PAAK - New Phone warning!

[djstough]

/TLDR - I could have been locked out of my truck at the mall, after picking up my new iPhone

So, I carry a physical key for the Lightning, but not the MachE. Both are set up for PAAK, which I love. I just can't make myself stop carrying a truck key. For years, when I travel for work, after I park at the airport, I drop the physical key in my laptop bag so I don't need to deal with it all week. Then pull it out when I return. But with PAAK, I sometimes don't pull it out for a few days.

I traveled two weeks ago, then came home, and didn't take out the physical key until just last Friday morning. I went to the Apple Store and traded in my phone. As I got back to the truck, it struck me that if I hadn't pulled out the physical key, I might have been stuck. Of course, then it struck me that I could use the door code and backup password. But it did make me stop to think!

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[dkrueger]

I was worried about this as well. I have the Lightning as a work truck and a driver with it for the past few months collecting coastal data - he is currently in Florida with it and I am in Pennsylvania. I just got the new iPhone and when I opened the Ford Pass app and logged in the app asked if I want to set up this phone as a key. I'll need to wait until I am physically with the truck again to do the setup...

 

[astrand1]

I love the PAAK but it does need some tweaking. So what I did for some redundancy is got a small faraday pouch and put my key in it and have that hidden inside my truck where it’s really easy for me to get to but I think a person would be hard pressed to find it.

 

[mattskr]

I did this last year when I traded in the iPhone. Got in the truck and used the passcode. Logged back into FordPass when I got home.

As long as you don’t forget your passcode it’s really a non-issue.

I’ve only had to use the key fob for service.

 

[bmwhitetx]

I love the PAAK but it does need some tweaking. So what I did for some redundancy is got a small faraday pouch and put my key in it and have that hidden inside my truck where it’s really easy for me to get to but I think a person would be hard pressed to find it.

IMHO everyone should do this. You never know when you may need emergency service, a tow or other situation where you need to hand the vehicle over to someone. This is such an easy thing to do. And instead of a Faraday bag you could remove the battery if you would rather.

E.g., after dropping my wife off at an appointment I had an hour to kill and thought about getting a tire rotation. I have the key in bag like you so that would have not have been an issue.

 

[16cards]

> I could have been locked out of my truck at the mall

Couldn't you have simply pressed the unlock button on the home screen?

 

[jimfigler]

ive used the passkey a few times, no issues

 

[Whammy Bar]

Thats assuming you can type your passcode in...

 

[Monkey]

This is a reason I really like the NFC ’credit card’ keys that Tesla, Rivian and a couple others are using. Oh, crap… Don’t have my key and don’t want to hand the guy at the tire shop my phone…. Just pull the card out of the wallet. Actual situation I was in with my Lightning a few months ago. Picked up a screw in my front tire and I gently pulled into a Les Schwab to have it patched. No big deal, but had to give him my phone so he could pull my truck in the bay and then pull it up front for me after.

I like that I can use a keypad code to enter my Lightning and a password to start/drive it, wish my other vehicles had that. But a keycard would be nice or other solution beyond the antiquated and easily relayed/hijacked fobs. The one time I went to use the password on my Lightning I had a brain fart and kinda forgot it so had to type it in a few times. It was minor, I was just moving the truck and had left my phone inside and didn’t want to walk back in to get it.

 

[MTBAZ]

I had the same issue at the dealer. We all figured out that day how to use Valet mode and they were able to do what they needed.

 

[MTBAZ]

I had one of these pouches but after 6 months in the summer heat it failed. I was able to start the truck with the hidden key. I still needed the code to get in the door, but it took me a few weeks to figure out it was bad.

Not sure if it was the heat the killed it or I had a bad unit. Didn't want to try again so I wrapped the key if foil and put it back in the truck.

 

[flyct]

WOW I had the same issue. I went to apple store to get my out f warranty iphone 8 plus battery replaced for $49 . They screwed up the phone replacing the battery so they gave me a new iphone instead for the same $49.

Went to the parking lot and realized PaaK no longer worked.

BUT, I'm an belt and suspenders guy. I keep a programmed FOB in a faraday bag in the lockable Console Vault in the truck along with my loaded "peashooter" I also have password start programmed if needed.

I also have a F-450 and do the same with it, a lockable console vault with a programmed FOB in a Faraday bag.

 

[roddiaz1]

I must not know how to use PAAK. As the truck ALWAYS has me type in my code in order to start the vehicle. You guys make it sound like the phone is a perfect replacement for the fob. That has not been my experience. Do I need to press any buttons on the phone to start the vehicle (Without typing my code into the Sync4 screen)?

 

[mattskr]

I had one of these pouches but after 6 months in the summer heat it failed. I was able to start the truck with the hidden key. I still needed the code to get in the door, but it took me a few weeks to figure out it was bad.

Same happened to me in my old truck. Had one of those pouches from Amazon worked great then one day in the summer I realized in horror that I could unlock my door and start the truck just like anyone else off the street. Key had been sitting in the pouch in the console for months.

I must not know how to use PAAK. As the truck ALWAYS has me type in my code in order to start the vehicle. You guys make it sound like the phone is a perfect replacement for the fob. That has not been my experience. Do I need to press any buttons on the phone to start the vehicle (Without typing my code into the Sync4 screen)?

No, it should work just like the fob. You just walk up to the door and unlock and get in and start. You should only need the code if phone is dead or you get locked out of FordPass or something. Check Fordpass PaaK settings it should have checkmarks to tell if you if it is working properly. For example FordPass must have access to Bluetooth, Location, and Cell data.

 

[ChrisCon]

I must not know how to use PAAK. As the truck ALWAYS has me type in my code in order to start the vehicle. You guys make it sound like the phone is a perfect replacement for the fob. That has not been my experience. Do I need to press any buttons on the phone to start the vehicle (Without typing my code into the Sync4 screen)?

You need to have your phone as a key enabled and the FordPass app opened and background processes running. Does FordPass look like this screenshot for you ?

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