USB music interface usually starts from first track when A200d is started

[Robert Newman]

I am a first time Mercedes owner, having bought a March 2018 A200d last month. Initial teething problems have in general been resolved by Mercedes, particularly the non-working start/stop system, but I am left with one major frustration when playing music from the USB interface.

On most occasions (I would estimate 80-90% of the time), when the car is started the USB interface is reset and the music starts from folder 1, song 1, rather than resuming from the point at which the car was turned off. With almost 5,000 tracks on the USB stick, this becomes very frustrating.

I wondered whether this is a general problem or whether there is a fault somewhere in my car. The fact that it works as-expected on a few occaisons, makes this behaviour even more confusing. My localMercedes dealer has not been able to help.

Any help or advice would be grealy appreciated.

Best regards

Rob

 

[Sigoodall]

I feel your pain...the same thing happens to me. However, it is more 50-50 start from the last track played or start from the beginning. Never have managed to work out why as it's completely random as to when it happens.

 

[wivenhoe]

Perhaps that is the problem - is it set to play the tracks randomly ?

 

[thebiglad]

Hi Rob, can I suggest you try something, even if you consider it as part of a process of elimination, rather than a solution ?

1. After your next journey in the car and before you turn the engine off, make a mental note of the track currently playing, then turn off the radio unit from the front of the radio.

2. Once it has gone to sleep, turn off the ignition, get out of the car and lock it using the key fob.

3. Now unlock the car, get in and turn the ignition on and start the engine. Does the radio open as well? If it doesn't, turn on the radio (don't touch any other controls on the radio) and note what track is playing from the USB - is it the same track ?

Cheers
Dave

 

[Robert Newman]

I feel your pain...the same thing happens to me. However, it is more 50-50 start from the last track played or start from the beginning. Never have managed to work out why as it's completely random as to when it happens.

It's kind of reassuring that I'm not alone! I've also found this problem reported in forums from several other car manufacturers, but there doesn't appear to be a consistent solution. There was one suggestion that it may be wise to try a different USB (I assume from a different manufacturer), so I'll give that a go. Thanks for taking the time to respond.

 

[Robert Newman]

Perhaps that is the problem - is it set to play the tracks randomly ?

I've experienced the problem after the car was turned off with the media player on random and with it playing a specific album.

 

[Robert Newman]

Hi Rob, can I suggest you try something, even if you consider it as part of a process of elimination, rather than a solution ?

1. After your next journey in the car and before you turn the engine off, make a mental note of the track currently playing, then turn off the radio unit from the front of the radio.

2. Once it has gone to sleep, turn off the ignition, get out of the car and lock it using the key fob.

3. Now unlock the car, get in and turn the ignition on and start the engine. Does the radio open as well? If it doesn't, turn on the radio (don't touch any other controls on the radio) and note what track is playing from the USB - is it the same track ?

Cheers
Dave

Thanks, Dave. I'll give this a go tomorrow.

 

[BillyBoy]

I know it's quite a new car, but get the garage to check for software updates. Whilst i didn't have this exact problem, i did have a few audio issues with the COMAND in my E-Class (66 plate) and in the end, the technician did a full software update to the system which made a BIG difference.

 

[wivenhoe]

I am a first time Mercedes owner, having bought a March 2018 A200d last month. Initial teething problems have in general been resolved by Mercedes, particularly the non-working start/stop system, but I am left with one major frustration when playing music from the USB interface.

On most occasions (I would estimate 80-90% of the time), when the car is started the USB interface is reset and the music starts from folder 1, song 1, rather than resuming from the point at which the car was turned off. With almost 5,000 tracks on the USB stick, this becomes very frustrating.

I wondered whether this is a general problem or whether there is a fault somewhere in my car. The fact that it works as-expected on a few occaisons, makes this behaviour even more confusing. My localMercedes dealer has not been able to help.

Any help or advice would be grealy appreciated.

Best regards

Rob

Apologies if you already know this, but as you have a 2018 A Class, you have 1 years free subscription to Tidal ‘hi fi’ In my 2018 E Class I have to use it via Car Play but the new A Class has the facility built in as part of MBUX. There may just be few tracks on there that you don’t already have on your 5,000

 

[Robert Newman]

I know it's quite a new car, but get the garage to check for software updates. Whilst i didn't have this exact problem, i did have a few audio issues with the COMAND in my E-Class (66 plate) and in the end, the technician did a full software update to the system which made a BIG difference.

