Bluetooth in Car not working since Samsung S4 update

[WhyMe]

So my Samsung S4 Galaxy Bluetooth has worked seemlessly with the integrated Bluetooth in my car since I got my phone a year ago. Just recently my phone stopped sending MMS (picture messages) so the Vodafone store told me to do a factory reset as it has something to do with a OS update.

I did the factory reset on the phone (which now sends MMS) but from that very moment my phone will not function correctly with the Bluetooth in my car.

Frustratingly, it connects perfectly as before even showing call logs and phone book as before but the very second I make or receive a call, the Bluetooth connection is dropped and the car displays 'No Bluetooth link'.

Furthermore, my wife has a Samsung S3 Mini which has also just stopped sending MMS but we chose not to do the factory reset on hers, and it connects fine to the car just as it always has, and it functions fine for her on both incoming and outgoing calls.

So it looks like there has been a series of OS updates, one of which will prevent MMS messages being sent, but should you then do a factory reset to get this facility back, you will lose In Car Bluetooth compatibility - really sucks, unless anyone else has any suggestions?

[WhyMe]

Hi @hrym - thanks for comments.

Just to recap - Bluetooth worked fine before Vodafone somehow corrupted it. The reason I went in the store originally is that MMS wasn't working, not that I was that bothered, but as I was passing I thought I'd ask if there were any settings that needed adjusting....and the rest is history and 50 days of pain.

Unpairing has been tried many a time!

So in summary, a reflash and a factory reset (in most cases) resolves it until I turn the phone off and on, and then I'm back to square one.

It does feel like I've been abandoned by Vodafone and I only hope that Samsung will come up with something but I've just had to call them back for the third time today to chase as it seems like the Tech Guy there is not keen on calling me back, probably because he is as baffled as the rest of us.

I've been promised a call back before 4pm today.

[hrym]

It's very odd.   I can only assume that the shop installed a different access point (for data and MMS), which wouldn't have a bearing on Bluetooth.   As I said, I don't know of any settings for that, apart from things like "make my device visible" you use for pairing (some devices don't even have that and are visible all the time).

I also suspect that the BT failure happening at the same time is just a massive coincidence.   The other obvious possibilities are that the firmware update introduced an incompatibility with your car, or was corrupted (hence the re-flash suggestion), or that there's been a failure in the BT hardware that's causing an intermittent fault.

However, the fact that you can get it working temporarily is odd.  It tends to point to my last suggestion (hardware), but also appears to be triggered by software/app activity.   Samsung are definitely your best bet as this is very esoteric and they're the experts in their own devices.

[WhyMe]

So I have just come off the phone from Samsung.

I was able to demonstrate the problem to them.

In a nutshell they have never come across it before, have no idea what is causing it but will not help me as it was Vodafone that corrupted the phone and so they too recommend I sue Vodafone for a replacement.

And just to clarify, all phones work my in-car Bluetooth, my phone doesn't work with any in-car Bluetooth but if I do a reset or reflash it will work until the phone is powered off and on then it's corrupted again.

Total utter despair.

[hrym]

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@WhyMe wrote:

In a nutshell they have never come across it before, have no idea what is causing it but will not help me as it was Vodafone that corrupted the phone and so they too recommend I sue Vodafone for a replacement.

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I'm saddened by that.  It sounds like buck-passing.   I don't see how you can prove that Vodafone corrupted the phone as you don't know what the shop did and, anyway, it'll have gone in all the resets and the re-flash.  You might be able to get an independent expert to comment, but they won't do that free and I think that, with that and lawyers' fees, you'll be throwing good money after bad.  I also still think it's coincidence.

I'd at least like Samsung to have a look at the device and check out the hardware.  It's a shame you mentioned the Vodafone shop to them at all, tbh.

[WhyMe]

Yes I guess you're right, if I had just simply said that the phone isn't working properly I probably would have got a more helpful response.

It was unquestionably Vodafone who corrupted my phone as it worked fine until the very second they changed the settings but it depends on what level of 'proof' is required. 

