acuranewb

Got the car, now I need a bluetooth phone. I plan on using Verizon Wireless, and the LG VX5300 appears to be their least expensive bluetooth phone. Anyone using this phone and, if so, how is it working with your TL?

Thanks!

lembowski

iTrader: (1)

I'd atleast spend the extra $20 and get the LG VX8300. Not a fan of LG, but the 8300 seems like a nice phone.

acuranewb

Still looking for anyone who has successfully used this phone (LG VX5300)
with their TL. It's "currently testing" at Acura's website, but I'd like to get it asap. P.S., not interested in the 8300 or any other all digital phone.

Thanks.

McLardAss

Coincedence.. Just bought a VX5300 from Verizon as I needed a stripped down phone to replace my Moto A630 PoS. Yes, it works with HandsFree. My '05 TL didn't want to find it in discovery mode for some reason and I had experienced this same problem with various Moto's. Eventually, though, I was able to get it to sync. Dash display shows both battery and signal strength (which is a nice change from my previous phones which only showed signal).

Hope this helps,
McL

PS I skipped the 8300 becuase I don't think watching movie trailers justifies the extra $15 a month to Verizon..

acuranewb

That helps a lot. Thanks!

acuranewb

Just to confirm what you said, I got my VX5300 today and had handsfree up and running in about 2 minutes. I had no problems at all (which is remarkable, because I've never used Bluetooth anything before). The dash signal and battetry life display is a nice touch too. FYI, this is on a brand new 2006 TL.

Thanks again for your input.

McLardAss

Glad to hear it's working. Unsure if my problems were related to my TL being an '05 or the fact that I had already sync's multiple phones over the last year.

NOX 3.2

I bought a Verizon Chocolate, 2 RAZR v3m and one VX 5300 for my kids,
they ALL work with my 2004 TL Bluetooth,
they ALL show battery and signal meters on the dashboard.

no problem synchronizing at all...

the 5300 sounds pretty good inside the car, amazing device for $0.01 (minus $50 rebate + free shipping + no tax) in Amazon!

recommended.

rjcrum

Hi,

For those of you that have the VX5300 working with your TL, does the "call waiting" feature work? That's important to me, and I noticed that it doesn't work with the LG VX8300 or the RAZR (two other phones I was considering).

Any experience with the VX5300 and call waiting???

Thanks,
Bob

EMF213

I just got the VX8300 yesterday and paired it last night to my 04 TL. So far, so good...great phone and the pairing was a breeze! I'm a little concerned about the call waiting thing though and would like to hear reponses as well.

rjcrum

Bump.

Any word on if call waiting works with the LG VX8300???

Bob

K. Booth

The Acura site just updated the results on ther vx5300 today.

http://www.acura.com/TLP/tlp_x001.html

According to them, all (2004 TL) HFL functions work, including call waiting !!

I've had really great experiences with LG phones and would not hesitate to buy another.

No other word on the call waiting on the vx8300 yet.

Maybe the upcoming vx8600 will have it !!

rjcrum

Thanks for letting me know! It appears that it is one of the very few phones where EVERYTHING that they test works.

As Little Bo Peep said in Toy Story...."I found *my* movin' buddy!"

Off to buy it.

Bob

rjcrum

Well, I got my LG VX5300, paired it with no problem, and I've been happy for a couple of weeks. However, twice in the past week a weird thing happened. I was not in my car, but on my cellphone. When I got into my car and started it, the phone paired with the car (the little telephone icon appeared in the display), but the audio of my call stopped on my handset. I thought maybe it had "transferred" automatically to the car.,..but no audio was coming from the car. I pressed the 'talk' button on the car, said "transfer", and the HFL came back and said something like "no call in progress to transfer". My phone still showed an active call. I ended up hanging up on the person, and then calling them back. They said it was like I disappeared...

Anybody else have this problem with the VXX5300, or any other phone? I called HFL support and he wants me to "soft reset" the phone by taking out the battery, and then trying this again. He says that often times corrects little weird problems. I'll try it...but wanted to find out if anyone else has ever seen this, and what you did about it.

Bob

K. Booth

I just paired mine last week and have taken/made several calls........no problems yet. I think personally it was just a fluke !!

rjcrum

Hmmm...soft resetting my phone didn't work. I still have the same problem. The friend who I called yesterday from my phone, and then hung on as I started the car, said that from his end the call terminated. I still showed an active call on my phone. Trying to get the car to transfer didn't work.

I'll call HFL support later today or tomorrow; he said he wanted me to call from another phone, but sitting in my car with the cell phone handy. He told me there were a few things we could try.

