Entune - class action suit, anyone?

I have the HDD head unit, like the OP. Since you have a Prius Three, I'm guess you have the Display Audio head unit. It's different. The HDD unit streams audio via Bluetooth - USB not required.

I have an iPhone 4s. I don't have tethering because I don't want to pay for it and lose my grandfathered unlimited data plan. The iPhone pairs with the car flawlessly every time. I can stream music from the phone if I want, but I usually don't because I also have an iPod connected via USB and it has more music on it than my phone does. It works flawlessly as well. Provided I have the Entune app actually running on my phone, Pandora, etc., work just fine. I don't use them much, so my experience may not be typical. I get weather and traffic via XM, so no need to go to Entune for that.

I agree with Ron K. Even with Display Audio there's no need to tether your car to the phone. It should pair via Bluetooth with no problem - at least to make phone calls. I can't speak to how Entune works with the Display Audio. But that was not the OP's question.

 

Interesting. The Entunes website does not differentiate but makes the following lead off statements.

To use Entune™, all Android™ and Blackberry® devices connect wirelessly to all Entune™-enabled multimedia systems.

Display Audio multimedia systems require all iPhones® to be cabled to the USB port. This requirement allows the display Audio Entune™ system to operate with full functionality. It also recharges all iPhones™.

I know on my lowly 6" unit, it never did work well via the USB cable but has worked as advertised via the Bluetooth wireless connection once I added Hotspot tethering.

It may be that the iPhone/Prius Bluetooth might work for some (you) but not for others (Ron K) without the Hotspot enabled but with the Hotspot enabled it always works via the Bluetooth internet connection

I gave up the unlimited as I was never going over the less expensive 2GB limit and figured I'd save $15 a month. Then the Prius required the Hotspot so now I'm $5 more a month than my original unlimited for 5GB and the Hotspot. The Hotspot has turned out to be a GREAT convenience. It saved me $150 on my iPad since I didn't need 3G. It allows me to log in to web with iPad and Mini independently and, most of all, it made Entunes work as advertised in the Prius.

 

It should work the same for Ron K and I, since we both have the HDD head unit. It should not work without USB for you, since you have the Display Audio head unit. Good on you for figuring out the hotspot fix! That was a cool piece of work and probably really helpful info for people with Display Audio who don't want to use USB.

But it still should work for Ron K without.

The one thing I keep coming back to in my head is that the Entune app has to be the current, active app on your iPhone. The Entune site says this over and over again. The iPhone tends to swap apps out when it needs the resources for something else. With Blackberries, for example, apps that are multitasking continue to function. But with the iPhone, apps in the app launcher bar may or may not be active. Most probably aren't. "Multitasking" on the iPhone is really closing with an option to save the current state for reopening.

I'm wondering if some of the problems that people are having with Entune and iPhones has to do with the app swapping out unexpectedly? This is just a theory. As I said, I don't use it very often.

 

But it's not and lots of people reporting intermittent success, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. The USB ports on the Prius are marginal often refusing iPhone connections claiming they are are drawing too much power and shutting off.

What should work and what does work on the Prius/Nav/Internet device are moving targets. So many devices, so many different setups, so many toggles to be missed, it works for some not for others. What does seem bulletproof on the iPhone is get the Hotspot tethering option plus it provides great convenience and even money savings depending on the users current options and other mobile devices.

It is a solution if the author is interested. Much less cost than the class action suit.

 

Works on iPhone with new Prius v Premium HDD only if you do not plug in USB. If you do that, you get better iPod functionality. But on the next use (e.g., park, shop, then return and try to re-connect), chances are it will fail completely. When this does happen, you will probably get a message on the head unit saying that there must be an application running… Don't give up, you can clear up the problem by performing a soft reset of your iPhone (hold down the “home menu” button and the “power” button for about 10-15 seconds. Agreed this is not nice, but it's better than what I went through for a week before I knew the trick to success.

DO NOT USE THE USB CABLE AND ENTUNE TOGETHER!

 

Prius V Five with Display Audio issues:

No Entune app for Windows Phone 7.5 (AT&T/Nokia Lumia 900).

Why insist on SPP instead of A2DP for Bluetooth audio?

Bluetooth phone and text-to-voice message notification work.

Bluetooth passthru of Zune audio media and track information works -- BUT NO AUDIO (apparently due to no SPP).

Connecting the Lumia via USB drives an error "Power consumption of USB device too high. USB device will therefore be turned off." this despite no error of shutdown occurring on any USB/USB2.0 port on any device to which the Lumia has been connected.

So, lacking Bluetooth as well as USB options, no internet connectivity is possible.

Apparently, "a Prius thing."

 

I have a 2013 Highlander Hybrid and I've had nothing but issues with Entune. When I took delivery of the vehicle, the salesman couldn't get my phone to pair. I have an HTC Evo 4G, which the Entune site lists as a compatible phone as of 10/12.

The problem is that the phone will pair and connect only once. After that, any subsequent connections between the phone and Entune (for whatever purpose, phone, Internet, or music) fail. I will unpair the phone and Entune, but the re-pairing will not work always. I oftentimes have to change the BlueTooth name for either the Entune head unit or my phone to get them to re-pair. Then I get one usage out of it... until I turn off my car.

I've tried using a USB cable. No dice.
I've tried running the Entune Android app on my phone. Equally no dice.
I've tried my phone in my wife's 2007 Prius and it paired fine. Stayed paired and connecting. No issues.
I've tried my wife's phone (same model) in my Highlander. No dice.

I took the phone and car to the dealer. They offered me a loaner for the day. I noted that the phone would not stay connected -- that it would pair, but not stay connected. They re-paired it, it worked once, and then the same issue -- it won't re-connect.

I've ran through all scenarios with HTC customer support and they said the issue is the Toyota head unit.

The dealer wants me to go in and spend a couple of hours with his service technician, but there's only one service tech who has the training on Entune and he's only available for a 2 hour period in the middle of the week. The service techs use an iPhone to troubleshoot, instead of an Android device. They noted if it is a head unit, they'd have to order that (2 weeks), get it installed and tested, and that there was no guarantee that would fix it.

I'm just about fed up with the runaround. For $52k, you'd think that the car would work flawlessly.

Not a happy Entune owner.

 

So, will we see a drop in Toyota's rep and reliability in a few years as with Ford's over their system?