LG G4 - Infiniti Q50 Bluetooth Static on calls

[AC Question]

I have an LG G4 on T-Mobile and just got a 2015 Infiniti Q50. This phone pairs perfectly and all features work--except the phone call sound is terrible! It's crackly, has tons of static and my wife says it sounds like I'm under water and she can't understand a word. I can hear the static from my end too.

The phone pairs with other vehicles and tried it on my wife's minivan and worked like a charm. Called LG and they want me to send it into them for a free "repair." I even tried the new Marshmallow but same result. Tried a full restore to scratch.

Anyone have this issue or can offer some guidance/advice?

 

[drumnj]

I have the exact same problem. Same everything (phone and car).

I know for a fact the phone worked before without the static and cracking so I was surprised to find that it did for me today, which is how I came accross your post. The car works fine with my other phone (an M9) and the LG G4 works fine with bluetooth audio. It is just the phone call conversations where it sounds terrible (both incoming audio and for the person on the other end). For me the only thing that has changed with the phone since I know it last worked was installing Marshmallow.

Hopefully there is a way to pin-point the problem.

 

[jeremyaz1]

I contacted LG product support and ended up sending it in for service. I am doubtful that they will fix it--but who knows. I believe they received the device today, so I should have it back the middle of next week and will report. Since I just got the car and never paired it until after going to Marshmallow I cannot say if that update was the cause or not. I did downgrade it back to default, I think that is Lollipop v 5.1 and it still had the static on the phone calls.

If anyone else has this problem, please post. I will report back what LG did and if it worked. Fingers crossed but not expecting a miracle.

 

[coaster1993]

Exact same everything here. Same car and as you said it worked well before.
Phoned Google since they push the updates. They say it is a hardware problem and LG say they will fix the phone under warranty. Not convinced they will achieve anything.

 

[jeremyaz1]

Got an email today that my phone has been shipped back to me, expected to receive in a couple days. Of note, the email said:

Defect: Sound-Incoming/Outgoing (Loop Back)
Repair Results: Speaker / Receiver

I've seen on Swappa and other sites people looking to buy phones and asking about a loop back. I guess this one had it--whatever a loop back issue is/was---or that is their best guess at fixing it. I'll report more when I receive the phone midweek. Hope this helps!

 

[saltyorange]

I am having the same problem on Verizon. My Lg G4 was actually recently replaced for a different problem...I think I had one of the models where the motherboards started dying. Anyway, I got a replacement. After the marshmallow update, I got static with the Q50. My wife's LG G3 (with marshmallow now as well) is fine. The LG G4 sounds fine in a Toyota Camry rental car I recently had to. This is definitely a weird problem....glad it is not just me though. Let us know if it gets better on yours with a new phone.

 

[jeremyaz1]

Just got the phone back and looked at the paperwork which said the repair was "replaced speaker / receiver." I get the phone started up and connect via bluetooth and make the maiden call and..... static. Maybe they don't know the difference between bluetooth and a speaker. Haven't had my phone for the last 9 days and now I'm more than upset. Knowing the loop issue looms I'm going to try to get a replacement or am dumping it altogether for another device.

 

[jeremyaz1]

Talked to LG and got to a supervisor and they want me to send it back in again. I said I need a replacement and she said she'll have to see what they can do but didn't promise anything other than another fix attempt. Got her to at least expedite the shipping. Feeling frustrated, I called T-Mobile and they are advance shipping me a replacement phone for $20. I'll wait for that phone to arrive before doing anything with LG--might take till Monday. If anyone has made any headway, please post. I'll post when I get the next handset in my hand. BTW--my model is LG-H811, H/W 1.0 S/W: v10h and S/N starts with 507 (and says at top Date: 07/2015).

 

[drumnj]

I called up LG as well. The lady I spoke with also mentioned about it being sent in, to which I said I can't really do that as I need it.
Her English wasn't the best, but said there were a few other options to try. Clear out all the cache, in which she said I'd have to do it for each app (figure a phone reset would suffice, but apparently that doesn't help anyway). I could also uninstall the update, which she eventually said wasn't possible (unless you know how to flash ROMs of cource). Part of her research was that they (LG) is aware of some issues with the Marshmallow update, but calls on bluetooth may not have been one. In the end I should talk to the car company to see if there is a software update.

