Garmin Nuvi 3597 Bluetooth Questions

On the 3597, go to the menu screen and click on "Apps". Go to the Smart Link app and click on the phone. Uncheck "use the gps for calls".

You have to be connected to the phone to do this, and it's not real sticky. It may do this a few times, then you will have to redo it. It also helps to make sure the radio comes on and connects to the phone before the Garmin is turned on.

The 3597 has had and continues to have issues connecting to the phone. I did this from memory. When I go outside and get the Garmin, I'll check the procedure and post any corrections.

Ok, exact procedure. Again, connect the Smartphone to the Garmin. Do it with the ignition off for best results. Once connected, click on the "Apps" icon on the menu screen. Then click on the "Smartphone Link" icon. Then click on the phone icon. Then uncheck the "Handsfree" option.

As before, this is not sticky and may need to be redone. It does help to not turn on the Garmin until after the radio connects to the phone, first.

Excellent. Thank you very much. I do appreciate it.

You're Welcome!

Why would you want to add an extra step to connect your phone. All that is going to happen is the Garmin will connect to the phone and then the Garmin will probably connect to the cars Bluetooth anyway.

As in another thread some people liked that their GPS could do MP3 music, my stereo in the car has better sound than the tinny GPS speaker. Same would go for the phone. Additionally if the phone is connected to the cars Bluetooth the car stereo music will automatically be shut down. For me that is a BIG plus !

But I may be wrong?

If my Garmin connects to the full phone, when a call comes in, the Garmin and the Hands Free fight over which one connects to the call. When this happens, the audio is distorted and garbled. I have disconnect and stop the Garmin from answering the call.

Connecting the phone allows one to use the Smart Link app on the phone for Traffic and Weather that is far superior to the Garmin. Especially when you are out of range of the Built In traffic.

There is a way in settings to configure bluetooth to do what the mother-in-law wants. There are settings in the nuvi under Bluetooth and under Smartphone Link in Apps. There are settings in the phone for Bluetooth and in the Smartphone Link app.

Once the settings are correct and bluetooth is paired between the phone and the nuvi, and between the phone and the car audio system, it will all work. But shut the car off and walk away for 10 minutes. When you resume driving, all the bluetooth pairing will have to be done over again.

There are too many gadgets so bluetooth gets confused. Bluetooth works as long as there are only two gadgets; the car and the phone, or the car and the nuvi.

In my opinion this is not a Garmin problem. It is a bluetooth problem. Once you pair a bluetooth connection, it should be forever, but that is not how bluetooth works.

I gave up on this. I only use Smartphone Link for long trips.

dobs108

There are two types of BT connections in your phone when you pair Garmin with your phone and Smartlink app.
1. Bluetooth (BT)
2. BLE - Bluetooth Low Energy

If you want to use Garmin Device to make and receive phone calls on it then you need BT connection.

But if you to pair your phone for just traffic and weather information then only BLE is required. Garmin uses BLE to transfer data to GPS.
So you can uncheck, BT phone calls in Garmin which will keep BLE active then.

I have done that and have had no issues whatsoever with Bluetooth or the GPS and phone competing against each other.

Both of you have had no problems, but are you also using the car audio system to talk on the phone? Does the car audio system use bluetooth low energy?

dobs108

Mine doesn't. The only BLE connections I've ever seen to the phone has been Garmin ones.

I don't know if the car audio is using BLE or regular Bluetooth. I am thinking that it is using Bluetooth. I do know that if I do not turn off Hands-Free on the Garmin, I will have difficulty pairing up with SmartLink. (If you don't turn off Hands-Free, this will present all kinds of problems with SmartLink.) When I receive a call and I have the GPS in the car, it will completely bypass the Garmin and go straight to the in-car system. And, it will not affect SmartLink at all. With all of this being said, it is possible that different audio systems will work in a completely different way. And with Bluetooth being what it is, and with all of it's peculiarities, I would say that it is probably a given that it is not going to work the same in all vehicle audio systems.

Car audio system always uses Bluetooth.

Thank you for the information

Good to know. Thanks