MichaelWR90

So, the TLX, ILX, RDX, and I believe the MDX all have Siri Hands Free... but why not include this on their most expensive model vehicle? I'm hoping they just didn't add it to their 'feature' list and it actually does come with full Siri support.

Can anyone confirm or deny this?

Thanks!

Colin

I couldn't confirm or deny, but it seems like the RLX headunit is functionally different from the more mainstream TLX/MDX unit. It never got the last update even if it looks (outwardly) the same. If it makes you feel any better, SiriEyesFree was available as a dealer installed software upgrade for 13-14 ILX and RDX, but NOT available for 2015 in either model. No idea why...

George Knighton

If that's true, it's really too bad. SIRI is very useful when you're moving.

Colin

^^ I use it all the time. You can still perform the workaround. If on the BT audio input, press and hold the [home] button on the phone to activate Siri and you'll hear and give prompts through the car system.

neuronbob

Nice tip!

Colin

^^ of course the advantage to the Siri upgrade is that the software handles the input switch. If you were listening to the radio, it changes momentarily to the BT input to perform the Siri function, and returns to FM when done.

woropallo

If you connect it to a power source you do not have to hold the button, you can just put it in your cup holder and say "Hey Sir call XXX" if their are multiple number it will ask you mobile or office. You can also say Hey Siri and ask the whether in a particular place, restruants that are near by, the time, etc. it all goes through the car speaker system. Essential it the same as using SIRI when you hold the button down just hand free. But you have to have it connected to a power source to use Hey Siri.

Colin

^^Good point. I believe you'd still have to be on the BT Audio input for it to work through the car though.

George Knighton

Yup! Very useful! :-)

woropallo

All you need is to have your phone paired. I plug my into an adapter in the 12v because I use my iPod in the other usb connector for my music. When I am done with a call it just back to what ever I was previous using on the system. I like it because I can speak normally as oppose to saying dial by number or name, pressing the speak again to tell it to dial or give the number for either mobile or office, etc. to many commands versus my iPhone which I just say Hey Siri call xXX.

MichaelWR90

I currently drive a 2013 Touring Accord.. Siri with just bluetooth sucks a big one.. It forces me to go into "Call" mode and it has a huge delay on everything.

I'm switching into an RLX later this year and was hoping that it supported Siri 100%. I'll go check the dealer this week .

woropallo

I have a 2015 RLX and it works fine with my car.

George Knighton

Except you have to shout if the iPhone is inside the arm rest. :-)

After SIRI comes on, you're fine because you're using the overhead instead of the iPhone.

woropallo

I just run the cord out of the front of the arm rest into the cup holder. There is another thread where someone took pictures on how to do it.

Colin

I believe he's referring to using the car's built in [talk] button on the steering wheel. This does not work with the RLX.

Does the Touring Accord have SiriEyesFree built in? On our '15 Fit EX it works great. IMO, there is always a delay with Siri anyway.

MichaelWR90

Unfortunately, no . When I accidentally wake Siri up through my phone, the car shows my phones caller ID and basically enabled "Phone" mode.

Colin

^^ I believe you have stumbled onto the 'hack' I was referring to. It's certainly not an advertised feature. I show all my clients this, but advise them that software updates could make it go away, and there is no support for the 'feature'.

Using "hey siri" is an addition to the iPhone feature set that came after I learned that you could work around the system by using the [home] button.

fsmith

Help! I have been trying to make this work since George first mentioned doing it. My phone is paired and works normally over Bluetooth. I make and receive calls through the HandsFreeLink system. If I change the car's source to Bluetooth, music streams from my phone to the car's audio system. But if I use Siri while the car's source is set to Bluetooth, she speaks only through the phone, not the car's speaker, even if I manually change the phone's output to HandsFreeLink (it changes automatically for phone calls and music). She never talks through the car's speaker. I have an iPhone 5S running iOS 8. Can anyone suggest what I may be doing wrong (or misunderstanding)?

woropallo

I have an iphone 4s with iOS 8.3. I do not use my phone for music I have an iPod connected to the USB port that I use for music so I am not using BT for streaming music. Try not selecting BT for music from your iphone, select a radio station as an experiment, connect your paired iphone to the 12v power source and said hey SIRI to see if that works. Good luck.

blacktsxwagon

This is a dealer installed software update for the 2013 (and maybe 14?) accord. Whether the dealer charges you or not is up to them:

Honda Introducing Dealer-Installed Siri Eyes Free Integration ? News ? Car and Driver | Car and Driver Blog

fsmith

Thanks. I have tried all of these, including using my older iPhone 4S (which I, like you, usually keep connected to the USB port for music only) synced up to Bluetooth. Nothing seems to work; Siri always wants to talk to me through the phone, as if she is embarrassed to be heard by others. It's weird, because others have made this work. Must be a setting somewhere, but I will be damned if I can find it.

