Recently picked up a Cruze 1LT. I opted for the model with the MyLink Radio without navigation. It's great... when it works. The problem is that it's kind of buggy? Anyone agree with this? Don't get me wrong, I'm loving my Cruze, and the MyLink system is lightyears ahead of the old GM radios. It's just buggy enough to make me wonder whether mine is broken, or if GM just shipped an unfinished/subpar product. MyLink is marketed as making media easy and making your driving/listening experience safer by letting you focus on the road. The problem is MyLink just doesn't work the way it should 100% of the time, in my experience of course. I feel like I'm promised an Apple iPhone like experience, but what I'm getting is an Android Froyo experience. It's functional and has its moments, but reliability is an issue.
I'm not new to iPod integration, I've used plenty of systems, both factory and aftermarket. If MyLink worked reliably it would easily beat the majority of them, but in some cases I feel it'd be easier to just use the aux port and mount my phone on the dash.
Case in point. Often I'll turn my car off playing one source, but when I return to the car it brings up another source. For instance, I left in the middle of an iPod mp3, when I return MyLink brings up Pandora. Other times, I'll be walking to my car listening to a Pandora station, and when I plug it in it brings up the iPod instead. Or even worse, it gets confused by Pandora, and it gives me the pause screen. I can't do anything, when I hit play, it just goes back to pause. Sometimes it can be forced to play by unplugging the phone, but other times I have to switch to another non iPod source, close the Pandora or Stitcher apps on my cell phone to force it to play. Not a big deal when sitting in a parking lot, but not very safe when already driving.
Then there's the whole issue of launching Pandora or Stitcher, apparently if I started my car with the iPod mode on, if I want to move to Pandora or Stitcher, I have to unlock my cell phone and make sure it's on the home screen. Otherwise I get that message to unlock or restart the phone app. Again, not a big issue when parked, but when driving, it's a huge hassle, especially since the iPod cable is inside the center console. It wouldn't be an issue if the Cruze had more interior storage space, but I use my cup holders.lol
Another issue I've experience multiple times is that the audio refuses to play through the cars speakers, instead the audio plays through the cell phone speaker. Funny thing is when this happens, I still have full control of the music library on the screen, it's just outputting to the wrong speakers. It could be the phone, but I've never had this problem with this phone on any other iPod integration system, only my Cruze.
And of course there's the whole indexing thing. I haven't changed any music on my phone for over a month, yet every time I plug it in I see "indexing...". Does it not store the index file?
Then there's the bluetooth/phone feature. Sometimes I'll go to make the call, but it only outputs to the phone itself, not the car speakers. I can hit the transfer button, but the audio goes straight back to the phone. Funny thing is I can still voice dial, I just have to hold the phone up normally to talk.
Now, I know, I sound like I hate MyLink, but I really do like it. It's so much more convenient than what I had in my Cadillac CTS. I'm just trying to see if I'm the only one having/noticing these things. I think i'm going to skip my Chevrolet dealer for the next service/oil change, they have a quick lube place, so I don't get a chance to talk to a proper service advisor. I'm going to bring it to my Cadillac dealer and talk to my usual service advisor about it. Hope they don't get mad that I bought the Cruze over the Verano/Encore.lol
MyLink is so close, but it just misses the mark. I hope the next version that is already out in the new Impala, Silverado, etc is more reliable. Nevertheless, from what I've heard and briefly experienced, the MyLink system in my car is still better than the CUE system in the Cadillacs. That thing promises an iPhone experience, but give you a Palm Pilot experience.lol
I can hope for an update to fix my issues, but from what I've gathered from other threads, it's unlikely that our cars will be getting any major updates.
I'm not new to iPod integration, I've used plenty of systems, both factory and aftermarket. If MyLink worked reliably it would easily beat the majority of them, but in some cases I feel it'd be easier to just use the aux port and mount my phone on the dash.
Case in point. Often I'll turn my car off playing one source, but when I return to the car it brings up another source. For instance, I left in the middle of an iPod mp3, when I return MyLink brings up Pandora. Other times, I'll be walking to my car listening to a Pandora station, and when I plug it in it brings up the iPod instead. Or even worse, it gets confused by Pandora, and it gives me the pause screen. I can't do anything, when I hit play, it just goes back to pause. Sometimes it can be forced to play by unplugging the phone, but other times I have to switch to another non iPod source, close the Pandora or Stitcher apps on my cell phone to force it to play. Not a big deal when sitting in a parking lot, but not very safe when already driving.
Then there's the whole issue of launching Pandora or Stitcher, apparently if I started my car with the iPod mode on, if I want to move to Pandora or Stitcher, I have to unlock my cell phone and make sure it's on the home screen. Otherwise I get that message to unlock or restart the phone app. Again, not a big issue when parked, but when driving, it's a huge hassle, especially since the iPod cable is inside the center console. It wouldn't be an issue if the Cruze had more interior storage space, but I use my cup holders.lol
Another issue I've experience multiple times is that the audio refuses to play through the cars speakers, instead the audio plays through the cell phone speaker. Funny thing is when this happens, I still have full control of the music library on the screen, it's just outputting to the wrong speakers. It could be the phone, but I've never had this problem with this phone on any other iPod integration system, only my Cruze.
And of course there's the whole indexing thing. I haven't changed any music on my phone for over a month, yet every time I plug it in I see "indexing...". Does it not store the index file?
Then there's the bluetooth/phone feature. Sometimes I'll go to make the call, but it only outputs to the phone itself, not the car speakers. I can hit the transfer button, but the audio goes straight back to the phone. Funny thing is I can still voice dial, I just have to hold the phone up normally to talk.
Now, I know, I sound like I hate MyLink, but I really do like it. It's so much more convenient than what I had in my Cadillac CTS. I'm just trying to see if I'm the only one having/noticing these things. I think i'm going to skip my Chevrolet dealer for the next service/oil change, they have a quick lube place, so I don't get a chance to talk to a proper service advisor. I'm going to bring it to my Cadillac dealer and talk to my usual service advisor about it. Hope they don't get mad that I bought the Cruze over the Verano/Encore.lol
MyLink is so close, but it just misses the mark. I hope the next version that is already out in the new Impala, Silverado, etc is more reliable. Nevertheless, from what I've heard and briefly experienced, the MyLink system in my car is still better than the CUE system in the Cadillacs. That thing promises an iPhone experience, but give you a Palm Pilot experience.lol
I can hope for an update to fix my issues, but from what I've gathered from other threads, it's unlikely that our cars will be getting any major updates.