I've fixed my Bluetooth connection issue!
 

From the day I got my car I had Bluetooth connection issues. It would drop sometimes, but my main issue is that it wouldn't always auto-connect. Sometimes it would connect right away, sometimes it wouldn't connect at all, sometimes it would wait until I was 15 minutes into my trip.

Needless to say this was frustrating. During this time I had an iPhone 3, an iPhone 4, and a Galaxy S3, all had the same issue.

I think I fixed it! I recently started digging around in the less than obvious menu of the OEM head unit. I eventually drilled down into an option which asked "Connection Method?" and gave me two options: 'From Headunit' or 'From Device'. 'From Headunit' was selected by default (as I had never been in this menu before) so I figured that choosing 'From Device' couldn't hurt anything. Since making that change my Galaxy S3 now connects every single time almost as soon as I get in the car. It's awesome...and by awesome I mean it now meets my expectations. /sigh

Below is a visual walk through of how to get to that menu/option.

Side Note from Shaisters: After clicking on Bluetooth you have to click on Registered Devices to get to the next screen, not Detailed Bluetooth Settings

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Great find! I had issues with my VZW Galaxy Nexus but since I got my Moto X it's been fine. Maybe the headunit has polling issues with it's BT radio?

I wonder how this changes the protocol for the connection?

I have to say that I love you. I've never had any issues with my iPhone, but the S3 never wanted to stay connected. Works like a goddamn charm now.

Side Note: After clicking on Bluetooth you have to click on Registered Devices to get to the next screen, not Detailed Bluetooth Settings

Need to try this out later. Thanks

Dude, this worked perfectly. Wonderful find.

EDIT: This trick works great for connection, but I think I still have to fiddle with it to keep it from disconnecting/reconnecting all the time.

Still didn't help my Atrix HD. Every time I start the car, the phone still asks me if I want to pair it, even though it's already saved as a "pair". Oh well, thanks for posting this, it was worth a shot.

you didnt fix it, you just adjusted the settings correctly for your phone..

Thanks for contributing Mike.

I'll take another pic tomorrow and change the description! Thanks!

holy crap need to try this! My galaxy S4 only connects correctly if I turn on bluetooth on the device after turning on the car. Otherwise, it just drops and reconnects continuously until I either power cycle the headunit or the phone.

Sweet, will try this with my GS3 today!

OP, for your next discovery, can you work on the Pioneer Avic unit that came in MY'13 Canadian BRZ?

/notsrs

Update: FAIL. Same results. Phone continually drops and reconnects as always. Nice try OP! Glad some folks are helped by this method!

Can confirm, this does not work with my S4. Thanks for the suggestion though :)

I downloaded the firmware update for the Fujitsu Ten headunit from the Subaru Navteq site and this problem seemed to have gone away. I changed the setting regardless as posted by the OP. I have a Galaxy Nexus on Jelly Bean 4.3.3.

This was one of the first things I tried with a Note 3. No luck.

I have a note 3 and I was experiencing a lot of drop/disconnects.

I found to fix my issue I decline to transfer contacts and for some reason I haven't had a problem since (~3 weeks).

If anyone wants to try it out, delete the phone from the car, and delete the car from the phone. Then try to pair it back up and when the phone asks you to accept connetion from the car say yes the first time. Then it will say it wants access to contacts and click cancel.

Okay I had to set the setting back to Headunit instead of Device, as I lost connectivity today when I restarted the car after stalling in the snow.

I think you guys should download the firmware update for the headunit first to see if it'll fix it.

I did a search with google and didn't find the site. Could you please post a link. Thanks

It's this website: https://subaru-na.naviextras.com/shop/portal

Create an account to login, then download the Subaru Toolbox PC-Tool software for your PC. Once the software is installed, plug in the SD Card from the sat nav into the PC, the software will recognizes the card (I think it is encrypted) and there will appear a free update for it (not maps but generalized update).

You can also buy the map update separately (weird I just got the $150 update and it's fine, looks like the $184 updates are US headunit specific?).

This worked for me, had to do the same thing on my Kenwood. Will try the update since contact would be nice

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

This also worked for me. This plus what was put in the original post. I have had smooth connection since. If the HU functioned as intended it would be even better with the hands free. But, I am super happy I can not have dropped calls or music now. Droid Razrm

Thanks. I'll try this.

I now have plans for tonight. Not the most exciting Saturday night but at least I have an excuse to drive around tonight!

This appears to have worked. I have a Galaxy S4.

Switching to "device initiate" did not. Updating the software did not.

Thanks!

No, this didn't work either for me. Thank you for the suggestions.

Glad to hear it worked for a lot of you. I found the issue started after I started to sync Facebook contacts with my phone. I haven't tested it yet but I wonder if it's because there are too many contacts or something.

Anyway I still have contacts in my car even though I don't sync them so I'm not complaining.

What is the most current software version?

I did everything suggested. and it did fix the issue. Updated firmware; I don't recall the latest version since it updated 4 times in a row...apparently it is really out of date from the factory. Then I deleted all synced Bluetooth devices, and re-synced my phone without syncing contacts. And it says connected consistently and I feel like the hit boxes for the buttons got larger in the newer firmware...but that might be just me.

I did the following which so far has kept my bluetooth from constantly disconnecting/reconnecting/disconnecting.

Go to Settings => Application Manager => Running applications

Go through the running applications to see which ones are running bluetooth. In my case it was the Pandora app, which appears to have been repeatedly turning my phone's bluetooth on and off. Even after I turn it off, Pandora turns its bluetooth process on by itself, but as long as I have it turned off when I'm in the car and the phone syncs, there's no connection issue.

Hey guys, quick update on my bluetooth status. I just got the OTA kit kat update from Verizon (yeah they take forever), and it *seems* to have fixed my bluetooth issues. At least this morning, I didn't have to do the little dance with turning the BT on/off at a particular time or anything. It connected correctly and stayed connected. And it now shows the song length and time bar, which from what I heard before was an Android security thing. Will have to do more testing later today, but I'm hoping I don't have to fiddle with it anymore.

FYI - I fixed mine and I believe it was related to the syncing of a massive contact list.

I completely removed both bluetooth references on the phone and on the car. I deleted / restarted both the phone and the car power after making the changes. (Not sure if the car reboot had any effect but I did it anyway - the droid power-down/up does remove the reference in my Galaxy 3 note)

Then, I re-paired the devices and made sure to cancel the part where it asked to sync with my contacts and messages. Haven't had a problem since.

Just a little more info.

No issues anymore. Resynced, changed to Device, n cancelled the contact list when asked...

Phone: Note 2

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but the issue with my GS4 was that it would only sometimes automatically connect, varying from 1 to 10 minutes after the car started, and then the car BT music controls would often not work.

It turned out SHAZAM was screwing with the Bluetooth connection. Once I deleted Shazam, my GS4 connects perfectly within about 15 seconds of the car turning on, everytime.