(More) Bluetooth issues

[AMartinD]

Hello all, I hope the collective wisdom of the group can help me identify and resolve the problems I'm currently having with the
Bluetooth in my Superb II 170CR TDi Estate in Elegance trim, first registered March 2011.  I've owned the car since new; it's
factory-fitted with the Columbus radio/navigation system and the (Novero) Bluetooth module under the driver's seat is labelled 5N0 035
730 D.
 

Until about 4 weeks ago the SKODA_BT and my iPhone 5S seemed to co-operate quite happily, at least as far as making and receiving
phonecalls were concerned (which is all I need).  Then, one day I found that the phone appeared to be not pairing with the car; I
initially thought that this might have been caused by an iOS updgrade (to 9.3.3) on the iPhone that I believe happened on or around
the same day that the pairing stopped working but the pairing still isn't working after a subsequent iOS upgrade to 9.3.4. 
Furthermore, I've just  tried to pair an old iPhone 4S (running iOS 6.1.6) that I successfully used in the car until a couple of years
ago and that's also refusing to pair with the car.
 

When I try to pair either of the iPhones with the car, the phone search menu option on the Maxi-Dot display (selected using the
multi-function scroll-wheel on the steering-wheel) finds the iPhone and when I select the phone the Maxi-Dot display shows the 16-
digit password and asks for it to be entered on the phone.  The phone brings up the appropriate keypad display but when I enter the
password (eg. 1111222233334444) on the phone and then instruct it to pair, nothing happens - the Maxi-Dot display just sits there with
the 'Cancel' option selected but pushing or holding-down the multi-function scroll-wheel has no effect.  The system just seems to
hang, although I can eventually get the Maxi-Dot display to revert to displaying either the menu or the MFD data by holding the
'return' button on the steering-wheel down for several seconds.  I've tried waiting over a minute or two for the car to finish doing
the pairing; sometimes nothing at all happens but sometimes a message along the lines of 'No compatible mobile phone found' pops up on
the Maxi-Dot display and it returns to the phone menu options.
 

I've tried telling the iPhones to forget the SKODA_BT device and then starting the pairing process again, to no avail, and I've also
tried resetting the iPhones' network configurations again without success.  I've also tried going into the Columbus setup menu and
selecting the Telephone option then doing a 'Restore Factory Settings' but that hasn't helped either.
 

I've tried pulling the plug out of the side of the Bluetooth module under the driver's seat and waiting for several seconds before
reconnecting it, in the hope that completely disconnecting the module might force a reset, but that hasn't helped.
 

In short, I'm getting quite frustrated by my inability to get the car's Bluetooth and the iPhones to communicate even though they were
doing so quite happily until a few weeks ago - something must have changed but I don't know what!
 

The car will be going into the local main dealer (Blade Skoda in Gloucester) sometime fairly soon to get the engine management
firmware updated for the NOx emissions fix so while the car's there I can ask them to take a look at the Bluetooth using VCDS or
whatever they use and see if they can shed any light on why the SKODA_BT and the iPhones are now refusing to communicate correctly.  
However, in the meantime I'll welcome any suggestions that anyone might have about the cause of the pairing problem and how to get
round it.
 

Thanks in advance,
 

--
Martin

[Mrshak]

Hi

I was under the impressions that the Skoda superb Bluetooth system isn't compatible with iPhones as they use a different type of Bluetooth. I've had my Skoda superb 2009 for a few days now, mine finds my phone but when I try to connect it says that the phone is not compatible. So I have now purchased a modual of Ebay from a VW Passat. The seller stated that it works with iPhones.

I should get in a few days, I'll keep you updated.

[Mrshak]

Ive just realised that the modual I ordered is the same one that you mentioned so maybe whoever had the car before you must have changed it.

Only thing I can suggest is to disconnect the modual over night, reconnect it an see how you get on with that.

