Different phone manufacturers choose to support Bluetooth to various different degrees.
Your disconnecting for no apparent reason is NOT normal.
Is your phone set to answer the call on the phone even when it's connected to the handsfree device (your car)?
It should be set to divert the call to the handsfree device when it's connected to the car via BT. My phone has this as a configuration option maybe yours does too.
Also how long it takes for the phone to detect the lost BT connection when you exit the car is also device dependent. Mine takes about 10 seconds.
J

 

I have Cingular for 3 years in San Diego and find it is excellent. Cheapest plan; $30 for 1,400 minutes/month. Excellent reception across the US and northern Mexico with no roaming charges. I have a Motorola V551j, don't use all the features except for the calender and bluetooth, it connected to TOH very easy. No dropped calls! Even does call waiting in the TOH. I had Sprint and Verison and after I moved 1 mile I got dropped calls and bad reception and found that ATT was the only one that worked at my new home. When Cingular took them over 2 years ago I got a the above phone and this great plan. I've used the phone in New York City, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Dallas and Florida with great reception, much better than when I had Sprint. I do cut off my own calls by hitting the voice dial button on the phone by accident, once and while, but that's my fault.

 

The V551 is an excellent phone. It uses the same chipset as the (cheapened) RAZORs.
Unfortunately the phonebook transfer is limited to one entry at a time. I have two V551s as spares. You gotta luv GSM and the ability to swap SIMM cards.
J

 

I have Cingular, and I have a razr - I had a Motorolla V551 up until a week ago. I had the same problems with that phone. Please bear with me - I'm not very cell phone savvy. I think it's configured to divert to the car. When a call comes in, I can hear the phone ring in my purse, but the car shows the incoming call too. I once tried to answer the phone itself since it was in my hand - but it was through the car's bluetooth that I was able to hear the call. How do I get it to change how long it takes to disconnect from bluetooth?

 

I don't think setting that value is externalized. I am sure there is a firmware hack to do it but that's not something a typical user would want to do.

 

Firmware hack? Is that legal??? (Referring to your concern for legalities on the DVD 5.1 vs. 6.1 post.)

 

Actually it is legal. I would never knowingly suggest something that was illegal. Motorola phones have many feature adjustments that are not externalized but there is a published api for making the changes via software. You are not really "hacking" as much as making adjustments to less well known settings. Hope that sets your mind at ease.

J

 

AWESOME!

 

I got to thinking on this again. If missing a call is important you could always manually turn off Bluetooth at the phone immediately before shutting off the car. Once the car is off then toggle BT on again for the nex time. Manually turning off BT should minimize or eliminate the disconnect delay. You can set up a shortcut in the phone to make it an easy process.
J

 

I just got a Treo 700wx. I cannot figure out how to transfer contacts via bluetooth to the car. My battery and signal strength indicators do not seem to be working, but caller id works. Should I be able to see call waiting caller ID? I suppose that would be too much to ask.

If anyone has any tips for transfering contacts, I would love the help. Do I "beam" them? I have had no luck so far.