Just picked my 2010 TL all wheel with tech replacing an m35x. Overall much better car except in one crucial area-ability to dial a call from directly my blackberry. After dialing, no ringing and transfer option eventually shows after the other party answers. Completely useless to me. All my nissan/infinitis simply begin ringing immediately with option to go to handset or mute. This functionality seems so sophmoric i frankly never bothered to research it. Without it, the car is frankly useless.
Transferring 2000 contacts and 4000 phone numbers isn't an option. Please tell me i'm missing something basic here.
Thanks in advance. Sign me sick and disappointed.

 

So you like the TL better than the M35x?

To transfer calls, you have to press the HFL button and say "transfer" for it to transfer to either device, phone or car.

 

Agreed! I too have the same frustrations. And like you my Infiniti had no problem transferring the call. I seem to remember though that my 2005 RL would transfer just fine.

Mark

 

On models with the tech package it has the option of transfering your contacts into the HD database all at once, although there may be a compatability issue with certain phones.

http://www.acura.com/HandsFreeLink.aspx

Use this site determine if your phone is fully compatible and for further help or details.

 

I have similar comments, I went from a Nissan Altima which I could dial a number and see the number I was dialing (especially with the re-dial option, in the Acura, I have to wait to connect before I see the number.)

Unfortunately, I have gotten used to it now. (This system could be improved. I am driving a model without the navigation package, it sounds like the display, and phone book functionality is better with navigation)

 

Thanks to all for your help. Yes car is a substantially better vehicle than m35x (acceleration; seating position; imo interior design;marginally better handling offset by a few cut corners). Having said that, the technology implementation is so awful, if it werent the result of my failure to adequately explore it prior to purchase, i would return it for an m,g or maxima.

7th acura i've purchased(kids,wife,parents)-but my first and last one I'll ever pay for. Shame on me for not paying closer attention to the tech implementation on my wife's mdx. Bells and whistles are nice but if you cant do the most basic things well, it hardly matters.

Actually i was pretty excited to get this car. As the salesman,who has sold 3 cars to me,is passionately explaining the technology and setting up the phone, i said all i want to do is press the speed dial key on my blackberry. Good tech adapts to the person not the other way around. We do it and nothing happens. He was mortified and deflated. Just load your phonebook he said. Nope-just want to press the key on my cell. Ok fine-do it-of course less than half my contacts load. I'll call the factory monday-it has to work-best tech in the industry he told me. I left disgusted-pretty sure there won't be a solution.

After all these years, buying a new car still makes me feel like a kid. Drove home knowing i had made a huge mistake.

I assumed something this basic would work. As felix unger said...

PS transfer only works for me after other party picks up-no ringing;nothing. Completely useless.

Thanks again.

 

I didn't use the hands free phone option in my 2008 TSX, and I am not using it in my 2010 TL either. Quite frankly it's horrid, I have to repeat myself everytime and the only fool proof way it works is if I say the number.

I only use it when someone calls in.

 

HFL system is different on 2010 with tech than the 3rd gen TL's Princely. The HFL button on the steering wheel is really a shortcut to the HFL screen on the nav, you don't actually give voice commands after hitting the HFL button. All voice commands (including all phone functions) are done after pushing the voice command button (the one with the face). Non tech 4th gen TL's operate the same as 3rd gens.

To the OP, you need to import your phone book to the car (it will hold 1000 contacts 10 numbers per contact) once this is done, you can voice tag the numbers you call frequently and then dial by voice, you won't actually have to touch your cell phone.

 

Not sure if you have seen my other posts regarding this issue. here and here

The only two current Acura vehicles that you can dial directly from the phone and have it automatically go through the HFL is the RDX & TSX both base and tech. I have tried it on the entire Acura lineup and those are the only two that are capable of it. I have posted and asked questions here and with ACS but have received no responses at all.

I am surprised and disappointed that the only two vehicles you can direct dial from the phone without having to transfer the call are the two entry models in Acura's lineup.

This is an unfortunate downside to my 10' TL Tech AWD and my 10' ZDX Tech that cannot perform this very simple task. Every other car I have owned with HFL was able to direct dial from the phone and have it auto transfer directly to the HFL.

Although it is possible to dial from the phone then transfer the call to the HFL, it really is a pain in the ass and is an unnecessary step that should not have to be taken. I have all of my contacts in the HFL and have also setup voice dialing as well, however, sometimes you like the ability to hit redial on a # that is not in your contacts or voice etc, without having to jump through the additional hoop of transferring the call to the HFL.

I have been able to do this on cars for at least 5 years so I am a bit confused as to why this is a) something that can be done on only the two entry level vehicles and not the rest of the Acura lineup and b) why this is even an issue at all given today's technology.

