Bluetooth Audio - resume where left off

[FrankJ.Reda]

I have a 2012 Ford Edge SEL with the stock radio. It has bluetooth audio and Sync capabilities. I have an iPhone 5 now, but it did the same thing with an iPhone 4S.

 

Here's my issue. In order to make it play something via bluetooth audio, I have to press the Sync button and say "Bluetooth Audio" (there's no button for BT audio). That's a bit of a pain, but here's where the real pain comes in. Let's say I drive to work. I start out and say "bluetooth audio" and it works just fine. But then I stop at Starbucks and when I get back in the Edge, it immediately goes to the radio instead of picking up in bluetooth audio where it left off. So, I have to say "Bluetooth Audio" again (remember, there is no button for BT Audio) and then it picks up where it left off. Same for when I go out for lunch - I have to say "bluetooth audio" again. I usually take one or two side trips during the day and then head home. So, on average, I have to say "bluetooth audio" about 6 times a day to my car.

 

I've had the Edge for about 20 months now, and I estimate that I've said "Bluetooth Audio" about 3,600 times. (I listen to BT Audio exclusively, because I refuse to pay for inferior satellite radio). I probably would have continued saying "Bluetooth Audio" forever (and cursing it all the time), until recently when I bought my wife a new Toyota with Entune. The Toyota is smart enough to know that when I left the car, I was listening to bluetooth audio, so it just picks up where I left off in bluetooth audio without requiring me to do anything more. Why can't my more expensive Ford Edge do the same thing?

 

Is there something wrong with my radio, or is there something lacking in the Ford engineering of the radio?

 

Thanks in advance,
Frank

[CARR142]

Frank,

My 11mkx will stay on bluetooth for 30 sec. After I start the system, or the car. Then sync will find the whatever it was set to before bluetooth.

 

JC

[FrankJ.Reda]

Yeah, mine doesn't even wait 30 seconds. It just goes immediately to radio (or USB if I have a device connected). I brought it back to the dealer, but they said that's the way it's supposed to work. Honestly, I can't believe that.

[omar302]

I know this is not a solution, but it might help.

 

As per the owners manual, press AUX, then MENU (you will enter the Media Menu), go to "Select Source" and select "Bluetooth Audio".

 

Now this definitely is longer than using voice command, but perhaps it will remember the selection when restarting the vehicle.

[FrankJ.Reda]

Thanks Omar. I tried this on the way to work this morning. Unfortunately, when I made a stop at a convenience store (I was listening to bluetooth audio at the time) and got back in the vehicle, it did not pick up where it left off. In fact, this time it went to "Line-In" (normally it goes to USB or radio). The really strange thing is that I never use "Line-In", so there was nothing attached to the line-in jack. It just seems to pick an input at random. It doesn't even wait to try and connect to bluetooth. I'm baffled by this behavior.

[flyinlow007]

When you exit the car, do you take the phone with you? (I'm assuming you do). You have broken the BT connection when you do that. Agreed that they probably would have to change the software programming to go back to pick up BT audio when you start the vehicle.

 

Just curious, have you tried leaving the phone in the car, turning the car off. Then starting it back up and seeing if it picks up the BT audio that way? I'm just curious whether its the fact it loses the BT signal and has to re-sync when you get back in the car, versus if its always in the car will it remember that state.

[FrankJ.Reda]

I thought of that too, but it does the same thing even if I leave the phone in the car. Thanks for the suggestion though.

 

My wife's Toyota automatically reconnects my phone even if I take it with me, and it picks up Pandora or Spotify right where I left off.

 

This is just so frustrating...

[omar302]

I have noticed something strange in my MKX, after turning off the vehicle. When I lock the car using the remote fob (or Intelligent Access button on the door handle), the center screen turns off immediately (after a shut down logo animation) and the Bluetooth connection disconnects from my phone. But, if I lock the car using the Lock Switch inside the car (then close the door while exiting), the screen will turn to a Date/Time display & remain on for a while (not sure, maybe 10-20 minutes), at the same time, the Bluetooth connection remains connected the whole time (if I am near the car).

