Has anyone been able to "fix" this bug with a BT connection - car drops the volume on my cell phone

[SilverGS]

When streaming music via BT from my cell phone to the car, the car reduces the volume of the cell phone as soon as one song finishes. So I have to increase the volume on my cell phone at the beginning of every single song.

Has anyone figured out a workaround to stop this annoying bug?

 

[Babaron]

Not sure if this is related but starting today, cell phone calls to my car will randomly flip back-and-forth from the car audio to the phone audio making it very difficult to Carry on a conversation.

 

[SilverGS]

After doing some more reading on Android phones and BT volume, I may have figured this out.

I will test it out later today. Anyway on an Android phone (I have a Pixel 4XL) - Go to Settings > System > Advanced > Developer options > Disable absolute volume

 

[Ostrichsak]

When streaming music via BT from my cell phone to the car, the car reduces the volume of the cell phone as soon as one song finishes. So I have to increase the volume on my cell phone at the beginning of every single song.

Has anyone figured out a workaround to stop this annoying bug?

No, there is no fix and this has been persistent through several updates now.

Not sure if this is related but starting today, cell phone calls to my car will randomly flip back-and-forth from the car audio to the phone audio making it very difficult to Carry on a conversation.

It is related in that it began around the same time as the volume adjustment bug.

After doing some more reading on Android phones and BT volume, I may have figured this out.

I will test it out later today. Anyway on an Android phone (I have a Pixel 4XL) - Go to Settings > System > Advanced > Developer options > Disable absolute volume

This may produce a positive effect at first but it will resume to the broken behavior. Others have tried this (myself included) and it wasn't the fix. Further evidence is that this same bug occurs on non-Android phones as well. It's a Tesla thing and they have yet to fix it even though they've had many months and many updates since breaking it.

So much for continued free updates being the wave of the future.

 

[P100D_Me]

It is related in that it began around the same time as the volume adjustment bug.

Is this the one where you answer a BT call and the person can't hear you until you adjust the volume wheel on the steering wheel?
That drives me crazy, I think that has been a bug for at least 6 - 8 months now.

 

[ddawson]

I'm using an App called Volume Lock. Works but it shows on the screen the up and down so you can't access that side of your phone.

 

[agtdDelirium]

OMG! I thought this was my phone failing all this time. I tried the Android "disable absolute volume" to no effect. I even factory reset my phone (Pixel 3) and reinstalled everything thinking it might be some rogue app causing the sudden volume change. I don't know why I didn't think it was the car software. Maybe because it had always worked before? That makes so much more sense. Tesla screwing things up again. How hard is it to reset the Bluetooth function back to operational again?

 

[jjanov79]

Maybe I’m not understanding the OP problem but this happens all the time on my iPhone; however, BT volume is now independent of phone volume so it’s easily ignored. The volume on my phone can be at zero or at max and it doesn’t affect the BT volume from the stereo so it’s more of a visual distraction on the phone screen than anything.

 

[CaliMS]

Yes! I have a fix using Android. It's been solid since that post in Feb.

Anyone Else Have Bluetooth Issues on the Newest Model S Update?

 

[r1200gs4ok]

all I know is that randomly in both the MS and my wifes M3. when we get in car, the volume of the phone one it connects is at 100% and blows you out.....any suggestions as to why and what to do

 

[SilverGS]

Maybe I’m not understanding the OP problem but this happens all the time on my iPhone; however, BT volume is now independent of phone volume so it’s easily ignored. The volume on my phone can be at zero or at max and it doesn’t affect the BT volume from the stereo so it’s more of a visual distraction on the phone screen than anything.

I turn up the volume on my phone when I connect via BT to the car simply by turning up the volume while music is playing, so I'm assuming that's the BT volume as the sound volume in the car increases. When the song is finished and the next one starts, the car drops the volume down to zero on the phone and I have to increase the volume again on my phone.

