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Acura TL Bluetooth/HandsFree Link Problems

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Comments

  • k19k19 Member Posts: 9
    Has anyone had to take there Acura TL to the dealer for Bluetooth problems? If you did was it expensive? Was it a software problem?

    Thanks for any help
  • bill214bill214 Member Posts: 2
    My problem turned out to be a weak car battery that affected my bluetooth and seat memory.
  • ecwwb1971ecwwb1971 Member Posts: 7
    Hi there. I apologize if this is a repeat question. I searched but could not find anything on this...FYI...we have a 2009 Odyssey Touring and a 2009 TSX w/Nav.

    When a phone is listed as "not compatible" but under the details of that phone almost everything is listed as "yes" such as you can use the paddles for answering and hanging up a call...what does that exactly mean? Yes I can use it, but no I can't pair it? Huh? (For example: Verizon LG Dare) Anyone have any idea? Yes, I would call AcuraLink, but they are closed on the weekends.

    Thanks.
    Erika
  • carteachcarteach Member Posts: 179
    I think it can mean a variety of things. I had the Dare for a while. I could pair the phone; but a number of times the phone wouldn't disconnect which was annoying and expensive.

    Hope that answers your question.
  • eicotleicotl Member Posts: 1
    My HFL just died, nothing is happening when I press the talk button, been working just fine for the past 3 years. Any Clue????
  • jth3jth3 Member Posts: 4
    I drive a 2005 MDX and been HF with Verizon for 3 years. Like you it's been fine until yesterday when it flat out stopped - no click, no interrupting the radio, no nothing. I called Acura CS and also talked with the HF department. They referred me back to the dealer.

    Things I did this evening - checked the fuses (two for HFL on the MDX.) HFL is paired with interior lights and they work. It's also paired on the other fuse with the socket in the dash (the wife and I use it a lot for recharging.) The charger works. I then checked my bluetooth link on the phone and switched it off and then on again. Guess what? Connection!! Go figure. Fingers are crossed for continuing HF service.
    jth
  • jth3jth3 Member Posts: 4
    It's jth. The HF didn't work this morning, but pulling into the parking lot it did. When I came back it didn't???? I have a Monday appointment at Acura. Will let you know the result. jth
  • zmt3zmt3 Member Posts: 1
    any luck getting your handsfree link working? I'm having the same issues.
  • oceanic581oceanic581 Member Posts: 1
    I have an 06 TL and I am having trouble pairing my T-Mobile Nokia 6301 with the HFL. Does anyone know if it will pair? It is not on any list that I can find, maybe because it is not a popular phone. I can not get my phone to recognize the HLF when I try to pair it. Any help would be appreciated! Thanks!
  • oeloel Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2005 tl w/o navigation. Is there a replacement microphone or a way to improve the quality of the existing. It is my first car with handsfree link, the convenience is great but the outgoing sound quality is poor, I am almost yelling or constantly repeating myself.
    any solutions?
  • gonzo278gonzo278 Member Posts: 1
    I am having trouble pairing my Samsung Omnia to my HF Link. It was working fine for about two months and then just stopped. I get all the way through the pairing setup and it at a certain point will not recognize the phone. Is there a reset step that I may have missed?
  • shock204shock204 Member Posts: 1
    Out of the blue, my HandsFreeLink stopped working(steering buttons unresponsive etc)--when I toggle to HFL on the message center it indicates "Booting Up"--I've waited up to 10 minutes and nothing happens. Is this something I can fix on my own or do I need to take it to a dealer?
  • k19k19 Member Posts: 9
    My 2005 TL does the same thing. If you take it to the acura dealer let me know what they say.

    Joe
  • park13park13 Member Posts: 2
    I saw some messages that state the blue tooth in the TL stopped working suddenly.
    My bluetooth did the same thing. No response from the buttons and the display says booting up. Has anyone had this fixed and if so how?
  • park13park13 Member Posts: 2
    Did you get this fixed and how?
  • kari524kari524 Member Posts: 7
    :cry: This is so odd seeing all these posts about the same issue within days of it happening to me. I purchased a CPO 2005 Acura TL in May 2009 and paired my 5 yr old LG flip via the Bluetooth and it has worked flawlessly until this week. I started the car and noticed the phone icon on the nav screen was gone so I thought I either left my phone home or the battery was dead. But the phone was in my purse and worked perfectly. Then when I went to use my CD player a whole totally different CD was in the drive when I hit PLAY. It was almost as if there was some kind of electric surge in the car. Now when I start the car the icon will come on..its on the screen for a few minutes and then just fades away. When I go to the HF menu it keeps saying "Booting Up" but nothing happens. I am HOPING its not an electrical problem. Guess I have to call the dealer unless anyone else has a suggestion???
  • anniebeanniebe Member Posts: 2
    edited March 2010
    Hello! I agree with kari524, it is strange to see these post for the Acura Tl HANDSFREE LINK all NOT working around the same time. We have a 2005, the link stopped working around the first of march.
    Says it "booting up", yet does not happen. Took it to dealer who said it would cost around $600.00!! And that is with about 1/2 hour of labor! That seems like an over inflated price to us. Looking into other options.

