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2012 Plug in Base BlueTooth issues

Discussion in 'Gen 1 Prius Plug-in 2012-2015' started by forte88, Mar 8, 2018.

  1. forte88

    forte88 Member

    Joined:
    Oct 25, 2004
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    Location:
    Socal
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    About a year ago, I started having issues with my BlueToothe connection from my phone. It originally started with my Samsung S6, and having the same issues with my Samsung S8+. When I first start my car it connects to my phone and shows it connected. But after about 2 or 3 minutes, it shows disconnected and freezes the phone system and BlueTooth options in the menus. Won't allow you to turn off or on, until you reboot the car. I've tried removing the phone from the system and having the car re-discover it and sync numerous times. Sometimes it will work fine for a week or so, but then starts messing up for weeks at a time. I took it to Toyota who flashed the system firmware, and it worked for about a week after that, but then it started this nonsense again. Anyone else have this issue?
     
  2. Pluggo

    Pluggo Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 23, 2016
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    Location:
    Folsom, Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Advanced
    Not having that issue, but take a look at where you keep your phone and make sure it is not close to your key fob. The car used to give me a low key battery warning whenever I had the keys and phone in the same pocket. That was 2 years ago. The battery is still fine.
     
    jerrymildred likes this.
  3. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    Tampa, FL
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    I agree. First place to look. If you have your fob and your phone in the same pocket, they will interfere with each other, not to mention scratch up your phone.
     
  4. forte88

    forte88 Member

    Joined:
    Oct 25, 2004
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    Location:
    Socal
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    I’ll look and see if that’s the issue. But kind of doubt it. A lot of times I put the phone in the cup holder.
     
  5. Wolfman33

    Wolfman33 Member

    Joined:
    Jul 24, 2016
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    Location:
    Virginia Beach, VA
    Vehicle:
    2022 Prius Prime
    Model:
    LE
    Do you have a Bluetooth headset? When your system locks up, try to turn on a Bluetooth headset, and wait for it to take over the connection with the phone. Then turn off the Bluetooth headset and see if the car Bluetooth takes the connection back over. I'm having a similar problem with my 2013. I listen to a lot of podcasts on my cell phone, it runs the same as listening to MP3 music. Much of the time it works well. It even transitions automatically from a Bluetooth headset to the car Bluetooth seamlessly. Then sometimes I get in the car, with or without the a headset on. The car seems to connect, but then the phone starts playing the MP3 through the phone speaker. It plays for about 3-4 seconds, then it pauses 3-4 seconds. and then it plays 3-4 seconds and pauses again and it continues like this indefinitely. I have no control of the phone, I cannot pause or stop the playback from the phone. I have no control from the car system. I was turning the car off and turning the phone off to reset everything. One day I accidentally discovered that if my Bluetooth headset was off, and I turned it on, it captured and controlled the phone. Likewise if the headset is already on, I turn it off, and then turn it on again and get the same control at the headset. Then I turned the Bluetooth headset back off, the car reset it's connection to the phone and it worked fine from there. So now I make sure that there is always a Bluetooth headset in the car. I shouldn't have to do it, I expect better from Toyota, but it gets me through the problem.
     
    #5 Wolfman33, Mar 12, 2018
    Last edited: Mar 12, 2018
  6. forte88

    forte88 Member

    Joined:
    Oct 25, 2004
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    Location:
    Socal
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base

    I'm not using a headset. The biggest problem I have is how unpredictable it is. However, when it does screw up it's always the same thing. The phone connects for about 3 minutes or so, then suddenly it says "no bluetooth device connected". I go to the BlueTooth setup menu with the only option of turning off BlueTooth and it's greyed out. No options to even try to search and connect another device. I also just bought a 2017 Prius Prime Premium, and so far BlueTooth seems to be working pretty good in it. So I'm sure it's not my phone. Besides, it was doing the same with with my previous phone. Is there a consumer way to flash the firmware?