What to do if the USB drive is not detected when plugged into the car?
2 Answers
Solutions for when the USB drive is not detected after plugging it into the car: 1. First, check if the USB drive has any issues on a computer; 2. Right-click on the drive letter to view properties and check the file system. If it's NTFS, it might not be recognized and needs to be formatted to FAT32; 3. Insert the USB drive into the computer and open "My Computer" to locate the USB drive; 4. Right-click on "My Computer" and select the "Format" option; 5. Choose FAT32 as the default file system and click "Start". On the prompt interface, select "OK"; 6. After formatting is complete, click "OK" and then re-save the necessary data.
My car also frequently encountered issues with the USB drive not being recognized. Don’t rush to replace the device just yet. Dust buildup in the USB port can cause poor contact—just clean the gold fingers with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol. The format of the USB drive also matters. Older car stereos generally only recognize FAT32, so drives larger than 32GB need to be formatted first. Don’t fill the playlist too full; leaving 20% space for the car stereo’s cache ensures more stable performance. If switching USB ports doesn’t work, try restarting the car stereo—hold the volume knob for 10 seconds to force a reboot. This trick solved 80% of my recognition issues. If all else fails, visit the dealership to flash the latest firmware—after an upgrade, even a 256GB NTFS drive can be read.
