2009 Cadillac XLR: Service Bulletin: #PI0086E: Unexpected Loss of Radio Audio (Radio Goes Silent/No Sound) and Other Blackberry Phone - Bluetooth Issues

#PI0086E: Unexpected Loss of Radio Audio (Radio Goes Silent/No Sound) and Other Blackberry Phone - Bluetooth Issues - (May 28, 2013)

This PI is being revised to add additional 2012-2013 models. Please discard PI0086D.

The following diagnosis might be helpful if the vehicle exhibits the symptoms described in this PI.

Note:

• Unexpected loss of radio audio (radio goes silent/no sound for no reason): See #1 below.
• Other Blackberry® phone / Bluetooth® issues: See #2 through #8 below.

Condition/Concern

The following is a list of conditions that a customer may comment about. Review the numbered Conditions in the list below and then refer to the appropriate numbered Correction that follows.

1. Shortly after the customer powers the vehicle and is listening to AM/FM/XM/CD/AUX, audio is lost and the customer can no longer hear the music/audio playing. Music/audio fades to silence for no apparent reason. A Blackberry® phone is paired to this vehicle, and is within range of the vehicle when this issue occurs. The customer will not know that the phone is causing the loss of radio audio.
2. When using the Blackberry® phone, the Bluetooth® function fails to connect, does not consistently connect or won’t connect to the vehicle even after the customer tries to force a connection from the phone.
3. Audio is not heard in the vehicle with a Bluetooth® phone call although the function previously worked properly. The customer has to transfer to the phone handset to listen to the call.
4. The Blackberry phone with Bluetooth® on will display an hourglass as if it was connecting to the Bluetooth® feature, but the customer cannot complete the connection to the Bluetooth® feature.
5. The customer receives a continuous request on the cell phone to connect to a device that is no longer shown on the phone, due to the pairing being deleted from the phone but not from the vehicle.
6. The Blackberry® phone using Bluetooth® will not complete a call when dialing a number from the phone or complete a call through the vehicle’s stored nametags in the voice recognition system.
7. With a Bluetooth® call with a Blackberry® phone, the customer ends the call by pressing the Blackberry® phone End Call button and the vehicle displays Private Call.
8. When using the Blackberry® phone, an incoming call may ring 2-3 times before the ring is heard in the vehicle. It may take multiple presses of the steering wheel controls to answer the call, or to make an outgoing call.

Recommendation/Instructions for Condition #1

Shortly after the customer powers the vehicle and is listening to AM/FM/XM/CD/AUX, audio is lost and the customer can no longer hear the music/audio playing. Music/audio fades to silence for no apparent reason. A Blackberry® phone is paired to this vehicle, and is within range of the vehicle when this issue occurs. The customer will not know that the phone is causing the loss of radio audio.

The occupant’s Blackberry® phone is sending a phantom message to the vehicle, telling the car that it is in an active call and needs an open voice channel for the conversation. The vehicle audio system is complying with the phone’s phantom request. Radio audio is lost as a result so that the conversation can take place via the car’s audio system. The problem is the customer has neither placed nor received a call, so radio audio is lost unexpectedly.

1. Confirm the issue and the cause: Take the Blackberry® phone into the car. Power on the vehicle and make sure the radio is on (music is playing). Wait a few minutes. Once the Bluetooth® connection is established between the phone and the car, you should lose the audio. You may see a Bluetooth® icon in the top right of the radio display screen. Now push any phone hang-up button in the car (on the overhead console, steering wheel, or center stack). If you hear a voice say “call ended”, then you know that the phone is causing the problem.
2. Let the customer know that the phone is causing the issue. Advise the customer to check for software updates and download the latest version of software to their phone.
3. Do a soft reboot on the customer’s phone.

• Remove the battery from the Blackberry® phone for at least 10 seconds.
• Reinstall the battery.

Verify that the problem has been eliminated.

Note: Inform the customer of the cell phone reset process since they may need to do it again sometime in the future.

Recommendation/Instructions for Condition #2

When using the Blackberry® phone the Bluetooth® function fails to connect, does not consistently connect or won’t connect to the vehicle even after the customer tries to force a connection from the phone.

1. Inspect the customer’s phone and verify that the General Motors vehicle is selected as a: Trusted Device to Always Connect.

   After the phone has been paired to the vehicle, verify the setting in the phone is correct by:

1. Displaying the phone’s: Bluetooth® menu.
2. Observing the: Device Properties of the General Motors vehicle that is paired.

Note: Selecting General Motors as a trusted Bluetooth® device enables the phone to allow the vehicle to automatically connect to the phone when the vehicle ignition is turned to ON/RUN or ACC/ACCESSORY.

1. Verify the item displayed is: Trusted: Yes.
1. To guarantee future customer satisfaction, advise the customer of the following phone pairing instructions (print a copy of this PI if necessary).
1. At the phone’s main menu press the: MENU key.
2. Select: Options.
3. Select: Bluetooth®.
4. Press the: MENU key.
5. Select: Add Device.
6. Select: Search for Devices.
7. Select: General Motors.
8. Enter the: PIN Code provided by the vehicle.
9. Press the: Trackball or Enter key to submit the code.

