Which CarPlay module do I need? Identify your system in 3 steps
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Almost every wrong order comes from the same mistake: ordering by car model and year instead of by infotainment system.
Manufacturers roll systems in model by model, not on a fixed date. A 2013 BMW F30 can be CIC or NBT. A 2013 Audi A6 C7 can be MMI 3G or RMC. The year genuinely does not settle it.
Three steps, and you will know exactly which module you need.
Step 1: does your car already have CarPlay?
Plug your iPhone into the car's USB port with a cable.
A CarPlay screen appears. You do not need a retrofit module. If you want it wireless, you need a wireless adapter (€25–90 — we do not stock these; any reputable brand works). Stop here.
Nothing happens beyond charging. Continue to step 2.
This step alone prevents most of the expensive mistakes. Details in adapter or retrofit module.
Step 2: do you have a usable factory screen?
A retrofit module works by sitting between the head unit and the screen. If there is no screen, there is nothing to sit behind.
Yes, a built-in screen of 6 inches or more. Continue to step 3.
No screen, a tiny display, or a phone cradle (the VW Up, base-trim vans, older cars). A module cannot help. A portable CarPlay screen (€69) is the realistic option — it mounts on the dashboard and works independently of the car's electronics.
Step 3: identify the system
This is the step that actually decides the module. Find your brand.
BMW — five systems
CCC, CIC, NBT, EVO, MGU. Identify by screen, controller and menu — and if you land on NBT, you also need to know whether the connector is 4-pin or 6-pin.
→ BMW system guide · NBT 4-pin or 6-pin
Audi — six systems
MMI 3G, MMI 3G HN+, RMC, MIB, MIB2, MIB3. The trap is the A6 C7: identical dashboards, but MMI 3G with navigation and RMC without need different modules. Check whether the main menu has a Navigation entry.
Mercedes — six NTG generations
NTG 4.0 through NTG 6 (MBUX). The Mercedes-specific trap is COMAND versus Audio 20 with a Becker module — same chassis, same year, different part.
Volkswagen — RNS 510 or MIB
Two eras with nothing in common electrically. RNS 510 has a CD/DVD slot above the screen; MIB does not. The Touareg is separate again (RNS 850).
Porsche — PCM 3.1 or PCM 4.0
The easiest brand. Small screen surrounded by buttons is 3.1; large glass panel is 4.0.
Other brands
Toyota, Jaguar / Land Rover, Peugeot / Citroën, Škoda and SEAT are all covered — and some brands we do not have a module for at all. The full list, with prices and honest gaps, is in the brand compatibility table.
The shortcut: send us the VIN
All of the above takes about ten minutes with the car in front of you. If you do not have that, or the result is ambiguous, there is a faster route.
Email the 17-character VIN to info@oemcarplay.com. We check it against production data and reply in writing with the exact system and the matching module. Free, usually within 30 minutes during working hours, no obligation.
If the answer is that we do not have a module for your car, we say that too.
What a VIN check does not cover
Being straight about the limits: production data tells us the system and, for BMW NBT, usually the connector. It does not always capture later dealer retrofits or a replaced head unit. If a previous owner changed the infotainment, the VIN will describe the original.
If you suspect that, send a photo of the head unit and the menu screen as well. That resolves it.
Once you know the system
Go to your brand collection and pick the matching module: Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Volkswagen, Porsche, Toyota.
Or use the interactive vehicle check, which walks the same three steps and ends on the right product.