Android Auto prompt volume suddenly very low?

[wayward_seagull]

Anyone else have a problem where the prompt volume becomes very quiet even for the same volume level? Normally I set it at 9, but past week I have had to have it up at 25-30. Seems like EQ changed for prompt only. Media volume is fine, usually have that between 5-10 and it never changed.

I pulled the center dash speaker out (mine is the B&O sound system), and the nav/prompts no longer play through it but through the front door speakers instead. But, the prompt volume is still ridiculously low.

Wondering if this is a head unit problem, an Android Auto problem, a Sync problem, or something I did on my phone.

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[RangerBill]

Anyone else have a problem where the prompt volume becomes very quiet even for the same volume level? Normally I set it at 9, but past week I have had to have it up at 25-30. Seems like EQ changed for prompt only. Media volume is fine, usually have that between 5-10 and it never changed.

I pulled the center dash speaker out (mine is the B&O sound system), and the nav/prompts no longer play through it but through the front door speakers instead. But, the prompt volume is still ridiculously low.

Wondering if this is a head unit problem, an Android Auto problem, a Sync problem, or something I did on my phone.

While a prompt sound is being played, quickly adjust the volume control for the sound system. That should increase the volume for the prompt only.

 

[wayward_seagull]

Yeah, that is what I mean. The audio/media volume is at 5. When the navigation starts quacking, I need to turn it up to 25 to hear that stream. It used to be more or less the same number. I thought maybe the dash speaker was blown, but it's the same situation with the center speaker disconnected and the navigation playing through the door speakers.

 

[RangerBill]

Yeah, that is what I mean. The audio/media volume is at 5. When the navigation starts quacking, I need to turn it up to 25 to hear that stream. It used to be more or less the same number. I thought maybe the dash speaker was blown, but it's the same situation with the center speaker disconnected and the navigation playing through the door speakers.

As I stated, wait until a voice prompt is being played and immediately turn the volume up. This will adjust the prompt volume only to a higher value.

 

[RangerBill]

As I stated, wait until a voice prompt is being played and immediately turn the volume up. This will adjust the prompt volume only to a higher value.

This will work on built-in navigation prompts. If you are using your phone navigation, I would suspect the problem would be with a setting in your phone.

 

[bmidd]

This will work on built-in navigation prompts. If you are using your phone navigation, I would suspect the problem would be with a setting in your phone.

This also works with Waze and Google Maps, while it's talking you can set the volume.

 

[RangerBill]

This also works with Waze and Google Maps, while it's talking you can set the volume.

That is what I thought too.

 

[wayward_seagull]

I went back and spun the volume knob while the navigation was speaking instructions, and saw that the volume level indicator on the screen said "prompt volume." Then I waited until only music was playing, and spun the knob and saw that the volume was "audio volume." Sitting in my driveway with the truck running but in park, "audio volume" level 4 for FM music was pretty comfortable. And to get the navigation to have the same sound level according to my ears, I had to set the to "prompt volume" to 17. I actually did this experiment without connecting my phone at all, and just used FM radio and the built-in Sync navigation.

The prompt volume was never this low; I've had the truck for 2.5 years. So I'm just kinda concerned about electrical stuff that might have burnt up or firmware updates that might have screwed up.

I've never updated the Sync firmware. I'll probably force an update next and factory-reset that to see if the level goes back to normal.

 

[airline tech]

If you are on an older version of SYNC under 23188 - updating will most likely cure the issue- version 23188 has been the most stable version released and very few reported issues with the version. All other prior versions have numerous - various issues.

 

[wayward_seagull]

Okay, I updated the Sync firmware to the latest from Ford, and used a USB stick to do the update. With the center dash speaker out, and prompts playing through the door speakers, I still had to have it up pretty high. I did a "master reset" on the Sync system, which wiped all the settings back to defaults and forgot my Bluetooth devices. Still, playing prompts through the doors needed to be at a pretty high level.

Then I plugged in a new center-dash speaker I ordered as a replacement on a lark. I hate replacing parts blindly hoping it fixes a problem but in this case, it actually fixed the problem. The prompt volume level setting that matches the media audio volume is back to 9-11, which is what it was before it cut out.

This was a weird one because the center dash speaker is pretty much mono signal that only gets a particular sound stream. Not like you can compare left door to right door speaker.

Thanks for the tips everybody!

 

[RangerBill]

Okay, I updated the Sync firmware to the latest from Ford, and used a USB stick to do the update. With the center dash speaker out, and prompts playing through the door speakers, I still had to have it up pretty high. I did a "master reset" on the Sync system, which wiped all the settings back to defaults and forgot my Bluetooth devices. Still, playing prompts through the doors needed to be at a pretty high level.

Then I plugged in a new center-dash speaker I ordered as a replacement on a lark. I hate replacing parts blindly hoping it fixes a problem but in this case, it actually fixed the problem. The prompt volume level setting that matches the media audio volume is back to 9-11, which is what it was before it cut out.

This was a weird one because the center dash speaker is pretty much mono signal that only gets a particular sound stream. Not like you can compare left door to right door speaker.

Thanks for the tips everybody!

I wonder if your original center speaker would work since you upgraded Sync. If I understand correctly, you upgraded Sync and tested with the original center speaker removed, so it wasn't a good test.

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