Bluetooth and Remote Start

[gillamonstar]

I am finding now that I've been using remote start that the bluetooth does not connect when I get into the car when it's already running.

I have to go into the bluetooth settings on the radio and reconnect... each time I use the remote start.

This wouldn't be so bad if the reconnect function wasn't buried 5-7 layers deep into the settings...

Anyone have a work-around? Am I missing something clearly obvious?

2012 LT Hatch
iPhone 5

 

[ThatTmoGuy]

Are you trying to do this before you start put the key in? I don't have remote start to try but that would seem the first obvious step to me.

 

[gillamonstar]

Here's is my typical 'end of day' routine:

• Leave my desk
• Walk to window
• Remote start the car ( factory remote start btw )
• Walk down 3 flights of stairs, out the door, through the parking lot, arrive at car.
• Remote unlock door
• Open door, sit down, get comfy
• Place iPhone in phone holder thingy
• Seatbelt fastened
• Insert key, turn to on position

I've waited several minutes in the past, infact, I've made the 20 minute drive home and bluetooth will not reconnect.

There have been times when I've used the remote start and have been within Bluetooth range and it connects fine.


I find it curious that the Bluetooth doesn't do an additional search for devices when you insert the key and turn to the 'on' position. That's why I'm posting... so see if there is an internal setting on the car ( I've looked and can't find one )

I can't imaging the Bluetooth activity would be a drain on the car... wouldn't it make sense for it to be actively searching for new devices while the car is running?

 

[lsonic]

Here's is my typical 'end of day' routine:

• Leave my desk
• Walk to window
• Remote start the car ( factory remote start btw )
• Walk down 3 flights of stairs, out the door, through the parking lot, arrive at car.
• Remote unlock door
• Open door, sit down, get comfy
• Place iPhone in phone holder thingy
• Seatbelt fastened
• Insert key, turn to on position

I've waited several minutes in the past, infact, I've made the 20 minute drive home and bluetooth will not reconnect.

There have been times when I've used the remote start and have been within Bluetooth range and it connects fine.


I find it curious that the Bluetooth doesn't do an additional search for devices when you insert the key and turn to the 'on' position. That's why I'm posting... so see if there is an internal setting on the car ( I've looked and can't find one )

I can't imaging the Bluetooth activity would be a drain on the car... wouldn't it make sense for it to be actively searching for new devices while the car is running?

Its probably because you are not within the 33 feet range for the bluetooth when the car turns on. The radio only looks for the bluetooth phone for a short amount of time. Thats why you can either turn off the car and reset it or go into the menu.

 

[Maddog2020]

Sounds like the car looks for a bluetooth connection once remote start is used. Since the phone is not in range it times out and does not retry. What happens if you turn bluetooth off on the phone, start the car (with the key) and then turn bluetooth on the phone back on in say 5 minutes?

 

[ThatTmoGuy]

I've turned on the bluetooth on my phone 30 minutes into a drive and it turned right on and connected so I'm pretty sure it will will have to with the phone. Have you tried restarting bluetooth on the phone?

 

[dblackston]

Sounds like the car looks for a bluetooth connection once remote start is used. Since the phone is not in range it times out and does not retry. What happens if you turn bluetooth off on the phone, start the car (with the key) and then turn bluetooth on the phone back on in say 5 minutes?

This is what we do in our Cruze that has remote start. It does the same thing if not in range but once I toggle the BT off and back on in the phone it finds it just fine. Do you constantly have you BT on? I toggle mine on a widget so it doesn't drain my battery during the day so not an issue with the Sonic. Also try turning the radio off then back on once you get in the car and see if that makes a difference.

 

[sonic007]

I've turned on the bluetooth on my phone 30 minutes into a drive and it turned right on and connected so I'm pretty sure it will will have to with the phone. Have you tried restarting bluetooth on the phone?

Thats because when you turn the bluetooth on on the phone it automatically searches for any bluetooth devices around it. If you are out of range of the car with your phone bluetooth on, it will not see it: and doing so will not think to look again when you eventually get to the car.

 

[ThatTmoGuy]

but thats exactly my point, turn on bluetooth on your phone after you get in the car and that should solve this issue with remote start/bluetooth.

 

[ungawd]

I haven't had this occur yet with my phone or tablets. I remote start my car 75% of the time. On my phone I never turn bluetooth off. The phone is a cheap Samsung flip phone that I only have to charge every 7-10 days even with bluetooth on. The tablets, Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7" and Vizio Vtab 8", I keep bluetooth off but enable it whenever I want to stream and both hookup once enabled.

I doubt there is any trick to it. From my experiences with it so far I would look more closely at the device.

 

[ThatTmoGuy]

Sounds like he should just get rid of the iPhone

 

[ungawd]

Sounds like he should just get rid of the iPhone

I wouldn't say that. The way bluetooth connections are established is pretty basic, like wi-fi. The device must initiate a connection to the host. The host checks it's ACL and establishes the connection and allows the use of the requested protocols when asked.

His issue could be in the bluetooth stack on his phone, but it could also just as easily be a bad antenna in either phone or car. In either case I'd still say the device is suspect, but a fix could be simple enough that the phone wouldn't need replaced.

 

[FastEddie]

I leave Bluetooth on my iPhone on all the time and remote start my car. As soon as I get in, even if I remote start 5-6 minutes ahead of time, it always connects within 30 seconds.

 

[FastEddie]

Also just saw this:
GM Working On Software Update To Improve iPhone 5 Bluetooth Connectivity | GM Authority

 

[gillamonstar]

Yesterday when I left the office, I went into the setting on the iPhone, and touched the GM Vehicle button thingy and it connected right up.

This is less of a pain in the arse than going into the bluetooth settings on the radio.

Will be interesting to see if and when they push an update for the other bluetooth issue if this is resolved to....