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View Full Version : bluetooth phone prep (again) !



jcb
22-06-2008, 06:02 PM
i know there have been several threads regarding BT phone prep but i couldnt find one that was appropriate to my question so though i would start again. We test drove new A4 today and i tired to connect my phone and it wouldnt work. I am reasonably used to the audi phone systems. i got my phone to connect to an A8 last week with no problems. I "searched for audio enhancements" on my nokia and usually this find the car then all i do is enter the PIN code as listed on the MMI screen. This time all I got on my phone was "no enhancements found" which means it coudl not see the car at all. I know pariing can be problematic and phone boiok sych can be messy but i woudl have thought simply finding the car shoudl have been straight forward.
I really dont understand why Audi complicate things and have a phone prep low and a phone prep high. other cars we have driven simply have bluetooth or no bluetooth and when they have it it generally works easily and stress free. with Audi it seams to be way too complex. think i will save £500 and get a parrot kit - althoguh that is not as elegant and doesnt work with the DIS screen. any comments / advice ?

a8 tech
22-06-2008, 07:12 PM
Have you checked your phone against the audi approved phone list and also you do have the latest firmware version in place.Common complaints from people who cant be ***** researching there phones compatability before purchase.Audi phone prep and sap are the best in the buisness but it wont work if the user doesnt use the correct phone type and firmware version.Regards a8


always check your phones compatability with the audi phone list and always check the firmware version it makes the audi dealers life easier and stops you looking like a **** when you complain that your phone wont pair up

dont forget the prep low should be used with a cradle and i would suggest you change your phone for a tested phone and buy a cradle as that would be cheaper and look better than those stupid parrot things.
Or buy a sap adapter which fits in the cradle and pair that way if your phone allows it.
Sorry to come accross a bit off with this but there are so meny dicks out there who cant grasp the hole compatability issue with audi phones and they try to reject there cars because there £300 phone wont pair.

madness

tomtom20
22-06-2008, 08:19 PM
Just an idea as neat bluetooth kits go, and I know is nothing like having it intigrated to the car, MMI and speakes..But..This does look neat and no need for cables n other such it is a rearview mirror with stereo speakers behind it, call buttons and shows caller I.D (showing through the mirror) Here is the link, thinking about getting it myself. http://www.gadget-box.com/product_info.php?cPath=148&products_id=4102

Smudge973
22-06-2008, 10:30 PM
A friend of mine bought this and it's pants.. When the battery runs out, which it does on a long journey, you have to charge via the accessory point - meaning a cable running upto it...

Plus, if you look around you can buy it for £69.

Agree with a8 tech - integrated is the way to go - yes it costs a little more but you don't buy an Audi because they are cheap - you buy quality.

Regards.

browellm
23-06-2008, 09:23 AM
Common gotcha on phone pairing:

Once the ignition is on, you have 5 minutes to pair the phone.

If you miss this time window, take out the keys and restart the process.



Also, I have to dismiss a common misconception again:
If you have the right phone, you do not need a cradle to get full functionality and integration.

The cradle will however,:
1. Charge the phone
2. Decouple the phone's aerial and use the car's aerial.

jcb
23-06-2008, 12:55 PM
i havent checked my phone with the list simply cos i was test driving and not buying / ordering. my point is that it is not about pairing but about searching for bluetooth devices. it couldnt see anything at all. a few days before it found the A8 no problem at all. it all seams rather complex with firmware etc etc. if you are a someone who does not understand technology or simply not a geek then you should be able to turn on the phone and pair with the car. no arsing about with trying to do it within 5 mins , getting firmware upgrades etc etc. I testr drove a volvo and it was simple. turn on phone. got o menu in car. search. find phone. make calls. why cant it be simple like this. ??

my phone is a nokia 6230i which is generally good at finding BT devices.

AAARGH - it takes too much time to work out the Audi system . they also make it too confusing having the low and high versions.

KISS - keep it simple stupid should be applied and the options list should include a bluetooth kit or no bluetooth kit and price it sensibly.

ok. rant over !!!

mkc
23-06-2008, 02:12 PM
Working in telecoms I can understand what you are saying. However, a single mobile phone, such as your Nokia may have many version types of software during its actual life as a current model.

So, you may be running on one Firmware level but it is lower/older than the version recognised by Audi. Audi would have contacted phone manufacturers for their latest version and put a stick in the sand at a particular version. Anything older would not have been tested for backwards compatability, also, anything newer will not be gauranteed to work unless Audi upgrade their own software to work with a newer phone.

