Thread: Bluetooth disconnectin when ignition turned off... [2009 ML]

Hi there,
I traded in my 2005 Audi A6 and bought a 2009 ML350 with the Premium II package (really sweet ride!) and everything works just fine with the exception of the Bluetooth. According to the sales manager at the dealership and Mercedes Customer Support, this is the expected behavior (oddly):

• make a call while in the car
• car picks up the audio
• have delightful conversation hands-free
• get home
• turn off the car
• phone hangs up, no matter what

When I spoke with the rep at MB, he said that there have been complaints about this behavior and they've escalated the issue with their engineering department, but there are no fixes in the foreseeable future.
With my A6, the BT worked flawlessly. You’d turn off the car and the phone would take over the call seamlessly. Was I just spoiled with the Audi? This is kind of an important deal for me simply because I work remotely and am often on calls while on the road.
I guess my question is...
Is there any way to modify the car to either

• Use a different hands-free set-up that’s integrated as well as the Command?
• Mod the software to behave differently (ie. not send hang-up command before powering down)?

It is possible that if people read their owners manuals they might discover that if you transfer the audio to the loudspeaker / speaker of the phone it does not hangup. It just releases you from the car.

The iPhone is a great example. It gives you a very simple touch menu on the audio button and lets you transfer the call back to the phone.

The software is like this precisely because of a bad concept before where it REFUSED to let go of the phone and the car would answer all calls for about 5 minutes when it was parked near the phone.

There is no defect. The problem is that dealers have employees that don't know enough.

Yes, this would be a great solution IF IT WORKED.
I tried switching the audio source on the iPhone and the car still seems to "hang on" to the call. The radio won't even come back on unless I manually go into the general settings of the iPhone and turn off Bluetooth, which seems to be the only solution thusfar.
This is what prompted an ongoing back and forth between me and the dealership.
If the car is, in fact, not functioning properly. I would really like to know why (as would they, I assume).

Originally Posted by tdblanchard

Yes, this would be a great solution IF IT WORKED.

...sorry for the all-caps yelling there.
Through the course of this whole debacle, that "solution" was mentioned and I had to actually have the salesman pair his iPhone to the car to show him that it didn't release the call when you did this.
Anyways, if this is a defect I sure would love to be able to have it fixed....

Just an update.
The service adviser at Euro Motorcars called me up this morning and said that one of his techs suspected that I may have needed a software update.
I brought the car and picked it up this afternoon.
Low and behold, no hangup!
WOOHOO!

Thanks anyway, Gurus.

BTW, this happens on the W212 E class too. This was on a brand new car, so probably no s.w update available for that.. I guess MB came under enough pressure to change the behaviour (to something that does seem more sensible) and hopefully they'll roll that into the other cars that disconnect on power off.

R