Bluetooth Audio Intermittent Start On 2015 Rx 350 F-Sport

[pbishop99]

Hi,

I use Android on a Samsung 4S.

I have a navigation system.

When I go to the BT Audio screen, the last track I listened to is visible along with the minutes and seconds count. When I use the joystick to press play, there is no response. Lexus dealer says the audio application on the phone must be the last application I used before getting into the car, but the other day, the last app I used was not the audio app, and yet the BT audio started playing with no intervention from me! Other times the audio app IS the last app I used, but the BT Audio play button is unresponsive.

Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. When it doesn't, I must unlock my phone, and press Play on the app. This is the work-around. Very inconvenient because if I'm in traffic, I have to wait for a red light to do this safely.

I think it's a bug with the Bluetooth audio in the car, but so far Lexus doesn't believe me, especially when it's so hard to replicate in front of them.

Any suggestions are appreciated!

[pj8708]

Hi Peggy and welcome.

I apologize that some one hasn't responded to your questions earlier. There have been over 100 views of your posting but apparently no one has any answers. Unfortunately, I don't have an answer either.

A couple of suggestions. Go to Lexus.com, and go to the "technical" choice and see if you can hook-up with a Blue tooth rep. Another idea is going to "TIS.com" This is Toyota Information Services. The site contains everything technical about Lexus, Toyota, and Scion. If you can't find it here it can't be found. However, there is a use fee based upon the amount of time you use the data base. Two days runs $15.00. It sounds as though you have some tech knowledge so this may be very helpful.

Paul

[1990LS400]

I think your Lexus dealer is correct and that you were lucky if your music started streaming after you used another application. My experiences are similar and are based on streaming music from an app (Slacker, Pandora) directly in our Prius and Sienna. Our Prius has Entune (similar to Lexus Enform) and our Sienna has the same nav system used in the previous generation Lexus RX.

If I pause the music from the nav BT screen and don't do anything else on my Android (Samsung Galaxy S3) phone while I'm out of my car for a short period of time, I can restart the music from the nav BT screen when I reenter the vehicle as long as I leave the music app running on my phone. If I pause the music from the app on my phone then I cannot restart the music from the nav BT screen. If I use other phone apps between the times I leave and reenter the vehicle, then "usually" I cannot restart the music from the nav BT screen and have to restart (press "play") on the music app on my phone.

If I pause the music on the nav screen, leave the music app running on my phone, don't use any other app on my phone and don't reenter the vehicle for a few hours, then I cannot restart the music from the nav BT screen. I don't know why it works that way ... maybe my phone is off doing something on its own!

"Features" like this are why I like Toyota Entune/Lexus Enform but even those aren't able to always restart music where it was paused and one has to tolerate the sometimes lengthy initialization time it takes for Entune/Enform to start. And of course Entune/Enform has only Pandora and iHeartRadio ... e.g. if you prefer another music app like Slacker, then you have to stream directly from your phone.

One way to make streaming directly via BlueTooth a little more tolerable is to put a phone holder on your dashboard. We have iOttie phone holders in both our Prius and Sienna - they will stick to just about any flat service. I use the iBolt Dock n Drive app on my Android phone - free on Google Play and there is now a version for iPhone. iBolt Dock n Drive functions somewhat like the Microsoft Windows Desktop in that it provides five screens where you can put short cuts to applications like Slacker and Spotify. I start Dock n Drive using an NFC (near field communication) tag. Your Samsung S4 should have NFC capability so all you need is a little one dollar NFC tag discreetly attached to your dashboard to start Dock n Drive by passing your phone over it - or you can start it manually from your phone. If you have a compatible phone charging cradle, Dock n Drive starts automatically when the phone is inserted into the cradle. I absolutely love Dock n Drive. It can prevent the phone display from timing out, has an excellent night mode, accurate speedometer, a location display and on and on.

When Entune and Enform were first announced, Toyota press releases said that applications would be added. I thought that meant that applications would be added to existing vehicles with Entune or Enform but, instead, new applications have been introduced only when new Entune/Enform generations have been introduced and not for older Entune/Enform generations. It would be wonderful if Toyota had something like an "app store" for Entune/Enform where an owner could add additional applications.

