Bluelink and Carplay

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Robbert

Robbert

Active Member
Hi guys,

As a new (US / NH) Kona owner, this forum has been great! I hope I can ask you guys a couple more questions that I wasn't able to find an answer to --

1. The blue link app seems to work but is oh-so-slow.. Sign in takes 10-15 seconds and every refresh or update takes up to 30s or so. Remote commands appear to be about 90% successful, but frequently time out with some type of error. Is this your experience as well? A little disappointing this is so ... finicky..

2. The Blue Link user manual refers to there being a way to set up WiFi on the Kona (page 13), but I haven't found anything like that. Wondering if that would help in case the cell signal is spotty here and that's why the blue link has issues from time to time.

3. Carplay works great, but while I have Waze up, it doesn't show me the track that is playing on the Carplay audio (I don't use Spotify or another Carplay app. but I stream from my own Subsonic server using play:Sub). The Hyundai home screen does show what's playing, and if I don't run Carplay, it shows a bar on top when the song changes to show you what's playing. Is there any way to get that functionality within Carplay as well? I realize this may be more of an Apple question than a Kona. But I figured I'd ask anyway. :)
 
1: yes, bluelink is ssssllllooooowww!
2: WiFi is only available in Europe. No idea how it works since I have a US model
3: definitely an apple software issue. I use Android Auto and it works just like you described (top bar appears over content showing me what's playing. I've used Plex and Google music)

Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk
 
Esprit1st said:
1: yes, bluelink is ssssllllooooowww!
2: WiFi is only available in Europe. No idea how it works since I have a US model
3: definitely an apple software issue. I use Android Auto and it works just like you described (top bar appears over content showing me what's playing. I've used Plex and Google music)

Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Being a software engineer by trade, I wonder why the blue link system is so slow. Servers undersized? Car only opens outbound connection to the server, so it has to wait for the car to ping the server to execute a command?

As for WiFi, I have a US model, I was just surprised to find it in the bundled manual. And I found a solution to the carplay issue with Apple -- my phone updated to IOS 13, so now it allows me to have an app up in fullscreen on my phone, and another on the dash. So Waze goes on the dash and play:Sub on the phone. Problem solved... I did notice it also doesn't show the track playing with a supported app like Spotify, even when Spotify and Waze are linked in Waze. Weird...
 
Robbert said:
Being a software engineer by trade, I wonder why the blue link system is so slow. Servers undersized? Car only opens outbound connection to the server, so it has to wait for the car to ping the server to execute a command?
Click to expand...

Very good question and I'd like to know too. I suspect undersized server because it takes way too long just for the login into the software, at that point it isn't talking to the car yet.

Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk
 
Esprit1st said:
Very good question and I'd like to know too. I suspect undersized server because it takes way too long just for the login into the software, at that point it isn't talking to the car yet.

Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

I wonder if people with the WiFi version could dump a trace on the router to see when data is exchanged with the server vs. when a command is given in the app. A bit harder to do with the cell version like we have here in the US. In fact, I don't even know where I'd start to try to intercept that signal. :)
 
Blue Link is garbage. Plain. Simple. Timeouts and incorrect readings are constant. It almost always shows the car is not plugged in when it is. The charge page almost never loads. It's free and it costs too much.
Oh, I almost forgot that monthly report. 8 months later and it still reports 6000%!?
 
Wildeyed said:
Blue Link is garbage. Plain. Simple. Timeouts and incorrect readings are constant. It almost always shows the car is not plugged in when it is. The charge page almost never loads. It's free and it costs too much.
Oh, I almost forgot that monthly report. 8 months later and it still reports 6000%!?
Click to expand...

Haven't gotten my monthly report yet... Hope Hyundai addresses the Blue Link issues on their servers (and hope it's not something inherent in their protocol).
 
Robbert said:
Hi guys,

As a new (US / NH) Kona owner, this forum has been great! I hope I can ask you guys a couple more questions that I wasn't able to find an answer to --

1. The blue link app seems to work but is oh-so-slow.. Sign in takes 10-15 seconds and every refresh or update takes up to 30s or so. Remote commands appear to be about 90% successful, but frequently time out with some type of error. Is this your experience as well? A little disappointing this is so ... finicky..

2. The Blue Link user manual refers to there being a way to set up WiFi on the Kona (page 13), but I haven't found anything like that. Wondering if that would help in case the cell signal is spotty here and that's why the blue link has issues from time to time.

3. Carplay works great, but while I have Waze up, it doesn't show me the track that is playing on the Carplay audio (I don't use Spotify or another Carplay app. but I stream from my own Subsonic server using play:Sub). The Hyundai home screen does show what's playing, and if I don't run Carplay, it shows a bar on top when the song changes to show you what's playing. Is there any way to get that functionality within Carplay as well? I realize this may be more of an Apple question than a Kona. But I figured I'd ask anyway. :)
Click to expand...

1. Yup slow. It actually is about the same speed as the Mercedes app my coworker has. My assumption is that the whole thing was designed for ICE systems that are very aggressive on their sleep/low power. Our cars have gigantic batteries and could easily allow the modem to be on more frequently.
2. Big bummer. They made a lot of cost cuts to the US model that I would've easily paid extra for
3. This seems to be a carplay thing. I don't see the active track playing while I have a third party app (Google Maps, Waze, etc) up. Interestingly, in iOS13, there is a mixed display that will let you have a map, media info and next calendar event(?!) up at the same time, but it only seems to work with Apple Maps (for now)
 
Yeah, esp looks bad for computer guys. I agree it is slow, and you need to refresh it after first open. But for as often as I use it, it does the job for me. Still better than not having it at all.