 

Hmmmm.....I think the whole purpose of HFL was to be....well...."hands free". In other words, you hit the "phone" button on the steering wheel. Then you hit the "talk" button, say the name tag (which works great on my TL), and the phone call goes through. No digging the phone out of your pocket, scrolling to the name/number you want to dial and then hitting "dial" on the phone.

Or, am I missing something?

I have an iPhone, so maybe a black berry works different. I imported all of my contacts, and added a voice tag to those I call frequently. It's never been wrong whenever I say "call 'xxxxx' " whenever I've used it.....not once. My phone just stays in my pocket.

 

+1 - phone never comes out of pocket - unless I am charging it.

 

What I don't understand is what is your facination with dialing from the phone? You seem to be very aggrevated about the car not having the technology work the way you want it to but you don't embrace the technology they give you. The point of Hands Free is to keep your hands free to drive the car. You can dial any number without ever letting go of the steering wheel. It seems like you are hell bent on operating the system in the most backwards way. If you are so determined on using the handset, why even hook it up to the car?

 

I too, as stated in my post, "imported all of my contacts, added voice tags etc," however I also stated that "sometimes you need the ability to hit redial on a # that is not in your contacts or voice etc, without having to jump through the additional hoop of transferring the call to the HFL."

I understand exactly what you and everyone else is saying and doing as I do the exact same thing.

Maybe I am the one missing something? What would you propose one do while driving and needing to dial a number that is NOT in your contacts or voice tagged, such as perhaps a number received or missed while not in the vehicle? In your world, you would have me say the phone number using the HFL, however, I would still have to look at the phone in order to say the number..........

I want the ability that IS on the RDX and TSX (for some strange reason not on the RL, ZDX, MDX, TL) and other vehicles I have owned recently over the last 6 years to dial straight from the phone and have it automatically go to HFL without having to wait for someone to answer and then transfer the call to the HFL.

Why is it that the RDX,TSX have this ability and the rest of the Acura line up does not have a feature that is on MANY other makes and models and has been for YEARS.

FWIW I also tested an iPhone in the first linked thread in my earlier post but failed to list it. It worked exactly like the BB and was only able to dial directly with the RDX and TSX.

 

This may be an uninformed question (and I've been meaning to ask it of my dealer's "Tech Tutor" but maybe can get it answered here more quickly) -- when you say you've "imported" your cell phone contacts, are you doing that manually or is there a process for doing it automatically? When I paired my phone (a two-year old Treo in need of replacement) it only imported the speed dial numbers I had on the phone, not my hundreds of contacts.

Any help is appreciated.

 

Sheeez, does no one even read what I said in my post?......... No where did I say that I want to talk from the phone and I completely understand and am a firm believer in the HFL technology as it makes it safer for everyone... In fact I rather love and "embrace" the HFL technology that has been around for quite a few years.

What I said was "sometimes you need the ability to hit redial on a # that is not in your contacts or voice etc, without having to jump through the additional hoop of transferring the call to the HFL."

Since it would appear to others that I am upset or dogging Acura let me say, I think that the HFL system is quite good and I even "embrace the technology" but, if as you say "It seems like you are hell bent on operating the system in the most backwards way." then why is it available on the most other makes and models, the RDX & TSX but not the other models in the Acura lineup.

All I am asking to do is hit redial on the phone NOT "If you are so determined on using the handset, why even hook it up to the car?" use the phone up to my ear etc.

I am very surprised by the replies to my post? I was not trashing Acura in way shape or form, nor am I not understanding the way the technology works. I was only asking if anyone knew why this issue exists and if so, why is the feature not available on the higher models? Is that really not clear enough?????

 

^^^^after rereading what I said in post #9 I really could have worded it differently. My apologies to those who for good reason thought I was bashing the technology and Acura.

 

In other models does it give you an on screen prompt that allows you to choose whether or not you want it transferred or does it do it automatically? If it's auto, can you shut that feature off?

I ask because IMO it would be better to have the option of both, being able to keep the call strictly on the cell and be able to transfer the call even if you do have to take one more step.

 

Not quite sure what is backward about pressing one of the 26 speed dial keys on my blackberry and have it place a call directly through the car. I can look up any other number in 3 strokes. Phonebook only stores 1000 names;maybe great for a soccer mom.Many other numbers require long strings of digits attached-for example, voice mail which requires more digits than the system can handle. Acura's customer service solution on the field size limit for digits is after you transfer the call to HFL is dial to them from your cell-27 digits in rapid succession. Brilliant answer. Give me a break. I'll surely end up dead.

Their HFL is major dissappointment if you are heavy phone user,imo. Shame on me for not testing. I never even gave the fact you can't dial from your phone a thought-it is just that basic. The fact that other Acura's have this functionality points out just how brain dead the designers are for the TL.

