tim's journal

Nokia Cark-143

I'm going crazy... but it's getting better. We recently purchased a car kit (CARK-143) from Nokia USA to go with our 7250i. Installation was straight-foward, since another kit had already been installed. However, I noticed that the ignition sense did not seem to be working. The problem had three possible sources: the phone, the car kit, or me. I spent quite a number of hours checking and rechecking connection voltages, so much so that I know it isn't me. So, I emailed nokia and I got some canned message back about how they would not support the 7250i since it had not yet been released in the US even though the CARK-143 webpage clearly states that this car kit is for the 7250i.

Introduction
The Nokia full car kits have three nice features that make them worth purchasing: (1) ignition sense, (2) radio mute, and (3) an antenna coupler.

Ignition Sense Woes A search on google revealed that I'm not the only one with this problem. From several, posts, in particular this one, it seems to be that the problem is the phone - that it doesn't support the ignition sense. The funny thing is that my dad claims that his works, which leaves me quite puzzled. The way to find out is to probe the inputs to the phone (there are only like 6-7) and see if any of them change when you shut down the vehicle. If there is a signal, then the car kit is doing it's job. It does appear that certain Nokia phones just do not support ignition sense. Here, Club Nokia replies that the 6310i does not switch on or off with the ignition and that this is a change in design. Here's another post that says that Nokia decided not to include ignition sense "in lieu of other phone features". Hmmmm.

Customer Service Well, for the record, here are my emails with customer service...

Date: Tue, 10 Jun 03 13:56:02 -0400
From: NokiaUSA.CustomerCare@nokia.com
To: torque@stanford.edu
Subject: Re:Concern about Accessories for my phone RequestID:  1-KKSN0

Dear Elwyn,

Thank you for contacting Nokia Customer Care regarding problems
encountered with the CARK-143 and your Nokia 7250i phone. We
understand your frustration and apologize for any inconvenience.

A specific release date for the new Nokia 7250i phone you are
inquiring about has not been determined.

We do not have information available for Nokia products that have not
been released in the United States.

Nokia is pleased to honor the one year warranty on our phone models
manufactured and sold by authorized Nokia dealers in the United
States.

Nokia does not promote the export of phones outside of the country of
origin. Phone models, purchased in another country, that are in need
of repair must be taken back to the point of purchase or the cellular
service provider.

As Nokia continues to develop and introduce new phone models and
accessories in the United States, we will update our U.S. website at
www.Nokia.com/us.

If you would like to learn more about the features of your phone and
receive special offers on ring tones and accessories, please sign up
for our Free monthly newsletter at https://www.nokiaconnections.com/.

If you have additional questions, please contact us. Thank you for
choosing Nokia for your cellular needs.

Sincerely,

Yezid
Customer Care
Nokia Inc.
Nokia.com/us

P.S. In an effort to continuously improve Nokia's service to you,
please complete our E-mail Customer Care Survey at
http://www.klcsurveys.com/surveys/custcare_0603c.htm. Please copy the
link and paste it into the address field of your browser.

Date: Tue, 10 Jun 03 18:34:18 -0400
From: reply.customercare@nokia.com
To: torque@stanford.edu
Subject: Re:Concern about Accessories for my phone RequestID:   1-KKSN0 
      RequestID: 1-KLA8T

Dear Elwyn,

Thank you for your response to Nokia Customer Care regarding the error
message displayed on your Nokia 7250i phone when attached to your car
kit.

We have not made any announcements regarding the Nokia 7250i phone,
nor have we heard any issues regarding the error message you are
receiving. As the Nokia 7250i phone has not been released in the
United States, we do not have specific information or technical
support for your phone at this time.

Please contact Nokia Customer Care in the country you have originally
purchased the phone from. Nokia warranties are valid only in the
country where the product was purchased and is limited to Nokia
Original products. Thus, Nokia does not promote the export of Nokia
products outside the country of origin.

Malfunction issues pertaining to Nokia Car Kits could be isolated as
one of three areas:

(1) Not recognizing what is normal operation of your car kit (such as
operation of the handset or LCD/keypad).
(2) Improper installation and testing of the car kit after
installation.
(3) A component of your car kit is not working properly.

Recognizing what is normal operation for your car kit may be the
issue. A brief review of one or two features may be helpful. For
example, when the phone is connected to the Kit, the menu functions
for Backlight Control, Keypad Tones and Ringing Volume will be
different from those available in normal hand portable use of the
phone.

Independent levels for each of these functions will be stored for
handset mode and for handsfree mode.For example, if you are in handset mode when you select any of these
levels, the level will apply only when the phone is operated in
handset mode. Conversely, if you are in handsfree mode when you select
any of these levels, the level will apply only when the phone is
operated in handsfree mode.

When the phone is connected to a car kit, the keypad lights are
continuously on if the lights (Menu 4) option is set to ON. Otherwise,
the lights remain on for 15 seconds once any key is pressed.

If any component of your Nokia Car Kit is found to be functioning
improperly by your installer, they should remove the part or parts,
and send them directly to the Nokia Repair Center. If some small
portion of the car kit becomes broken or cracked, such as the handset
or cradle, simply send that part to us for replacement. Nokia will
repair, or replace, at Nokia's option, any part(s) that will not
properly operate for their intended use with new or factory rebuilt
replacement items.

When a malfunction beyond the normal use of your phone or car kit
occurs, you must take the car kit and phone to the point of
installation. You may find that returning a car kit to the point of
purchase is less time consuming if the item is in stock. Return
policies for merchandise will vary with each dealer. Please consult
your particular retailer for details.

If your car kit was purchased within the warranty period of three
years and you prefer, you may send the entire car kit directly to us
for warranty coverage.

You may find that returning the car kit to your dealer or service
provider is less time consuming if the item is in stock. Return
policies will vary with each dealer. Please consult your point of
purchase for details.

You may also wish to bring your car kit to a local authorized repair
center to be examined by a technician.

You can search for an Authorized Service Center in your area by
visiting our web site, www.Nokia.com/us. Click on the "Support/Repair"
section on the blue navigational bar. On the subsequent screen, please
enter your ZIP code to search for a repair center.

Please call these locations prior to your visit, to verify the
necessary equipment for the repair of your car kit. Each Authorized
Service Center is independently operated; repairs offered and fees may
vary among the different locations.

If you prefer, you may send the car kit directly to Nokia for warranty
coverage at the following address:

Nokia Repair Center
795 W. Nasa Boulevard
Melbourne, FL 32901

We recommend that you include a short note with your Nokia accessory
describing the problem and detailing your mailing address.
Additionally, please include a copy of your proof of purchase for
warranty purposes. Per the warranty agreement, Nokia will cover the
cost of replacement and shipping of the new accessory item.

Allow approximately 7 business days for the turn-around time of your
accessory.

If you have additional questions, please contact us. Thank you for
choosing Nokia for your cellular needs.

Sincerely,

Michelle
Customer Care
Nokia Inc.
Nokia.com/us

P.S. In an effort to continuously improve Nokia's service to you,
please complete our E-mail Customer Care Survey at
http://www.klcsurveys.com/surveys/custcare_0603a.htm. Please copy the
link and paste it into the address field of your browser.

Posted by torque at June 17, 2003 6:51 AM | TrackBack