Last Updated on March 24, 2022
If you’re having trouble getting your car Bluetooth to work, don’t worry – you’re not alone! Many people have this problem.
In this article, we will discuss the five most common reasons for why car Bluetooth might not be working or connecting. Hopefully this information will help you troubleshoot and fix the issue.
What is Bluetooth?
Bluetooth is a wireless technology that is used for short-range data transfer. It is a low-power technology that uses radio frequency to pair devices, like your phone, with other Bluetooth devices.
Bluetooth technology has become the standard for short-range data transfer in many industries. In the automotive industry, Bluetooth has been implemented in cars to provide hands-free calling and wireless audio streaming.
Causes of Bluetooth Not Working In Your Car
People often have problems with their Bluetooth device not connecting to their car’s computer. Below are the top 5 causes for why this might occur.
#1 – Compatibility Issues
One of the most issues involves compatibility. For example, one person may be able to get their phone to connect to the car’s Bluetooth, but the other person in the car cannot. This can be really frustrating, especially if you’re trying to use hands-free features while driving.
There are a couple things that you can try if you’re having compatibility problems with your car’s Bluetooth. The best thing to do is to make sure that both your phone and the car’s system are up to date. Sometimes there can be updates that improve Bluetooth compatibility since a new version of Bluetooth may not be compatible with the Bluetooth receiver in your vehicle.
Secondly, try restarting both your phone and the car. Sometimes this can help clear up any issues.
#2 – Not Ready to Pair
A lot of people often assume that once both of their Bluetooth devices are on, then you can just transmit files between them afterward. They forget that you have to set each device to “pairing mode” or “send/receive mode” for the data files to get transferred.
#3 – Low Power
When using Bluetooth through your smartphone, it can use up a lot of battery power if it’s left on for a long time. An example of this is when you use the Bluetooth radio on your smartphone.
As the battery power gets low, the Bluetooth connection stops working. You need to recharge the battery to reestablish the connection.
#4 – Failing to Pair
Sometimes you will just have a weak connection between the two Bluetooth devices. You may not even get a connection at all. This might happen if you previously had a connection, went too far away from it, and then came back toward it.
In this scenario, try turning off your devices and then turning them back on. Re-pairing the devices may be necessary.
#5 – Interference
Other electronic devices which transmit wireless signals could interfere with your Bluetooth signal. A Wi-Fi connection, for example, will most likely be what does this. You may also see this with anything that generates a radio spectrum signal. Some people even claim that a USB 3.0 wired connection will interfere with Bluetooth too.
Bluetooth has been out for a while but it is amazing how little most people know about it. So, if you’re having problems connecting your Bluetooth device to your car, just look upon these possible causes and you’ll likely figure out which one is the cause of your failed connection.
My Bluetooth keeps cutting out intermittently when playing Spotify and Waze but fine on a hands free phone call. Any clues? Tia
Is your car connected to more than one device? Sometimes when you connect multiple devices, one will momentarily steal audio from the other (for instance, when you get a text notification).
If you remove the phone from the car, the signal will drop off pretty quickly. Bluetooth doesn’t have a very long range. You could try restarting your phone and see if that helps as well.