OK, this is driving me *crazy*.  I swapped my recently purchased AppRadio 2 for a brand new AppRadio 3 (Crutchfield is awesome, by the way...) and I still can't get any volume out of the bluetooth handsfree phone calling feature.

Everything pairs correctly.  Bluetooth audio  streaming for music and controls also work perfectly.  Absolutely *everything* works except being able to hear the person who is on the other end of a phone call.  Even with the volume at "40" it sounds like a distant whisper.  They can hear my voice over the microphone just fine.

I have tried 3 different iPhones (two iPhone 5s and one iPhone 4) and they all behave exactly the same way.  It is blowing my mind that three different iPhones don't work with this feature on two completely different AppRadios.  How could that be possible?  It's acting like there's a complete incompatibility.  Surely Pioneer tested the phone call feature with iPhone and I can't find anyone else who has this same complaint.

So bizarre!

Does anyone have any ideas before I start in with Pioneer telephone technical support and see if they can figure it out?

OK, this is driving me *crazy*.  I swapped my recently purchased AppRadio 2 for a brand new AppRadio 3 (Crutchfield is awesome, by the way...) and I still can't get any volume out of the bluetooth handsfree phone calling feature.

 

Everything pairs correctly.  Bluetooth audio  streaming for music and controls also work perfectly.  Absolutely *everything* works except being able to hear the person who is on the other end of a phone call.  Even with the volume at "40" it sounds like a distant whisper.  They can hear my voice over the microphone just fine.

 

I have tried 3 different iPhones (two iPhone 5s and one iPhone 4) and they all behave exactly the same way.  It is blowing my mind that three different iPhones don't work with this feature on two completely different AppRadios.  How could that be possible?  It's acting like there's a complete incompatibility.  Surely Pioneer tested the phone call feature with iPhone and I can't find anyone else who has this same complaint.

 

So bizarre!

 

Does anyone have any ideas before I start in with Pioneer telephone technical support and see if they can figure it out?

If it has done with two different head units, and multiple phones. I would say your issue is with your speaker wiring, or the speakers themselves. I can barely have the Bluetooth Call Volume above 12, after that it is TOO loud.

I don't know if you installed the units yourself, but you may want a professional to check it out for you if that is the case.

But a test you could do is to go into your Fade/Balance options and just have the radio or iPod going and play around with going to left rear, right rear, left front, right front, and see if all speakers are working properly.

Thanks for the suggestion.  All of the speakers are working properly for every other source: FM radio, Pandora, other apps (including car media player) and even Bluetooth Streaming.  

The low volume problem is *only* an issue with phone calls.  it seems to be something about the way that the appradio and the iPhone are interacting specific to the Bluetooth Hands Free profile.

Thanks for the suggestion.  All of the speakers are working properly for every other source: FM radio, Pandora, other apps (including car media player) and even Bluetooth Streaming.  

 

The low volume problem is *only* an issue with phone calls.  it seems to be something about the way that the appradio and the iPhone are interacting specific to the Bluetooth Hands Free profile.

There must be another issue, it can't be with the head unit considering you switched it out. I have an iPhone 4s and it works perfectly. 

Are you using stock speakers in your car, is there an amp? and did you do the test with changing the fade/balance. Sometimes it may seem like all speakers are working until you do that. then you'll find one thats out.

Are you sure you have the settings on the phone set to route the audio of the call through the appradio? I had the same problem you describe when I received calls on my phone, especially if I touched the answer button on the phone and not the appradio screen.

Try this: answer the call by tapping the green phone icon on the appradio screen. Once the call is answered, touch the Bluetooth icon on your phone (its where the speaker phone option usually is). Make sure that the audio out setting from your phone is set to "AppRadio"

Let us know how it turns out

There must be another issue, it can't be with the head unit considering you switched it out. I have an iPhone 4s and it works perfectly. 

 

Are you using stock speakers in your car, is there an amp? and did you do the test with changing the fade/balance. Sometimes it may seem like all speakers are working until you do that. then you'll find one thats out.

Stock speakers in an '04 Dodge Durango with the factory Infinity amp.  I did the fade/balance test and all speakers are working correctly with all other sources.

Are you sure you have the settings on the phone set to route the audio of the call through the appradio? I had the same problem you describe when I received calls on my phone, especially if I touched the answer button on the phone and not the appradio screen.

 

Try this: answer the call by tapping the green phone icon on the appradio screen. Once the call is answered, touch the Bluetooth icon on your phone (its where the speaker phone option usually is). Make sure that the audio out setting from your phone is set to "AppRadio"

 

Let us know how it turns out

Yep.  Just retested and reverified.  I receive an inbound call by tapping the green answer icon and the iPhone defaults to the bluetooth paired "AppRadio".  Volume on the Bluetooth source on the iPhone is all the way up.   If I turn the AppRadio volume up to 40 I can hear a distant crackly whisper of the caller speaking over the car speakers.   The caller can hear me just fine over the microphone.  REALLY baffling.

