U0197
Lost Communication with Hands-Free Phone Control Module
The infotainment system cannot reach the hands-free phone controller. Bluetooth telephony, address book sync and emergency call features may be unavailable.
- Check engine light: Not always
- Emissions related: No
- Repair difficulty: medium
Symptoms
- Multiple warning lights may illuminate
- Affected modules may go into limp mode or shut down
- Specific functions inoperative depending on module
- Diagnostic tools may show communication faults
Common causes
Ordered by how often each turns out to be the cause.
- Hands-free module unpoweredCommon
- Gateway module routing CAN messages incorrectlyLess likely
- CAN terminating resistor (120 Ω) drifted out of specLess likely
Parts involved
- Hands Free Module
- Infotainment Bus
U0197 is a generic OBD-II code defined by SAE J2012. Exact wording and diagnostic procedure vary by manufacturer and model. Code definitions are drawn from the public-domain OBDex dataset; the workshop notes are our own.