 

[Ostrichsak]

Is this the one where you answer a BT call and the person can't hear you until you adjust the volume wheel on the steering wheel?
That drives me crazy, I think that has been a bug for at least 6 - 8 months now.

Yeah, that sounds like about how long this has been going on now. The call thing you mention is how I first noticed it too. When it first started I was placing outbound calls and it would cut the music out and then.... nothing. I thought that it wasn't connecting and failing the dial. Little did I know that it was actually connecting and the person I was calling was hearing everything I was saying even though I couldn't hear them. Needless to say my frustration with mature language was heard by a few people before I discovered this was a bug. I then started to notice it afterwards on my music whenever a new track would start. I actually believe that the phone aspect you describe may have come first but I guess that aspect really isn't as important right now. Tesla just needs to fix it.

I'm using an App called Volume Lock. Works but it shows on the screen the up and down so you can't access that side of your phone.

I am too but I have mixed reviews. One thing I notice is that it helps with the Tesla bug although it's not instant sometimes and takes many seconds to respond. What I've noticed though is that on all of my other BT devices it introduces undesirable behavior that is equally frustrating. Example: Sometimes when I first connect my BT headphones (true wireless and in-ear) the previous playing audio will resume at 100% volume. One tap on the phone's volume rocker will remind the phone where it was but this app seems to prefer some wonky and inconsistent behavior that didn't exist prior to installing the app. So it seems to kind of help with the Tesla but then breaks other devices to do so. Tesla just needs to fix it.

OMG! I thought this was my phone failing all this time. I tried the Android "disable absolute volume" to no effect. I even factory reset my phone (Pixel 3) and reinstalled everything thinking it might be some rogue app causing the sudden volume change. I don't know why I didn't think it was the car software. Maybe because it had always worked before? That makes so much more sense. Tesla screwing things up again. How hard is it to reset the Bluetooth function back to operational again?

Because it's something that is a basic function in a vehicle for many years now and should just work. Most mobile devices have been stable on BT long enough that it just shouldn't be an issue for any car manufacturer let alone one that is self proclaimed to be the most advanced technologically speaking. They're so good and yet their six-figure-cars can't even do something that a $10 item from China with no name brand can do reliably and consistently? Tesla just needs to fix it.

Yes! I have a fix using Android. It's been solid since that post in Feb.

Anyone Else Have Bluetooth Issues on the Newest Model S Update?

See my reply above. It's a so so band-aid fix but not a 100% problem solver as you'll be introducing new problems that didn't exist previously trying to remedy Tesla's poor programming. Tesla just needs to fix it.

I turn up the volume on my phone when I connect via BT to the car simply by turning up the volume while music is playing, so I'm assuming that's the BT volume as the sound volume in the car increases. When the song is finished and the next one starts, the car drops the volume down to zero on the phone and I have to increase the volume again on my phone.

Which is a joy if you're phone is still in your pocket/purse/gym bag/hatch area. This introduces some very dangerous situations for a company that's supposedly so focused on safety. To me, this BT bug is an obvious safety liability for the heavy users who regularly rely on their BT handsfree connection to keep them safe while they're driving. The fact that it's been broken for nearly a year now is a glaring indictment that Tesla doesn't seem to care the slightest about the safety advantage it uses to sell the cars. Kind of hard to claim you're safety focused when this remains an issue. Tesla just needs to fix it.

 

[SilverGS]

I am too but I have mixed reviews. One thing I notice is that it helps with the Tesla bug although it's not instant sometimes and takes many seconds to respond. What I've noticed though is that on all of my other BT devices it introduces undesirable behavior that is equally frustrating. Example: Sometimes when I first connect my BT headphones (true wireless and in-ear) the previous playing audio will resume at 100% volume. One tap on the phone's volume rocker will remind the phone where it was but this app seems to prefer some wonky and inconsistent behavior that didn't exist prior to installing the app. So it seems to kind of help with the Tesla but then breaks other devices to do so. Tesla just needs to fix it.