 

So, as flyinlow007 suggested, try leaving the phone in the car (when leaving the car for a short run), but lock the vehicle using the inside door lock switch.

[WWWPerfA_ZN0W]

I guess Ford was thinking, REMOTE = person not in vehicle/save power, INSIDE SWITCH = person in vehicle/continue amenities. Could have combined the INSIDE SWITCH function with the seat pressure sensor function to make sure there is someone indeed inside the vehicle. OTOH, leaving this "loophole" allows passengers in-vehicle to remain connected.

[flyinlow007]

I guess Ford was thinking, REMOTE = person not in vehicle/save power, INSIDE SWITCH = person in vehicle/continue amenities. Could have combined the INSIDE SWITCH function with the seat pressure sensor function to make sure there is someone indeed inside the vehicle. OTOH, leaving this "loophole" allows passengers in-vehicle to remain connected.

 

This would be the reason why it stays powered up, if you are in the vehicle but lock the doors with the inside button, you would still want the systems on until you turn them off or leave the vehicle.

[FrankJ.Reda]

Thanks everyone for trying to help. I've tried all the suggestions and none of them have worked. The unit does not even attempt to reconnect to the bluetooth audio source if that was the last source used.

 

Just for grins, I plugged in a USB key with music on it and I entered and exited the car a number of times today. It reconnected to the USB source every time without fail. It will also reconnect to my phone if I connect it via USB. It just won't reconnect to bluetooth audio (without the wire), I assume because it doesn't wait long enough to allow the bluetooth device to reconnect.

 

I think this is just a case of poor engineering on the part of Ford. It's not like these radios haven't received more than their fair share of criticism. I think this is just another problem to add to the list. The worst part is that I can't even replace the unit because of the non-standard faceplate they used. So, basically, I have to live with this defect.

 

My wife tells me I say "bluetooth audio" in my sleep. Thank you Ford!

[omar302]

Update.

 

Found a post (#84) on Ford's SyncCommunity Board that might offer a temporary workaround. Turn off the Radio (while playing Bluetooth Audio) before turning off the car. When returning to the car, start it before turning on the Audio.

[FrankJ.Reda]

Thanks for trying Omar.

 

It still doesn't connect when I turn the radio back on (after starting the car, with the bluetooth device connected). Instead it tries to connect to Bluetooth Audio (BTA) for a fraction of a second and then defaults to line in.

 

I think I have a better handle on the problem now: When I typically leave the car, BTA is on and playing, I turn the ignition switch off (BTA continues playing), I open the door and BTA stops playing. I come back later, put the key in the ignition and start the car. For a brief second, the radio display actually says "Bluetooth Media Stream", but it doesn't wait for the phone to connect, it just quickly times out and defaults to some other source (usually line-in or USB (if I have a USB memory key inserted)).

 

So, the real problem is that the head unit doesn't wait long enough (it takes more than a fraction of a second) for the bluetooth device to reconnect before it the head unit goes looking for another audio source.

 

My conclusion: This is a software problem. The software is telling the head unit "if you don't find a connected bluetooth device upon startup, then find some other audio source to play". I assume this could be fixed if Ford cared, but after reading hundreds of blog posts on this (and other) radio related issues, it is clear that Ford either doesn't care or doesn't know how to fix the problem(s).

 

If they'd give me the code, I'd find a fix for it, but I'm sure they wouldn't do that. Actually, if they would provide the open source software community with the code for all their "smart" radios, I'm sure they would end up with a much better product. But that will never happen either.

 

I guess I am forever doomed to saying "Bluetooth Audio" every time I enter my 2012 Ford Edge.

How ridiculous!

[FordIVTteam]

I have a 2012 Ford Edge SEL with the stock radio. It has bluetooth audio and Sync capabilities. I have an iPhone 5 now, but it did the same thing with an iPhone 4S.