Bob

rjcrum

Well, I spent about 45 minutes with HFL support today, and still no resolution. She confirmed that when a call is in progress, and I turn on the car, the call drops. She took S/W version from the phone and confirmed a few things with the bluetooth pairing. The plan of attack is that 1) she's going to escalate and see if there is anything they know about or can do and 2) she wants me to pair another Verizon phone (ideally another VX5300, but any one will will) with my car and see if the problem persists. If the problem goes away...the problem is with my phone. If the problem persists...the problem is in the car.

Then we'll know what we have to do.

Gee...maybe I can exchange my car for a new 2007 model since the bluetooth doesn't work properly!

More later...

rjcrum

Well, some interesting news.

(I feel like I'm talking to myself on the forum....)

When I talked with HFL support this morning, they asked me for the S/W version in my phone. I told them it was T53VZV02, and I asked what version they had tested the HFL with, but she said their system didn't show that.

I was just googling "vx5300 acura bluetooth" and found a document on Verizon's website at http://support.vzw.com/pdf/LG_carkit_VX5300.pdf, which shows the Verzon bluetooth support for the VX5300.

On *that* document, it shows the phone software that was tested with the Acura TL bluetooth was T53VZV01.

So...I have a "newer" version of S/W on my phone than was tested by the HFL people (who are actually Johnson Controls).

Just out of curiosity, all you people with Acura TLs and VX5300 that are not having this problem...could you please check your phone s/w version and post what it is? If you have version "01" and no problem, then it would appear that LG/Verizon broke something when they went to "02" in software.

Thanks,
Bob

K. Booth

Bob,

My phone (vx5300) is using the T53VZV01 software.

Maybe a Verizon tech can switch over your software.

Keep me posted................hope it works

shaz6mt

I just got a vx5300 today and I had to try this out. Looks like I have the same problem when starting the car when on a call. I also have the '02' SW version.
I will see if I can get any resolution with Verizon and post here.

rjcrum

Well, please make sure you contact HFL support (the Johnson Controls people) and let them know about the problem. Perhaps, if they get enough data and input from people, they'll address the problem with Verizon.

I talked with Verizon support last week, and they told me that the only change between V1 and V2 software was related to resolution on the camera and some other camera related thing. Supposedly nothing related to Bluetooth. Yeah....right. Go figger.

I still haven't gone to a Verizon store to pair a different phone with my car and see if the same problem exists. Hopefully today.

Let us know what you find out!

rjcrum

I'm going to try to go to Verizon on the way home from work today and try out a different phone; I haven't had a chance to try yet.

Another question about software versions: for all you "version 1" software people, what is your Bluetooth software version? I have "version 2" software (T53VZV02) with Bluetooth version Q302.03.02. I find it hard to believe Verizon's statement that nothing was changed in Bluetooth between the versions.

rjcrum

OK, here's my update:

I went to a Verizon store and tried a RAZR V3M with my car. It paired OK, and when I was on a call on the phone and started my car, the call did *not* drop. So, this tells me it isn't a car problem.

I called HFL support to report that, and they basically said "thanks". I asked if they had clout with Verizon to force the issue to correct the problem, she she (probably accurately) said that Verizon is only going to fix something if customers complain about it. So, basically she said she'd send a note to HFL engineering that this problem is occurring with the VX5300 so that they are "aware of the problem" if anybody else calls in.

I called Verizon tech support and, after a long wait where the CSR consulted with "a tech", she came back and said 1) no phones that Verizon is shipping has V01 of the software and 2) the phone cannot be downgraded from V02 to V01 of the software. She told me they get the software from LG, and that I should call LG to see if they could do anything. I didn't hang up without telling her that, subject to what I heard from LG, I might want to get a different non-VX5300 phone...and that I would want to do that with no cost and no penalties. She told me that would need "manager approval".

I called LG and talked with their cellphone tech support. Basically, they write software to Verizon's specifications and ship that software to Verizon. He said once a new version of software is out, the previous version is basically no longer available....and that LG really has nothing to do with that (as I suspected). Verizon calls the shots on what the software can and can't do, LG writes it and installs according to Verizon's instructions.

So, I'm going to go into a store tomorrow and take it up with Verizon. I guess at this point, I want, in order,

#1- phone downgraded to V01 of software, or if not that then
#2- Verizon ship me a new phone with V01 of software, or if not that then
#3- I get a new, non-VX5300 phone from Verizon, no penalties, etc.

Which phone?