2012wagon

My Iphone 6 plus doesn't let me use siri even with Bluetooth selected.

However, I will try today, plugging it in the USB and doing it that way, to see if it work.s

Of course, mine is on a TSX, and not a RLX, but I wanted to try it to see if it works.

woropallo

Do you have the latest iOS installed on your iPhone. Also, if you have an adapter trying using the 12v next to the USB to see if it works. I see you have an SH, the same as George and his seems to work from what I read on his post. Though it should not make difference between the RLX PAWS and SH, maybe George can shed some light on his settings. Just curious do you have your setting so it can read your messages to you? If not turn that on.

woropallo

I saw this in another post and have to ask a stupid question did you turn Hey Siri on in your iPhone general setting?


Go to the settings>General>Siri on your iphone under Siri, toggle the button to Allow "Hey Siri". It will read "you can speak to Siri without pressing the home button by saying Hey Siri when connected to power." Once the toggle is on the "ON" position (green) plug into your vehicle. Ensure your phone is connected to the car also via bluetooth. If you are driving and you scream "Hey Siri" It will pick it up via the car's mic and prompt Siri on your phone. You once it does this your car's stereo will go into phone mode and you can speak your siri commands and hear siri responses through the vehicles speaker. I hope this helps.

fsmith

Yup, I've tried the phone alone; plugged into the 12V; and plugged into the USB. I've tried it with the handsfree "Hey Siri" and with just pressing the Home button. And I do have it set to read my messages, which works fine, although I can't send replies, which seems to be a known iOS problem. My iOS version is current. It's crazy that it works for some people but not others. Magic?

Colin

^^ You have the car set to read messages? Try disabling that. I've found that it gets 'confused' because it cannot reply.

fsmith

Now that is something I haven't tried! Will do.

Colin

The only other thing I can think of to try is to make sure the Siri works when the screen is locked.

George Knighton

I suspect from the release notes that iOS 8.2 might very well solve your problem.

One of the bugs it fixes has to do with rare cases that SIRI would not play over Bluetooth even when the iPhone is clearly solidly connected.

fsmith

Thanks, Colin. I tried disabling messages and no go. And Siri works fine on the phone. It's not a big deal for me as I likely wouldn't use it much; I just didn't like the idea of not being able to make it work!

fsmith

Thanks, George. I figure that it has to be a bug in the phone, since while all the cars are likely the same, everybody's phone is going to be different depending upon what apps are loaded and running. But I'm curious where you are getting your information; I can't find a Siri bug in the log of 8.2 changes.

George Knighton

I'm not sure where you looked, but there are a couple of Bluetooth changes.

This was published at BGR yesterday:

iOS 8.2 release is scheduled, change log and release notes here | BGR

Now, I'm guessing, I confess, when I say that there might be some hope for relief in 8.2 for people experiencing your problem.

But I think you can see how it would be logical for me to hope that.

:-)

fsmith

Ha. I saw that list of changes, but I didn't have the imagination to put the two Siri Eyes Free/BT Calling items together into a formulation that related to my problem. Logical to hope, but not definitive, IMHO. I will go with you and assume the best, then wait a week after the update is released (or the release of 8.2.1) to check for unintended bad consequences. Then I'll update and we'll see. Thanks for keeping an eye on this. If it works you will get the "Hope" award for this election cycle.

:-)

Colin

The last thing I can think of would be to unpair the phone with the car, delete it (in the RLX) and then re-pair. This can often resolve many BT issues. Don't forget to delete "handsfreelink" from the phone as well.

fsmith

Tried deleting phone and re-pairing. No help. Thanks for all your suggestions. I think it's the phone. Maybe the next iOS version will help. Otherwise have to reinstall the OS. I don't think it would be worth the trouble. But as I'm typing I thought of another thing to try. I'll pair my wife's iPhone to the RLX and try Siri. Probably will mess up her TL pairing, but worth a try to confirm it's my phone that's the problem.

Colin

It is a good troubleshooting step. It won't mess up hers except for the extra "handsfreelink" paired device in the phone. Not to worry, the iPhone can pair with well over a dozen before it asks to delete one.

I wish you could rename the paired devices, it's hard to tell them apart and I pair with 'strange cars' on most test drives. When I have to clean them out, it's hard to tell which are my car and my wife's car.

Colin

I just tried a 2015 RLX Advance. Paired my phone (iPhone 5S) with the car and pressed the [Home] button to activate Siri. She immediately played through the car's speakers and the display showed that I was 'in a call' while Siri was active. I'm running 8.1.3 but this has always worked for me as far back as my 4S and iOS 6.