uConnect 12.1" & 8.4" - Intermittent Pauses in Audio for All Sources

[d_THRILL]

Hey guys, I'm a 90% sure this issue is cold weather related. When Rick and I first started talking about this, it was October 2018 when we had our first cold night. Not a lot of other complaints regarding this issue were made at that time. Now, here we are in January, and I'm seeing tons of people experiencing this issue. The cold weather is without a doubt affecting our systems. Next question is, WHY?! On the facebook 5th gen page, someone posted this morning they were having this issue. I asked them to post their location, current temp and unit they have. All who responded live in cold areas and responded with temps in the low 30's and 20's. I'm likely going to start a new facebook post regarding this issue alone so it gets more attention for us to confirm it's the cold weather. I'm bringing my vehicle in next Thursday for this issue, as they're creating a star case on my truck. I would like to give them feedback before they start digging. Rick, for someone who is experiencing this problem daily, can you tell us if you're parked overnight outside in cold temps? Where are you located? For the most part, my truck is parked in a garage that stays around 50+ degrees when it's cold outside so when I fire it up to go to work I don't have the issue. But when I park in my "outdoor" garage at work and it's 30 degrees out I will experience the issue. Let me know. But again, the real problem now is WHY is the cold weather affecting this. My vehicle does not struggle to start at al in the cold weather. Starts the same way whether its 20 degrees out or 80.

 

[d_THRILL]

POSSIBLE SOLUTION: In response to a facebook post I made, member Jay Michael stated "The fix is moving through all media sources USING YOUR STEERING WHEEL SOURCE BUTTON. Click away on your steering wheel, once you cycle through all sources one time it comes right back on. Found the fix on the forums." He has the 8.4 with nav in a 19 big Horn base 6 speaker system. He purchased his truck on 11/20 and noticed the problems almost immediately. He's between 30-50 degrees.

Another member, Scott Borth, posted he lives in TEXAS and this happens to him in all temps. Happens to him very rarely. Maybe 4 times in the last 4 months.

I'll update with any other relevant responses i receive.

 

[RIC3BOY]

Hey guys, I'm a 90% sure this issue is cold weather related. When Rick and I first started talking about this, it was October 2018 when we had our first cold night. Not a lot of other complaints regarding this issue were made at that time. Now, here we are in January, and I'm seeing tons of people experiencing this issue. The cold weather is without a doubt affecting our systems. Next question is, WHY?! On the facebook 5th gen page, someone posted this morning they were having this issue. I asked them to post their location, current temp and unit they have. All who responded live in cold areas and responded with temps in the low 30's and 20's. I'm likely going to start a new facebook post regarding this issue alone so it gets more attention for us to confirm it's the cold weather. I'm bringing my vehicle in next Thursday for this issue, as they're creating a star case on my truck. I would like to give them feedback before they start digging. Rick, for someone who is experiencing this problem daily, can you tell us if you're parked overnight outside in cold temps? Where are you located? For the most part, my truck is parked in a garage that stays around 50+ degrees when it's cold outside so when I fire it up to go to work I don't have the issue. But when I park in my "outdoor" garage at work and it's 30 degrees out I will experience the issue. Let me know. But again, the real problem now is WHY is the cold weather affecting this. My vehicle does not struggle to start at al in the cold weather. Starts the same way whether its 20 degrees out or 80.

Thanks for the update @d_THRILL. I'm located in Toronto, Ontario (Canada). I only park outside, since my garage isn't large enough to fit the truck. I experience this issue nearly every other day, or almost every day, with no specific conditions to relate it to. I do want to believe it is cold weather, but even when experiencing temperatures below -10*C (like this morning), I did not experience the issue. However, like you said we did start experiencing this issue when the temperatures started getting colder.

FWIW, I started looking through the fuse panel to see what is connected to what. I wanted to locate the fuse for the amplifier, and found it was connected to the power inverter and the active noise cancellation. It makes me wonder... active noise cancellation... amplifier (which handles all sound from all sources)... power inverter. Could this be a path to the solution?

Another thought for cold weather was the sensors that relate to cold weather, and I found that our trucks have humidity sensors (I'm assuming for cold weather start and frosted windows/mirrors, thus powering-on the defroster).

