After installing the hands-free phone in my 03 c240 wagon, I have noticed that I have to follow a ritual for putting the phone into the cradle, then it works like a champ every time.

When I fail to follow this procedure exactly, then it is a coin toss on whether my car recognizes it or not.

The sequence is this:

Unlock car, place key in ignition (without starting car), place phone in cradle, wait at least 10 seconds, start the car.

When I do this, the radio display immediately shows that I have a signal, and within 30 seconds, it updates it with signal strength.

At this point, the phone performs flawlessly every single time.

If I do anything different, I get everything from 'NO PHONE' displayed to no names/numbers shown in the list to no microphone when call connects to no audio when phone connects.

Anyone else noticed how picky the hands-free can be?

 

Hello AK-

Absolutely! I read your post with much interest because I have experienced much of the same that you have. My method is to make sure the phone is off before docking, and then zero problems. The system is the best I've seen and used, so this is a minor annoyance at best. I'm using a Motorola V710.

 

So turning the phone off before you stick it into the cradle makes a difference, eh? Does it get turned on automatically when the car starts?

I also have the v710, but it is a regular Motorola, not a MB branded Motorola. I am using the Mikbox with mine.

I recently had my car at the dealer for 3 months and going without the hands-free phone after using it religously previously was almost unbearable. I am so happy to have it back now.

 

I used a MikBox with a non-MB V710 and loved it. However, I did find it a bit more finicky than my current MB phone system. First, I had disabled the auto-on/auto-off feature (my particular early series box was "iffy" with that feature). Check MIK's site for how to do that (he has all the user-programmable codes listed). With the feature disabled, I found it best to always have the phone on and booted before plugging it in. I also found oit best to pause briefly (1-2 seconds) in the ignition "on" position before cranking the engine (there just seemed to be fewer problems that way). With that done, the phone would synch uo every time. I also found it best to shut down, then disconnect the phone, rather than the other way around.

 

I have a Scorchie-installed MbenzNL UHI phone with S-E T637 cradle, and I also have noticed that it is somewhat finicky about the startup and connection sequence, with similar failure modes (no connection, no outgoing audio). The sequence that works for me is phone on, in cradle, then start ignition soon. If I switch off the ignition and leave the phone in the cradle for longer than a few minutes, the phone then goes into a strange lockup state where only removing the battery will reset it.

Are there perhaps COMAND software upgrades that would improve the situation?

 

I updated the Mikbox firmware to version 2.17 the other day. Haven't noticed too many changes, but the phone is still working well.

This morning I was in the middle of a conference call when I had to leave, so I was able to slide the phone into the cradle (while the ignition was in the 'on' position, but the car was not started) and it worked without any problems. After the car was started, it continued to work perfectly.

The call ended before I got to work so I wasn't able to verify getting the phone out of the cradle successfully. I will verify that piece too when I get the chance.

Our cell phone service in Alaska is so pathetic that it is truely a wonder that I was able to do this whole routine without lossing the call.

 

I have the Mikbox also. No problems docking and undocking during a call. Just make sure to dock with the flip open and then close it, and while undocking open the flip before removing from cradle!