ATTENTION:

CLAIMS PERSONNEL q

IMPORTANT - All
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SERVICE MANAGER

© 2018 Subaru of America, Inc. All rights reserved.

GENERAL MANAGER q
PARTS MANAGER

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SERVICE BULLETIN
APPLICABILITY:

All Models with Harman Audio / Infotainment

SUBJECT: Bluetooth Functionality Concerns and
Troubleshooting
®

NUMBER: 15-230-18
DATE: 08/21/18

INTRODUCTION:
This bulletin provides troubleshooting steps to follow when diagnosing customer concerns
involving Bluetooth (BT) functionality. Please start by completing the Harman Investigation Guide
Questionnaire as it gathers important details which will help with diagnosis and will be required
should the condition not be resolved by this troubleshooting. While completing the questionnaire,
follow the question flow based on the customer concern. Answer each related question noting the
results to each in detail while performing the diagnostics. Review the entire bulletin before beginning
in order to understand the flow for the listed concern. If the concern you have is not listed, check
the Service Manual “Infotainment (Diagnostics) - Diagnostics with Phenomena” section as a starting
point.

SERVICE PROCEDURE / INFORMATION:
REMINDER: Customer satisfaction and retention starts with performing quality repairs.

1) Always confirm the condition as reported by the customer.
2) Visit the Subaru Technology page on the Subaru.com website to verify smart phone
compatibility. (https://www.subaru.com/engineering/technology.html)

Continued...
CAUTION: VEHICLE SERVICING PERFORMED BY UNTRAINED PERSONS COULD
RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY TO THOSE PERSONS OR TO OTHERS.
Subaru Service Bulletins are intended for use by professional technicians ONLY. They
are written to inform those technicians of conditions that may occur in some vehicles,
or to provide information that could assist in the proper servicing of the vehicle. Properly
trained technicians have the equipment, tools, safety instructions, and know-how to
do the job correctly and safely. If a condition is described, DO NOT assume that this
Service Bulletin applies to your vehicle, or that your vehicle will have that condition.

Bulletin Number: 15-230-18; Date: 08/21/18

Subaru of America, Inc. is
ISO 14001 Compliant
ISO 14001 is the international standard for
excellence in Environmental Management
Systems. Please recycle or dispose of
automotive products in a manner that is friendly
to our environment and in accordance with all
local, state and federal laws and regulations.

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As shown in the image above, the iPhone 8 may have an issue with Phonebook Download (single
contact) and SMS send functions (not shown). When the customer reports a condition involving
those features, STOP as there is no further Head Unit (HU) troubleshooting required. The issue is
linked directly to their smart phone’s compatibility. There are some cases where a particular smart
phone’s compatibility has not been fully or at all tested.
For those smart phones, BT functionality operation could be unreliable. These cases are not an
indication of a Head Unit (HU) malfunction. See the example shown in the image below.

3) It is also recommended to verify the customer’s phone setup is not causing BT related issues.
a. For any kind of car connection issue, it is important to make sure that the “Do Not
Disturb” feature is turned OFF. Some customers have not been able to shut off the “Do
Not Disturb” feature while connected to their vehicles. By default, this setting is set to
manual and must be activated before enabled.
TIP: It may be easier to disconnect and remove all Bluetooth device settings before upgrading the
device then, start over from scratch. This may save significant time in troubleshooting.
b. Can the condition be duplicated? If so, please provide the steps necessary to reproduce
and if possible, a video showing the steps and concern. It is important to know if the BT
connection is not made at start up or if the connection is lost at some other point during
operation.
i. If the BT connection drops during operation, confirm the device is in the paired
device list located under Settings > Phone. See image below.

ii. Verify the head unit is still listed as a paired device on the phone.
Continued...
Bulletin Number: 15-230-18; Date: 08/21/18

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iii. If the device is not listed, try to manually reconnect through the phone settings
menu: Settings > Phone > Select the paired phone and select Connect.

iv. If the condition is still present, try confirming it with a similar model phone (capture
phone model and OS version).
v. Follow the Service Manual basic diagnostic procedure for “BLUETOOTH
CONNECTION CANNOT BE ESTABLISHED”.
4) This section addresses concerns with Bluetooth Phonebook or SMS synchronization as
referenced in 2) above.
a. Confirm the phonebook / SMS access request was granted when phone was paired to the
HU. When the pairing procedure is performed and the device is connected, the phone
may prompt the user to accept access for phonebook. The HU will prompt to initiate
phonebook download. Accept this pop up by pressing “Download”.

b. Phone behavior may differ between models and OS versions and between Android
phones (i) and Apple iPhones (ii):
i. Android phone
1. Android phone will prompt user on the phone for
phonebook access as shown to the right.

Continued...
Bulletin Number: 15-230-18; Date: 08/21/18

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2. Also, in the case of Android phones, a second pop-up
will appear requesting access to SMS messages.

ii. Apple iPhone:

1. The iPhone will download the phonebook after
pressing “Download” on HU if the Sync Contacts
option is enabled. NOTE: Some versions of iOS will
prompt the user for phonebook access as shown to the
right.

2. For iPhones, after pairing is complete, access must
be enabled on the phone for SMS. To do this, go to
Settings > Bluetooth > Select the paired HU labeled
“Subaru BT” and make sure both Sync Contacts and
Show Notifications are enabled.

