New Entune Update with New Apps and More!

Omigosh. Here we go again. Would you like to hear the next chapter in my never-ending story?

I hope you all appreciate me. I'm sacrificing myself so that you may be spared a terrible fate. I could have taken the coward's way out and saved myself. But no, I thought of you, and hurled myself into the volcano that is Toyota service.

I'm getting ahead of myself. Here's the brief version of what happened. I started today's adventure at 12:15 and crawled home 7:15; do the math. And I'm not even in my own car, which remains in pieces at the dealer. But again, I'm getting ahead of myself.

So there was this bug in Entune 5.1, and the wizards at Toyota have been treating it as if something broke in my car rather than as a general software bug. I don't blame my local dealer for this; they've been getting their orders from the mothership, which is supposed to be wise in such things. So on this, my third visit, they resolved to replace my radio. That would fix it!

Yeah, fat chance. But who am I to question the wisdom of the mothership?

So I brought my car in, prepared to leave it for at least several hours. I thought of telling them that, if by grace of God, the replacement radio still had the old Entune 3.2, they should NOT upgrade it to the new Entune 5.1. Yes, I wanted to tell them that so much I could taste it. In fact, I even wrote a note to this effect, with the intention of demanding the service guy be instructed. But in the end, I kept said note in my pocket. I had a sense this was going to go bad no matter what, and I didn't want to make myself appear responsible by having put my clumsy hand on the tiller. No, this looming catastrophe must end up being someone else's fault, and then I would be in a better position to wax indignant and break furniture.

So I left my car for an hour. Two hours. Three hours. Queries were met by the usual "real soon now". After four hours, I wander over to the off-limits work area. Across the room, I see someone working on my car. The service manager is talking to the tech. Some lackey sees me and tries to hustle me back to the waiting area, but I stand my ground, pointing at the service manager. She finishes at my car and approaches me.

"We installed the new radio," she tells me, "and it was loaded with Entune 3.2. So..." A sense of dread began to creep into my bones. I know exactly how this conversation is going to go.

"I would have told you to leave it that way," I said lamely.

"We would have done that, but Toyota headquarters told us to perform the update," she said. "They wanted to confirm that the problem was fixed."

"And the problem came back just as before, didn't it?" I asked expectantly.

"Not exactly. Doing the upgrade locked up the radio. Now it's waiting for the upgrade to finish, except it's stuck." She pauses to let that sink in. "So the radio doesn't work."

This is a state that is known in tech circles as being "bricked". Meaning, a sophisticated piece of hardware has turned into a brick.

Here's the end result. My radio was in pieces. Their technician was exhausted. I discussed taking the car without a radio, but they wanted to keep it. Then they'd work with Toyota to figure this thing out in a way that might actually give some guidance to headquarters. I mumbled vaguely that they could probably replicate this problem on any of the thousands of Toyotas in their inventory; why did they need my car? But they answered, not unreasonably, that my car happened to be in the spotlight right now, and thus was the best candidate to figure out how to turn a broken unit into a working unit. And they'd give me a loaner, so I shouldn't have to come back until they had really fixed the thing. Otherwise, there was no way of knowing how many times I'd have to return.

So I got in the Corolla they gave me and drove home, where I now write my report.

The good news -- for you, anyway -- is that if I ever get my car back in working shape -- IF -- then Toyota headquarters should subsequently be officially aware of the problem and the solution. That means they'll be able to fix your car like they fixed mine, except you won't have to spend days shuttling back and forth to Toyota. My sacrifice shall not have been in vain.

This all assumes that there is someone in the Toyota food chain who is capable of dealing with this sort of issue. I'm assuming such a person exists. All I have to do is get his focus for a few moments. This quest hasn't proved as straightforward as I'd originally hoped, but I'm still in the game.

I wonder whether I'll ever see my car again.

 

Hope it all turns out well in your favor.

On a positive note, I enjoyed reading your never ending adventures with Toyota.

Good luck! May the force be with you!

 

holy Corolla! Please keep us updated; and may the force be with you.

 

Here's my reply from Toyota. Interesting to note: The iPhone 6 has been out for almost a year.

"Thank you for contacting Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.

We apologize for the issues you have experienced with the operation of the Entune system on your 2013 Prius c.