Hello all, I hope the collective wisdom of the group can help me identify and resolve the problems I'm currently having with the

Bluetooth in my Superb II 170CR TDi Estate in Elegance trim, first registered March 2011. I've owned the car since new; it's

factory-fitted with the Columbus radio/navigation system and the (Novero) Bluetooth module under the driver's seat is labelled 5N0 035

730 D.

Until about 4 weeks ago the SKODA_BT and my iPhone 5S seemed to co-operate quite happily, at least as far as making and receiving

phonecalls were concerned (which is all I need). Then, one day I found that the phone appeared to be not pairing with the car; I

initially thought that this might have been caused by an iOS updgrade (to 9.3.3) on the iPhone that I believe happened on or around

the same day that the pairing stopped working but the pairing still isn't working after a subsequent iOS upgrade to 9.3.4.

Furthermore, I've just tried to pair an old iPhone 4S (running iOS 6.1.6) that I successfully used in the car until a couple of years

ago and that's also refusing to pair with the car.

When I try to pair either of the iPhones with the car, the phone search menu option on the Maxi-Dot display (selected using the

multi-function scroll-wheel on the steering-wheel) finds the iPhone and when I select the phone the Maxi-Dot display shows the 16-

digit password and asks for it to be entered on the phone. The phone brings up the appropriate keypad display but when I enter the

password (eg. 1111222233334444) on the phone and then instruct it to pair, nothing happens - the Maxi-Dot display just sits there with

the 'Cancel' option selected but pushing or holding-down the multi-function scroll-wheel has no effect. The system just seems to

hang, although I can eventually get the Maxi-Dot display to revert to displaying either the menu or the MFD data by holding the

'return' button on the steering-wheel down for several seconds. I've tried waiting over a minute or two for the car to finish doing

the pairing; sometimes nothing at all happens but sometimes a message along the lines of 'No compatible mobile phone found' pops up on

the Maxi-Dot display and it returns to the phone menu options.

I've tried telling the iPhones to forget the SKODA_BT device and then starting the pairing process again, to no avail, and I've also

tried resetting the iPhones' network configurations again without success. I've also tried going into the Columbus setup menu and

selecting the Telephone option then doing a 'Restore Factory Settings' but that hasn't helped either.

I've tried pulling the plug out of the side of the Bluetooth module under the driver's seat and waiting for several seconds before

reconnecting it, in the hope that completely disconnecting the module might force a reset, but that hasn't helped.

In short, I'm getting quite frustrated by my inability to get the car's Bluetooth and the iPhones to communicate even though they were

doing so quite happily until a few weeks ago - something must have changed but I don't know what!

The car will be going into the local main dealer (Blade Skoda in Gloucester) sometime fairly soon to get the engine management

firmware updated for the NOx emissions fix so while the car's there I can ask them to take a look at the Bluetooth using VCDS or

whatever they use and see if they can shed any light on why the SKODA_BT and the iPhones are now refusing to communicate correctly.

However, in the meantime I'll welcome any suggestions that anyone might have about the cause of the pairing problem and how to get

round it.

Thanks in advance,

--

Martin

[Mrshak]

Ive just realised that the modual I ordered is the same one that you mentioned so maybe whoever had the car before you must have changed it.

Only thing I can suggest is to disconnect the modual over night, reconnect it an see how you get on with that.

[terrytowelling]

Bluetooth is bluetooth , if it's a different type it's not bluetooth. It'll be the apple phone, try an android phone and see if that connects

[Nathanio]

Bluetooth is bluetooth , if it's a different type it's not bluetooth. It'll be the apple phone, try an android phone and see if that connects

There are different profiles of modules. HFP (Hands Free Profile) and rSAP (remote Sim Access Profile). Apple iPhones and not all android support rSAP. Pain they don't.

Early modules where rSAP only and so an iPhone won't connect.

Least with a droid you could install software to do the rSAP bit

[Phil-E]

Your module 5N0 035 730 D supports HFP (Hands Free Protocol) which is supported by iPhone (confirmed by it previously working) so the issue is not with the compatibility of the phone and module as discussed above.