Note: You MUST perform the following steps:

1. Observe the: Prompt that states: Accept Connection Request from General Motors. Scroll to: Don’t ask this again. Press the trackball in order to insert a check mark in the box.
2. Select: Yes.
1. INFORM the customer that the connection process can take up to two minutes to complete after the ignition is turned to ON/RUN as indicated in the vehicle’s Owner Manual.

Recommendation/Instructions for Condition #3

Some customers may comment that they were successfully using Bluetooth® in their vehicle for days, weeks or even months at a time, but suddenly the phone no longer allows phone calls to be heard in the vehicle.

A typical scenario is when a call is being made or an incoming call is received, the Bluetooth® call is ringing in the vehicle but when the call is answered there is no audio. The customer has to transfer to the phone handset to listen to the call.

1. Remove the battery from the customer’s Blackberry® phone for at least 10 seconds.

Note: Inform the customer of the cell phone reset process since they may need to do it again sometime in the future.

1. Install the battery in order to reset the cell phone.
2. Verify that the condition has been corrected.

Recommendation/Instructions for Condition #4

The Blackberry® phone with Bluetooth® on will display an hourglass as if it was connecting to the Bluetooth® feature, but the customer cannot complete the connection to the Bluetooth® feature.

Set the Blackberry® phone Bluetooth® Options to the following:

• If the phone has a Contacts Transfer feature, “Contacts Transfer” should be set to: disabled.
• If the phone has an Address Book Transfer feature, “Address Book Transfer” should be set to: disabled.

Recommendation/Instructions for Condition #5

The customer receives a continuous request on the cell phone to connect to a device that is no longer shown on the phone, due to the pairing being deleted from the phone but not from the vehicle.

• This recommendation involves referring the customer to their vehicle’s Owner Manual — Bluetooth® section titled: Deleting a Paired Phone.
• Advise the customer that when a paired device is deleted from the cell phone it MUST also be deleted from the vehicle.

Recommendation/Instructions for Condition #6

• The Blackberry® phone using Bluetooth® will not complete a call when dialing a number from the phone or complete a call through the vehicle’s stored nametags in the voice recognition system.
• If the customer dials a number from the phone, dialing is not heard and the call will not be made.
• The customer may try to use a stored nametag in the vehicle system and the system may respond with: OK Dialing and then the call is ended and the vehicle system returns to the previous audio selection such as: AM/FM/XM/CD/AUX that was playing.

1. Remove the battery from the customer’s Blackberry® phone for at least 10 seconds.

Note: Inform the customer of the cell phone reset process since they may need to do it again sometime in the future.

1. Install the battery in order to reset the cell phone.
2. Verify that the condition has been corrected.

Recommendation/Instructions for Condition #7

Important: In this condition, if the customer uses the: Transfer Call vehicle feature while Private Call is displayed when a call IS NOT in progress, the previous audio selection may be lost and the display: Private Call will remain. If this occurs ADVISE the customer that they will have to press the vehicles: Phone Button to hear: Call Ended to clear this condition.

• With a Bluetooth® call with a Blackberry® phone, the customer ends the call by pressing the Blackberry® phone End Call button and the vehicle displays Private Call.
• The call has ended and the vehicle returns to the previous audio selection such as: AM/FM/XM/CD/AUX that was playing but the vehicle system continues to display: Private Call.
• The customer may notice that turning OFF the ignition and opening the door will clear the display.

1. Remove the battery from the customer’s Blackberry® phone for at least 10 seconds.

Note: Inform the customer of the cell phone reset process since they may need to do it again sometime in the future.

1. Install the battery in order to reset the cell phone.
2. Verify that the condition has been corrected.

Recommendation/Instructions for Condition #8

When using the Blackberry® phone, an incoming call may ring 2-3 times before the ring is heard in the vehicle. It may take multiple presses of the steering wheel controls to answer the call, or to make an outgoing call.

1. Access: Bluetooth® Setup Menu, on the phone.
2. Select: Full Menu.
3. Select: Options.
4. Ensure that: Contact Transfer is disabled.
5. Un-pair ALL previously paired devices.
6. Re-pair the phone to the vehicle.
7. Verify that the condition has been corrected.

GM bulletins are intended for use by professional technicians, NOT a "do-it-yourselfer".  They are written to inform these technicians of conditions that may occur on some vehicles, or to provide information that could assist in the proper service of a vehicle.  Properly trained technicians have the equipment, tools, safety instructions, and know-how to do a job properly and safely.  If a condition is described, DO NOT assume that the bulletin applies to your vehicle, or that your vehicle will have that condition.  See your GM dealer for information on whether your vehicle may benefit from the information.

Article ID: 106
Created: December 30, 2016
Last Updated: December 30, 2016
Author: Rob Loszewski

Online URL: https://www.xlr-net.com/knowledgebase/article/2009-cadillac-xlr-service-bulletin-pi0086e-unexpected-loss-of-radio-audio-radio-goes-silent-no-sound-and-other-blackberry-phone-bluetooth-issues-106.html