Android Auto wireless disconnects after 10 seconds (Columbus system)

[ahar]

I *think* the issue is with my phone rather than the car, but I'm having a weird issue with Android Auto via wireless:

 

• It connects and works fine with a cable.
• Without a cable, I switch on the car and when Android Auto fires up it connects to my phone wirelessly and works fine for around 10 seconds.  I know because Google maps appears in the right place, and if I had been previously listening to a podcast it auto plays from the right place as it does if you connect via a cable
• After 10 seconds or so, it disconnects and won't connect again when I manually try.  If I then connect via a cable it works without a hitch.
• Don't have other Android phones in the house to try and make work.
• A bit of searching suggested it might be a battery saving setting in Android - had a fiddle with that, allowing continuous battery use for Android Auto but that doesn't seem to have fixed it.  Wireless charging in the tray works fine.
• Car is a 2023 L&K with Columbus system

 

Anyone had the same issue and found a solution?  I;ve been through the usual guides to enable Wifi etc which is what got me from not working at all, to connects and works but then disconnects after 10 seconds.

 

 

[mac12]

I have exactly the same issue, no solution. hopefully someone can point us in the right direction.

2023 Kodiaq 

[ahar]

A small update.  Had a VW TCross as a hire car last week - it was a 2023 model and the wireless Android Auto worked flawlessly.  The radio system looked the same as the Skoda one (buttons, screen etc) but not sure the extent to which the radio systems behind the scenes are the same between my car and the hire car though.  

 

Have tried a number of settings on my phone and the car, and only once have I got it to work wirelessly without disconnecting after 10 seconds.  I had been trying various different settings, switching the car on and off to switch off and on Android Auto on the car - had given up and suddenly it worked and didn't disconnect.  Changed nothing and then it didn't work next time I was in the car.  Really odd.

 

The search will continue, and I'll update here if I find a solution

[Jonno_vRS]

I am getting the same issue on my vRS. Toggling the WiFi off and on again seems to then get it working but having to do that each time after starting ignition.

[ahar]

Is that toggling wifi on your phone, or the car?

[Jonno_vRS]

7 hours ago, ahar said:

Is that toggling wifi on your phone, or the car?

Sorry the car

[ahar]

That does fix it, thanks.  It's a pain switching WiFi off and on again, but at least I know how to get it working

[Jonno_vRS]

3 hours ago, ahar said:

That does fix it, thanks.  It's a pain switching WiFi off and on again, but at least I know how to get it working

I had issues again but removed other phones from being able to connect like my work phone and my wife's and that sorted it without, I think the need to disconnect the WiFi. 

 

Tip - add WiFi to your short cuts so it's easily accessible from the pull down rather than going through menus 

[G-man-kodiaq]

I've also had the exact same issue since I bought the car back in July. It will connect for about 10 secs wirelessly if I've used android auto wired previously but then drops the connection. 

 

I've tried toggling the WiFi off and then on again and then select Android Auto from the Columbus unit, but it always fails to connect wirelessly. The integrated e-sim gets switched off when doing this as well. 

 

I've tried deleting all phones from the unit and then re-adding my Samsung Galaxy s22, starting with the wire and letting AA setup. Then I pull the usb, AA drops and then I try toggling WiFi off and then back on again, but no joy in it connecting, even if I select AA from the head unit.

 

Am I missing something?

[G-man-kodiaq]

Update: The toggle WiFi off and on does seem to work. I just tried it today again for two separate journeys and after the usual disconnect after 10s, I switched the WiFi off, waited a few seconds and then switched if back on again. Bingo! Worked twice for me now so far. 

 

Kudos to @Jonno_vRSfor coming up with the workaround.

 

Very surprising though that Skoda aren't fixing this issue.

[Jonno_vRS]

Glad you got it sorted. Rubbish that it doesn't just work though.

[blejach]

I jave the same issue on Karoq FL 2023 Amundsen. Any news? Toggling the wifi hotspot does the trick but is a pain in the neck.

[G-man-kodiaq]

Agreed it is a pain. Especially when you forget to do it. It can be a little temperamental as well as it doesn't always work. It could be when I do it too fast though. I think you can't do it straight after you start the car. Seem to need to wait a bit for it to connect properly. Although I've noticed something similar with even the wired connection.

I don't hold out hope of there being an actual fix though as these headunits have been around a while.

[Sean_H]

Hello, I've been having the same issue in a 2024 (73 plate) VW T-Cross MOVE which I currently have as courtesy car.

The wireless Android Auto connects, displays Google Maps and Spotify, plays the previous music for ~ 10 seconds, then disconnects.
Plugging in via cable gets it working again.

However - the missus' Apple CarPlay works wirelessly perfectly fine - so this is certainly just some strange Android connection issue, and annoyingly the one time I have to say Apple's done it better 😕 

Will try the wifi off/on hack later on.

[blejach]

Thanks for the info Sean. Hope this gets resolved soon and i don't have to get an iphone. The wifi toggle does the trick but it gets on my nerves :D

[blejach]

Good news guys. Seems like the latest update solved the issue. 

[G-man-kodiaq]

Yep agreed. The latest software does fix the issue. It's does have a slight glitch though. It connects for a few secs, disconnects, reconnects, disconnects, then reconnects. After that the connection is stable. This takes a minute or so. At least that's what happens for me. 

[ahar]

Same for me as @G-man-kodiaq

 

At least I don;t need to do the toggle wifi thing now