Car Radio Help Center

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2013 Ford Escape stealing wheel controls, CarPlay audio, and audio echo

Jz

installed and changed the vehicle as directed in the instructions. Steering wheel volume buttons function. However the voice command button opens what looks like a phone control screen (dial pad, receive/hangup buttons, etc). That screen does not appear to function. Neither receive or hang up steering wheel buttons function.

CarPlay audio switches to phone when receiving a call.

On a call, there is a tremendous echo on the other side of the call. The microphone is mounted on the A-pillar.

Thanks for your assistance!

Jz

Leo

Hello, Jz,

Thank you for your detailed description. Based on your issues, here are some possible solutions:

1️⃣ Steering Wheel Voice Button Opens the Wrong Screen (and Doesn’t Work)

I’d like to confirm: When you press the voice command button, does it open the Bluetooth phone interface?
If so, this may be due to an incorrect CANBUS vehicle setting. You can check or adjust the CANBUS settings using the following steps:

Navigation Path:
Go to → Settings → Factory (enter “3368”) → Car Model

Please provide a screenshot of your current CANBUS settings so we can verify if it is configured correctly.
Additionally, I noticed that your CAN Protocol Version is empty, which may cause steering wheel button issues. Updating to the latest firmware could resolve this.
👉[Login to see the link]

—

2️⃣ CarPlay Audio Switches to Phone When Receiving a Call

This is typically the default behavior of CarPlay but may be related to your head unit software or iPhone settings.
Please try the following:
1. Check Settings on Your iPhone
  Path: Settings → General → CarPlay → Select your head unit and check if there are relevant audio settings to adjust.
2. Update Carlink2.0 (CarPlay App on Your Head Unit)
  Steps:
  - Open the App Store on your head unit
  - Pull down to refresh, then find the “Carlink2.0” app
  - Ensure it is updated to version 2.25.0301 (latest version)
3. Try Wired CarPlay
  If you are currently using wireless CarPlay, try connecting your iPhone via a data cable and check if the issue persists.

—

3️⃣ Echo on the Other End During Calls

This issue has already been fixed in the latest firmware. Please update your firmware and check if the echo problem is resolved.

If you still experience issues after the update, feel free to provide more details. Hope this helps! 😊
Have a nice day!

Best regard,

Leo

Jz

Thank you! The first image is the screen that appears when I press the voice command button the second is the error that appeared when attempting the firmware update .

Jz

Leo

Jz
Hello, Jz,

From the CANBUS settings image you provided, it looks like the wrong option was selected. The first image you uploaded shows an OnStar interface, which suggests the CANBUS setting is incorrect. Please follow the instructions below to select the correct setting.

Regarding the firmware update failure, this may be caused by an MCU file conflict (if the MCU version is incompatible, the update will fail).

Please follow the instructions in the image below:
✅ Only keep the files I have highlighted and delete all others before attempting the update again.

Let me know if you need further assistance! 😊

Jz

Same result with the button after changing the vehicle. Removed all but the three files from the USB drive and attempted update. Having difficulty uploading images at the moment. The error says that the update package is older than the fixed build.

I appreciate your support!!

Jz

Leo

Jz
Hello, Jz,

Thank you for your feedback!

If pressing the voice button still doesn’t properly activate Google Voice, please follow the steps below to provide us with the necessary data so our CANBUS engineers can check if a protocol update is required.

1️⃣ Capturing Steering Wheel Control Log Data

To help us investigate the issue, could you please record a video clearly showing the log codes when pressing the non-functional steering wheel buttons?

The video should include both the button being pressed and the log codes to help our engineers diagnose the issue.
Before recording, please go to:
Settings → Factory (enter “3368”) → Original Car Agreement
- Turn ON “Protocol Print”
- Then, try pressing the problematic button and capture the logs displayed.

2️⃣ System Information Check

Additionally, please go to System Info and provide the following details:

System version
App build time/version

This information will help us further diagnose and assist you effectively.

Thanks again for your cooperation! Looking forward to your update.

Best regards,
Leo

Jz

Leo

Additionally, I would like to know if your original car is equipped with SYNC.

Additionally, you can also go to the “App Store” to update the CANBUS-related software, as sometimes an outdated CANBUS software version may cause functionality issues.

Jz

[Login to see the link] with requested video images. Updating the canbus apps did not change the fact that no canbus version is listed in system.

Leo

Jz
Hello Jz,

Thank you very much for your response and cooperation!

However, I am unable to view any videos or images from the provided link. Could you please share the direct link instead?

Thanks again!

Jz

Leo [Login to see the link]

Leo

Jz
Dear JZ

We have released an updated version of the software. Please upgrade and test whether it resolves the issue.
Download link: [Login to see the link]

If the issue persists, kindly follow the instructions on the 10th floor [Login to see the link] to provide us with the printed data.

Thank you once again for your cooperation.

Best regards,
Leo

Jz

Hi Leo.

The update was successful. New Sys Info pictures:

Updated CANBUS apps:

Changed CANBUS Setting to Kuga - 2013 (Also tried Focus 2012 & 2015) and turned on Printed Data:

None of the steering wheel buttons are functional and the Printed Data does not change when the buttons are pressed.

Thanks for your continued help!

Leo

Hello again,

Thanks for your detailed pictures.

Sorry for the misunderstanding. We actually need a video of the Protocol Print instead of images so that we can better analyze the overall data. Could you record a video and send it to us?

Looking forward to your reply! 😁

Jz

The image is the entire protocol print. Pressing the steering wheel buttons results in no change to the screen.

Leo

Jz
It seems that the CANBUS is not establishing communication with the head unit.

Could you please try learning the buttons in the “SWC” program?
Also, kindly verify if the 8-pin serial cable at the back of the head unit is securely connected.

Please test and let me know if the issue persists.

Jz

The SWC program does not appear to register the steering wheel button push as shown in the instructional video. After pressing the X multiple times, and then pressing and holding a button (like vol +) on the wheel, the text continues to say “Please hold the button on the steering wheel…learning state.”

All connections have been disconnected and reconnected with no effect. I did see an option to reprogram a CANBUS, perhaps in the factory menu. Is that anything we could try? What is the probability off a defective CANBUS unit?

Just to recap, we had volume control (both + & -) working on the wheel to the successful software update.

Leo

Jz
Hi Jz,

After reviewing our previous discussions, including the firmware upgrade and protocol data printing, it seems that the issue with your steering wheel control buttons still persists.

Now, we have two possible solutions to resolve this:

1️⃣ Bypass CANBUS: Instead of relying on CANBUS, you can connect the steering wheel button signal wires directly to the KEY1 or KEY2 wire on the power harness and manually learn the buttons in the SWC settings.

2️⃣ Verify your vehicle configuration: Different vehicle configurations require different CANBUS box models. If the CANBUS box does not match your car’s configuration, it may not decode the original car data correctly, leading to this issue.

To confirm, please check the image below to identify whether your car belongs to Type A or Type B. The harness and CANBUS you currently have are for Type B. However, if your vehicle matches Type A’s interior design, you will need to replace the harness and CANBUS unit accordingly.

Let me know your findings so we can proceed with the best solution!

Best,
Leo