    Is this a coincidence for all these people to be having the same problem around the same time??? :confuse:

    ~Has any one else been having this problem?
    ~Has any one else looked into the options of fixing this?
    Thanks for your time in reading this, look forward to you responses.
  • andrewjamandrewjam Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2004 TL and this exact issue started in the first week of March. Very odd indeed. Is there a simple fix such as a fuse that can be replaced or is this a failure of a whole module?
  • swanieswanie Member Posts: 1
    More of the same. HF was working great. Was on a call and wandered away from the car - out of range for the phone. When I walked back, the phone would no longer connect and when you use the car's menu system to try and pair it, a message says "Booting Up", but it never finishes. This happened in Nov '09. I tried disconnecting the battery to completely reset things, but nada.
  • cadudetoazcadudetoaz Member Posts: 1
    Paruljain -
    Have you figured out a fix for the HFL Noise problem? I have the same problem (exactly the same) on my '05 RL. Any advice is appreciated.
  • mrhatboymrhatboy Member Posts: 4
    My bluetooth/handfree also went out in the same fashion about a month ago. I own a 2005 TL without navi. I took it to the dealer as well and they are looking in to it. I was getting the "BOOTING UP" message also, which was going nowhere.
  • gpko666gpko666 Member Posts: 1
    .... My bluetooth / HFL button not workin also.. have the booting up message also i have no idea how to fix it , had disconnect the battery , waited for 10 mins then pulg in back on, still wont work..... 05 TL as well......................=[ :mad:
  • tl500tl500 Member Posts: 1
    I also have this same issue. It stopped working a few months ago after ~1 year of working flawlessly. Can't figure it out...
  • mrhatboymrhatboy Member Posts: 4
    UPDATE: I had the HFL module replaced on the vehicle. Did not find out why it had failed. I purchased the extended warranty on my vehicle when I bought it new and the module was replaced at ~98k miles. Just short of the 100K warranty. I did not realize that the extended warranty covered this part. But I only paid $50 out of pocket for replacement. Acura (or the warranty) covered the rest. The part cost they showed me was ~$650 for the module.
  • kari524kari524 Member Posts: 7
    Good to know--I too have the extended warranty and only have 43K miles on the 05 I purchased last year. I also spoke to my own mechanic about the problem and he suggested that I check with Acura first as this was a $600.00 + part..
  • mrhatboymrhatboy Member Posts: 4
    Also, just FYI, (I don't remember what yr U said your TL was) but there is a Technical Service Bulletin from Acura for TL's in a certain VIN# range. I don't remember what the TSB number is but I know my 05' TL was not in that VIN range. This may also be an option for some of you. I found it on the internet so look for that there if you want to know more. Best of luck.
  • anniebeanniebe Member Posts: 2
    Good Morning,
    Thank you for you response. Can you tell me were I can find this bulletin?

    ALSO...INTERESTING...BATTERY WENT COMPLETELY DEAD AS WELL JUST THE OTHER DAY. MAYBE THERE IS A CONNECTION AS WELL?

    WANTED TO LET OTHERS KNOW AS WELL. THE ACURA IS A 2005 AS WELL

    Thanks will post if there is more info.
  • mrhatboymrhatboy Member Posts: 4
    http://www.acuraworld.com/tsb/3gTL/b05-020.pdf
  • talia05talia05 Member Posts: 1
    We brought our 05 TL to the dealer this past weekend to have the HFL checked out. After some hours, the service advisor had said that the unit is busted and needs to be replaced (which is about $650). Well, since we purchased the extended warranty when we purchased the car, we assumed it would be covered. Because the warranty center is closed on the weekends, the service dept was unable to get the approval to replace the unit. Being Saturday, we were able to get a loaner for the remainder of the weekend and our service advisor would call the warranty center come Monday morning to get the approval. We just got a call from the advisor stating the warranty we puchased DOES NOT cover electrical parts only engine and powertrain! This is really dissapointing!!! :mad: Looks like we won't have HFL anymore! :cry:
  • kari524kari524 Member Posts: 7
    Its odd that you were not covered. I made an appt with the dealer where I purchased the car, told them the problem, they checked it out, ordered the part which took a few days to come in and then had the part in the car in about 10 mins--totally painless. Now it could be that it was only 11 months after I purchased the car and it was a CPO car......... and I have the extended warrenty too but I know it saved me about 650 bucks! HF works fine now :)
  • efgraphxefgraphx Member Posts: 4
    I own a 2004 Acura TL with the same problems. Sofar have not been able to find a Replacement part for my car. Could I use the HFL Unit from the 2005 TL?

