Phone As A Key (PAAK) update coming starting today to early builds.

[Jim Lewis]

I had trouble getting PAAK to work, and I found the following Mach-E forum instructions to work great with adaptation to an iPhone. https://www.macheforum.com/site/thr...on-android-to-enable-a-backup-startcode.4544/ (Post #1).

I tried the simpler iPhone instructions offered in Post #2 of the same thread, but they didn't work for me. YMMV.

My Sync screen says I have all the latest updates. But when I tried to set up PAAK in the FordPass app, after copying the pairing code and waiting a few minutes, I'd get NO input dialog for the pairing code, and a message pairing had failed. I'd be told to reset PAAK in the vehicle, but I'd immediately get a message that the PAAK reset failed.

So, I pretty much followed all of Post #1 instructions. I have an iPhone 14 Pro Max running iOS 16.5. Deleting the FordPass app is supposed to remove all data and cache. I went into the phone Bluetooth settings and disconnected all other paired devices. I turned off CarPlay under the General settings on my iPhone. I turned off BT on my Apple Watch Ultra. Turned off low-power mode for my iPhone battery(although, in the end, PAAK works with the battery in low-power mode). Went to my Ford account and verified vehicle and VIN # were there. (I may be skipping listing a step or two listed in Post #1 in this recounting). After rebooting my iPhone, I reinstalled and signed into the FordPass app. This time, after starting the PAAK setup, after the Wait Two Minutes, the pairing dialog popup appeared. When I pasted the code in and tapped PAIR, the FordPass app went back to the COPY THIS CODE screen, and I got a message the pairing had failed when I clicked CONTINUE on the bottom of the screen. I went through the setup again. Same deal. Input the pairing code in the popup dialog but then went back to the Copy THIS CODE screen. But the 2nd time around, I just sat in the vehicle dumbfounded and then noticed on the vehicle Sync screen that the PAAK pairing had been successfully completed. So to anyone else who tries the Mach-E recipe in Post#1, I suggest just waiting the first time around after returning to the COPY THIS CODE screen, and maybe the PAAK setup will work in one try.

After that, I set up a backup passcode and created a new door code. It's kind of crappy that the door code uses only 5 keypad numbers. For a 5-digit code there are only 5x5x5x5x5 combinations (3.125K), whereas if they weren't so cheap on a >$50K vehicle and put in all 10 digits, there would be 10x10x10x10x10 combinations (100K).

I installed the FordPass app on my Apple Watch Ultra (I presume this will work with any Apple Watch that can run the FordPass app - my watch is running WatchOS 9.5). I can lock, unlock, and start my truck from my watch with my iPhone in a hip holster. My phone case must have metal plate inserts because to let the watch work, I sometimes have to lift the holster flap for the watch to work. Pulling the phone out of the holster may be easier, but it's cool that the watch (through the phone) can unlock the truck. If I hide the phone away in a Faraday cage (my refrigerator!), the watch complains it can't find the phone to send the lock/unlock signal via the phone.

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[Maquis]

I had trouble getting PAAK to work, and I found the following Mach-E forum instructions to work great with adaptation to an iPhone. https://www.macheforum.com/site/thr...on-android-to-enable-a-backup-startcode.4544/ (Post #1).

I tried the simpler iPhone instructions offered in Post #2 of the same thread, but they didn't work for me. YMMV.

My Sync screen says I have all the latest updates. But when I tried to set up PAAK in the FordPass app, after copying the pairing code and waiting a few minutes, I'd get NO input dialog for the pairing code, and a message pairing had failed. I'd be told to reset PAAK in the vehicle, but I'd immediately get a message that the PAAK reset failed.

