Bluetooth keeps connecting disconnecting

[Olaf]

I have Volvo V40 and when I step in my car with my bluetooth enabled already, I see on my Z3 Bluetooth connect sand then disconnect. This repeats all the time. When I then disable bluetooth, wait a while and enable bluetooth again, the problem is gone. I don't know for sure, but what I have see on my car's phone menu, although I get these disconnects on my phone , the disconnects are not noticed by my car. But again, I didn't look into that yet. Do you have similar problems?

[Olaf]

Thanks Rickard, I will contact my Volvo dealer and will ask them. I'll keep you posted.

[Olaf]

I have mailed this to Volvo and asked their opinion on this matter, with Android 4.4.4 or whether there is a firrmware update available.

[Olaf]

No replies from Volvo, yet, but I traced down the problem. I noticed that when I look in my car at the status of phone, the telephone icon stays up, so showing it is connected. And like I mentioned before, although my Z3 keeps saying that it is disconnecting and connecting all the time, I can make and receive calls. 

But when looking at the status of my phone connection, I say that Volvo displays the icon for the connection status for media, is also on the car disconnecting/connecting all the time. This happens when I am listening to radio, cd and so on. When I switched over to media, to stream music from my phone (via Spotify or whatever) via bluetooth, the disconnects/connects are gone. So it looks like when I am streaming from my phone, but listen to an other mode, like CD, the phone or car keeps on disconnecting/connecting in the background, causing this message.

Is this you can reproduce? My Xperia T didn't have this problem.

[Rickard]

It sounds like the unit in the car wants to disconnect the bluetooth connection for A2DP (used for music streaming) while keeping the HSF connection (used for calls) when you select another source but it seems is still shows support for A2DP as the phone tries to reconnect. If this is the case it doesn't sound like an issue with the phone. It should try to reconnect with a paired bluetooth device when it's in range.

I'm not able to test with a Volvo i'm afraid but i tested this with some other bluetooth devices that has other sources like a receiver and headsets with builtin FM-radio but it works fine there.

To stop the phone from trying to reconnect A2DP you can go to Settings -> Bluetooth -> [your car] and disable the option for Media audio but if then want to stream music from the phone you will need to enable this again.

[Olaf]

Thanks again, Rickard. I don't mind now, it is annoying, but at least I have tracked down the problem and have a workaround. That is not to disable media in my bluetooth settings, but to switch once to media in my car once, so it connects via A2DP to my phone and so the annoying disconnect/connect messages are gone and then go back to radio or cd when I don't want to stream.

Also this is maybe helpfull for other users.

[Rickard]

Thanks for the information about the workaround you found.

In case you get a response from Volvo regarding this i'm also interested in what they say.

[Olaf]

Volvo replied with quite a default answer:

Compatibility for your type of phone can be find here:

support.volvocars.com/nl/bluetooth/Pages/bluetooth1.aspx#phonelist

If it is not on the list, full compatiblity cannot be guaranteed.

[benbbaker]

Hello. I seem to be having a similar issue connecting to my volkswagen Bluetooth media system. The system links to my phone but then disconnects shortly after. This cycle did repeat until I turned off automatic connection from my car device. I have tried a factory reset which corrected the problem for about two weeks and tried stopping the media connection a suggested above, but this did not work. It's affecting the usability of my phone, has a permanent fix been found for this yet? I do not want to reset my phone every couple of weeks.
A Google search into the issue reveals that there might be an inbuilt limit on the number of Bluetooth devices the phone can discover before there are problems. Do Sony have a way to amend this?
Thanks for any help you can offer

[dontlikexperia]

I have the same problem.   You must be new,  or in denial. I had a Z1s that had all these same problems,  disconnecting/maybe reconnecting,  won't stream music in the car,  troubleshoot to no end.  Then discovered the many many people online with the same problems.  Sony always tries to blame the car,  or the user. You also seem to frequently ask about the Wifi, because you know the wifi makes the problem worse. 

Now,  I was foolish enough to assume that Sony actually listens to feedback and improves products.  I thought Sony would have fixed their bluetooth problems by two models later.   Boy was I dumb.   I have a new Z3, and the same old garbage,  connected,  disconnected,  connected,  disconnected. 

Anyone who's considering this phone should just Google,  "Z3 bluetooth problems, " it's an eye opening experience.  Perhaps someone at Sony should too. 

I tried to return the phone,  but it's been more than 14 days,  so all I can get is a "warranty return" which would just give me another of the same phones with the same defective software,  so what,  really,  can  I do?   Organize a class action suit? 

SONY,  ARE YOU LISTENING? 

[stockyvillage]

@Olaf go to google playstore and install Bluetooth Phonebook V.1.8 you can have the trial version to test it.If it works for you the paid version does not cost much.I use it on my Insignia and my brother uses it on his S80