POSSIBLE SOLUTION: In response to a facebook post I made, member Jay Michael stated "The fix is moving through all media sources USING YOUR STEERING WHEEL SOURCE BUTTON. Click away on your steering wheel, once you cycle through all sources one time it comes right back on. Found the fix on the forums." He has the 8.4 with nav in a 19 big Horn base 6 speaker system. He purchased his truck on 11/20 and noticed the problems almost immediately. He's between 30-50 degrees.

Another member, Scott Borth, posted he lives in TEXAS and this happens to him in all temps. Happens to him very rarely. Maybe 4 times in the last 4 months.

I'll update with any other relevant responses i receive.

I've actually tried that and it didn't work for me. I believe that solution (going through all the sources using the steering wheel source button) resolves the issue of no sound from any source whatsoever - not specifically cutting in/out. I will try again though, maybe I need do it it faster?

 

[d_THRILL]

Yeah I’m certain you will figure it out before Chrysler does! And when you do, don’t tell anyone and tell Chrysler you’ll tell them for the price of the truck!

maybe I need do it it faster?

I asked the guy the method in which he cycles through the sources as the truck can be real finicky when trying to work out bugs and he said “While the bug is happening (dead silence through speakers), you just bang through the sources real quick until you hear sound again. Has to be from steering wheel source button though. Dash source button will not fix anything.”

I’ll try it next time it happens to me and report back.

 

[RIC3BOY]

Yeah I’m certain you will figure it out before Chrysler does! And when you do, don’t tell anyone and tell Chrysler you’ll tell them for the price of the truck!

Not a bad idea! LOL!

I asked the guy the method in which he cycles through the sources as the truck can be real finicky when trying to work out bugs and he said “While the bug is happening (dead silence through speakers), you just bang through the sources real quick until you hear sound again. Has to be from steering wheel source button though. Dash source button will not fix anything.”

I’ll try it next time it happens to me and report back.

I think the issue they're having for this is complete dead silence, which luckily I haven't experienced. My only issue (knock on wood!) is the audio cutting in/out. It was about -9*C this morning with about 2-3" of snow, and the issue hasn't happened. I'm at the point where I'm anxious to start the truck to see if it happens or not

 

[d_THRILL]

I'm at the point where I'm anxious to start the truck to see if it happens or not

Haha I’m waiting for it to happen to me so I can test out the possible fix. Fingers crossed.

 

[Richard Rex]

Is there anyone in here with the 8.4 Nav that Isn't experiencing these issues? I am just wondering, and I see that guys tried to start a thing to see what software everyone was running..etc. As far as I can tell the Nov 5 TSB doesn't apply to 8.4 Nav units? As per Ric3boy, I can say that There is definately a newer Software version out, but it doesn't fix anything..as he said that the dealer told him the latest was 18.20.2e?
See the attached pic, as My software is showing as 18.23.29. But it still has a ton of glitches.

1. USB Ports will charge, but no devices are recognized by the deck. SO of course Carplay etc will not work. The only fix for this seems to be letting the truck sit turned off for an undetermined amount of time.

2. No Audio once in a while, where pressing the source button on the back of the steering wheel will smarten it up.

3. Audio cutting in and out on all sources, and when this happens, the backup camera also quits, sometimes with a blue screen, and sometimes with a black screen. ANd the only way I have found to correct this is to again let the truck sit for a while turned off as well....usually around 20 minutes does the trick. Definately inconvenient thats for sure......
View attachment 10394

How did you get to that screen?? I’ve tried everything and my dealer can’t figure it out either.

 

[RIC3BOY]

How did you get to that screen?? I’ve tried everything and my dealer can’t figure it out either.

Read the original post. Its detailed in there.

 

[d_THRILL]

POSSIBLE SOLUTION: In response to a facebook post I made, member Jay Michael stated "The fix is moving through all media sources USING YOUR STEERING WHEEL SOURCE BUTTON.

Haha I’m waiting for it to happen to me so I can test out the possible fix. Fingers crossed.

Had the bug happen to me today. 41 degrees. The possible fix I mentioned did not work for me. Oh well. Back to the drawing boards.

