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?

[Retired-Laura]

Hi @WhyMe

This is not something that can be done in store as it is quite in depth.

A factory reset returns the phone back to a ‘box fresh’ state.

The flash that is done in the repair centre creates a blank state of the phone so new software can be built and added.

We can get this looked at for you, see our repair process.

Cheers,

Laura

[WhyMe]

Oh no - really!? 

I think I'm going around in a circle!

The factory reset did not restore the Bluetooth settings fault that the Vodafone store worker created.

The store sent the phone away, I presumed to be reflashed, but the repair centre refused to do any work on it unless I agreed to pay £120 to have a 3mm crack in my screen replaced and so the phone has come back to the store where I got the impression they can do a reflash.

The store said they would do a reflash for me or are they just paying me lip-service then?? Confused - please, please help.

If you are really saying that a store can't do a reflash and only the repair centre can then I'm stuck because the repair centre won't do it unless I pay them £120!!

Just a reminder - should you need one, that it was the Vodafone store rep that changed my settings and caused all this in the first place.

[hrym]

If there's any evidence of damage, Vodafone, as a 3rd party repairer, aren't allowed by any of the manufacturers to carry out warranty work.  Your best bet (apologies if I didn't recommend this before) is to go direct to Samsung.   Not only are they, I think, better placed to deal with your initial problem, they'll also take a pragmatic view of the damage issue and may well proceed if it's obviously nothing to do with the other problem.

My understanding of a reflash is that the firmware is squirted into the device by cable.   It'll replace what's there and doesn't rely on the device doing any of the work itself.

[WhyMe]

We can get this looked at for you, see our repair process.

Thanks for the above response Laura (my highlight) but I fear you are awash with misplaced optimism.

I'm assuming you have read the previous post(s) detailing the difficulty I am experiencing in getting the repair centre to even look at doing a reflash.

Please can you let me know what you propose Vodafone will do for me as you seem certain that Vodafone we get this looked at for me. Let me know what I need to do and I will gladly do it.

I look forward to your reply.

[Ben_H]

Hi @WhyMe 

If you've voided your warranty, we'll be unable to do it directly without the charge you were quoted. This happens even if your issue isn't linked to the physical damage on your screen.

As @hrym has mentioned, Samsung will be able to offer a second opinion as the manufacturer of your phone. 

We're unable to override the instructions set out by Samsung in relation to out of warranty repair charges.

Thanks,

Ben

[WhyMe]

Well, here we are after 49 days and.......following a reflash at the Vodafone store, everything seems to be working!

The store hadn't done the reflash when they said they were going to do it so I had yet another wasted journey into town and had to leave it with them for longer but so far so good!!

It seems amazing that a reflash was one of the first things recommended by @hyrm but was one of the last things to be tried despite me asking for it and despite it being the quickest and easiest solution.

The only disappointment now is that Vodafone only see fit to offer me £16.50 compensation for not having my phone at all for nearly 4 weeks and not working properly for 49 days - bless them for their generousity 🙂

[WhyMe]

Arrrghhh - more help needed please! It's stopped working again!!

So after the reflash everything worked fine.

I then reinstalled my downloaded apps pausing every once in a while to check that none of these knocked out any settings and they didn't.

But this morning it continued to auto update pre-installed apps and BANG it doesn't work again. So there is something among the pre-installed apps that is throwing it out.

Any suggestions...I'll have to go back to the store for another reflash but for the next 24 hours it was like a possessed beast downloading and updating pre-installed apps that I don't want so how can I prevent this from reoccuring?

[hrym]

The only other thing I can suggest is that you turn off Auto-update in Google Play.  You can then either never update the pre-installed appps, or do them one at a time until you find the culprit and just leave that one untouched next time.  You may even be able to disable it in Settings|Apps.   That route will lead you down the re-flash path AGAIN, of course.

I'm amazed the phone wasn't reflashed as part of the repair as I thought it was pretty much part of the standard process (electrical test/reset/reflash).

I'd have to say this is all very odd and doesn't seem to be widespread.  For that reason, it might be worth talking to Samsung about it.

[WhyMe]

Further updates.

I thought I had nothing to lose in trying a Factory Reset just in case and it worked, it fixed it! but......read on....

I also called Samsung who were very helpful (Vodafone please note!). They had their Tech Expert call me back, take control of my phone and check some settings.

Quite simply, the problem seems to mystify everyone but one thing the Samsung Expert has done is turn off the automatic updates.

To put it to the test, I turned the phone off and on again and BOOM - it doesn't work again!!!

I'm awaiting another call back from Samsung - I just don't want this phone anymore.

And @hrym, thanks for your comments which have been the only sane ones on here, the reason Vodafone didn't do the reflash initially is because they refused to do anything initially unless I paid £120 for a new screen. 

Just as a reminder to everyone, this phone worked fine until Vodafone store worker changed some settings and corrupted it.

[hrym]

Keep talking to Samsung.  I live in hope that they're going to find this sufficiently interesting that at some point they'll get the phone off you and maybe give you a replacement.

It's lost in the mists of history, but I thought the BT had failed before you went into the shop the first time?  I'm still mystified as to what was done then as I'm not aware of any settings that can be changed in relation to Bluetooth (and which wouldn't be put back to default by a reset and/or a reflash).

We did try un-pairing and re-pairing with the car, didn't we?