Bob

trade4jka

I just got the LG VX5300 and have paired it to my 05 TL w/Nav. Everything works except I cannot accept an incoming call by pressing the talk button on the steering wheel. Has anyone else experienced this problem? if so how did you correct it? The phone was in the closed clamshell position. Not sure it matters?

rjcrum

Yup...I have the same problem. When I press the "talk" button on the wheel, it evidently connects the call (the caller can hear me) but the car does not connect the audio to the car speakers.

I'm getting really disillusioned about the VX5300 and my Acura.

Yesterday I went to Verizon and they actually found a VX5300 phone in the store that had the V01 software, so they swapped that phone for my V02 software phone.
I cleared the HFL system, re-paired the phone, and (initially) thought all my problems were solved. I made a call on the phone, outside the car with it not running, then got in and started the car. The call stayed connected, and the audio stayed in the handset! That was my big problem, and it seemed to be solved.

However, last night I noticed that I could not accept incoming calls (see above) and then this morning, when on the phone, I got in my car and the phone paired. The audio dropped from the phone, but the call itself did not drop. Then, I tried to transfer the call, and the car said "there is no call in progress".

So, one step forward, one back, and a few sideways.

I'm going to call HFL support again this morning and talk to them. I'm beginning to think that the HFL "testing" isn't nearly as rigorous as it would seem (takes them weeks to test a phone....), and/or they're not testing the things I'm having problems with.

At this point, I'd have to say that if I were in HFL tech support, I'd say the VX5300 is NOT supported! Just too many problems.

Bob

rjcrum

Hi. Me again.

Just an update on my VX5300 problems. I talked (again) with HFL support today (they called me on Friday and wanted some information from my phone). They have received several calls from people with VX5300s that are not behaving well, and they are trying to figure out why. He wanted version numbers for the various software modules in the phone, and said they are trying to put some information together to understand what they tested, what people have, and where there might be problems.

So, I guess I might wait a few days...or weeks...before I return this phone for another.

Kudos to the HFL people for actually trying to get to the bottom of the problem!

trade4jka

Hi, thanks for trying. I have not had a chance to try anything with the phone yet. if you keep your phone clamshell open and then have someone call you... can you press the button on the steering wheel to answer the call? I read somewhere that this could be the problem, but have not tried it yet.

rjcrum

Well, I can try that and see what happens...but it won't be until next Monday at the earliest. My poor broken TL is in getting a dent taken out of the right rear quarter panel. Some doofus backed into me in a parking lot and caused $1500 in damage. Only 6 months old, and already the first dent. Sigh.

trade4jka

It works... if you keep your phone clamshell open and then have someone call you... you can press the button on the steering wheel to answer the call. Kind of a pain, but at least you can answer a call coming in now. There must be a feature to answer the phone with it closed?

shaz6mt

Thanks RJCRUM and others for the research on this.
On a somewhat related note, are any VX5300 owners noticing voice quality issues - especially when travelling at freeway speeds? Seems to work fine when parked or moving slowly, so I guess road noise is completing - and winning - with the HFL mic. Anyone done a test with a different phone?
Thanks.

rjcrum

shaz6mt....I don't really notice any specific sound quality issues...but then I generally consider cell phone calls to be some of the lousiest telephone communications I have! I chalk that up to the limitations of the technology...and wonder sometimes that the whole thing even works to begin with.

trade4jka...I tried your suggestion, but it only works sporadically for me. No consistency at all.

As a result of all this, I called HFL support back the other day to see if they had made any progress. They told me that they had managed to get someone's phone configured and paired so that they could press the talk button on the steering wheel...and that it would answer. I duplicated that setup, and it only works sporadically for me.

They were doing it with Version 2 software, and since my phone was back to version 1, I went to Verizon yesterday to exchange my phone a second time for one with Version 2. They told me they'd just update it to Version 2, and 30 minutes later, it was done. I looked at the software versions, and found that it had software T53VZV03, or Version 3, on it!

I was optimistic that maybe this would change things, but when I was on the phone handset today, and got into my car and started it, immediately after the car and phone connected, the call got cut off.

I think I'm done with the VX5300. I'm going to get a loaner LG VX8300 from Verizon for a few days to see if it has the same problems, and if it doesn't....I'll go with that one.

rjcrum

Well, I'm finally done with the LG VX5300.

I obtained a loaner VX8300 just before Christmas, and after about 30 minutes of experimentation determined that it exhibited NONE of the problems that I was having with the VX5300.

Therefore, I trotted into a Verizon store a few days later and exchanged the VX5300 for a VX8300....and have not looked back.

My advice for anyone considering an LG VX5300 for pairing with their 2006 TL is.....don't do it.

Cheers,
Bob