So your Nokia may have worked in your previous car but not in the newer Audi. It is Audis fault because they cant be bothered to test older versions of phone software but then it would take them lots of time and money just so a few people could use an older phone. So who can blame them

It may have worked in the A8 but you can gaurantee that a different part of Audi put the MMI software together for that,.Or it older than the current A4 B8 so running different MMI software and versions

If you enter *#0000# on your nokia you will get the firmware version, then check this against what Audi have tested against. If your phone is older get it upgrade via the Nokia Over The Air upgrade site here http://europe.nokia.com/A4577224 YOUR DEVICE WILL BE WIPED IN THE PROCESS

Audis list is here --> http://www.audi.de/etc/medialib/cms4imp/audi2/reports.Par.0095.File.pdf in German but easy to work out


or here http://www.audiusa.com/etc/medialib/cms4imp/audi2/aoa/company/owners.Par.0023.File.pdf

jcb
23-06-2008, 04:35 PM
thanks for that. now i am really confused. German document says nokia 6230i needs to be on firmware 3.80/3.88 !!! I am on 3.80. so it should work. also i note the pdf you linked me to is not for the A4 but presumably the A5 will be the same ?

i probably need more time to play around and will ask the dealer to prove my phone will work with the new A4 BT system before i add to the options list.

my nokia CARK-91 cradle in my passat might look at bit ugly but its simple and works !!! bought an adapter off ebay for £10 when i changed my phone. Even get voice dialling via my phone. beats the compex audi system hands down . KISS !!!!

tomtom20
23-06-2008, 04:51 PM
In reply to Smudge973: Thanks for the info RE 'bluetooth rearview mirror' - I also found a reason not to go for anything like that, it covers the A4's auto dipping mirror rendering it useless. Oh well I will stick to my current set up of bluetooth headset which I can voice command my phone through.

a8 tech
23-06-2008, 09:43 PM
now you see it now you dont

neilb
23-06-2008, 09:52 PM
For those of you that have the mobile prep low, a few questions:
- is your phone list displayed on the MMI screen?
- do SMS text messages appear on the MMI screen?
- do you get a signal strength indicator on the MMI screen?
- do you see all the missed calls etc on the screen?
- where is the built in car arial?

nlb.

RichardCranium
23-06-2008, 10:12 PM
For those of you that have the mobile prep low, a few questions:
- is your phone list displayed on the MMI screen?
- do SMS text messages appear on the MMI screen?
- do you get a signal strength indicator on the MMI screen?
- do you see all the missed calls etc on the screen?
- where is the built in car arial?

nlb.

- Yes
- No
- Yes
- Yes
- Roof (over rear)

Its well worth having in my opinion

browellm
24-06-2008, 09:49 AM
. my point is that it is not about pairing but about searching for bluetooth devices. it couldnt see anything at all.

But isn't that precisely the point? After 5 minutes the Audi becomes "undiscoverable", so a search for audio enhancement on your phone will be unsuccessful - you can't search for the car bluetooth if it has disabled itself.

Try it as soon as you get in the car.

allya
24-06-2008, 10:06 AM
Hi Richard, thanks a lot for your help, I wish Audi UK were as informative. My car was made last week so should be here in a few weeks and like reported elsewhere feel like an expectant father - why do BMWs not make you feel the same. Anyway - does the MMI tell you who is calling, if your phone is on charge in the cradle... thanks in advance

browellm
24-06-2008, 11:08 AM
Anyway - does the MMI tell you who is calling, if your phone is on charge in the cradle... thanks in advance

yes, it's fully integrated (cradle or not).

You get:
Phonebook
Missed calls list
Received calls list
Dialled numbers list

all through MMI/DIS

allya
24-06-2008, 11:23 AM
thanks a lot for that - I have a Lava Grey on order - have you got any pics of your car as everyone seems to be posting blue \ red and white? Thanks

browellm
24-06-2008, 12:32 PM
I will do my best to get some pics up, I am totally maxxed out at work currently, I will do over 3000 miles in it this month. The car's a bit dirty on the outside too :o

jcb
24-06-2008, 12:42 PM
I will do my best to get some pics up, I am totally maxxed out at work currently, I will do over 3000 miles in it this month. The car's a bit dirty on the outside too :o

HI - just wondered what you thought of the sports seats. are they in cloth ?. we test drove on the other day with leather sprots seats and i thought they were too hard although i often find leather harder than cloth (apparently they but firner foam in leather seats to help the leather keep its appearance and stop lines/creases appearing). cheers

browellm
24-06-2008, 03:43 PM
Yes, they're cloth. I wan't too impressed with the Cosinus cloth, so originally ordered the upgraded cloth option - Arkanor ??? or something.

That was £190 extra, but then I thought sod it, for another £285 I can have sports seats with lumbar adjustment and better cloth.

Becuase they're stripey (there's a pic of someone else's on here somewhere), they break up the interior of the cabin quite nicely too.