Thanks to DrComputer's post about the 2006 GS: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...6&postcount=49

Even when I was speaking loudly, people could barely hear me on Bluetooth handsfree in my new SC 430 (Motorola V3 RAZR, Cingular). I experimented based on the above GS post, and here is how I adjusted the mic volume, with a bit more detail than the above post:

CAUTION: I read that the service menus have some setttings that can leave your system in a state that you do not want, so avoid pressing any on-screen controls not mentioned here. In general, it seems if you get to a page you don't like and there is not a "BACK" button, try turning your key to "LOCK." When you turn back to "ACC" or "ON," you should get the normal welcome screen.

Transmission in "Park." (Brake not required)
Turn key to "ACC." (Accessory mode) (Did not try in "ON" or with the engine running, might work.)
The nav screen needs to be open.
Press the "DISP" button under the nav screen.
Just inside the inset border, where the screen underneath is showing through, press the upper left and lower left corners six times: UL, LL, UL, LL, UL, LL. (Don't press the upper left and lower left corners of the SCREEN -- press farther in, inside the corners of the inset rectangle.)
A service menu will appear.
Press the green "MENU" button. A higher level menu appears.
Press the "BT Voice Quality Set" button.
Next to the "Send Voice Lv," use the "<" and ">" buttons to adjust the level down or up. Your initial level is probably 0, like mine was. I raised mine all the way to +5, apparently the maximum.
There is also an adjustment for the receiving (incoming) volume.
(You can only test the results later, when making a call.)
Press the green "MENU" button to go back to the higher menu.
If you want to make sure your setting was saved, you can press the "BT Voice Quality Set" button again. The numbers should be the same.
Turn your key to "LOCK." (This is the only obvious way I saw to get out of the service menu.)
You are done, and can try making calls.

I don't what the "voice profile" and associated numeric keypad entries do. Mine came set at 6. When I tried re-entering 6 on the numeric keypad, it returned the microphone and speaker volumes to 0.

Good luck! - Rich

(Other keywords: hands, free, microphone, faint, quiet, loud, phone, cell, telephone, SC430)

 

Years later, your posts are still very helpful. Thank you for the outstanding detailed walk-through.

 

I set the levels and will how things go tomorrow. Very good instructions - thanks

BTW - kinda cool how that menu pops up another those six touches. I wonder how many other things you can do in that mode.

 

bringing this thread back from the dead . . .

WAY COOL!! Thanks! This should be a sticky. My 2006 was defaulted to a zero and all I got was complaints when I went hands free. Anywhere between 3 and 5 seemed to be fine. I did find another buried menu within this menu. I see where I can select the destination country, language, splash screen logos and background color. I'll explore a bit more when I have time.

 

Rich, Thanks for digging back into the treasure chest to get this post. My BT settings were both at zero, it seems to have helped!

 

Wasn't the service menu removed on the latest nav generation? Or is this something different?

 

I don't recall seeing this on my 05, which is same as yours Johnny. I would LOVE to turn mine up, and on my 2009 Infiniti FX35 too while we are at it!

 

This is not the service menu that you can select navigation override. Both 2005 and 2006 are gen 4 systems so you should have this hidden menu regardless of the navigation disc used.

 

That's what I was wondering -- thanks for clearing that up.

So I went to try this and couldn't get into the menu -- cuz I kept using the RIGHT side like the other service menu. Once I switched to the LEFT side, I got in first time.

Interestingly, the BT is not set at zero on a zero to five scale, but rather zero on a minus five to plus five scale. So its right in the middle by default.

Has anyone done any testing to see whether this adjustment makes any difference in practice?

 

I'd hate to see what -5 would do to the microphone level. I set mine up to 5 and it sounded great while I wasn't moving. However, at highway speed it sounded noisy. I've since cranked it down to 3 but haven't talked to anyone since.

 

I did an experiment today and adjusted the "send voice" of the bluetooth to -5 and then to +5 and it was confirmed by the person on the other end of the phone call saying my voice was faint at -5 and louder at +5. However, every time I speak on the bluetooth, especially on the freeway, the receiving party invariably says that my connection is not that good and it's difficult to hear me with the background noise.

Is it my particular bluetooth in my '06 SC, or do others have a similar problem? I put an aftermarket unit with a bluetooth in my other vehicle and it works superb, I've never received a complaint regarding background noise or that my voice is faint. Would adjusting the voice profile make a difference?

Any comments, thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.

 

I went to Lexus today and spoke to their diagnostic expert about my bluetooth. He was not aware of any software updates and essentially tested my bluetooth by using two different phones and calling me on his office phone from my car so that I could hear what other people hear. In short summary, he used the adjustments mentioned in this thread. When the sending voice was set at +5 the ambient background noise was slightly high when he was driving on the freeway at 70 mph. We went down to +3 and settled on +4. When he connected his phone to the bluetooth, his voice was somewhat louder then when my phone was connected to the bluetooth, just a volume difference with phones, perhaps a phone has a gain adjustment, not sure. I'm currently using the iPhone 3GS and he had a non Apple phone of some sort.

 

People hear me better on the BlackBerry 9700 than the iPhone 4.

 

Has anyone figured out whether we should talk into the steering wheel, or talk in to the rear view mirror, or into the speaker on the door? I'm not sure where to direct my voice -- the microphone is hidden somewhere.

 

The microphone is located where the rear view mirror attaches to the roof according to Lexus.