Need Help - After Razr Maxx ICS Upgrade, Car Phone via Bluetooth Does Not Work

[ASL]

I own a 2007 Infiniti G35 sedan and I'm a Verizon customer. For years I had a Motorola "dumb" phone that worked via Bluetooth just fine in my G35. In May of this year, I got the Razr Maxx. It did not come with ICS installed when I bought it. The local Verizon store helped me set up the new phone and the Bluetooth worked in my car. In or about June, I received from Motorola the ICS software upgrade sent to my phone and installed it on my phone. Since then, my Bluetooh won't function correctly in the car for phone calling (which is the way I use my Bluetooth) and I have to use the phone in the traditional manner (hand-to-ear) with the Bluetooth turned off. I went back to the Verizon store and worked with the very nice gentleman who helped me in the past. He could not resolve the problem. Yesterday, I spent an hour on the phone with Verizon tech support, but they could not resolve my problem either. We tried to unpair and re-pair the phone to the vehicle, but that didn't fix it. We also deleted out all phones from the car's memory and started from scratch as a new phone. That didn't fix it either. Although my car recognizes the phone as paired, it will not work correctly. When I receive a call in the car with the bluetooth on, the phone rings both on my phone and through the speaker of the car, but the conversation can take place only on the phone -- i.e. I have to hold the phone to my ear to hear the caller and I must speak to the caller through the phone itself as if I weren't even in the car. When I make a call out, there is nothing audible through the car speaker or the phone itself, so I can't even tell that it is ringing on the other end, and I can't tell that anyone has picked up on the other end. Nothing. And the phone of the person I am calling does not even ring, even though I can see the call timer ticking away on my Razr. 

Has anyone had this type of problem and does anyone have a suggestion on how to resolve this? The Verizon store representative is suggesting that we need to a do some kind of reinstallation (not sure exactly what term he used) to go back to "factory settings." I don't know exactly what this is, but apparently it will cause me to have to start from scratch and will cause me to lose whatever data/email/texts I have on the phone but will still leave me with ICS. I don't believe he is certain that this will solve the problem.

(And all of this is on the heels of email functionality issues I had following the ICS upgrade. That has been resolved, but this overall bugginess is very frustrating, taking up a lot of my time, and making me wish I had chosen another phone and perhaps even an iphone.)  

Thanks for any help that anyone can provide me.

[DrLove]

I recently realized I have a similar problem. I have a Plantronics Voyager Pro UC that was working fine with my Droid Razr Maxx prior to the ICS upgrade. I received the upgrade a couple of weeks ago and now cannot get the headset to work correctly with the phone. I initially had issues with the headset connecting or being seen by the phone. After several attempts to re-pair it, I was able to get it to show connected on the phone.

Ironically, I am able to listen to music (either file or slacker/pandora, etc.) through the headset, but phone calls will not work with it. I thought it may have been the headset at first, but I have it paired with my laptop also and it works fine there.

Seems to point to something in the ICS software.

[Jaysfive]

Exactly the same problem here as well.  2007 G35 Coupe with factory Bluetooth.  I had tried all the same things you did, ASL, with exactly the same response...that is, nothing. I did discover that if you select the speakerphone button on your phone, you can her the caller through the phones speaker, but I do not actually know if caller can then hear me or not...but I would not be surprised if my phone mic becomes active then.

The Verizon guy I tried at the store said it must be my car...but I am rethinking that, as it sure seems tied to the ICS upgrade.  As luck would have it, I just bought my wife a car....Murano, so still a Nissan product.  I will try to pair my phone tomorrow and, if the sales guy is willing, have him try on my car as well.

Will update with the results.

Please DO update your post if you resolve your issue as well.  Cheers from Jaysfive!

[Jaysfive]

UPDATE:  Both my wife's Razr Maxx and mine paired fine with her new 2012 Nissan Murano and operate correctly.  So the issue remains with the ICS upgrade rendering the Razr Maxx (and possibly other phones) inoperably via Bluetooth in older Nissan platforms.  I have not see an ICS update to address this yet.  Not sure if anyone is actually working it, to be honest....just too easy for each stakeholder (Verizon, Motorolla, Google, and Nissan) to point the fingers at somebody else.

I am going to concentrate my efforts on getting a fix from Google for the Android software, since it worked fine with the previous operating system, Gingerbread.