Continued...
Bulletin Number: 15-230-18; Date: 08/21/18

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3. Once enabled, the iPhone must be disconnected then reconnected for the
changes to apply for SMS download ONLY. See section 5a “How to Pair an
Apple Device”.
c. If the device is already paired and connected, confirm the Phonebook Download option
is enabled. To do this go to Settings > Phone, select the paired phone and enable
Phonebook Download as shown below.

NOTE: The device may still require performing Steps a. and b. above after enabling Phonebook
Download on the HU.
5) This section will help to assure Android and Apple phones are properly paired.
a. How to pair an Apple device:

i. Go to Settings on the vehicle infotainment icon
screen.
ii. Select “Phone”
iii. Select “Add Device”

iv. This screen will be displayed when pairing mode is in progress. Make note of the
“Device Name:” (Subaru BT).

Continued...
Bulletin Number: 15-230-18; Date: 08/21/18

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v. On the iOS/Apple device, go to settings. Location on home screen will vary.
vi. Select “Bluetooth”

vii. Select “Subaru BT” or whatever the device name is from step iv.

viii.

Select “Pair”

ix. Select Allow to “Allow Contacts and Favorites to Sync?”

Continued...
Bulletin Number: 15-230-18; Date: 08/21/18

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x. On the vehicle screen, select “Download” phonebook contacts.

xi. On the iOS/Apple device, the vehicle’s Bluetooth should now be listed under
Bluetooth settings. Select the blue “i” next to the device name (Subaru BT).
xii. Confirm “Show Notifications” and “Sync Contacts” are enabled.

xiii.

At this point, the iOS/Apple device is paired. The vehicle may need to be restarted
to fully complete the pairing process so messaging and other features work
correctly.

xiv.

If smartphones are not connecting with the HU via Bluetooth, try it again after
removing all the connection history from the phone. This may help the
smartphone and HU “find each other” easier when performing the Bluetooth
connection process.

b. How to pair Android Device:
i. Go to Settings on the vehicle infotainment icon screen.

Continued...
Bulletin Number: 15-230-18; Date: 08/21/18

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ii. Go to the “Phone” page
iii. Select “Add Device”

iv. This screen will be displayed when pairing mode is in progress. Make note of the
“Device Name:” (Subaru BT).

v. On the Android device, go to Settings. This step will vary by Android device.
Settings can always be found under Apps. On newer Android devices, Apps is
opened by swiping UP from the bottom of the screen.
vi. Select “Connected devices” or “connections”.

vii.

Select “Bluetooth”

viii.

At this step, either select “Pair new device” or, the phone will already begin
showing nearby devices to add.

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Bulletin Number: 15-230-18; Date: 08/21/18

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ix. Select “Subaru BT” or whatever the device name is from step 4.

x. Select “PAIR” and ensure “Allow access to your contacts and call history” are
enabled (checked).
xi. Select “YES” to the Message access request” pop up.

Continued...
Bulletin Number: 15-230-18; Date: 08/21/18

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6)

xii.

On the vehicle screen, select “Download” phonebook contacts.

xiii.

At this point, the Android phone should be paired and ready to use.

xiv.

If smartphones are not connecting with the HU via Bluetooth, try it again after
removing all the connection history from the phone. This may help the
smartphone and HU to “find each other” easier when performing the Bluetooth
connection process.

This section addresses concerns with BT call handling.
a. Capture the steps required to reproduce the concern. If possible, record a video showing
the steps and the condition. Please note the model, OS version, and service carrier of the
customer’s phone.
b. For concerns regarding holding calls and / or swapping calls (call waiting), please note
CDMA networks do not support this functionality. Some phones may have the ability
to perform these actions internally but in general, CDMA carriers (such as Sprint or
Verizon) do not support these features.
c. For concerns related to the audio quality, verify microphone operation. See figure below
for Line Diag display of Microphone check.

Continued...
Bulletin Number: 15-230-18; Date: 08/21/18

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d. Follow the Service Manual basic diagnostic procedure for SOUND DOES NOT COME
OUT FROM THE SPEAKER. See image below for Line Diag display of Audio Check.

e. If the concern persists, swap a known good HU into the problem vehicle. If component
swap addressed concern, request exchange for the suspect component.
IMPORTANT CAUTION: Always disconnect the Telematics Data Communication Module
(DCM) BEFORE any swapping of head units. DCMs must NEVER be swapped or the customer’s
services will not function and DCM replacement may be required to resolve.
7) If the above diagnostics and procedures do not resolve the customer’s concern with Bluetooth
functionality, complete a fresh Harman Investigation Guide Questionnaire documenting the
customer’s concern and the results of each diagnostic step in this bulletin. If possible, capture
a video of the condition then contact the SOA Techline to review the next steps. Techline will
request you send the completed questionnaire, step-by-step bulletin test results and any videos
of the condition.

WARRANTY / CLAIM INFORMATION:
For vehicles within the Basic New Car Limited Warranty period or covered by an active Subaru
Added Security Gold plan, this repair may be submitted using the following claim information:
Labor Description

Labor Operation #

Labor Time

HARMAN BLUETOOTH FUNCTION NOT COMPATIBLE

A850-803

0.3

HARMAN BLUETOOTH TROUBLESHOOTING

A850-805

0.8

Fail Code

H/U Type

ZRQ-43

Base, Mid &
High

IMPORTANT REMINDERS:
•

SOA strongly discourages the printing and/or local storage of service information as
previously released information and electronic publications may be updated at any time.

•

Always check for any open recalls or campaigns anytime a vehicle is in for servicing.

•

Always refer to STIS for the latest service information before performing any repairs.

Bulletin Number: 15-230-18; Date: 08/21/18

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