Samsung Fascinate & Ford Sync

[GopherM]

If you haven't updated your Samsung Fascinate to Android 2.2 AND you own a Ford vehicle with Sync...don't update. There is a know issue with Android 2.2 and the Sync system. The ability for the two devices to pair will be hit or miss and if you try removing the phone from the Sync list you won't be able to get it to link again without doing a factory reset on the phone.

I just wish I had known that before I updated. The odd thing is that the HTC Incredible and other phones that came with Android 2.2 installed from the beginning do not have the same problem.

 

[Mongo53]

Yea, I just installed a Chrysler integrated Bluetooth unit, so you can operate hands free through the OEM radio. I also installed the iPod connect option, that works through the bluetooth unit, which required cutting up the dash to route and install the iPod cable.

After I do all that, (well after bought it and read the directions) I find out the bluetooth unit won't work until I bring it into the Dealership and pay the Dealer to activate it with thier proprietary tools. Then after paying even more than I planned, and the extra inconvenience, I find out the iPod won't work, and Chrysler's Factory iPod connect systems haven't worked since like 3 or 4 iPod updates ago.

Hello, why is Chrysler still selling these? Especially without a warning they don't work, at least right now?

People say they have called Chrysler, and Chrysler promises they are working on the problem, which its been nearly a year, but no ETA on an actual fix.

Some people have done hacks to their iPods to get the software version turned back to an earlier version that did work.

Ford is likely working on a fix as well. BUT, here's the rub, at least for Chrysler, only one of their many different radios has the ability for the customer to do an upate to the firmware/software of the radio. I don't even know if its possible for the dealer to do updates to the other radios and modules, they can for other powertrain and body modules, so its possible.

So likely, if Chrysler, and maybe Ford, if they do come up with a fix to the software or firmware, to get their vehicle features to work with the equipment they advertised, your only option will be to go to the Dealer and pay them to program the firmware update to install the fix.

 

[GopherM]

Ford is likely working on a fix as well. BUT, here's the rub, at least for Chrysler, only one of their many different radios has the ability for the customer to do an upate to the firmware/software of the radio. I don't even know if its possible for the dealer to do updates to the other radios and modules, they can for other powertrain and body modules, so its possible.

So likely, if Chrysler, and maybe Ford, if they do come up with a fix to the software or firmware, to get their vehicle features to work with the equipment they advertised, your only option will be to go to the Dealer and pay them to program the firmware update to install the fix.

It's not a Ford problem. Everything worked fine until I downloaded Android 2.2 onto my phone. It is really a Samsung problem since Android 2.2 (or Froyo) doesn't seem to cause any pairing problems between cars and phones except with the Samsung Fascinate.

 

[Mongo53]

It's not a Ford problem. Everything worked fine until I downloaded Android 2.2 onto my phone. It is really a Samsung problem since Android 2.2 (or Froyo) doesn't seem to cause any pairing problems between cars and phones except with the Samsung Fascinate.

If Andriod 2.2 has problems with other devices or equipment, then yes, it would be Andriod 2.2, but if it has a problem with just Ford vehicles, it could one or the other or both.

The Chrysler iPod connect issue, appears to be directly in Chrysler's court, and they seem to admitt it, and it was the same thing, the iPod's worked fine until people updated the software on their iPods and they stopped working with Chrysler vehicles. Some bug in the chrysler software creates a problem with laters software versions of the iPod, and they won't work together.

Hopefully one of the other, or both will fix it, my fear is, any Ford fix might only be implementable by paying a dealer to use thier proprietary tools, that is what all the manufacturers have moved to today. Don't own a Ford, so I don't know for sure for them. I'm particularly frustrated with Chrysler, that used to be the best of all the manufacturers when it came to this proprietary crap, has now done a full reversal and is one of the worst, of course the whole industry may be that way now, from what I've read it is.

Good Luck, I hope it is just the latest Andriod update didn't catch a bug, and they release a new version to fix the bug, where its updateable for free.

 

[GopherM]

The fix for the time being is going into the Settings/Privacy/Factory Reset on the phone. After doing that the phone will pair with the car again. The one caution I saw by a couple of blog contributors said to NOT select the option to sync the phone's phone book with the vehicle phone book. The other pain in the butt is that even though all of my contacts remained in the phone along with photos and other files...all of the widgets and programs I had downloaded since October got deleted in the reset. The prompt for factory reset is nice enough to let you know it is going to do that so you can make a list of everything you will have to re-download. I guess it gives the chance for a little house cleaning as well.

 

[GopherM]

I surrendered. After almost a month of constantly having to re-pair my phone to my car, I finally broke down and went back to the Verizon store and got an HTC Incredible 2 today. The very reason I bought the phone would no longer work. There wasn't much choice.

A Google search shows that the Ford Sync/Samsung Fascinate issue is well known and only affects the phone if you download the Android 2.2 update.

The Incredible runs Gingerbread and is not supposed to have any problems syncing with any car or system.