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2020 PHEV Bluetooth won't disconnect + AA remains active after car shuts off

3K views 6 replies 3 participants last post by  atc98092 
#1 ·
Hi Folks,

My 2020 PHEV LXS won't drop the Bluetooth connection to my phone (Android) after I shut off the car. This means audio is routed to the car despite the car being turned off. Eventually (hours later) it'll finally disconnect (prob when I'm finally far enough away for it to lose the BT connection), but it's an annoyance.

I recently got the MA-1 Android Auto adapter, and now not only is BT still connected, the phone remains in AA mode. The quick fix is to unplug the AA adapter each time I turn off the car, but that's a pain. I could build a USB extension cable with an inline switch on the power leads, but that's a brute-force solution to what shouldn't be an issue.

Has anyone else experienced this? I'm hoping there's a simple answer that I'm overlooking, ideally a menu setting which disconnects BT when the car is shut off, or even one which removes power from the USB port when the car is shut off. Any suggestions are welcome and appreciated!

If it makes any difference, version info is: Model: DEPE_PHEVP19P.DVAMC.F1US, SW Ver: DEPE_PHEV.USA.D2V.002.001.191207, Firmware Ver: DEPE_PHEV.USA.V118.191023. I've never upgraded from what came from the dealer (not for a lack of trying, though I haven't tried again in about a year).
 
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#2 ·
The infotainment system should shut down as soon as the driver's door is opened (assuming the car is turned off. Excuse the dumb question, but you are turning the car off first, right? With the PHEV it's easy to forget the car's "on" since the engine isn't running. I admit I've walked away from the car after parking and then realizing I left it on.
 
#4 ·
I'm definitely shutting the car off (put it in park, press the power button, everything shuts down as you'd expect) and the door open switch seems to be working correctly. When I turn off the car, the infotainment display remains on until I open the door (or it times out after a few minutes if I haven't opened the door yet), at which point the display and audio and everything shuts down. And even though the phone is still showing as being connected to the car via BT, once the car is off, I'm not hearing audio coming from the car's speakers.

Part of me wonders if this is a car issue or a phone issue. But the USB port continues to output power, which means the AA adapter remains powered on even after the car is fully off. Is it normal behavior to have the port powered up ALL the time?
 
#5 ·
art of me wonders if this is a car issue or a phone issue. But the USB port continues to output power, which means the AA adapter remains powered on even after the car is fully off. Is it normal behavior to have the port powered up ALL the time?
Wait, are you using some sort of USB powered adapter, and not just referring to the car's Bluetooth connection? Yes, the USB port remains powered for some time after the car is turned off. If your phone is connected to an external adapter, I can see this occurring, and there's nothing you can do except either unplug the adapter from the USB port or turn the Bluetooth off in your phone when you exit.
 
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#6 ·
I'm using a Motorola MA-1 to bring wireless Android Auto via the USB port you'd normally plug the phone into. Wireless AA uses a combination of Bluetooth (from the car) and WiFi (which this adapter provides, among other things) to link up the phone. But ignoring Android Auto for a minute, let me ask a couple of fundamental q's: 1) in my car, after the car is fully shut off, the USB port remains powered on all the time, not just for a period of time after the car is turned off. Is that typical? 2) Even prior to getting the adapter, Bluetooth to the car seems to be connected for sometimes hours after I have shut off the car. Is that also typical?

I wish there was some kind of helpdesk where we could ask these kind of questions directly of Kia. The dealerships have no clue, and no interest in helping. Given how much emphasis is placed on these features, it's somewhat ridiculous that there isn't a good path of getting decent assistance when you run into problems.
 
#7 ·
1) to my knowledge the USB power does turn off eventually, but I have no idea how long. I've never left anything plugged in long term to say for sure. Simply opening the driver's door might reenergize the port, so it might seem like it's always powered on. But full time power is certainly a possibility.

2) I never noticed my Bluetooth connection continuing after I open the driver's door, providing the car was turned off. That would be consistent across probably the last dozen cars I've owned with Bluetooth.
 
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