Sorry about the long reply. I'm rather enthusiastic about this stuff.

[pbishop99]

Thank you, Paul and Jim, for your helpful replies.

Paul, I can't find any link or button on lexus.com for "technical". Maybe I'm overlooking it. For TIS.com, since there is a charge, I'll ask the CDC at the local dealer to use it if necessary.

Jim, great information and detail. I'm still asking the local dealer to find out why I get inconsistent behavior from BT Audio. You have given me some ideas if Lexus can't/won't eventually provide a permanent solution. Paul is right about my technical background: these devices all work from instructions. If it works as expected sometimes, but other times not, then an instruction was either missing, not sent, not received, or not understood. If I or the CDC at Lexus can hook up with a BT expert, then maybe we can figure out if the instruction that isn't working is because of my car or because of my phone.

In the meantime, maybe someone else will post a solution. I certainly will post the solution if I get one.

I will definitely look into DockNDrive so I can at least more easily view my favorite traffic app more safely!

Thanks again!

[VBdenny]

For whatever reason I have never touched the Enform application. My iPhone links up to audio if I select bluetooth as the source. Seems to always start when I do that regardless of applications used since.

Probably would be a good idea for Lexus dealers to spend a little more time teaching people how all the electronics work. My wife's RAV4 has all the En-stuff also never used. I'm sure it is a fine but not if you are lazy like me and don't bother to learn.

My favorite is the ability to call up tire pressures on screen.

[rxman999]

I have same problem....there is a bug in THEIR BT system, Lexus.....I am going to press this point with the dealer to get Lexus to fix. Sometimes an easy long in but most of the time try, repeat, error message, try , repeat error message....Leuxus can do better than distract me for 15 minutes to get Enform and Pandora to work. You think?

[1990LS400]

I have same problem....there is a bug in THEIR BT system, Lexus.....I am going to press this point with the dealer to get Lexus to fix. Sometimes an easy long in but most of the time try, repeat, error message, try , repeat error message....Leuxus can do better than distract me for 15 minutes to get Enform and Pandora to work. You think?

Do you have any phones that work well with the Bluetooth and Enform in your Lexus? Bluetooth and Enform/Entune can be a little cranky but no worse that the similar interface on the aftermarket Kenwood I had in the LS400 I sold last year.

What model phone and operating system do you have? A new-ish iPhone or Android phone usually works pretty well with Enform and Entune. Windows phones ... not so good from what I have read and I don't know if Toyota is still supporting Entune and Enform apps for Blackberry.

The Enform app has to be running on your phone in order for it to connect to Enform in your Lexus. If you reboot your phone or if it reboots itself due to updates from your phone service provider, then you have to manually start the Enform app on your phone.

Each time I drive my wife's Prius, I have to manually connect my phone (Samsung S5 running ATT's version of Android) for both the phone and media functions to the Entune system since it is still locked in on my wife's iPhone and maybe even be connecting to her iPhone from the garage. When she is not home, our household Bluetooth system sometimes won't turn loose of my phone until I back out of the garage. I usually end up spending a few minutes in our driveway getting my phone connected properly so I can listen to Pandora on Entune and receive incoming phone calls.

I got off to a rocky start with the Samsung S5 that I got a few weeks ago. My previous Samsung S3 worked perfectly with the Bluetooth in our vehicles but the S5 not as well (music apps crashed) until an over-the-air update from Android 4.4 to 5.0 a few days ago solved all the problems.

Getting Enform and Entune to work takes patience which apparently slackers like VBdenny don't have!

[pj8708]

An excellent resource for this type of problem is "United Radio.com" in Syracuse, New York.They specialize in automotive sound system and have excellent resources to help.

I would suggest calling them, explaining your problem, and asking is this is typical or something that needs repair.

Paul

https://www.facebook.com/pages/United-Radio-Automotive-Electronics/152533008103297?sk=info&tab=overview