[B33]

Try Clearing the Bluetooth Cache and the Data on your Phone and See if that may Work.. Go to Apps--> Scroll the Top Banner to All then scroll up to Bluetooth after clearing these Two do a Soft Reset.. then try to re-pair to your Bluetooth in your Car..

[Jaysfive]

Thanks, B33, for the prompt reply!  Are your directions for ICS on a Maxx?  I went to "ALL APPS", but do not follow you on how to cleare the "Bluetooth Cache"....or clearing the "Data" you refer to.

I guess, sheepishly, I do not know how to do a soft reset either.  Will any of this delete lots of installed data or settings on my phone?

More detail would be much appreciated!!

Cheers! from Jaysfive!

[B33]

Sure what you Looking like a Manual or Something ?

[B33]

You might Try Bluetooth Share Jay and Let me head you in this Direction:

Have a Look at these Two Links Here below i'v Posted a few Tips from Motorola and they Update just about every Week: On page two of my Tips are the PDF Links to the Manuals for the Razr / Razr Maxx  b33

https://motorola-global-portal.custhelp.com/app/product_page/faqs/p/30,6720,8417

RAZR / RAZR MAXX Helpful Tips..

[Jaysfive]

OK - figured out that you meant to access Apps from the Settings screen instead of the Favorites tray.  I did the cache and data clear out of Bluetooth Share, rebooted the phone and, unfortunately no luck.  I just checked with my wife's phone(als a Razr Maxx - same behaviour...so it is either my car of some issue with the ICS upgrade on our Razr Maxx's, I guess???

Thanks so much for the ideas, though, and other suggestions?

[B33]

Well hopefully the Update that is coming when it gets here addresses some of these issues. I was hoping for it would come in Aug. but Sept. 1 is Saturday so we may be looking at Sept. Maybe Oct. Before we get this Much needed update..

[ASL]

UPDATE:

So, I spoke at length with Motorola last Thursday, but they couldn't resolve my issue and escalated it to Level 3. I spoke to a Level 3 rep on Monday.  Despite having spoken to this third representative (two on Thursday and one Monday), no one until this third rep enlightened me with the news that there is a "known compatability issue" between Motorola's ICS and Infiniti/Nissan vehicles' bluetooth. "They" are working on it supposedly, but cannot tell me when, if ever, the problem will be resolved. The rep seemed to suggest that I shouldn't wait around for the fix. I asked about a factory reset, but she didn't know if it would work. She said "you could try it." Thanks for that! The rep even suggested I should speak to my carrier about getting a new phone b/c they can't yet fix this known problem with their ICS and I'm not getting what I need or expect out of my phone. I can assure you it won't be a Motorola, since their three models that have ICS all will have this problem.  Not sure what to turn to from here. I guess I will try the factory reset, then have to move on to another manufacturer. I did check and my brother's Samsung Galaxy S3; it worked with my vehicle's bluetooth, so maybe that. I'm very disappointed. Having a Bluetooth functional phone in my car is absolutely vital for me and I wouldn't have purchased the Razr Maxx had I known about this issue when I bought it. 

RESPONSES TO MY UPDATED INFO FROM ANDROID CENTRAL FROM OTHERS:

Fyi
I had the same problem did a factory reset which did not help. Had Verizon send me another phone and it too did not work. I went round and round with Motorola Nissan verizon and Bose stereo systems and they all point fingers at each other. So I went back and found an old Bluetooth headset that cost 25 dollars 5 years ago and lo and behold it works great.

So it looks like I'm a pinball in a pinball machine and just have to realize that some things can't get fixed as easily as we all think it should

So I'm not going to hold my breath and wait for it to get fixed. Sorry for that news but it is what it is

AND THIS:

The BT is definitely buggy in ICS, it often locks up and stays connected after exiting the car and requires a reboot to fix. I hope they are working on a patch. Every android phone i owned had some sort of BT bugs to deal with.

[ASL]

2ND UPDATE:

I spoke with Infiniti USA.  I learned from their websited that the Razr Maxx is not on their "approved" list of phones, but the guy I spoke with really didn't know much.  Infiniti's Blue Tooth Hot Line is 866-227-4255.  That's my next call.  I have to look more into a work around that would let me use some other kind of BT phone functionality in the car.  Anyway, I'll let you know what I learn from Infiniti.

[B33]

Yea it would be nice get the Update to straighten out some of these kinks with I.C.S but i wondering with the New HD Razr's being brought to the Public Eye if the Updates on our Razr are going to be kind of set on the Back Burner..if so it make the Stress Meter go a Few Ticks. b33

[Duewester]

You probably need to flash the BT in car to latest. Seems to work for Ford and BMW users who have had BT problems. The BT specs change over time and it could be that it's your car, not the phone or ICS.