 

My guess is that the module is perhaps trying to connect in RSAP mode (not supported by iPhone). Can you access a menu on the Bluetooth to change the connection method?

[AMartinD]

Your module 5N0 035 730 D supports HFP (Hands Free Protocol) which is supported by iPhone (confirmed by it previously working) so the issue is not with the compatibility of the phone and module as discussed above.

 

My guess is that the module is perhaps trying to connect in RSAP mode (not supported by iPhone). Can you access a menu on the Bluetooth to change the connection method?

 

Hi Phil, thanks for the suggestion - at least you'd read and understood all the details in my original posting...  :-)

 

I haven't been able to find any menu options on either the car or the phone to select the Bluetooth connection mode - the iPhones simply have Bluetooth on/off and as far as I can tell there are no Bluetooth-related options anywhere in the car's menu system(s).

 

I've just tried to pair an old Nokia phone, which appears to have Bluetooth, with the car but this hasn't succeeded any better than the iPhones, but in my further fiddling around I've come across some oddities in the car's systems...

 

When I go to the Setup > Telephone menu option in the Columbus I usually get a screen that has a single option - 'Restore Factory Settings' - that's shown in the upper part of the Columbus screen .  When I touch this, it brings up another prompt along the lines of 'Do you really want to restore the factory settings? Yes/No' - when I touch on 'Yes' there's a brief pause and then often as not the message 'Factory settings not reloaded' appears, which is disappointing...

 

Very occasionally, when I try to restore the factory settings I get a 'Factory settings reloaded' message, which is what I'd expect to happen every time.

 

On a very few occasions, when I go to the Columbus Setup > Telephone menu, the 'Restore Factory Settings' option appears at the bottom of the Columbus screen and there are other menu options above it but these are greyed-out - from memory I think they relate to clearing the call register, etc.

 

So, given the fact that the iPhones used to pair successfully with the SKODA_BT in the car but no longer do so, and another make/model of phone also won't pair (the Nokia doesn't even get detected by the phone search), I'm beginning to suspect that there's something considerably amiss with either the Bluetooth module and/or the Columbus system that's preventing the Bluetooth working correctly.

 

Anyone got any further suggestions about other things to try before I take the car to somewhere (other than the main dealer) that's got VCDS so that I can see if that flags up any issues with the Bluetooth module?

 

Thanks again,

 

--

Martin

[WaveyDavey]

I've only ever deleted phones and added new phones via the maxidot and never via the columbus. Have you tried it that way instead?

 

 

Also worth noting that i think the car's BT is only visible for a short time after the ignition is turned on. I couldn't get the phone to connect when i first got my car but i had been too long before trying to pair and the sales guy showed my if i did it straight away it paired without any issues. (That was originally with an iPhone 5 but now i have an iPhone 6S).

[AMartinD]

I've only ever deleted phones and added new phones via the maxidot and never via the columbus. Have you tried it that way instead?

 

 

Also worth noting that i think the car's BT is only visible for a short time after the ignition is turned on. I couldn't get the phone to connect when i first got my car but i had been too long before trying to pair and the sales guy showed my if i did it straight away it paired without any issues. (That was originally with an iPhone 5 but now i have an iPhone 6S).

 

Hi Davey, thanks for the response.

 

Re: doing the pairing, I should have made it more clear that I do initiate the phone search from the MaxiDot and not from the Columbus.  All I'm doing via the latter is using the Setup > Telephone menu option to try to restore the car's phone system to factory settings but as I explained this doesn't work most of the time - I usually just get the 'Factory settings not reloaded [OK]' message but occasionally the message 'Factory settings reloaded [OK]' does appear.

