There have been a couple of threads of users not being able to get the Moto v600 to answer calls correctly via the HandsfreeLink. After some testing and reflexing of the phone, I finally figured out what the problem is as well as the fix.

It turns out the default setting of the v600 is to answer the call when you open the flip. For what ever the reason, this setting messes up the phone's BT module and causes it to automatically answer the call after the first ring before you've had a chance to hit the steering wheel button. Since the phone is already off hook, when you hit the steering wheel button, the JCI BT Handsfree Link gets confused since a call is already in progress and it dumps the link but the call on the phone stays active. If you check the phone, the call is actually active on the phone but it doesn't have a user interface to output/input audio. Very confusing situation.

In order to get the system to sync correctly with the v600 (and the v525) the following settings in the phone must be used:

1. Settings>In-Call Setup>Answer Options>Multi-Key = On; Open to Answer = Off
2. Settings>Headset>Auto Answer = Off
3. Settings>Car Settings>Auto Answer = Off;Auto Handsfree = On (or Off - doesn't matter)

 

I don't own a V600 yet, but I may in the near future.

That said, if the open to answer setting is off, do you have to hit a key to answer the call?

 

Thanks for the information. My V600 will be here tomorrow and if I did know this info I would have been going nuts trying to get it to work!!

 

Yes, when you switch off the Open to Answer feature, you'll need to press the Answer soft button to pick up the call. I like to set the Multi-Key feature to On so that I'm not fumbling around to answer the call - pressing any button will pick up the call.

 

How much did you pay for the V600 w/ and w/o contract

 

I bought an unbranded Aston Martin v600 a couple of months ago on eBay and reflashed it to T-Mobile. I understand you can buy a v600 on AWS for $149 with a service contract. I think without contract the phone is around $400.

 

i have the v600 with the open to answer feature enabled and i have no problems at all. works great

 

Interesting. I have a V525 with the same problem....I have Auto-Answer set to OFF and Open to Answer set to ON and when I answer an incoming call on the HFL, it answers it to the handset, not the HFL. Outgoing calls are fine. I'll have to try this out later and see if it fixes the problem.

Jason

 

Richard,

What flex and OS load are you using?

 

What are "flex" and "OS load"?

 

Thats the software in the phone. You can check it under the Other Settings option.

 

I work a lot with these systems and just want to tweek a little pedalermike's sugested settings.

1. Settings>In-Call Setup>Answer Options>Multi-Key = On; Open to Answer = ON
2. Settings>Headset>Auto Answer = Off
3. Settings>Car Settings>Auto Answer = Off;Auto Handsfree = On

If Open to Answer is=Off an incoming call will get routed to the cell phone if the phone is closed. If it is On the audio will go the HandsFreeLink no matter if the phone is open or closed.

Auto Handsfree=On does matter, if it is Off the audio will always go to the cell phone.

 

I'm not sure if it was here or another forum...
I have a Motorola V600 but I don't have my Acura TL yet. I'm waiting.
I have read that the power saver function is the source of some HFL problems. Because Bluetooth is a constant power drain, the phone wants to shut down the BT after a time.

I have been told that I need to change the settings to disable that power saving feature which, in turn, shortens the battery life. So, the phone should be linked to 12V if you're going to be in the car for any length of time.

Is this true? And do we have consensus here that I can leave mine set to "Open to answer"?

 

I also have the v525 and have "Open to Answer" set to ON, and haven't had any problems although I do have to wait 1-3 seconds before saying "hello".

 

I recant, Open to Answer = ON should be OFF! I did a lot of trial and error and this is what I figured out. The only combination that does work all time for incoming calls is:

1. Settings>In-Call Setup>Answer Options>Multi-Key = On; Open to Answer = OFF!
2. Settings>Headset>Auto Answer = Off
3. Settings>Car Settings>Auto Answer = Off;Auto Handsfree = On
AND with the phone open, Yes it does seem to matter

Anyone who tries this combo let me know how it goes for you.

 

Just to clarify: you say that I should leave my V600 open (unflipped) in the car for proper HFL operation??

What is Motorola thinking?

 

how do you get the flex version? i don't have that other settings option in the AT&T version of the v600 or i am just looking in the wrong place.

the settings that i have are
1. in call set up - multi key=on open to answer= on
2. headset - auto answer =off
3. car settings - auto answer=off auto handsfree=on

works everytime

 

I just looked on a friends ATT v600 and they've removed the 'Other Settings' option from the phone - my phone is an unbranded one from Europe. Sorry, there is no way to tell the Flex without using a phone programmer in this case - this is not for the faint of heart. As long as your phone works well, don't sweat it.