 

[patsfan]

I had mine in again for this issue on Thursday. They said the computer shows an error code for the amplifier. They are ordering a new one and going to replace it next week. I doubt this will fix it as it seems like a software issue. Today the sound has been cutting out all day and the temp is 1C. Other days have been -12C and worked all day.

 

[RIC3BOY]

Just wanted to update:

A user from the JL Wrangler forum posted that his issues disappeared after unpairing all phones and then resetting fuse 97 (which is the radio fuse). His issues disappeared for 3 weeks, where when he paired his phone to the vehicle, the issues re-appeared after 2 ignition starts.

Link here: https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/audio-cutting-in-and-out.16942/page-13
Post #194

Given this, I've done the same to see if pairing our phones could be the culprit. I've unpaired and disabled Device Mirroring before, but not reset any fuses or disconnect the battery right after. I'm assuming uConnect somehow remembers paired settings and causes a malfunction somewhere.

I have unpaired all phones from uConnect, disabled Device Mirroring, and unplugged the negative terminal on the battery (2 minutes). I'll post any updates as they come along.

One thing to note - when you disconnect and reconnect the battery:
- When you press the ignition to RUN for the first time, the engine won't start. Just press it again and it will fire right up. Had this same thing in my Toyota 4Runner.
- The initialization screen, splash page, theme and settings will be totally different, and certain functions will not work. Shut down the vehicle, wait about 5 seconds, then restart. Certain settings you've set before will be different, but for the most part, it should return to your settings.
- I've disconnected the battery before for a longer period (over 1 hour, trying to resolve this issue - albeit not unpairing phones at the same time), and the theme and other settings did not return to my settings. I had to completely re-customize uConnect to my liking.

 

[Jspaulding]

I am currently having this issue. It was 27 outside when I was leaving my friends house in Indiana to head home to Knoxville TN. I have tried turning off the truck and unplugging the white connector on the amp as stated earlier in this thread. That didn’t work for me. I have reset everything with no luck as well. I haven’t had a chance to unhook the battery and let it sit that way for a while to try to help but will when I get home. This is the second time this issue has happened to me. The first time was over a month ago and it was down in the 30s then as well but it reset itself and started working just fine after sitting for a few hours. Are there any other tricks to try while driving down the road?

Edit: I have the 8.4 nav with alpine systems

 

[d_THRILL]

I am currently having this issue. It was 27 outside when I was leaving my friends house in Indiana to head home to Knoxville TN. I have tried turning off the truck and unplugging the white connector on the amp as stated earlier in this thread. That didn’t work for me. I have reset everything with no luck as well. I haven’t had a chance to unhook the battery and let it sit that way for a while to try to help but will when I get home. This is the second time this issue has happened to me. The first time was over a month ago and it was down in the 30s then as well but it reset itself and started working just fine after sitting for a few hours. Are there any other tricks to try while driving down the road?

Edit: I have the 8.4 nav with alpine systems

Unfortunately no fix right now. Hope to have one soon. My truck goes into the dealer for a “star” case on this very issue tomorrow. But they have to be able to duplicate it. So while I normally don’t hope to have this bug, I will be praying for it over the next couple days.

 

[RIC3BOY]

I am currently having this issue. It was 27 outside when I was leaving my friends house in Indiana to head home to Knoxville TN. I have tried turning off the truck and unplugging the white connector on the amp as stated earlier in this thread. That didn’t work for me. I have reset everything with no luck as well. I haven’t had a chance to unhook the battery and let it sit that way for a while to try to help but will when I get home. This is the second time this issue has happened to me. The first time was over a month ago and it was down in the 30s then as well but it reset itself and started working just fine after sitting for a few hours. Are there any other tricks to try while driving down the road?

Edit: I have the 8.4 nav with alpine systems

Curious - do you have any phones connected via Bluetooth or CarPlay / Android Auto? If so, what phone and what OS version?

Speaking with a Wrangler member right now, looks like it may be phone/Bluetooth related.

 

[d_THRILL]

The dealer said they reset my system to factory settings but I can confirm that did nothing other than annoy me that I had to reprogram all my saved settings. It happened to also prompt me to resync my iPhone via Bluetooth, but I declined thinking let me drive a while without pairing my phone and see if that does anything. I got about a week with no issues but they started again yesterday. So since that happened, I paired my phone via Bluetooth knowing that was not the cause.

