I just installed a z150bh head unit in my xterra

I have a stock Nexus 4, not rooted.

In order to get it hooked up I switched out the MHL adapter for a slimport adapter that seems to work for most people.

Pandora, when operated from the avic screen rather than just a direct bluetooth audio, has issues staying connected.  I will hear music from the car speakers for a few seconds, then from my phone for a few seconds.

I checked the bluetooth menu on my Nexus 4 and noticed the connection status switching back and forth from a normal connection to a connection "without media" every few seconds.

I've been able to get everything to work once or twice by resetting the bluetooth settings on the head unit, and unpairing the phone/restarting the phone.  However, this only works temporarily, and when i turn the car off, the same old problems come back.

Any thoughts? Has anyone seen this type of a bluetooth issue?  I've read through a lot of the bluetooth stuff on the forum already and haven't come across it yet, but i'll keep reading.

Sounds like an issue with the phone. Try another phone and if the problem goes away you know the issue is with the phone.

i've tried it with the only other bluetooth device that I have, a nexus 10, which is also running android 4.2.2 and initially it had the same problem (albeit with the nexus 10 i had the micro HDMI hooked up just as shown in the installation manual rather than with the slimport adapter required by the nexus 4)

I've tried the whole reset/unpair, turn off the phone, reset the head unit etc. The issue has actually gotten worse.

I could previously connect my Nexus 4 as a "bluetooth  audio" connection and stream anything from my handset that way, but that won't even connect anymore normally--it's constantly switching back and forth between the "no media" connection.

I'm wondering if it could be a faulty bluetooth in the z150bh head unit.

I haven't had trouble connecting any other bluetooth devices to my nexus 4 or my nexus 10.

Try a different phone.

This may not be the problem (I have an iPhone 5 and bluetooth works great) but I spoke with a Pioneer technician and he informed me that the new firmware update (soon to be released) will also be updating the Bluetooth radio in the z150. Maybe they have some fixes in that as well?

I can't speak to your Android device but I have had no problems with my iPhone via Bluetooth. The only hiccup was when I first paired my iPhone, for some reason it didn't fully pair as an audio device. I had to go to the (on the z150) phone source->Bluetooth settings->change and untick/retick the Bluetooth audio device options for my phone. Since then, flawless.

Same issues here with Z150BH with different phone than OP

Using CD-AH200C MHL adapter,  screen flashes on Z150 the image that is display on phone, app radio, etc...I can make it not flash by touching the screen on phone.  The app mode does work, and Pandora is also messed up.

I also see the BT connection on phone switching between "no media", "media"

My phone:  Galaxy Nexus

Called 1800-tech-car..he didn't know.

I did see on another forum for the phone that someone had same issues just playing a video on tv, it flashed, but when he touched the phone it stopped.

The bluetooth connection on my Z150 seems really weak.  I use an Iphone 5, which worked great with my factory head unit.  Even though the 150 has the Iphone 5-specific firmware update, the phone has to be REALLY close to the unit to work well (not even in my pocket). 

Does anyone think this could be a problem with MY unit, or is it an overall flaw with the model?

this is what mine does when I plug in my phone. I have been fighting with Pioneer trying to get them to help me. 

What phone model and what MHL cable?