I don't use CarPlay, but my Android Auto (incl Waze) works great on mine. Also Google Music (with high def downloads) makes my audio sound like a premium sound system. Bass really comes alive. Much better than SXM which is also supposed to be digital.
 
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SeanH said:
3. This seems to be a carplay thing. I don't see the active track playing while I have a third party app (Google Maps, Waze, etc) up. Interestingly, in iOS13, there is a mixed display that will let you have a map, media info and next calendar event(?!) up at the same time, but it only seems to work with Apple Maps (for now)
Click to expand...

I noticed that when I updated to IOS13 this weekend. Hope Waze manages to replace Apple Maps in that small area on the left. Until then, as you said, you can have a different app open on the phone and on the dash. That seemed to work for me with play:Sub on the phone and Waze on the dash.
 
R P said:
Yeah, esp looks bad for computer guys. I agree it is slow, and you need to refresh it after first open. But for as often as I use it, it does the job for me. Still better than not having it at all.

I don't use CarPlay, but my Android Auto (incl Waze) works great on mine. Also Google Music (with high def downloads) makes my audio sound like a premium sound system. Bass really comes alive. Much better than SXM which is also supposed to be digital.
Click to expand...

Totally agree that having blue link is better than having nothing. :)

I remember my wife getting SXM on her car years ago and being all happy about it. Listening to it, it sounded worse than plain FM. Definitely WAY too compressed. Reason I use play:Sub and SubSonic on my own server is for the lossless audio streaming. I tried Tidal in the past, but got frustrated with what I like to call "Swiss cheese playlists" as they perpetually seem to be losing rights to tracks. And suddenly you can't play those songs in your playlist anymore. Spotify has the same problem.
 
Robbert said:
Haven't gotten my monthly report yet... Hope Hyundai addresses the Blue Link issues on their servers (and hope it's not something inherent in their protocol).
Click to expand...
I wouldn't worry about not receiving the monthly report as there really is not much to be missed
 
electriceddy said:
I wouldn't worry about not receiving the monthly report as there really is not much to be missed
Click to expand...

I've only had the car since Friday. So I wouldn't expect to get one yet either. Although was was funny is when I started using Blue Link, it popped up a warning that the car was due for maintenance. That disappeared a day later, as magically as it appeared.... Maybe an initialization thing perhaps. Also haven't been able to download the latest map update yet as my VIN doesn't exist in that system. Said to wait a few weeks and try again. Maybe I'll do that when the monthly report shows up. :)
 
Robbert said:
I've only had the car since Friday. So I wouldn't expect to get one yet either. Although was was funny is when I started using Blue Link, it popped up a warning that the car was due for maintenance. That disappeared a day later, as magically as it appeared.... Maybe an initialization thing perhaps. Also haven't been able to download the latest map update yet as my VIN doesn't exist in that system. Said to wait a few weeks and try again. Maybe I'll do that when the monthly report shows up. :)
Click to expand...
My 6 month maintenance warning came and went (both on the car and bluelink) and has rescheduled itself for the proper 12 month normal maintenance as indicated in the manual on page 7-8 ( Canadian manual).
Guess it wasn't ready for an oil change yet:D
 
Hyundai Bluelink or CAA?

My 3yr Bluelink freebie expired at the end of Sept. I got my last monthly report - not much use - but no indication of the end of service or an offer to renew. Hm... Hyundai service. The whole thing is not 'life threatening' but when I got flat tire it was convenient to just press the button on the mirror frame. True the connection was terrible and help service could not read my location. I had to coach him all the way but finally they got a CAA flatbed truck and we sorted out the issue. It was not a flawless experience but it was free. We had CAA membership for many years but dropped it after we got the Kona with 3 yrs of roadside assistance via Bluelink.

Now I am trying to find out the cost of renewal - just for emergency towing. Having no spare kind of necessitates basic roadside assistance. I have neither the need or desire to pay for all the other stuff Bluelink provides. The cost of service renewal is so well hidden that I can't find it anywhere. tried searching for "hyundai blue link cost after 3 years" in many different ways. Now I am on the phone on hold for 57 minutes. I guess the don't want renewals.

At his point a CAA Plus membership at $119 with 4 calls/yr and 200km towing looks pretty reasonable.
 
You got 3 years? I got 5 years. We're both in Canada. I bought in Feb 2019. Did they change the offer at some point?

CAA is totally the better deal.
 
Wildeyed said:
You got 3 years? I got 5 years. We're both in Canada. I bought in Feb 2019. Did they change the offer at some point?

CAA is totally the better deal.
Click to expand...

I have a 2021 Kona Preferred. I got 5yr 'bumper to bumper' warranty (plus the 8yr HV battery etc.) but only 3yr on Bluelink. The only plus for Bluelink is that it 'covers the car' - regardless who drives it. CAA 'covers the driver' - regardless what he/she is driving. Right now 'lady lead-foot' and I are both driving our only car. Granted we are mostly in the car together and she only drives in less that 100km from home. CAA looks good.
 
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