Rick remember in the beginning I was convinced it was bluetooth? Well then I’m reminded of this. I don’t know if Bluetooth is the problem....

 

[RIC3BOY]

Rick remember in the beginning I was convinced it was bluetooth? Well then I’m reminded of this. I don’t know if Bluetooth is the problem....

True, and I can see where you’re coming from - I thought that as well since I removed all Bluetooth/CarPlay pairings before, only for the issue to come back.

What I’m trying to do is see if doing that and hard resetting the system will do the trick, since I didn’t disconnect the battery or fuses before, and your dealer may have just “reset” the system through the settings menu. Also, my system and everyone else’s was working fine up until an iOS update in early October. I updated a few days just before the issue came about, and there is a history of uConnect and Bluetooth issues from years prior.

I’m also trying multiple methods of troubleshooting. I’m almost at a loss of figuring this out, and I’m not hopeful for a uConnect, amp, active noise cancellation, etc update to be released from FCA.

A user from the Jeep forum with the exact same issue may be onto something, so I figured why not add myself to the test bed and see? It’s easier to figure things out when other people join in to help troubleshoot (you should see the number of complaints on the Jeep forum! But no one willing to help troubleshoot).

If that doesn’t work out, I’m looking to replace fuses F12 and F44. Perhaps one of them is faulty or not completely sitting right? If you look at the fuse diagram:

F12 - 25a clear, Amp/Active Noise Cancelation/SW Inverter

F44 - 20a yellow, Radio/DCSD/Telematics Box

The ANC module is built in with the amp. That may explain the sound cutting, but not the rear backup camera lines - unless that system (which has to tie in with steering angle) is somehow connected to the inverter.

Sorry for the long winded post, just clearing my mind I suppose

 

[Quicker10u]

Mine did the same thing a week or so ago (audio cut out every 2-3 seconds or so from all audio sources including FM, no back up camera (bluescreen).

However, I think it was 50 or so degrees out. Mine resolved itself after parking it at work. Got back in and started it up and I was good to go.

Laramie 8.4 with NAV. IPhone 8Plus (latest software rev). Phone was plugged in, I unplugged to see if that made a difference, no dice. I am also having the "Theme Reset with remote start" issue. Hope they push some updates soon to fix the issue. Does Uconnect have a website to submit issues? Other than these glitches, I love this fricken truck.

 

[d_THRILL]

Totally understand Rick. We need all the proactive owners we can find to get to the bottom of this with you leading the pack for the 1500's. It certainly appears that this issue is (or should be) well known to FCA. My problem is them having knowledge of the issue for so long and still no fix or diagnoses has been made. That makes me wonder if there will ever be one. If I had the issue as much as you did, I would honestly try to get into a buy-back situation as no one should be expected to go without their entertainment system and ride silently in their truck. Maybe in 1920, but not in 2019. I'm very annoyed that there's no solution to this and I fear there may never be one which will definitely prevent me from ever purchasing another FCA vehicle after this one. In trying to remain positive, the semi-good news for today anyway is that I had my appointment first thing this morning to drop my truck off at the dealer for this "star" case and very issue, and when I fired the truck up this morning I was hit with the bug. So I pulled up to the dealership with the active bug happening and they were able to see it, hear it, document it and attend to it. Hopefully, after I left them this morning they went to town trying to figure out what it is while having "star" reps on the line assisting them in the background. Crossing my fingers for a diagnoses and fix, but my expectations are low. I will update everyone when I get my truck back.

 

[RIC3BOY]

Update:

So that didn’t work. The issue came back again today. It’s not Bluetooth/iOS.

While in the internal fuse box, I pulled F44 which controls the radio/ANC/inverter. That reset the radio, giving the same symptoms as resetting the battery.

What I did notice - a majority of the fuses were incorrectly seated. I pushed nearly all of them in, feeling the “click” and positive engagement. We’ll see how this works out.

 

[d_THRILL]

What I did notice - a majority of the fuses were incorrectly seated. I pushed nearly all of them in, feeling the “click” and positive engagement.

YIKES!!!