Apple Car Play and making phone calls

[Chad Heiser]

I did a search, but couldn't find anything specifically on point. I have a new 2024 Badlands with the High Lux package and Sasquatch Package. I picked it up last week and have been going over all the electronics and trying to get things set up properly. I have connected both my and my wife's iPhone 15's to the Bronco via Bluetooth and Apple Car Play. Both phones connect easily and automatically. My issue specifically is when my phone connects via wireless Apple Car Play and I attempt to make a phone call, there is no audio. I can make the call without issue and the call connects to the intended recipient, but I cannot hear the recipient and they cannot hear me. Not matter what I do during the call, I cannot get the audio to work. The only way I have found to make the phone call audio work is to go into the Synch phone settings and toggle Apple Car Play off so it connects just via Bluetooth and then toggle Apple Car Play back on. Once I do this, the phone audio works as it should with no issues. This is a repeatable error with the phone and happens upon initial wireless Apple Car Play connection every time so far. The toggle on/off of Apple Car Play in Sync always fixes the issue, but I don't want to have to do this every time I get in the vehicle. Has anyone else had this issue and if so, how did you fix it?

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[contented]

22 badlands, sas, lux here. Mine will do the silent treatment once a month or so. Phone calls, Siri, etc are affected. My solution, which works every time, is turn off the ignition, open the door, close the door, restart engine, phone connects, CarPlay comes up, all is well. Although I really have no clue why the silent treatment happens intermittently, I chalk it up to an issue between an iOS update, CarPlay, and the bronco.

Welcome to the forum.

 

[Dugout]

@Chad Heiser same rig and I also get the silent treatment with phones calls/music/etc and sometimes a complete loss of wireless connection to CarPlay.
Silent treatment is a quick disconnect of CarPlay on the touchscreen or a complete delete of phone on Bronco and a reconnection of CarPlay from scratch.
18.2 iOS & BOS 10.1.1

 

[Brian_B]

Welcome to Bronco Wireless CarPlay

It’s full of bugs

You can try rebooting everything one time by unhooking the negative battery cable for about 5 minutes. You shouldn’t have to do that every time, but when weird stuff starts happening it’s a good first thing to try

Next step is to try removing your phone and readding it

If that doesn’t work, disable wireless app projection in sync (this disables wireless CarPlay) and try using CarPlay with a USB cable - see if that helps or does anything different

You can also “reboot” sync by pressing radio power + fast forward for about 10 seconds. That may be easier than disconnecting and reconnecting CarPlay, and accomplishes the same thing as turning off the vehicle, opening the door, then getting back in and restarting.

Anecdotally - I have stopped using wireless CarPlay all together, but when I did I noticed it would tend to have issues if the phone was awake, and especially if I was using it, when CarPlay tried to connect. Or if I put the vehicle in gear - particularly in reverse, before CarPlay was connected and the screen had switched over.

Wired CarPlay seems to take longer to initialize / connect (it always wants to index the phone has a usb drive first) but I have a lot fewer gremlins and a lot better audio quality. And my phone battery stays charged

 

[El Diablo]

About once a month I get this silent treatment usually when I drive off before Car Play initiates and syncs. I wait until I get to a stoplight, shut the engine, open/close the drivers door then restart. Problem goes away. Have a 2022 badsas with lux and I always usb connect my iphone but this issue happens wireless as well. I believe its a Ford Sync issue.

 

[Gump]

22 badlands, sas, lux here. Mine will do the silent treatment once a month or so. Phone calls, Siri, etc are affected. My solution, which works every time, is turn off the ignition, open the door, close the door, restart engine, phone connects, CarPlay comes up, all is well. Although I really have no clue why the silent treatment happens intermittently, I chalk it up to an issue between an iOS update, CarPlay, and the bronco.

Welcome to the forum.

Next time, try putting your iPhone into airplane mode, then turn off airplane mode. On your Sync, tap on CarPlay. Everything should reconnect, and there should be no more silent treatment. I have the same issue, and found that doing the airplane mode thing does the trick.

 

[LMG]

The easiest solution is to reboot the sync system by pressing and holding the power button and fast forward buttons simultaneously until the screen goes black. This can be done in motion as well.
Once it reloads the problem is resolved.
This will also clear any other random bugs that occur.
We have experienced the silent treatment a few times as well and the reboot corrected it.

 

[Num Num]

I do the stop , turn off, open door, restart method as well. Might try the airplane mode toggle and see if that works. It only happens ever so often.

 

[Chad Heiser]

Thanks for the feedback. At least I now know it is not an issue specific to my set up. Has anyone contacted Ford directly about this issue and gotten a response?

 

[Brian_B]

There was supposed to be a big SYNC update Q4’24 but appears it’s been pushed back

 

[Figmo]

Here's an off-the-wall fix that has gotten me more than once: make sure no other bluetooth devices are turned on and within range. Such as an ear piece or the wife's car. Obvious, I know, but sometimes so obvious we forget to think of it.

 

[Chad Heiser]

Here's an off-the-wall fix that has gotten me more than once: make sure no other bluetooth devices are turned on and within range. Such as an ear piece or the wife's car. Obvious, I know, but sometimes so obvious we forget to think of it.

My issue happens when my phone is the only bluetooth device present or active and so far it has happened every time my phone has connected.

 

[Figmo]

My issue happens when my phone is the only bluetooth device present or active and so far it has happened every time my phone has connected.

For sure your problem is a legit problem. I've had it happen to me as well. Though not every time like you. Mine is more like "once a month" kind of frequency. Disconnecting and reconnecting CarPlay always fixes it.

My comment was more of a "are you sure it's plugged in" kind of suggestion. Just to be sure to differentiate between the usual "muted CarPlay" problem that most of us see, and the "oh shit....DUUUUHHH" kind of problem that one never wants to admit publicly.

 

[Area51BS]

It’s not just the Bronco. We’ve had/have 2 Bronco sports, 2 Mavericks and Bronco. All have sync issues. The Bronco is absolutely the worst and least driven. There is no fix everytime method I have found. Sometimes it’s a radio reboot, phone reboot, forget/reconnect phone. The most common issue is playing music even though it’s in progress playing on phone. Silent, no phone connection as a music source. Sometimes CarPlay is displayed. Simetimes
Phone call and Siri features have been fairly stable.
It really acts up with short trips, restarts. Every third start you have some kind of issue. Also at times the volume control doesn’t work. Or the volume circle on display is tiny.

 

[BUCKIN6VA]

I had my Bronco for a few weeks before my wife connected her iPhone (I'd connected mine Day 1). I started getting issues immediately after she connected her phone. Removed her phone and it's been fine ever since. I ask her to use Wired CarPlay if she ever drives, instead of reconnecting her phone (because every time she has it gives me more trouble).

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