I did call up Infiniti, to which they said they haven't heard about it. However they have a bluetooth department (yup, I was surprised) that will get back to me.

 

[jeremyaz1]

Received brand new phone from T-Mobile, still a July 2015 build date, and first thing I did after initial setup screen was to pair to my car. It worked! Well, over last night I received the Marshmallow update, installed it this morning and tried it and it's back to the static/unusable bluetooth. I put a call into Infiniti and they opened a case for their bluetooth support team which will call me back on Monday.
*****Does anybody else have this issue running Lollipop (Android OS 5.x)? Sounds to me it may just be a Marshmallow (Android 6.x) issue.

 

[drumnj]

*****Does anybody else have this issue running Lollipop (Android OS 5.x)? Sounds to me it may just be a Marshmallow (Android 6.x) issue.

Did you see my 1st post here?

 

[yairgaon]

It is a Marshmallow issue. Since my phone was updated to the recent Android version, I experience the same noise problem. Checked with Infinity and they asked me to contact LG for a solution. Anyone has managed to resolve the problem?

 

[jeremyaz1]

@Drumnj: yeah, I saw your post but was hopeful that others would chime in with Lollipop to see if they possibly could be suffering from the same thing without using Marshmallow. Seems like it's for sure a Marshmallow issue. The first phone, I tried doing a system restore but then the Lollipop version's bluetooth still had the same static at that point. How many bluetooth devices (ie cars) do you think are impacted? I'm going to call both LG, T-Mobile and Infiniti Monday morning to see what feathers I can ruffle.

 

[jeremyaz1]

Talked to TMobile, and they can't do anything else (already sent me a new phone). Talked to LG, and they want me to send in my phone for the 3rd time and probably will swap it out--already have a shipping label etc ready to go. Talked to Infiniti bluetooth dept, and they are aware of the problem and call it a wideband bluetooth issue with the phone/Marshmallow (WBS). In essence, said it was a bluetooth protocol issue with wideband speech and the packet types being selected.

I'm going to just keep the new phone that TMobile sent me, cancel my repair ticket (or ignore it) from LG and turn off bluetooth. Guess we'll have to wait for an update from LG/Google for a Marshmallow fix to be sent down to us. Pretty bad if you ask me.

 

[drumnj]

I was able to talk with the Bluetooth support group for Infiniti. They are aware of the problem and also mentioned the packet transmission with Wideband Bluetooth Speech (WBS) protocol. Apparently they read these forums, so their whole group and higher-ups have seen it. They said they were only able to get it to happen consistently on a Sprint LG G4, so not sure why that was the case. Also, so far it's only with G4s, but will test other phones in the coming weeks that have started receiving the Marshmallow updates and they'll go through the cycle for Nissan and Infiniti cars again (they're apparently a 3rd-party group that supports multiple manufactures).

So it seems we now need to bug Google/Android. LG probably plays a small role, but if it's happening with all LG G4 models (which would make sense) and hardware is not the problem as Jeremyaz1 has identified (bluetooth support group agrees) it's a software issue that needs to get fixed on Android.

 

[JerryL356]

Hello:
Having the same problem with the static with the Marshmellow update. I have a 2016 Lexus RX 350. It worked well with my 2014 GS 350 with the Marshmellow update.

 

[1 1 q]

Just got a new q50 today and exact same static issues with my g4 phone.

 

[steve jeeppcar]

Just picked up a new 2015 Q50 and have the same issue. Called ATT and they are sending me a new phone. Guess I will have the same issue. My phone works perfect with my infiniti Q56.

 

[James Solley]

ATT LG G4 has the same problem with my Q50. Worked fine before the marshmallow update.

 

[jeremyaz1]

Anyone have resolution to this? I decided to get the LG V10, but haven't upgraded to MM yet.