Thank you. I've asked the dealer to check for software upgrades - they were supposed to call me back last Monday but I'm still waiting. I'll chase tomorrow.

 

[Robert Newman]

Hi Rob, can I suggest you try something, even if you consider it as part of a process of elimination, rather than a solution ?

1. After your next journey in the car and before you turn the engine off, make a mental note of the track currently playing, then turn off the radio unit from the front of the radio.

2. Once it has gone to sleep, turn off the ignition, get out of the car and lock it using the key fob.

3. Now unlock the car, get in and turn the ignition on and start the engine. Does the radio open as well? If it doesn't, turn on the radio (don't touch any other controls on the radio) and note what track is playing from the USB - is it the same track ?

Cheers
Dave

Thanks, Dave, but it still reverts to track 1, folder 1. Interestingly, when the ignition key is partially turned, music resumes from where it left off, but when I fully turn the key to start the engine, it goes back to track 1.

 

[Robert Newman]

Apologies if you already know this, but as you have a 2018 A Class, you have 1 years free subscription to Tidal ‘hi fi’ In my 2018 E Class I have to use it via Car Play but the new A Class has the facility built in as part of MBUX. There may just be few tracks on there that you don’t already have on your 5,000

Thank you. I was totally unaware of this - I suspect the post sales handover wasn't as good as it could have been - so I'll now follow it up.

 

[thebiglad]

Thanks, Dave, but it still reverts to track 1, folder 1. Interestingly, when the ignition key is partially turned, music resumes from where it left off, but when I fully turn the key to start the engine, it goes back to track 1.

Is it because you are sucking loads of electrical power to start the engine and potentially starving the Android unit? I suspect that's why on mine they recommend turning the HU off, before cutting the engine, thus meaning the HU is off when starting the engine ??

 

[Robert Newman]

Is it because you are sucking loads of electrical power to start the engine and potentially starving the Android unit? I suspect that's why on mine they recommend turning the HU off, before cutting the engine, thus meaning the HU is off when starting the engine ??

 

[Robert Newman]

I have tried your suggestion, but in my case the process of starting the engine automatically turns on the media unit. It appears to be the "activating device" step (as displayed on the screen) that causes the reset.

 

[Robert Newman]

Thanks for all the advice given with regard to this problem. I have now managed to resolve it by using a different USB memory stick. The new one is USB 3.0 and the old one was USB 2.0, but I can't be sure that this was the problem because the new device is also from a different manufacturer (Toshiba rather than Sandisk).

 

[gasman 1]

Hi Rob / all. I know this is an old post but I have the same problem - did you manage to resolve it?

I have a 2018 B class which I bought 18 months ago. It always re-started at the point that it was when I turned the engine off. Then, for no apparent reason, it has changed to starting at the first track. Particularly frustrating as I mostly listen to podcasts which are up to 90mins long.

I have tried a new USB stick and there doesn't seem to be any settings that I can change.

Thanks all!

 

[Botus]

I am left with one major frustration when playing music from the USB interface.

On most occasions (I would estimate 80-90% of the time), when the car is started the USB interface is reset and the music starts from folder 1, song 1, rather than resuming from the point at which the car was turned off. With almost 5,000 tracks on the USB stick, this becomes very frustrating.



Rob

a USB stick doesn't have a brain - there is some mad "indexing" argument between the car and a USB stick - where the car is trying to make sense of what is on the stick, but when you fill with too much data and especially with folders the car tends to get bored and give up - then pretends it needs - and it and starts over causing delays and stupidity - this rebuilding can be a 2 hr event - so if you drive 30 mins it isn't completed, and again it often destroys or trashes the list at random just for fun

I had loads of issues on a BMW as do many with Fords when using a stick (and in the last year a few saying Merc does exactly the smae). I swapped to an iPod and everything was faster slicker and trouble free.

 

[gasman 1]

Update -
This seems to work. I have an old USB 2.0 pen drive, it's 16GB but seems to work. The W246 is from 2011, and the software is probably older, so probably isn't 3.0 so a 'newer' drive could confuse the older software. It now consistently starts where I left off. Yeah!