So, I pretty much followed all of Post #1 instructions. I have an iPhone 14 Pro Max running iOS 16.5. Deleting the FordPass app is supposed to remove all data and cache. I went into the phone Bluetooth settings and disconnected all other paired devices. I turned off CarPlay under the General settings on my iPhone. I turned off BT on my Apple Watch Ultra. Went to my Ford account and verified vehicle and VIN # were there. (I may be skipping listing a step or two listed in Post #1 in this recounting). After rebooting my iPhone, I reinstalled and signed into the FordPass app. This time, after starting the PAAK setup, after the Wait Two Minutes, the pairing dialog popup appeared. When I pasted the code in and tapped PAIR, the FordPass app went back to the COPY THIS CODE screen, and I got a message the pairing had failed when I clicked CONTINUE on the bottom of the screen. I went through the setup again. Same deal. Input the pairing code in the popup dialog but then went back to the Copy THIS CODE screen. But the 2nd time around, I just sat in the vehicle dumbfounded and then noticed on the vehicle Sync screen that the PAAK pairing had been successfully completed. So to anyone else who tries the Mach-E recipe in Post#1, I suggest just waiting the first time around after returning to the COPY THIS CODE screen, and maybe the PAAK setup will work in one try.

After that, I set up a backup passcode and created a new door code. It's kind of crappy that the door code uses only 5 keypad numbers. For a 5-digit code there are only 5x5x5x5x5 combinations (3.125K), whereas if they weren't so cheap on a >$50K vehicle and put in all 10 digits, there would be 10x10x10x10x10 combinations (100K).

I installed the FordPass app on my Apple Watch Ultra (I presume this will work with any Apple Watch that can run the FordPass app - my watch is running WatchOS 9.5). I can lock, unlock, and start my truck from my watch with my iPhone in a hip holster. My phone case must have metal plate inserts because to let the watch work, I sometimes have to lift the holster flap for the watch to work. Pulling the phone out of the holster may be easier, but it's cool that the watch (through the phone) can unlock the truck. If I hide the phone away in a Faraday cage (my refrigerator!), the watch complains it can't find the phone to send the lock/unlock signal via the phone.

The door access locks out after (I believe) 9 incorrect attempts. 5 digits is plenty.

 

[Jim Lewis]

The door access locks out after (I believe) 9 incorrect attempts. 5 digits is plenty.

Actually, if you do the math with only a 5-key code and 9 tries allowed, there is 1 chance in 70 of hitting a correct code in 9 tries, assuming you try a different code each time. With a 10-key code and 9 tries, there is 1 chance in about 2,223 of hitting a correct key code. Assuming there is no penalty like a security horn sounding, one could just go around trying key combinations on Lightnings until one works.

The problem is one might have trouble finding 70 Lightnings or more in one place, wherever you live in the States, even if you searched for days right now! It's easier to break a window on a 2023 Lightning now that the intrusion detection feature has been removed.

The math for a 5-key code is as follows. For a 5-digit 5-key code, there are 5x5x5x5x5=3,125 choices. For the first of 9 tries, 3,124 are wrong choices. The chance of making a wrong choice on the 1st try is 3,124/3,125. On the second try, you don't try the wrong first choice again, so there are 3,123 wrong choices for the 2nd try. Chance of a wrong choice on 2nd try, 3,123/3,125. Third try 3,122 wrong choices. Chance of wrong choice on 3rd try, 3,122/3,125.

So, multiply the chances of 9 wrong choices in a row 3,124/3,125 x 3,123/3,125 x 3,122/3,125 x .... x 3,116/3,125 = 0.985688779. The total probabilities for a trial outcome always add up to 1.0. What's the complement of always making wrong choices in 9 tries? That at least one try is right and opens the door. 1 - 0.985688779 = 0.014311221. Take the reciprocal to get a feel of what this means in terms of one chance in what number of tries. 1/0.014311221 = 69.87523988. So, about 1 chance in 70 with only a 5-digit code and 9 tries allowed of randomly hitting a code that works if I've done the math right (it's been a LONG time since I've had probability and statistics, like 50 or 60 years!).

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