 

uh.. our 2010 transfers automatically to the car, regardless of dialing on the phone or on the car itself.

 

Please do tell... Mine does not, nor does the ZDX, nor do the other vehicles I tested at the dealership with a BB and iPhone. If I am on a call walking to my TL and I get in and start it. It will not auto transfer the call to the HFL. I Have to either transfer the call with the HFL or do it on the phone by telling it to activate the car.... Really would like to know how to do this if you have figured it out.

 

ill go check when i get a chance, probably not until tomorrow though.

 

sweet thanks much appreciated.

 

My 2010 base transfers automatically to the hands free if dialed from the handset.

 

Is yours with or without tech?

my 2010 Base w/ Tech does not automatically transfer to the HFL if i dial with my phone.

And incase anyone is wonder why we'd need to dial with the phone..
#1 We may not want to import all the contacts onto the phone. Whos to say your car doesn't get stolen then that person has all your phone numbers with names or more??
#2 Even if we do import the numbers, It doesn't appear to automatically update contacts when I add new contacts.
#3 what if you get a call from a person you don't know when you're not in your car.. and want to contact that person back only once or twice? (aka, no reason to add that person as a contact after that call)

 

jfoley^^^^very strange. As I pointed out in this post, I could only get that to happen with the RDX and TSX. We even tried other peoples phones that were at the dealership to see if maybe it was just the BB and iPhone that were having this issue. It was the same thing for everyone...

Did you do anything special? Change any settings? Acura, the techs etc have no idea why this is happening. I even had Acura on the phone with me while the master tech was getting the exact same results. Everyone is stumped. It has to be a simple setting, however it still does not explain the fact that it worked 100% of the time no matter which RDX or TSX you got into... sigh oh well.

 

I do not own a Tl, but I do have a 2010 MDX base without navigation, I can speed dial from my phone or dial and it will ring thru the HFL without saying transfer. I am using a Blackberry Bold 9700.

 

So bizarre.... it really seems to be a hit and miss thing then. Did you have to make any changes? Are your BB settings the same as mine?

We even used the dealership owners phone and the GM's phone with no success. It really is perplexing.

 

helix.....I think since you like to use your blackberry, I just wouldn't pair it to the car. Problem solved. HFL is for those who want total "HANDS FREE" dialing.

I'm trying to remember what I did for my voice mail dialing (which includes a "pin code" of its own) but I think you can look in the manual and it shows how to insert pauses for things like that. I know when I voice dial, the nav prompt allows me to add numbers to the typical 10 digit phone number, too.

As far as dialing a recent call, I think there's a menu pick to do just that on the NAV screen (not sure about how to do it on non-NAV units, though).

 

The functionality is still there it's just less convenient or more depending on how you look at it. I am pretty sure Acura just wants it to work in favor of both ways, where you can continue on the cell phone privately and make/take a call only on the cell if need be or as in this case, if you want to transfer you simply say transfer or hit cell phones on the info screen and a prompt appears and you can select transfer.

 

Acura told me today there is an auto-transfer feature on non tech pkg that accomplishes what I want. Acura didn't program that functionality into the tech pkg. Unbelievable-like to meet the genius that decided that one.

 

I for one, would be perfectly happy if the tech package just displayed my iphone screen on the monitor, and offered the nav/weather/climate/audio options on screen. Not like they had to re-invent the wheel...just allow the interface.

 

I understand where you are coming from however, the recent calls only show up in your HFL on the Navigation unit if the call was made or received THROUGH the HFL. If you received your call prior to being connected to the vehicle then once again you are not able to just redial and have it auto transfer the call to the HFL. Not trying to argue with you guys, its just that this is a very reasonable request for this functionality that as you are all aware of is available on only certain vehicles in the Acura stable.

As so many of you have been pointing out the whole idea is to be able to utilize the HFL in its entirety thereby keeping your hands on the wheel for as long as possible when trying to place a call. If one is forced to look at the phone in order to "say" the number that is not in your contacts or voice dialing then you are defeating the whole purpose of the HFL as well. All we are saying we want to do is be able to in this instance, hit redial on the phone and have it auto transfer. Looking down for a moment in order to hit redial as opposed to having to look down multiple times in order to say the number is just common sense and safer. I need to have the very basic ability to just hit dial from the phone without then having to wait for someone to pick up on the other end just so that I can then transfer the call to the HFL. Not so much to ask when others can do it and have had this functionality for years in other makes and models including Acura.

I think that some of you here are very fortunate in that it would seem, every phone call you have ever made or received is already in your contacts or setup as a voice dial. Kudos to you, however, I receive and make lots of calls before I am connected to the vehicle that are not in my contacts or setup in voice dial already.

