XT and BT issues driving me insane!

[baz-R]

excuse the pun but but i really am going loopy or trying to get my XT just to "work" or even play nicely with BT devices but all will pair up fine

firstly Think i have been around the houses and I'm not referring to the strange routing of the xt but in support? garmin blame my phone or my headset/intercom, my incomm co blame the garmin and Samsung say is also the garmin? going back to Garmin the last time the guy said "your problem is you really should be only using the latest top of the range iphone or newest premium main brand Android handsets"
my main issues are on a incoming or outgoing call the headset or intercom will not stay connected in a call and my phone will get booted out then will retry and establish via the xt or headset/intercom - all devices play fine without the garmin xt in the loop and i have also tried the "non ring of doom" phone to XT,XT to intercom but this also is unstable and i cant use the SENA app to manage my connections to other people. needless to say pairing has been tried more times than i can count in every order thinkable and XT has been factory reset about every time. phone has been factory reset (thats a PITA). it cant be the 2 different SENA helmets, the SENA intercom as i get the issue with BT ear buds and a Jabra headset and I'm not confident its actually a phone issue but could be something in the XT firmware, its updates or Apps maybe?

playing mp3 off sd card can pause,crash or drop audio, drop to v low quality or play 1/2 speed plus spoken directions i also get very choppy

i have tried 2x XT units (reset multiple times and updated), 2 different intercoms (updated) and a couple different BT headsets, 3 different Android phones (all updated and factory reset) but my Samsung A34 5g duel sim has been my main phone and was on android 14 and now on 15 - latest drive app - latest explore apps installed

I started off buying a 2nd hand but what looked like a pristine open box XT that clearly had not had the fitting kit used but had had the screen protection film refitted and the usb lead was AWOL - after what i would describe as BT compatibility issues and strange MP3 playing problems GARMIN SUPPORT telling me my unit was faulty but out of warranty i should return the unit and pay for a new (main unit only) it was under retailer warranty so that one went back and i bought a brand new XT but i have the same problem!
so I'm having exactly the same issues with this NEW unit but this time garmin are saying its my SENA helmet - new intercom and helmet, same issue and i even took my issue to a SENA tech rep at a bike show and he proved in a mock up scenario on the bench the XT was doing something strange and "sabotaging" a stable BT connection making my phone reboot its BT in some cases - we had the BT setting screens up on xt and phone and in mid call with the XT first showing the phone logo going black then the phone bt would drop to the xt but the call stays live but the person now cant hear you then it all tries to reconnect (sometime its so bad my phone will cycle its BT off and on to try and resolve the issue or it crashes) i always get a stable drive/data connection but i don't always get phone support and the headset logos go black but devices other protocols can be blue?

so i have had to essentially now spent a lot of time and paid a lot of money replacing intercoms, a phone and even a 2nd garmin XT but i am exactly where i started.
i don't have a problem getting anything to pair - i just cant get stuff to stay linked and work. i will add i don't have any problems with just a phone to an intercom for calls.
someone please help

[lkraus]

I'm afraid I do not know what to suggest. My equipment is getting a bit old, but I have had no issues using my Samsung S10, the XT, and either my old Sena SMH10 or current Sena 20S (offered for "parts" for $10, but works perfectly! Thank you, Apple!).

Phone is paired to the XT, XT paired to a Sena as a phone, music provided from the XT's SDcard. Pairing order does not matter, nor does it matter which device is powered up first. Phone calls are clear and the party on the other end has no clue that I'm riding until I tell them.

Distorted navigation instructions are usually a sign that the volume is set too high for that source - turn down the volume while the instructions are being given. Senas will use different volume levels for different sources.

I don't know if matters in your case, but sometimes the bike electronics can interfere with the XT. Seems to be a particular issue with some TFT instrument displays, fixed by mounting the XT further from display.

[baz-R]

I have tried to isolate as much as I could

Can't be the bike because I have the same issues away on the bench or with the bike not running?

Today I tried the no apps but that's not solved it either. The XT is old and dated but still a current product line with MC shops selling them new plus Garmin UK will sell you one on enquiring

I may be something is in the updated firmwares of the latest pixel and Samsung android updates because there issues with bt on some products post dec 2024 and could a roll out put in something the XTs firmware doesn't like ? Definitely having a call in progress makes it all fall apart

[danham]

At the risk of repeating what you may have already tried, the number one cause of these kinds of problems is BT pairing issues.