    Thanx,
    Erich
  • mahtavajonmahtavajon Member Posts: 1
    My HFL also stopped working about 6-8 months ago. I finally made it to the dealer today, to learn that it's a $680 part, plus 30 minutes of labor.

    Has anyone on this thread found a different resolution?
  • kari524kari524 Member Posts: 7
    No unfortunately that is the fix--- first I went to my local mechanic that I have been going to for years and he warned me it was a very expensive part - over 600 dollars and suggested I go back to the dealer since my car was CPOed - They ordered it, replaced it and all for 0 dollars - thanks goodness. It works beautifully now
  • k19k19 Member Posts: 9
    What does CPOed mean?

    Thanks
  • mmclendonmmclendon Member Posts: 1
    My 2006 TL has had a reliable Bluetooth Handsfree Link system (HFL) for 4 years. I have been very pleased with the operation of the Bluetooth system. A couple of weeks ago I purchased a new wireless handset and attempted to pair it with the HFL. The HFL did not 'see' the phone.

    I then performed a HFL system clear and a battery pull (hard reset) on the phone. Subsequent attempts to pair the new phone as well as several other phones that worked in the past now consistently fails.

    User initiated Acura HFL diagnostics pass and the voice recognition interface works fine.


    I dropped by the Acura dealer to get the HFL problem checked out. Only a couple of minutes in the service bay and the technician returned, advised that the HFL was not working and that the Johnson Controls Bluetooth module in the roof console would have to be replaced.

    The dealer service for this repair / replacement was quoted at $708.00! Wowie Zowie! An engine replacement isn't too much more! This price is extremely high and I declined the service. A little investigation reveals this problem to be very common and increasing in report frequency. If you are reading this perhaps you have also experienced the HFL failure. If you haven't, you likely will!

    The dealer, the manufacturer (Johnson Controls) and Acura Corporate Quality have all ignored this issue. Since the module is located in the roof and fails after just a few years, the cause is likely heat-related component failure. We may never know. If I get the opportunity to analyze the root cause, I'll report back here.

    Needless to say, I am disappointed in Acura's electronics reliability and the company's attitude. Over the years I have bought several Acuras but probably not this time.
  • glenn_nglenn_n Member Posts: 3
    I just got a 2007 TSX and over half my friends say the sound quality is terrible. I now ask everyone - the other 1/2 say it's fine.

    Did you ever get your problem resolved? I think I need to insist that the dealer give me new microphone - or do they have to replace the entire HFL module?

    I also have a Motorola bluetooth speakerphone. I have left messages on my home phone while driving on the highway, using both Bluetooth units. The Moto is very clear, the Acura HFL sucks. Naturally my local dealer thought it was fine on his end. He suggested that the Moto speakerphone sounded better because it was located closer to me - so I moved it to the passenger visor and it still sounded better.

    BTW, here's how to use other Bluetooth device and avoid pairing with the Acura HFL ... simply make sure to turn on your other BT device before you turn on the car.
  • gt4roegt4roe Member Posts: 6
    Erich - good news - I just found a Honda Parts site that sells the exact unit needed for the 2004 Acura TL for only $275. The link below should take you right to the page, or you can search - it is under the Interior Lights category.

    http://www.hondapartsunlimited.com/index.php?p=page&page_id=productdisplay&input- state=5&make=Acura&model=TL&year=2004&version=4DR%20BASE%20%28NAVIGATION%29&tran- smission=KA5AT&section=ELECTRICAL%20/%20EXHAUST%20/%20HEATER%20/%20FUEL&componen- ts=INTERIOR%20LIGHT&submit=submit

    I just pulled out my old one and it is easy to replace yourself. The link below has instructions.

    http://www.acuraworld.com/tsb/3gTL/b05-020.pdf

    Mike
  • efgraphxefgraphx Member Posts: 4
    Hey Thanx Mike. I'll check it out and get back to you.
    Erich
  • k19k19 Member Posts: 9
    Thanks that helped! I have a 2005 TL. Did you just have to unplug bad HFL and plug in new HFL? Or did you have to connect wires?