 

When I turn the ignition on and press the 'phone' button on the RHS of the steering-wheel all I usually see on the MaxiDot is 'Initialising phone...'.  Then, eventually the MaxiDot reverts to the phone menu options ' Help', 'Phone search', 'Media', etc.  When I initiate a phone search, most of the time nothing happens even though Bluetooth is enabled on the phone handset.  It's all very frustrating and annoying, especially because until about 4 weeks ago my iPhone(s) used to pair quite happily with the SKODA_BT but now they're refusing point-blank to co-operate with each other!

 

--

Martin

Edited 31 August, 2016 by AMartinD

[jafo]

I'm not in the car right now but when you go to phone options - in the MaxiDot - there is Bluetooth option - where you can select mentioned HFP or rSAP mode.

[AMartinD]

I'm not in the car right now but when you go to phone options - in the MaxiDot - there is Bluetooth option - where you can select mentioned HFP or rSAP mode.

 

Thanks jafo, I don't remember ever having seen such an option but I'll take a closer look at all the MaxiDot menu options tomorrow.

 

--

Martin

[jafo]

Thanks jafo, I don't remember ever having seen such an option but I'll take a closer look at all the MaxiDot menu options tomorrow.

http://ws.skoda-auto.com/OwnersManualService/Data/en/Superb_3T/11-2013/Manual/Superb/B6_Superb_OwnersManual.pdf

From page 110

Edited 31 August, 2016 by jafo

[WaveyDavey]

http://ws.skoda-auto.com/OwnersManualService/Data/en/Superb_3T/11-2013/Manual/Superb/B6_Superb_OwnersManual.pdf

From page 110

 

The OP's car is a pre-FL 2011 car though so is this something that was added in later years on later BT modules as i also have never seen this option and mine is a MY11 car...... The manual you have linked to above is for the FL car rather than  pre-FL but i'm still struggling to see where it mentions an option to select HFP or rSAP on the maxidot..... 

 

Although could this just be something which is only displayed when you are using a phone that can use both protocols..... e.g. an Android phone? 

Edited 1 September, 2016 by WaveyDavey

[TheRobinK]

The OP's car is a pre-FL 2011 car though so is this something that was added in later years on later BT modules as i also have never seen this option and mine is a MY11 car...... The manual you have linked to above is for the FL car rather than  pre-FL but i'm still struggling to see where it mentions an option to select HFP or rSAP on the maxidot..... 

 

Although could this just be something which is only displayed when you are using a phone that can use both protocols..... e.g. an Android phone? 

 

I didn't get the option on my car (2014, FL, Columbus and Bluetooth) when i connected my Windows Phone (Lumia 920). I did get it when i had a colleague connect their Samsung (an S6 I think).

 

So - I think you a right when you say "could this just be something which is only displayed when you are using a phone that can use both protocols" - I know the Microsoft Phone OS does not support rSAP whereas I hear the S6 does.

Edited 1 September, 2016 by TheRobinK

[AMartinD]

http://ws.skoda-auto.com/OwnersManualService/Data/en/Superb_3T/11-2013/Manual/Superb/B6_Superb_OwnersManual.pdf

From page 110

 

Thanks for the link to the Owner's Manual, which appears to be a later version that the one I have - on the back of my manual there's the legend 'Superb anglicky 05.10' which I assume means it's the English version dated May 2010 which fits with my car being first registered in (late) March 2011.  Your manual shows 11.2013 on the back cover.

 

In my car, the Phone option in the MaxiDot main menu only offers four sub-menu options - Help, Phone search, Media player and SOS so there's no way to select HFP or rSAP as the Bluetooth mode.  The 'Phone search' option is presumably what became the 'New user' option in later models, as described in your manual.

 

According to my manual, once a phone is paired with the in-car BT (mine appears on the phone as SKODA_BT) then there are several other menu options available on the MaxiDot display - Phone book, Call register, etc etc - including a Bluetooth one that can show the stored users, search for new users, etc etc.  I've used some of these in the past when my iPhone was pairing with the car's BT, however...

 

The problem I currently have is that I cannot get a phone to pair with the car's BT so I can't access the Bluetooth sub-menu option.

