Bulletin No.: PI0086D
Date: Oct-2012

Subject:

Unexpected Loss of Radio Audio (Radio Goes Silent/No Sound) and Other Blackberry® Phone - Bluetooth
Issues

Models:

2009 Buick Allure
2009-2012 Buick Lucerne
2009-2013 Buick Enclave, LaCrosse
2011-2013 Buick Regal
2008-2013 Cadillac CTS, CTS-V
2009-2010 Cadillac XLR
2009-2011 Cadillac DTS, STS (with RPO YQ2 or YQ4)
2009-2013 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, SRX (with RPO YQ2 or YQ4)
2009 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
2009-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt
2009-2011 Chevrolet HHR
2009-2013 Chevrolet Avalanche, Corvette, Equinox, Impala, Malibu, Silverado, Suburban, Tahoe, Traverse
2010-2013 Chevrolet Camaro
2011-2012 Chevrolet Colorado
2011-2013 Chevrolet Cruze, Express, Volt
2013 Chevrolet Sonic
2009 GMC Envoy
2009-2013 GMC Acadia, Sierra, Yukon, Yukon XL
2010-2013 GMC Terrain
2011-2013 GMC Canyon, Savana
2009 Pontiac G8, Solstice, Torrent
2009-2010 Pontiac G5, G6
2009-2010 HUMMER H2, H3
2009 Saab 9-7X
2009 Saturn AURA, SKY, VUE
2009-2010 Saturn OUTLOOK
Equipped with OnStar® RPO UE1 and Bluetooth UPF or UWE

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Attention:

Advise the customer that they should always have the latest Blackberry® software (via their Blackberry®
desktop software) downloaded in their phone. To guarantee future customer satisfaction, inform the
customer of the Bluetooth information that can be found at this internet website: www.gm.com/Bluetooth.

This PI is being revised to add the 2013 model year and update the Recommendation/Instructions. Please discard PI0086C.
The following diagnosis might be helpful if the vehicle exhibits the symptoms described in this PI.
Note:

•

Unexpected loss of radio audio (radio goes silent/no sound for no reason): See #1 below.

•

Other Blackberry® phone / Bluetooth issues: See #2 through #8 below.

Condition/Concern
The following is a list of conditions that a customer may comment about. Review the numbered Conditions in the list below and then refer to the appropriate
numbered Correction that follows.
1.

Shortly after the customer powers the vehicle and is listening to AM/FM/XM/CD/AUX, audio is lost and the customer can no longer hear the music/audio
playing. Music/audio fades to silence for no apparent reason. A Blackberry® phone is paired to this vehicle, and is within range of the vehicle when this
issue occurs. The customer will not know that the phone is causing the loss of radio audio.

2.

When using the Blackberry® phone, the Bluetooth function fails to connect, does not consistently connect or won't connect to the vehicle even after the
customer tries to force a connection from the phone.

3.

Audio is not heard in the vehicle with a Bluetooth phone call although the function previously worked properly. The customer has to transfer to the phone
handset to listen to the call.

4.

The Blackberry phone with Bluetooth on will display an hourglass as if it was connecting to the Bluetooth feature, but the customer cannot complete the
connection to the Bluetooth feature.

5.

The customer receives a continuous request on the cell phone to connect to a device that is no longer shown on the phone, due to the pairing being
deleted from the phone but not from the vehicle.

6.

The Blackberry® phone using Bluetooth will not complete a call when dialing a number from the phone or complete a call through the vehicle's stored
nametags in the voice recognition system.

7.

With a Bluetooth call with a Blackberry® phone, the customer ends the call by pressing the Blackberry® phone End Call button and the vehicle
displays Private Call.

8.

When using the Blackberry® phone, an incoming call may ring 2-3 times before the ring is heard in the vehicle. It may take multiple presses of the
steering wheel controls to answer the call, or to make an outgoing call.

Recommendation/Instructions for Condition #1
Shortly after the customer powers the vehicle and is listening to AM/FM/XM/CD/AUX, audio is lost and the customer can no longer hear the music/audio playing.
Music/audio fades to silence for no apparent reason. A Blackberry® phone is paired to this vehicle, and is within range of the vehicle when this issue occurs.
The customer will not know that the phone is causing the loss of radio audio.
The occupant’s Blackberry® phone is sending a phantom message to the vehicle, telling the car that it is in an active call and needs an open voice channel for
the conversation. The vehicle audio system is complying with the phone’s phantom request. Radio audio is lost as a result so that the conversation can take
place via the car’s audio system. The problem is the customer has neither placed nor received a call, so radio audio is lost unexpectedly.
1.

Confirm the issue and the cause: Take the Blackberry® phone into the car. Power on the vehicle and make sure the radio is on (music is playing). Wait
a few minutes. Once the Bluetooth connection is established between the phone and the car, you should lose the audio. You may see a Bluetooth icon in
the top right of the radio display screen. Now push any phone hang-up button in the car (on the overhead console, steering wheel, or center stack). If
you hear a voice say “call ended”, then you know that the phone is causing the problem.

2.

Let the customer know that the phone is causing the issue. Advise the customer to check for software updates and download the latest version of
software to their phone.

3.

Do a soft reboot on the customer’s phone.

•
•
4.

Remove the battery from the Blackberry® phone for at least 10 seconds.
Reinstall the battery.

Verify that the problem has been eliminated.
Note: Inform the customer of the cell phone reset process since they may need to do it again sometime in the future.

Recommendation/Instructions for Condition #2
2

When using the Blackberry® phone the Bluetooth function fails to connect, does not consistently connect or won't connect to the vehicle even after the
customer tries to force a connection from the phone.
1.