    Thanks again

    Joe
  • clo73clo73 Member Posts: 2
    I am having the same type of issue with my 2007 Acura TL. It is just out of the 50,000 warranty and is not working. I was given about the same estimate for repair. I wish that we could get Acura to see that this is an issue. Any suggestions for some type of group effort?
  • petectpetect Member Posts: 1
    I purchased a 2006 MDX in Nov 2009 with CPO. The HFL has been working flawlessly for the past year. Yesterday, it worked on the way home from work, and this morning, it did not. There is no icon on the screen any more. I check the fuses, but none of them are blown; and all the other things on those fuses still work. I deleted my phone from the HFL and repaired it. My phone recongnized it and was fine, but when I go into the 'phone setup' and then 'status' it says there is no phone connected. After reading everyones posts, I am a little hopeful that this will be covered by warrany; especially since I'm still under manufacturer! Will keep you all posted on what happens, and what went wrong...if they tell me!
  • turtleman52turtleman52 Member Posts: 1
    i have a 2010 honda odyssey i get phone to pair then when i get ready to import the phone book it tell me that the handsfree link fail so what is going on could it be that i didnt update the navigation system
  • kylechoffmankylechoffman Member Posts: 79
    I thought I would weigh in on this because I have been reading this forum on this issue and my wife's 2006 TL had this issue occur last month. I did research on the issue on here as well as other acura forums and gathered a lot of facts on this issue prior to calling our dealership, Acura Escondido in San Diego Ca. I told them that this was a common problem with TLs, mentioned the service bulletin that covers 2004 TLs and asked them to look at it for free and if it was indeed the problem that I mentioned and is all over the web (6000 hits on google search on this issue), that Acura pay for it. So they agreed to look at it today and after confirming what I told them, consulted with ACURA USA and are picking up the cost of the labor and a new HFL module. I recommend all of you taking the same approach and wish you all the success I had.
  • andrewjamandrewjam Member Posts: 2
    Thanks Kyle.
  • kpokry01kpokry01 Member Posts: 1
    I went to the same dealer about 6 months ago and they told me it was going to cost about $800. I will be calling them shortly to make sure I get the same deal you received. Thanks for the post!
  • efgraphxefgraphx Member Posts: 4
    edited March 2011
    Hi. Just want to let everyone know that I had the dealer replace my HFL yesterday. The cost was $474.00 was used the "Goodwill Concideration." I now have a 1 year/12000 mile warrenty on this as it is a new improved HFL.
    It was alot of work, but it finally paid off. I have a 2004 Acura TL with Navi and of course, was out of warranty. After researching the problems assoicated with the Unit, I gathered all this information including the Bulletin 05-020. At first, my dealer wasn't too helpful, but through persistence and facts, I was able to get this done. You guys helped me out in so many ways, as well as the internet. So my advice to all in need of a new unit, plan your strategy, then make your move. I called Johnson Controls and spoke to the top guys in the automotive/bluetooth division. And spoke to Handsfreelink.com personal. I covered all my bases before I proceeded.
    My next replacement will be the dashboard, as it is cracking. Time to start the research. And I think my Dealer is ready for me as they know I mean business.
    Good Luck Everyone!
  • glenn_nglenn_n Member Posts: 3
    My situation has gone from bad to worse. I insisted that they replace my HFL due to poor sound quality on the other end (about 50% of people I talk complain that they cannot understand me). Local Acura service says it sounds fine, but I also have a Motorola BT speakerphone that sounds much better. Recordings left on my home answering machine clearly demonstrate the difference, but the dealer service says no, the HFL sounds normal to him.

    Anyway, they replaced the part in the roof area - apparently this is the HFL microphone, but not the actual HFL controller. Since that time I have had a number of new problems: intermittent failure to link BT, intermittent failure to recognize my dialing instructions, intermittent failure to drop BT link when car is turned off (and no call is in progress), BT establishing new link to phone 5 minutes after car is turned off!

    It sounds like the HFL controller is now on the fritz, but if it is NOT located in the roof with the HFL microphone, I wonder why these problems began as soon as the microphone was replaced?
  • kmitchell00kmitchell00 Member Posts: 1
    Funny! The first part of March I also suddenly lost connectivity between my HFL and iPhone 3G. Called HFL customer service and they could not help with re-pairing my phone. Told me to take it to the dealer and they said I need a new unit. Cost to replace $1,000!!! Glad I checked here first. Sounds like something's fishy with HFL
  • clo73clo73 Member Posts: 2
    I am in agreement that this HFL needs to become a class action suit of some kind. My HFL was out of service at 56,000 miles and is very expensive to replace. I consider this a defective part. Acura offered little or no help. Of course not when you can make that kind of profit selling replacement parts. If anyone begins a suit, please contact me by email.
  • kshaidkshaid Member Posts: 1
    I'm experiencing the same frustrating situation. It has worked just fine for 5 years and just 2 weeks ago when we bought a new BT phone and tried to pair it, it quit working. We called Acura support and they walked us through resetting it and none of that worked. The BT buttons on the steering wheel do not work at all. Today, we were charged a $100 diagnostic charge for them just to tell us what you guys already know. Then, they quoted us $800 for the repair (I can't remember if that included the $150 labor charge or just for the part). Of course it is out of warranty now so we would be footing the bill. I DON'T think so. I believe I'll be circling back with them with all of your prior posts to see if I can get it repaired for free. This is ridiculous. :mad:
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