 

I'm increasingly beginning to suspect that my Bluetooth module might be the cause of the problem.  Although I get odd results when I try to do phone-related actions on the main Columbus display, such as getting the 'Factory settings not reloaded' message, I also see strange things happening on the MaxiDot display - for example, if I press the Phone button on the multi-function steering-wheel the MaxiDot display immediately shows the message 'Initialising phone...' even though a phone hasn't been successfully paired.

 

Anyone know what Skoda UK charge for a replacement BT module?

 

--

Martin

[Rustynuts]

Buy one off Ebay and fit it yourself if that's what the problem is. But a scan with VCDS might point you to a different problem.

[WaveyDavey]

Thanks for the link to the Owner's Manual, which appears to be a later version that the one I have - on the back of my manual there's the legend 'Superb anglicky 05.10' which I assume means it's the English version dated May 2010 which fits with my car being first registered in (late) March 2011.  Your manual shows 11.2013 on the back cover.

 

In my car, the Phone option in the MaxiDot main menu only offers four sub-menu options - Help, Phone search, Media player and SOS so there's no way to select HFP or rSAP as the Bluetooth mode.  The 'Phone search' option is presumably what became the 'New user' option in later models, as described in your manual.

 

According to my manual, once a phone is paired with the in-car BT (mine appears on the phone as SKODA_BT) then there are several other menu options available on the MaxiDot display - Phone book, Call register, etc etc - including a Bluetooth one that can show the stored users, search for new users, etc etc.  I've used some of these in the past when my iPhone was pairing with the car's BT, however...

 

The problem I currently have is that I cannot get a phone to pair with the car's BT so I can't access the Bluetooth sub-menu option.

 

I'm increasingly beginning to suspect that my Bluetooth module might be the cause of the problem.  Although I get odd results when I try to do phone-related actions on the main Columbus display, such as getting the 'Factory settings not reloaded' message, I also see strange things happening on the MaxiDot display - for example, if I press the Phone button on the multi-function steering-wheel the MaxiDot display immediately shows the message 'Initialising phone...' even though a phone hasn't been successfully paired.

 

Anyone know what Skoda UK charge for a replacement BT module?

 

--

Martin

 

 

I'd be inclined to find a member with VCDS who is local to you and arrange for them to scan for any fault codes or issues with your BT unit before looking into replacing anything.

 

As Rustynuts says it will be a lot cheaper to buy a BT unit of the correct type yourself and then unpluf the old one and replace it with the new one as and when you get to that stage.

 

 

Back to the issue in hand..... Have you tried deleting all the existing phones in the cars memory? I think you can have a maximum of three different phones saved and I'm wondering if something has messed up somewhere and the memory is full so it won't let you add another.... Even though it isn't a new phone as such.... I did this myself when i first bought my car so as to remove the previous owners phone etc... And I'm sure I did this via the maxidot. Once you've done that try pairing the phone again but bear in mind the thing with a possible time limit before the car isn't visible etc.... So do the pairing just after turning on the ignition etc....

 

Might be worth a try whilst you look into finding a member with VCDS.

[fofos]

Thanks for the link to the Owner's Manual, which appears to be a later version that the one I have - on the back of my manual there's the legend 'Superb anglicky 05.10' which I assume means it's the English version dated May 2010 which fits with my car being first registered in (late) March 2011.  Your manual shows 11.2013 on the back cover.

 

In my car, the Phone option in the MaxiDot main menu only offers four sub-menu options - Help, Phone search, Media player and SOS so there's no way to select HFP or rSAP as the Bluetooth mode.  The 'Phone search' option is presumably what became the 'New user' option in later models, as described in your manual.

 

According to my manual, once a phone is paired with the in-car BT (mine appears on the phone as SKODA_BT) then there are several other menu options available on the MaxiDot display - Phone book, Call register, etc etc - including a Bluetooth one that can show the stored users, search for new users, etc etc.  I've used some of these in the past when my iPhone was pairing with the car's BT, however...

