PAC BLU-GM29 Bluetooth Kit Integration Module for Select 29-Bit GM LAN Vehicles

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Price: $87.24 Too low to display   

Product Feature

• Plug-N-Play, Parrot CK3000, EGO Talk, Motorola IHF1000, IHF1700
• Can also be hardwired to provide power and audio connectivity with any bluetooth kit that has a mute trigger and an audio output
• Wiring harness with power and video connections
• Provides Plug and Play connection for select Bluetooth Phone Kits to GM 29-Bit LAN vehicles
• Works in vehicles with or without OnStar; use your factory steering wheel controls to operate your aftermarket Bluetooth Phone Kit

Product Description

Bluetooth Kit Integration Module for select 29-Bit GM LAN vehicles with or without OnStar. Connect and control an aftermarket Bluetooth kit using the factory steering wheel controls. Can also be hardwired to provide power and audio connectivity with any bluetooth kit that has a mute trigger and an audio output; note that the control module from the bluetooth kit will need to be used as the steering wheel controls will not control a kit that is not Plug-N-Play. Provides Plug and Play connection for select Bluetooth phone kits to GM 29-Bit LAN vehicles; (same applications as OS-4); works in vehicles with or without OnStar; use your factory steering wheel controls to operate your aftermarket Bluetooth phone kit.

PAC BLU-GM29 Bluetooth Kit Integration Module for Select 29-Bit GM LAN Vehicles Review

I purchased the BLU-GM29 in June 2010 for installation in my 2007 Chevy Avalanche; I paired it with a Motorola IHF1000 Bluetooth Car Kit and an iPhone 3G. The intent was to make use of my factory OnStar equipment, whose service I don't subscribe to because I have AT&T wireless, to achieve a totally hands-free experience while talking on my phone. I only made it part way.

The BLU kit arrived first, took only 4 days to get here, so I was quite pleased with that. After a little trouble with the initial install, which I'll detail in a moment, I got it working with the immediate help of Pac-Audio's call-in tech support. I'm more than a little disappointed that I can't MAKE a hands-free call with it, which I consider to be the number one distraction of talking on the road. To me this knocked AT LEAST two stars off what could have been a superb product. Another star got knocked off for the crappy instructions, the root of my initial install problems.

First off, the kit comes with three different harnesses that have plugs on the ends that mate with popular bluetooth kits. BIG plus for that, the only other competitor's kit I found for my Avalanche just had plugs on one end; they expect you to cut and splice the other end to your brand new car kit. Dumb. Gave BLU-GM29 a star for that.

I selected the harness that mates with my Motorola IFH1000, then tried to use the BLU instructions to make my connections. I kid you not, the entire installation instructions are 3 sentences long; the rest is devoted to volume control. The connection diagram is tiny, and it is incomplete - kind of like using a stickman drawing to teach medical students to operate. There are two plugs that mate with the car kit on the BLU harness, but only one on the drawing. On top of that, none of the ends are numbered, the wire colors are completely different than the factory wires, and even the quantity of wires entering the various plugs are different. This is a big deal only on one cable; you can actually install it backward (which I did) as it uses the same plug configuration on both ends. Won't work that way.

So I called tech support, the guy walked me thru the instructions, but since the cable ends aren't numbered it took a while to discover the problem. He got a little impatient with me, not sure why since I was pretty relaxed (I thought), and I'm not the numb-nuts who forgot to number the ends. Tech support people need extraordinary patience, as my mom tells me every wednesday when I teach her how to retrieve her email again.

Another thing I noticed about their instructions is there is no standard term for the various harnesses (absent numbers you need to call them something). He kept telling me to "connect the SplitGM29 harness to the Moto2split plug". Now the BLU harness did have a "Moto2" label on one end, but I could not find this "SplitGM29" harness. Turns out that is the vehicle factory harness that plugs into the back of the stereo. Why can't the instructions tell you that? Where is the glossary?

The last thing that baffles me about the instructions is this major omission: Tech Support told me you are required to have the driver's door OPEN when you first power up the unit (turn on the ignition). Really? Why didn't that simple requirement make it into those three, short sentences?

Okay, so what about this inability to make a phone call hands free? You can do it with the factory control included with the Motorola, had I installed it - so would it be that difficult to add a 'Talk' button feature to the BLU-GM29? That's what Motorola uses. I went to the company website, [...] and looked up the installation video. Sure enough, he demonstrates making a call by picking up his blackberry, surfing thru contacts, making the call, then transferring it to the bluetooth car kit. Can't say that was false advertising. But I can't tell you how frustrating this is - my state just passed a law making cell phone use a primary driving offense, so I buy this contraption thinking this is how I can use my factory OnStar equipment with my iPhone. It recieves calls just fine - but it's not distracting to me to answer a phone. It is to surf thru contacts.

So my short synopsis is:

Pros:
*Plug and Play, no wire cuts or terminations
*Integrates with OnStar whether you subscribe or not
*Less expensive than competitor

Cons:
*Only recieves calls hands-free
*Abysmal instructions
*Did I mention it's not really hands-free?

Only buy this if the hands-free issue is... not an issue. And throw away the instructions.

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