bluetooth phone prep (again) !

[jcb]

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]

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]

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_in...oducts_id=4102

[Smudge973]

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]

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]

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]

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/cms4....0095.File.pdf in German but easy to work out


or here http://www.audiusa.com/etc/medialib/....0023.File.pdf

[jcb]

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]

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]

now you see it now you dont