Bummer, sounds like it might be a defect in the BT module in the phone.

Bummer, sounds like it might be a defect in the BT module in the phone.

Except that I have tried three different phones and gotten the same results with all of them!  Two iPhone 5s and one iPhone 4 all do the same thing.  There is definitely some kind of compatibility issue here.  I'm running out of things to try.  I am thinking maybe next deleting all the other Bluetooth pairings on the iPhone?  or maybe Reset Settings on the iPhone?  

Except that I have tried three different phones and gotten the same results with all of them!  Two iPhone 5s and one iPhone 4 all do the same thing.  There is definitely some kind of compatibility issue here.  I'm running out of things to try.  I am thinking maybe next deleting all the other Bluetooth pairings on the iPhone?  or maybe Reset Settings on the iPhone?  

You also said this issue occured with an AR2 and an AR3. I think it has something to do with your amp/speakers not the head unit. 

Remove all other pairings, and reset the phone by holding the power and home button down until the power off screen goes black and keep holding until the apple logo shows up, then you can stop. 

I had the same issue when I had the Appradio 2 installed in a Jeep Wrangler. I didn't do the install but understand it was the stock wiring that was the issue. Installer said the phone volume is directed to the front speakers and that there was a power amp buried somewhere in the vehicle that distributed the sound to the speakers that was preventing the phone volume coming through. They somehow rewired to direct to rear speakers and all worked great after. I think what they did was combined front and rear as I don't have the ability to fade front to rear. Not sure if that was the best way to do it but everything works great and I have tons of volume through all speakers. Hope that helps you solve your problem.

KWS, I think you solved it!  I have the factory Infiniti amp in my Durango, and I am using a PAC (Pacific Accessory Corporation) RP4-CH11 interface to connect the AppRadio to it.  I dug out the instructions for the interface and found this:  

"Vehicles with a factory amplifier: The factory amplifier only accepts two channels of audio input (left and right). Connect the front outputs of the aftermarket radio to the rear inputs of the vehicle connector. This will allow navigation voice prompts and Bluetooth calls to be heard. The rear speaker outputs of the aftermarket radio are not used. Fading is not supported in this application. The factory amplifier’s fading is controlled by data communication from the factory radio. Neither the aftermarket radio or the RP interface have the ability to control the amplifier’s fader."

That is not how I am wired right now.  With both of the AppRadios I have had both front and rear speaker wires connected to the interface.  I'll pop it out tonight,  switch that around and report back.  I am finally optimistic!!

Cant wait to hear the results! This sounds like a promising lead.

KWS, I think you solved it!  I have the factory Infiniti amp in my Durango, and I am using a PAC (Pacific Accessory Corporation) RP4-CH11 interface to connect the AppRadio to it.  I dug out the instructions for the interface and found this:  

 

 

"Vehicles with a factory amplifier: The factory amplifier only accepts two channels of audio input (left and right). Connect the front outputs of the aftermarket radio to the rear inputs of the vehicle connector. This will allow navigation voice prompts and Bluetooth calls to be heard. The rear speaker outputs of the aftermarket radio are not used. Fading is not supported in this application. The factory amplifier’s fading is controlled by data communication from the factory radio. Neither the aftermarket radio or the RP interface have the ability to control the amplifier’s fader."

 

That is not how I am wired right now.  With both of the AppRadios I have had both front and rear speaker wires connected to the interface.  I'll pop it out tonight,  switch that around and report back.  I am finally optimistic!!

I knew it! couldnt have been the head unit! Hope this fixes it for you, sir!

YES!!!!  Kudos to KWS, Element 905, CarpalTomO and everyone else who chimed in.  I disconnected the rear output from the AppRadio and connected the front output to the rear inputs on the PAC interface and everything is working perfectly.

Thank you all!!!

Awesome! Glad it got figured out. I learned something new to watch out for in future installs as well.

Excellent. Glad I could help

I'm so glad to find this post because I am having the same issue with my appradio 3 in my 2015 wrangler. It has a factory sub and amp and I installed the PAC wiring harness to retain factory amp, sub, and steering wheel controls.  I have everything installed and working to include the micro bypass but I'm having some issues understanding exactly what I need to re-wire here...  I don't suppose anyone from this thread is still around to help me out?  I'm not understanding what is meant by "output's" here?  Are we talking about the speaker wires for fronts and rear?