Based on the information provided with your email, you are using the iPhone 6 through AT&T which has yet to be tested to make sure it is compatible with Entune and as you have seen there are operational issues. It is disappointing to hear that the most recent software update seems to have removed capabilities that you previously had.

Our best recommendation is to continue checking with the Toyota Connect website for any updates on when the phone is tested and final determination is made regarding any possible updates to allow users like you to have trouble free access to all the apps.

Your email has been documented at our National Headquarters under file #1511090516."

 

I had this problem after the 5.0.1 Entune update on my 2014 Prius. Talked to customer service that said no way to back off the defective update and that I would have to wait for a fix whenever they get around to putting out a new update. They are apparently aware of this issue. My case number Case #1511130704. Also forum member greinstein has a thread on this same MP3 memory problem.
I must say after working in IT for 34+ years the idea that their software patch methodology doesn't allow you restore to an earlier version seems incredible!

 

Okay, what's next? My Toyota dealer called to tell me the Toyota mothership has instructed that, after bricking last week's new radio, they should try again with another new radio. Of course, the dealer doesn't have a new radio sitting around, so one is being sent. I had to wait a few weeks for the last new radio, but they tell me they'll have this one next week. They asked if they could keep my car in the interim. In the pathetic hope that I might get my car back next week in an easy exchange, I told them okay. (The alternative was to make them reassemble the radio, then I'd have to come get the car, then I'd have to bring it back again and wait for hours while they worked on it again -- and quite possibly broke it again.)

As I've said, I could have told them to install a new radio, and if it came with Entune 3.2 pre-installed (which it probably would), then just leave it that way. But Toyota headquarters is apparently aware of a greater problem, and they seem to hold out hope that they'll solve it based on what they learn from tinkering with my car. So my plan is to let them handle this as they think best, hopefully clearing the way for everyone else who experiences a similar problem. (They should be able to reproduce these problems on their own hardware, instead of hijacking my car. But, having gotten their attention, I won't quibble. As an engineer, I know there's nothing quite like hands-on experience with a problem, and I appreciate how elusive problems can be.)

So what are the odds that I'll get my car back next week with a working radio and the podcast "rewind" problem solved? Place your bets, folks...

 

I wager a Starbucks large: "No!"

 

Yikes! I'm sooo glad I held off updating my entune. Thinking I'll stay on the ol 3.2 for the long term future.

I do enjoy following this story though, and hope it all works out for you in the end! Thanks for taking one for the team!

 

Any Updates?

 

Yeah, what is the status of his situation now? I was going to update mine, but after reading this thread, heck no! Mine works fine with my Galaxy Note3 with android version 5.0. If it aint broke, ...................

 

Not heard a thing, and still waiting for the promised fix.

 

Redirect To headUnits


1

Update Type - Update Type – Multimedia operating system / Gracenote / Entune App Suite
Updates Entune® App Suite with enhanced iHeartRadio and adds the Destination Search and Slacker Radio apps (versions older than 5.1.0). Also updates your multimedia system with the latest improvements to version 5.2.0. If your software version is lower than this number, this update is applicable. Note: Click on the "Installation Instructions" link for steps to execute the software update with a USB flash drive and for information on how to identify your current Software Version, if desired....Hide



Vehicle Installation Instructions
The update released on: Aug 01 2016


could this be a new update for entune? can someone please verfiy?

 

FYI, I gave up waiting for a fix to this and replaced the head unit with a Pioneer CD music system. This one remembers my place in audio books/podcasts. I have my old head unit sitting on a shelf if some update finally fixes all of the reported bugs.

 

Bump. Did anyone end up updating to 5.2, and if so, did it fix the issues with 5.1? I'm still on 3.2, been holding off until these issues clear up.

 

I'm on 5.1 and if I could go back to 3.2, I would. I'm not moving 5.2. Every update I've made fixed one problem but introduced another.

 

I don't think I have the latest update. How do I get it? I remember hooking my phone up to the head unit and being connected to wifi. Updates would download. Is this how I would get the update? Or do I have to go to the dealer and have them charge me like $150??

 

from reading these posts....mind works fine, I don't think I'll upgrade! If it's not broke, don't fix it!!