Inspect the customer's phone and verify that the General Motors vehicle is selected as a: Trusted Device to Always Connect.
After the phone has been paired to the vehicle, verify the setting in the phone is correct by:
1.1. Displaying the phone's: Bluetooth menu.
1.2. Observing the: Device Properties of the General Motors vehicle that is paired.
Note: Selecting General Motors as a trusted Bluetooth device enables the phone to allow the vehicle to automatically connect to the phone when the
vehicle ignition is turned to ON/RUN or ACC/ACCESSORY.
1.3. Verify the item displayed is: Trusted: Yes.

2.

To guarantee future customer satisfaction, advise the customer of the following phone pairing instructions (print a copy of this PI if necessary).
2.1. At the phone's main menu press the: MENU key.
2.2. Select: Options.
2.3. Select: Bluetooth.
2.4. Press the: MENU key.
2.5. Select: Add Device.
2.6. Select: Search for Devices.
2.7. Select: General Motors.
2.8. Enter the: PIN Code provided by the vehicle.
2.9. Press the: Trackball or Enter key to submit the code.
Note: You MUST perform the following steps:
2.10. Observe the: Prompt that states: Accept Connection Request from General Motors. Scroll to: Don't ask this again. Press the trackball in
order to insert a check mark in the box.
2.11. Select: Yes.

3.

INFORM the customer that the connection process can take up to two minutes to complete after the ignition is turned to ON/RUN as indicated in the
vehicle's Owner Manual.

Recommendation/Instructions for Condition #3
Some customers may comment that they were successfully using Bluetooth in their vehicle for days, weeks or even months at a time, but suddenly the phone
no longer allows phone calls to be heard in the vehicle.
A typical scenario is when a call is being made or an incoming call is received, the Bluetooth call is ringing in the vehicle but when the call is answered there is
no audio. The customer has to transfer to the phone handset to listen to the call.
1.

Remove the battery from the customer's Blackberry® phone for at least 10 seconds.
Note: Inform the customer of the cell phone reset process since they may need to do it again sometime in the future.

2.

Install the battery in order to reset the cell phone.

3.

Verify that the condition has been corrected.

Recommendation/Instructions for Condition #4
The Blackberry phone with Bluetooth on will display an hourglass as if it was connecting to the Bluetooth feature, but the customer cannot complete the
connection to the Bluetooth feature.
Set the Blackberry® phone Bluetooth Options to the following:

•

If the phone has a Contacts Transfer feature, “Contacts Transfer” should be set to: disabled.

•

If the phone has an Address Book Transfer feature, “Address Book Transfer” should be set to: disabled.

Recommendation/Instructions for Condition #5
The customer receives a continuous request on the cell phone to connect to a device that is no longer shown on the phone, due to the pairing being deleted
from the phone but not from the vehicle.

•

This recommendation involves referring the customer to their vehicle's Owner Manual — Bluetooth section titled: Deleting a Paired Phone.

•

Advise the customer that when a paired device is deleted from the cell phone it MUST also be deleted from the vehicle.

Recommendation/Instructions for Condition #6
3

•

The Blackberry® phone using Bluetooth will not complete a call when dialing a number from the phone or complete a call through the vehicle's stored
nametags in the voice recognition system.

•

If the customer dials a number from the phone, dialing is not heard and the call will not be made.

•

The customer may try to use a stored nametag in the vehicle system and the system may respond with: OK Dialing and then the call is ended and the
vehicle system returns to the previous audio selection such as: AM/FM/XM/CD/AUX that was playing.

1.

Remove the battery from the customer's Blackberry® phone for at least 10 seconds.
Note: Inform the customer of the cell phone reset process since they may need to do it again sometime in the future.

2.

Install the battery in order to reset the cell phone.

3.

Verify that the condition has been corrected.

Recommendation/Instructions for Condition #7
Important: In this condition, if the customer uses the: Transfer Call vehicle feature while Private Call is displayed when a call IS NOT in progress,
the previous audio selection may be lost and the display: Private Call will remain. If this occurs ADVISE the customer that they will have to press the
vehicles: Phone Button to hear: Call Ended to clear this condition.

•

With a Bluetooth call with a Blackberry® phone, the customer ends the call by pressing the Blackberry® phone End Call button and the vehicle displays
Private Call.

•

The call has ended and the vehicle returns to the previous audio selection such as: AM/FM/XM/CD/AUX that was playing but the vehicle system continues
to display: Private Call.

•

The customer may notice that turning OFF the ignition and opening the door will clear the display.

1.

Remove the battery from the customer's Blackberry® phone for at least 10 seconds.
Note: Inform the customer of the cell phone reset process since they may need to do it again sometime in the future.

2.

Install the battery in order to reset the cell phone.

3.

Verify that the condition has been corrected.

Recommendation/Instructions for Condition #8
When using the Blackberry® phone, an incoming call may ring 2-3 times before the ring is heard in the vehicle. It may take multiple presses of the steering
wheel controls to answer the call, or to make an outgoing call.
1.

Access: Bluetooth® Setup Menu, on the phone.

2.

Select: Full Menu.

3.

Select: Options.

4.

Ensure that: Contact Transfer is disabled.

5.

Un-pair ALL previously paired devices.

6.

Re-pair the phone to the vehicle.

7.

Verify that the condition has been corrected.

GM bulletins are intended for use by professional technicians, NOT a "do-it-yourselfer". They are written to inform these technicians of conditions that may
occur on some vehicles, or to provide information that could assist in the proper service of a vehicle. Properly trained technicians have the equipment, tools,
safety instructions, and know-how to do a job properly and safely. If a condition is described, DO NOT assume that the bulletin applies to your vehicle, or that
your vehicle will have that condition. See your GM dealer for information on whether your vehicle may benefit from the information.

WE SUPPORT VOLUNTARY TECHNICIAN CERTIFICATION

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