I am unsure as to why this has turned into such a technology war in this thread?

We all understand the reasoning for the HFL and I would be willing to bet that a vast majority of us use it to its fullest capabilities. That being said, it is then also reasonable for some of us to expect that our HFL's perform the same way as other makes and models including the lower end RDX & TSX that seem to have this ability native.

 

Trying to help figure out all of the different "wants"....

1. You can just delete those numbers after they've downloaded.
2. NO automatic updating. But, you just reload all new contacts whenever you receive them by redownloading them from the paired phone.
3. Just dial the number via voice commands (as in "dial xxx-xxx-xxxx").

 

Which would require holding the phone in front of your face while driving in order to see the xxx-xxx-xxxx you are dialing via voice commands. Seems to me it would be much safer to just be able to hit send once....

I guess that we are all going to have to just agree to disagree on this subject as neither side wants to give an inch.

 

I totally understand what helix and TLNV are referring to. I have been haunted by this w my 07 TL typeS and will continue to be haunted by this with my 2010 6MT (tech). There is NO AUTOTRANSFER. and the car will not recognize "transfer" voice command until after the call is connected. So if you dial a "missed call", the person on the other end says "hello? hello?" while you're saying "transfer". The other person then hangs up!

 

[quote]
What I said was "sometimes you need the ability to hit redial on a # that is not in your contacts or voice etc, without having to jump through the additional hoop of transferring the call to the HFL."
[/quote

As someone else mentioned, there is an option on the phone menu that brings up the "call history". You mentioned that it only brings calls up that are made or received while the phone is connected. Funny... mine brings up ALL historic calls whether I was connected at the time or not (I'm using a Samsung Omnia phone).

My pet peeve? Most headsets have a button to control calling and the rest... if the phone is ringing, press the button once and it answers. if you're not on a call and you press the headset's button twice, it redials. Press and hold the button for 3 seconds, and it turns on Voice Command.

It's that last one I really want. My phone has full voice command, and O can tell it who to dial (any contact, without pre-programming the voice match), I can say "Next Appointment" and it'll read the details of the meeting to me. It'll allow for me to use voice to input a new appointment, make an audio or text note.

If I could get the HandsfreeLink to trigger that in the phone... I'd be more than happy as I could make my phone do anything I want with my voice.

Cheers,
D.

 

[quote=brassai;12008549]How can I explain this? Just to make sure we are talking about the same thing. When you go into the HFL menu on the NAV screen it will show call histories, ie: missed, dialed, received. On my TL the HFL NAV screen histories only show the calls that were missed, received or dialed while the phone was paired to the system.

So if you a miss a call or dial a new number or whatever on your phone while you are sitting in your office etc, that is not in your HFL history, contacts or voice, then you will not be able to access that particular call directly from the NAV HFL. This is the very reason that some of us are wanting the ability of auto-transfer, (which for some strange reason is only available on the RDX and TSX) so that you can just hit redial on the phone and have it automatically go through the HFL.

Of course my phone, as do all phones, show all missed, dialed and received calls, BUT my phones history does not transfer/sync to the car (nor am I asking it to or bemoaning the fact that it doesn't). If it did then this would be a mute point as you could then go directly into the HFL and dial from the history.

The fact that your system is somehow pulling the history directly from the phone is remarkable (no sarcasm intended). I would love to know how you are doing something that it is for all intents and purposes impossible to do. As far as I know on the Acura systems, the HFL will only sync contacts and even then you have to manually tell it to re-sync every time you add a new contact to your phone.

Now on other vehicles I have owned, the phone history and contacts would sync automatically every time the phone paired to the car so I do know that different manufacturers have this as a feature of their system.

So to summarize using an example.
I receive a call from you while sitting in my office. This is the first time your number has shown up on my phone. You are now in my phones history as a received call.

When I then pair the phone to the HFL in my TL I am not able to see the received call from you by going to the received calls menu in the HFL.

I am only able to access the received call from you by going directly into my phone's history by hand.

I then dial your number directly from the phone while paired.

The phone will not auto-transfer the call directly to the HFL, I have to wait for you to answer on the other end before either vocally transferring the call using voice commands or by selecting "transfer" on the HFL NAV screen or finally by manually selecting the car's bluetooth connection from within the current call on my phone.

 

Once you export contacts to the hard drive, are the contacts available for all phones or only the phone that did the export?

 

That is a great question. If no one beats me to it I will check for you tonight.

 

You can manually transfer it through the cell phone menu screen also. Dial the number, hit redial on the phone, or whatever, in the mean time press the info button and pull up the cell phone menu and as soon as it's connected the system automatically highlights the transfer option. Not saying this doesn't still suck somewhat but at least there won't be any transfer delay.