 

Well it still does not work for me. Regardless of the "Open to Answer" setting, when I answer the call, it attempts to go to the HFL and then immediatly transfers to the handset. I wonder if this is the V500 or the car?

Jason

 

I have the V600 as well and am having the same call answer problems. It looks to me that leaving the phone open does allow for a seemless transition to the HFL when answering a call. With the phone closed I can get it to fail 7 or 8 out of 10 times.

The interesting thing is that once you anser the call through the HFL and the call stays on the phone, hit the answer button on the steering wheel again and say "Transfer". The call then transfers to the HFL and everything else seems normal. Called both the HFL Hotline and AT&T and no one has heard of this problem yet. Am going to head down to my Acura dealer and try my phone out on some cars down there to try and figure out if it is the phone or the car.

Will post again if I find anything out.

Oh the price we pay for bleeding edge technology !!!!

 

Just picked mine up today. It was $169+tax with 1 year contract-AT&T

 

I called the JCI support line on Friday and Angel confirmed that there is a compatibility 'issue' between the HFL and the v600. Apparently the Moto engineers are aware of it and are working on a patch for the v600. Angel said she would call me back in a couple of days with the timeframe of when the patch will be available.

In the meanwhile she said the workaround is to hit the answer button to accept the call on the phone and then hit it again and use the 'transfer' command to bring the call up on the HFL. It sucks but is at least workable.

Plan B is to swap the phone out for a Nokia or Ericson at ATT - I've got about 250 names in my phonebook along with ringtones and photos so I'd rather wait for the patch than swap... but to each his own.

 

Pedalermike, GSM phones have SIM cards. You can store all of your numbers onto the SIM card and switch phones and take all of your phone numbers with you... no reprogramming. Also for all of those anti-ATT people, I work for Cingular, and the V600 started hitting the Cingular shelves this past week. The Cingular v600 has the newest software loads.

 

Same here, no problems. Bought my V600 from AT&T about 3 weeks ago. There is no "other settings" on the menu, so no way to tell the flex.

 

I am with AT&T. I have a V600. I have the same settings you detail. But, when I get an incoming call, when I press the phone button on the steering wheel, nobody is there. When I press it again, the Voice girls starts asking me what I want. By the time I get the phone out of the center console, the party has hung up.

What's up with that?

XP

 

Can you please provide us with the phone number of JCI customer service, so as we can call them and make clear that this is a wide spread problem? Tonight I sat with a couple of my friends (a group of techno-geeks) and we tried to test the interlink between V600 and HFL. The results were really annoying. We had a yield of < 20%. We tried many configurations, but none gave a good solution.

 

Actually Transfer works for me also! Also sometimes it answer on the HFL at one touch. All I care that it calls out. Also at least when a call is Dropped to the phone I can use the Transfer option. Oh well its not a perfect world when it comes to techno toys.

 

I heard that Motorola has a fix for the problem and is testing it out. Hopefully it won't be too long before its available.

 

I have the V600 and hought that this HFL problem was unique to my phone. I am glad to see that Motorola has recognized the problem and is working on a solution. Did they give you any idea of when they expect to release a solution to this issue?

 

has there been a patch yet for the v600 yet. this is starting to get annoying. drop here drop there. the phone is awesome besides this problem

 

I have the Motorola V600. I don't have any problems except that it doesn't diplay the battery state on the MID.

I get incoming calls all the time. I just count to 3 after I press the phone button before I say "Hello". There is a delay built in but I'm not sure why. If you get antsy and press the button again, then you will screw things up. Be patient.

XP

 

Let us know what there is a fix.

 

Let us know what there is a fix. We need it bad. Really we do!!!

 

Hey question, do you have to press the bluetooth or enable the bluetooth option on your phone everytime you go into your car?

 

No.

 

I agree with Xpditor...holding the talk button a few seconds works every time for me. Doesnt matter whether phone is open or closed and I have factory default settings for everything else. Now I love the V600. Much better reception in my area over the T616.

 

Just to clarify: I don't hold the button down. I just press it firmly, let up, then count to 3 before saying hello. If it's quiet, you can hear the background noise from the caller's phone when they are connected.

I don't leave my phone open. Most of the time, it's in my pocket or on my belt clip.

I haven't dropped any incoming calls using this procedure.

XP

 

OH ok. I have to hold my button 3-4 seconds until the "in use" is displayed. Works every time.

 

Maybe the same thing happening? IOW, whether or not you hold the button down, the "In Use" may pop up after 3-4 seconds.

Try it next time and let us know what happens.

XP

 

The Handsfreelink customer support number is 888-528-7876. Got this from Acura Customer care.