 

Here's my issue. In order to make it play something via bluetooth audio, I have to press the Sync button and say "Bluetooth Audio" (there's no button for BT audio). That's a bit of a pain, but here's where the real pain comes in. Let's say I drive to work. I start out and say "bluetooth audio" and it works just fine. But then I stop at Starbucks and when I get back in the Edge, it immediately goes to the radio instead of picking up in bluetooth audio where it left off. So, I have to say "Bluetooth Audio" again (remember, there is no button for BT Audio) and then it picks up where it left off. Same for when I go out for lunch - I have to say "bluetooth audio" again. I usually take one or two side trips during the day and then head home. So, on average, I have to say "bluetooth audio" about 6 times a day to my car.

 

I've had the Edge for about 20 months now, and I estimate that I've said "Bluetooth Audio" about 3,600 times. (I listen to BT Audio exclusively, because I refuse to pay for inferior satellite radio). I probably would have continued saying "Bluetooth Audio" forever (and cursing it all the time), until recently when I bought my wife a new Toyota with Entune. The Toyota is smart enough to know that when I left the car, I was listening to bluetooth audio, so it just picks up where I left off in bluetooth audio without requiring me to do anything more. Why can't my more expensive Ford Edge do the same thing?

 

Is there something wrong with my radio, or is there something lacking in the Ford engineering of the radio?

 

Thanks in advance,

Frank

Hi Frank,

 

In a prior iteration of software, the system used to work this way: SYNC would automatically pick up where it left off and default to Bluetooth audio, if this was the last media source you listened to. The general opinion was mixed, but the dominant sentiment that engineering had received was that this behavior drained phone batteries quicker than owners would have preferred. Bear in mind, at this time in-vehicle Bluetooth was still gaining traction in the market - engineering probably didn't want customers' first impression of the wireless technology to be poor. These are my interpretations, at least - I don't have any authority to speak on behalf of product development.

 

Anyway, the result of the feedback we received lead to the current functioning of the system. The Bluetooth audio channel needs to be manually or verbally selected in order to use. For those interested, we have a website set up to gather suggestions: http://social.ford.com/your-ideas/technologies/ Product suggestions can be posted for the social Ford community to rally behind and provide commentary. The ideas with the highest popularity are the most visible and therefore likely to be reviewed by our development team.

 

Antonio

[FrankJ.Reda]

Antonio,

 

Thank you for the information. I will post this as a suggestion.

 

One thing you said "The general opinion was mixed, but the dominant sentiment that engineering had received was that this behavior drained phone batteries quicker than owners would have preferred." made me think: If that was the case, they could have easily included a setting for "Resume Bluetooth Audio Upon Reconnect". This way, Ford owners would have the choice.

 

Anyhow, thanks again for the info. I'll go post there next.

Frank

[CARR142]

My 11MKX, once set toBTA

always defaults to BTA, unless I start the car without a BTA device present. Then within 30 sec. MLT defaults to last setting, usually FM radio.

 

JC

[FrankJ.Reda]

Right JC. That's the way it should be. Mine doesn't do that, but the dealer says there's nothing wrong with it. So frustrating.

[RiseUp]

Right JC. That's the way it should be. Mine doesn't do that, but the dealer says there's nothing wrong with it. So frustrating.

 

My 2011 Edge with MFT also does not do that. The odd thing is that it used to a while ago, but I don't know what changed it. Possibly a SYNC update? I just can't remember exactly when it changed to be able to pinpoint if it was a SYNC update or not.

[CARR142]

In my experience/opinion, after 3 APIM replacements is that: (it depends on the technical expertise of the tech and the time given to setting up the software). There must be many apps built in to the operating systems, Some are, basic and optional at the discretion of the technician. Each time that this part, (APIM), was replaced different features were available.

 

Such as the running engine stop after so many minutes feature some Ford/Lincoln vehicles have active. I wish that I had that feature activated on my vehicle, after leaving it running for 4.5 hours in the driveway. I am not talking about the remote start feature, that works the way that it suppose too.

 

JC

[12Edge]

I just posted on their ford social site. I searched for bluetooth and it was top of the list.