Good to know, thanks. I personally don't use any headsets with my phone, so this band-aid may work in my specific situation. Bottom line as you've mentioned, Tesla needs to fix this bug. Period.

 

[agtdDelirium]

Out of curiosity, is this problem seen across all versions of MCU in all cars or just specific versions? I'm just wondering if it is software or driver incompatibility with certain Bluetooth chipsets used in various MCU versions.

 

[Ostrichsak]

Good to know, thanks. I personally don't use any headsets with my phone, so this band-aid may work in my specific situation. Bottom line as you've mentioned, Tesla needs to fix this bug. Period.

For you it may be a decent enough work around. Personally I hate having more apps on my mobile device than needed to do what I want to do so I cringe when I have to install another app to do one simple thing especially when that one thing is address a firmware bug from a 3rd party interaction that is on their side of programming. Talk about annoying.

That said, there's a free version of the app for Android so you can test it out w/o anything to lose really.

Out of curiosity, is this problem seen across all versions of MCU in all cars or just specific versions? I'm just wondering if it is software or driver incompatibility with certain Bluetooth chipsets used in various MCU versions.

This I do not have the answer to. All four of our Model S that had this problem were MCU1 so I assume they all had the same hardware as well. I believe there was a BT radio upgrade sometime early on (one of our cars was a 2013 which I believe was Parrot prior to Tesla switching over to some other provider) but I'm not 100% sure on this. I don't know if I recall seeing as much newer cars or Model 3/Y complaining about this bug so it could just be the firmware versions that apply to those older hardware vehicles. I don't have a definitive answer in any direction and this is more of a gut feeling and would also explain why it persists through several iterations of firmware since Tesla seems to have these older hardware vehicles on a much, much, MUCH lower priority when it comes to bug fixes.

 

[SilverGS]

For you it may be a decent enough work around. Personally I hate having more apps on my mobile device than needed to do what I want to do so I cringe when I have to install another app to do one simple thing especially when that one thing is address a firmware bug from a 3rd party interaction that is on their side of programming. Talk about annoying.

That said, there's a free version of the app for Android so you can test it out w/o anything to lose really.

Same here, I hate having to install anything on my phone unless its absolutely needed.

 

[P100D_Me]

I'm just wondering if it is software or driver incompatibility with certain Bluetooth chipsets used in various MCU versions.

It is Tesla's software, my phone works perfectly fine with every other BT device I have, including a $15 Chinese BT speaker.
I honestly doubt this will ever be fixed, which is really annoying because it was introduced! It was not always this way.
And the fact that it happens on both Android and iPhones really points the finger at Tesla.

Tesla seems to have these older hardware vehicles on a much, much, MUCH lower priority when it comes to bug fixes.

And the problem with that is they've never had a 100% stable release, at least not in the 1 1/2 years I've owned my MS.

 

[klufkee]

I concur that it was not always this way. v10 maybe? iPhone here and I can't stand it. I have to remember to jack up the ringer volume when I'm out of the car, each and every time.

It's only the ringer volume that's impacted. Does not effect media volume at all. (Mine is typically all the way down anyway.)

edit - Come to think of it; why would they even want to mess with ringer volume? It has no impact on anything while connected to the car.

 

[agtdDelirium]

I guess my last question is if this issue might resolve itself with upgrading my MCU1 to MCU2, something I am seriously considering. Because I lose FM/XM radio with the upgrade, BT becomes even more important to me.

 

[P100D_Me]

Because I lose FM/XM radio with the upgrade

And that is what is a deal breaker for me, Spotify only works 50% of the time, USB is annoying to use because of its operational shortcomings and BT music, well as this thread shows it has big problems. What about DAB then? Nope not in MCU2 either (which is ridiculous). FM & AM radio is not dead, even though in Elon's world it must be.