 

The problem I currently have is that I cannot get a phone to pair with the car's BT so I can't access the Bluetooth sub-menu option.

 

I'm increasingly beginning to suspect that my Bluetooth module might be the cause of the problem.  Although I get odd results when I try to do phone-related actions on the main Columbus display, such as getting the 'Factory settings not reloaded' message, I also see strange things happening on the MaxiDot display - for example, if I press the Phone button on the multi-function steering-wheel the MaxiDot display immediately shows the message 'Initialising phone...' even though a phone hasn't been successfully paired.

 

Anyone know what Skoda UK charge for a replacement BT module?

 

--

Martin

My Bluetooth module went kaput, a Skoda dealer quoted me (I hope your sitting down) £926.34p. If you buy a brand new one it will need coding by a dealer. My local Skoda dealer charged me £ 90.00 to code it.

[AMartinD]

I'd be inclined to find a member with VCDS who is local to you and arrange for them to scan for any fault codes or issues with your BT unit before looking into replacing anything.

 

As Rustynuts says it will be a lot cheaper to buy a BT unit of the correct type yourself and then unpluf the old one and replace it with the new one as and when you get to that stage.

 

 

Back to the issue in hand..... Have you tried deleting all the existing phones in the cars memory? I think you can have a maximum of three different phones saved and I'm wondering if something has messed up somewhere and the memory is full so it won't let you add another.... Even though it isn't a new phone as such.... I did this myself when i first bought my car so as to remove the previous owners phone etc... And I'm sure I did this via the maxidot. Once you've done that try pairing the phone again but bear in mind the thing with a possible time limit before the car isn't visible etc.... So do the pairing just after turning on the ignition etc....

 

Might be worth a try whilst you look into finding a member with VCDS.

 

Hello Davey, thanks again for the suggestions.

 

I haven't found a way of deleting any existing phone pairings without having a phone that's successfully paired with the car's BT; according to my manual there's a sub-sub-menu option to check existing devices somewhere down in the Phone menu tree - under the Bluetooth heading I think - but I can't get to that option without having a phone that's successfully paired, which I ain't got...  :-(

 

I'm going try to pair my iPhone 5S (which has just had yet another iOS update) with the BT in a friend's Yeti that's a couple of years younger than my Superb to see what happens, and I also want to try pairing the same friend's Galaxy Android phone with my BT to see if that works.  Hopefully those tests will give an indication of whether or not it's the BT module in my car that's U/S, and I'll also try to get some VCDS testing done - there's an independent VAG specialist nearby and I know them pretty well so I might pop in there and ask then to plug their laptop in and see what comes up.

 

--

Martin

[AMartinD]

My Bluetooth module went kaput, a Skoda dealer quoted me (I hope your sitting down) £926.34p. If you buy a brand new one it will need coding by a dealer. My local Skoda dealer charged me £ 90.00 to code it.

 

 

Hello fofos, that's rather unwelcome news, even though I've got an extended warranty on my car that (I believe! - I'll have to check!) covers the comms and navigation systems in the car.  I hope I can manage to get the BT working again without having to resort to claiming from the warranty company - I suspect they're beginning to not like me for various reasons...  :-)

 

--

Martin

[Nathanio]

A new module on eBay with rSAP andHFP and WiFi hotspot is less than £200. Local briskoda member will help to code.

[fofos]

A new module on eBay with rSAP andHFP and WiFi hotspot is less than £200. Local briskoda member will help to code.

Martin asked the question, what do Skoda UK charge for a replacement module and i told him £926 34p as that is what Skoda quoted me, he never mentioned eBay  I bought my new one off eBay and got my local skoda dealer to code it.

[terrytowelling]

Just use a bt earpiece , £10

[AMartinD]

A new module on eBay with rSAP andHFP and WiFi hotspot is less than £200. Local briskoda member will help to code.

 

A link to such a module on eBay would be helpful...  :-)

 

--

Martin