The XT demands to be the hub, so you need to delete any pairings between your phone and Sena. I can't tell from your first post if they are paired, but if they ever were, you should try removing all traces of those pairings on both the Sena and phone. Then make sure your phone and Sena are paired to the XT.

You will see online various people who say they can pair their phone to a Sena and still use the XT for directions. I have tried this and it might work, sometimes, but usually causes all sorts of problems.

-dan

[lkraus]

You will see online various people who say they can pair their phone to a Sena and still use the XT for directions. I have tried this and it might work, sometimes, but usually causes all sorts of problems.

The only problem I had using that configuration is that at some point I would always need to stop to use the phone screen for something or other. Maybe I should become more familiar with voice commands, but even when it works I feel stupid talking to inanimate objects.

[electro_handyman]

Baz-r, so can you share just exactly what components you are using. It wasn't easy to decipher in your 1st post.
What phone, version, headset etc...

I'm personally using a Pixel 6, Android 16, and Sena 10S.
When I travel, I install the Drive app only for the duration of the trip, then I remove it when not needed. I remove it for battery management as it will continuously run in the background and am unable to disable it whether I'm using the XT or not. Bad app management from Garmin in my opinion.

As other have stated the XT needs to be the "traffic controller".

When I ride without my XT I can pair my Sena to the phone direct.
When I ride with the XT, I have to connect the Sena to the XT 1st before I enable BT on my phone, then connect my phone to the XT 2nd.

[baz-R]

"Baz-r, so can you share just exactly what components you are using"

yeah sorry its not easy and quite a complex set of issues and I have tried quite a lot of variables but essentially iv come back to the garmin not playing nicely over BT and to be honest I find the units very glitchy and not at all good for nav or import of GPX files
cant even be stable playing mp3 off sd or giving directions over BT let alone making a call

have tried repairing BT phone>XT>intercom only or ring of doom (all paired to each other) and about every order of whos first

sat nav = 2x garmin zumo xt units tried. 1st one like new open box ( may have been return or demo as mount and cable not used, screen film present but had been peeled and Garmin say it had been previously registered to an account) Garmin said this one was faulty and out of warranty and would be chargeable for repair/exchange so it went back to the retailer I bought it from. 2nd one brand new from a sealed box but i have same issues
note all updated out of the box to latest firmware 6.60

intercom/headset = 1st sena outrush r (also badged as a HD and other MC make accessories) 2nd sena 50c 3rd also tried a couple generic BT headsets

phone = 3 phones tested all android and quite modern 1st samsung a34 5g, 2nd Huawei P30 (basic testing off bike), 3rd Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G

its not the Bike causing RF interreference as I can have issues on the bench, off the bike or without the engine running. personally i could have ditched the glitchy XT and bought something else and Garmin UK support go only as far as blaming phones and intercoms or doing an unit exchange but my 2nd brand new one will be exchanged for a 2nd hand repaired unit

[smfollen]

@baz-R Are you using the Tread app? That can add a load to Bluetooth.

I have my XT2 paired to my Sena 10C only. I also have my Samsung galaxy phone paired to the Sena.
It is very rare that I have issues getting navigation directions with that setup.
I typically do not play music.

I realize that is less than you are trying to do, but perhaps you could narrow down the source of your problem by staring with a simple setup then adding one thing at a time?

[Rofor]

He's using a Zumo XT - no Tread app for him...

[Mzokk]

Sorry no Sena stuff for me but I have a BMW Nav IV (no longer used) a Zumo 340 and 390, used on an old R1150GS and a Zumo XT mounted on a 2021 Africa Twin. I use two lids one with an Interphone Tour on it and a Cardo Pactalk bold on the other. I have a Motorola Edge Neo40 running Android14. As others have said the Cardo and Interphone BT headsets work best when the phone and headsets are just linked to the XT not to each other. Using the headsets this way I have no issues.

Oddly when using the Zumo 3XX units you can link the phone and satnav to the BT headsets without problems.