In civil law the level of proof is a lot lower than criminal so it is the balance of probabilty (i.e.>50%) that determines the case. On that basis I should be successful in the Small Claims. If Vodafone want to contest it it will cost them a lot of money and demonstrate a very poor attitude to its customers at na ational level whereas as the moment it is at local store level only.

Am in process of writing the necessary papers now...

[hrym]

OK, there are three possibilities, as I see it:

1. Massive coincidence as previously suggested.

2. The shop did indeed do something under the hood.   If that's the case, they're definitely liable.  I'm not sure they'd have the facilities for that, though, as it would require specific equipment and systems, which I'd expect only the repair centre to have.  I'm not even sure what they could do (and, clearly, Samsung don't either).

3. What the shop did was to change settings (I still suspect it would have been to re-install the data access point) via the Settings menu.  Anyone can do that and is intended to be able to.  It's what the menu's for.   If anything in that can corrupt the BT settings or hardware, that's down to Samsung.

All in my 'umble opinion.

Edited to add: One final suggestion.   Try Carphone Warehouse.   Their Geek Squad are authorised Samsung repairers afaik.   See what they say - if they're willing to have a look.  Don't mention the history, just that it's stopped working after an update.   You could say it's been reset, but I wouldn't even mention the reflash unless you have to - you don't want them telling you to go back to Vodafone!  In the final instance, you could try telling them the whole sorry tale, but that risks their saying "can't touch it then".

[WhyMe]

Oohh, this is getting interesting now!

Sitting here feeling so confused and yet feeling I've somehow made some progress by establishing it works immediately after a reset now but not subsequently following a power off and on I undertook the following.

I did another Factory Reset tonight, only this time when it powered back up, I skipped the bit about having enterig my google account which then starts downloading your settings and apps.

I went back out to the car, the phone doesn't even have my Contacts on it now but does have all the pre-installed apps.

I tested it with the in-car bluetooth and as expected following a Factory Reset, it worked. I then switched the phone off and on again and....it still worked with the Bluetooth.

So on the assumption that it will do the same thing tomorrow, I have established that there is a setting somewhere that gets pulled down to my phone via my Google A/c which corrupts the phone!

If so, it may be that I can set up an entirely new Google account and pulls things in afresh one at a time to see how I get on.

Will still see what the Geek Experts at Carphone Warehouse say but this gives me another angle to work on.

Facts I know with certainty and can replicate.

Only my phone drops the Bluetooth connection with my car.

Only my phone drops the Bluetooth connection with all cars.

Following last week's Reflash, a Factory Reset will resolve the problem until I turn off the phone.

Following a Factory Reset if I do not enter my Google account details when prompted, I get a phone which is missing all my Apps and a lot of personal data too such as Contacts but....the phone will continue to work even after a shut down & restart.

Therefore I have established that there is a setting somewhere that gets pulled down to my phone via my Google A/c which corrupts the phone!

[WhyMe]

Ah & another thing which may result in people shouting at me or not??!!

I've just realised why I don't have my Contacts or much else is that I did the Factory Reset with my microSD card still inside this time whereas previously I took it out. It was also out for the reflash.

Should the microSD be present or not for a Factory reset in normal circumstances?

So I've probably lost a whole load of personal stuff including my entire Contact list?!! but if it gets my phone sorted it's a price I'm willing to pay.

[Sukhi]

Hi @WhyMe 

I can only reiterate what Laura has already advised above.

If you would like our repair team to take a look, follow the steps in Laura's post.

Thanks,

Sukhi

[WhyMe]

Hi Sukhi,

With all due respect it's probably best if you don't post comments like that without reading the thread as it's misleading and unhelpful.

The phone has been to the repair centre and back.

Samsung have also had a good look at the phone and it is they who have confirmed that there is nothing that a repair centre can do to fix this - it has everyone baffled.

Thankfully I have ignored all the comments from the Vodafone Tech Experts, of which sadly none actually involved any technical assistance whatsoever and I have managed to resolve the query myself whilst also bouncing ideas off the other poster who has at least tried to resolve this with me, unlike Vodafone.

I will be asking one technical question in my next post which should have a straight forward answer if you are a Tech Expert so please feel free to contribute to that.