if I press the call button on the steering wheel to speak a request, I don't get any audio prompt. Then if I start the truck the next time it may work normal. It does this about 4 times out of 10. Is this happening to anyone else?

Hello! Send us a private message with your VIN and current mileage. Allow me to see what I can do to assist. Thanks!

 

[F150ROD]

Yeah, its been an issues since I picked mine up in 2022.

 

[JackovSpades]

I have one of the first Platinum Lightnings made and I have complained to my Dealership and Ford about this issue with lost sound and Apple CarPlay from day one. They are very aware of this problem yet it still remains unfixed. Like everyone else half the time the sound comes on and half it does not. A few days ago it never came back on even after turning off, opening door etc ten times! Apple CarPlay is far superior to Ford's own software so FIX IT! That is my only grip about the Lightning which is the best vehicle I have ever owned and my other vehicle is a Tesla Model S.

 

[lipnorth]

I have also had this issue for quite a while with CarPlay. It will work reliably five times and then not play audio and I have to toggle Wi-Fi on and off for it to work. I can do it either on my phone or via the dash.

This has been going on for almost a year, I had hoped they would’ve gotten this sorted out by now.

Terrible job leaving this bug in the system.

On another note with the latest Apple updates, I’ve noticed CarPlay is slower than ever, especially Siri. Not sure if it’s an apple or Ford issue.

 

[frautumn]

I have to toggle Wi-Fi on and off for it to work.

Do you mean Bluetooth? I wouldn't expect WIFI to be involved.

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