I have a 2012 Chevy with not issues at all with ICS on my Razr Maxx.

[ASL]

Hi Duewester.  Thx for your response.  Sorry, but I don't understand what you mean by "flash the BT in car to latest."  I'm fairly dimwitted when it comes to tech stuff and need a step by step (or as close thereto), if you can.  Beyond knowing that BT stands for bluetooth, I don't know what the rest of your advice means.  But I will say that the Level 3 Motorola tech was talking in terms with an ICS problem that Motorala had to fix.  She also said it was a problem along the Nissan/Infiniti line of vehilces they're having problems with, though probably other vehilces too I'm guessing.

[Threetall]

I have the same problems with my Droid 4. But the bluetooth device I use is a (get this!) Motorola Roadster! The same company! Its all ICS issue but still, Motorola sits there and allows them to trash compatibility between their own devices.

Now, its not all the time. But when I do pair I still hvae to wait 30 seconds for an incoming call to connect. they can hear me but I cant hear them for around 30 seconds. So I sound like an idiot yelling "Hold On my phone will fully connect soon!"

I had similar problems after they "updated" my Droid 2.

Im done with Motorola and I dome with Verizon. They drove me to Apple/AT&T

[Bofische]

Hello to All!

From my reseach I found that any of the newer Motorola Droid phone have the same issue.  I even had one of the store employees come out to my 2007 G35 sedan and he brought 3 phones.  A Droid 3 just like mine, an Apple 5, and another Droid based phone.  The apple would pair but nothing after that. Both Droids reacted with allowing the call to come in, connect and then when you press the connect button on the steering wheel, you have to talk through the phone.

Infiniti is the issue.  I have check their web site's compatibility list.  None of the newer Droid phones are on the list.  After talking to the service department at my local Infiniti dealership, they stated there is nothing they can do.  I called Infiniti directly, same story.  "Because you have an older model we are not going to worry about supporting that car with newer phones".  Nice job Infiniti.  As much as I love the car, they lost a customer.  I drove a 2009 version of my car, phone pairs up fine and it works just as it shoud.  All Infiniti/Nissan would have to do is update the firmware of the car's bluetooth system and they would make hundreds if not thousands of customer happy. 

It would be nice if Motorola and especially Infiniti would ensure better compatibility.

[B33]

For sure i kind of Ran into a issue sort of this when we had our Toyota.. On our Truck i use the Nav Kit i got and the 3.5 Audio Jack it not by No means but the sound is Very Good...

[lship46]

I have similar issues with Droid Razr 4g lite.   I have a Dodge Caravan with the U- Connect system, and it worked fine until after the Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade.  That was a working time span of over 2 yrs. from the time we bought the vehicle.  The first time I tried the verizon tech's suggestion to remove and reinstall the pairing on my vehicle it worked for a couple times then it was right back to a status of seeming to be connected, but when I initiate a call, just after it sounds like it is ringing the number of who I am calling, or if I try to answer an incoming call it says call ended and disconnects.  Trying the remove and re-install would not work at all the next few times I tried it, so I went to the verizon store for more help, and they ordered a new phone for me.  It worked the first two or three times I tried it, and yesterday it was right back to doing the same old thing when I initiated a call.  That is,  it said "goodbye" and disconnected after the first apparent ring.  The verizon tech at the store said if replacing the phone did not work, then, it had to be a problem with my U Connect system,  but after reading  several posts here with similar issues and different makes of cars and bluetooth systems, I am convinced it was something to do with the ICE Cream Sandwich Upgrade.  It makes the phone totally useless for me in the car, as I do not feel safe trying to handle phone call without a bluetooth connection.    I am age 66 and that is about the only time I use my cell phone, so if anyone has resolved this issue, please post.   Thanks,  Linda

[cfig]

Hi,

I'm not actually a Verizon client... but I was here searching for another problem on Razr Maxx as well...

Well... I just wanna say that the ICS have an option on Settings/Security that turn on/off the possibility of voice gadgets works by Bluetooth when the mobile are locked... and it's from factory turned off...

Maybe if u turn that on, u could use the Bluetooth functionality of your car again...

[lship46]

Thank you for your suggestion.  Other than the bluetooth setting which is turned on, I have no idea how to access the ICS security settings so I will visit my verizon store and let them have a go at it.