PAAK/WAL needs a little tweaking

[astrand1]

Thought I’d share my experience with these 2 functions (which I love) knowing that there are some Ford employees that lurk around. PAAK needs to be a little more sensitive I’d say. Unless the truck is on as in remote start or pre conditioning most of the time the welcome lighting and running boards deploying don’t happen. Once I put my hand in the handle it then usually still will take a couple of seconds for the truck to “wake up” and then all is fine. Just to clear up I’m using an iPhone 16 and I have tried having the ford pass app open with screen on as well as phone in pocket etc. makes no difference either way I get the same results. If I walk up or near the truck with the key it always wakes right up even when the truck is off without fail. Now WAL is another great feature. It’s something I liked about GM. They have had this feature for yrs. So the way GM does it is simply a timer once the last door closes. 10 sec or so and vehicle locks and horn chirps. In the case of the Lightning there is no rhyme or reason I can figure. Sometimes I can get out close the door and in 10sec or less doors lock and horn chirps. But many times I can close door walk far away and nothing. Then maybe 2-3 min later I hear the horn honk and get the notification on my iPhone. As well as plenty of times the truck just never locks. (Majority of the time it locks at some point, but not always) Seems to be there is some connection at least at times with proximity to the truck before it locks. My suggestion and request is that the team that handles that make the change to a time based system rather than proximity (if that’s the case) it should be rock solid 10sec or whatever from the last door closing and then it should just lock wether you’re standing next to it or not.

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[The Weatherman]

Yep. I have the same experience with PAAK. It has been ‘flaky’ from the beginning.

 

[Ricks Lightning]

Walk away locking and unlocking on my flash has been great.

Wish I had PAAK, according the Ford BEV team I do, but we all know that's not true. Even though they sent me step by step instructions on setting it up.

Plus my seatbelt warning is constantly going on. even though i have my belt on and the passenger seat is unoccupied, rear seats are up. only the drivers seat is active.

Rick

 

[GoodSam]

WAL is suddenly active on my XLT 312A with no PAAK, just carry a Fob. No toggle switch on any screen I can see to control its activation.

 

[mr.Magoo]

So I had WAL for about two months or so before I got the official OTA update, and prior to the update I thought it was almost too sensitive in the sense that you had to walk really far away from the truck for it to lock.
Now, I I walk up to it with my phone in my back pocket (and no, I do not have a titanium hip implant) it will not unlock the door, Iliterally have to either take it out of my back pocket or turn so that my a-- is facing the door so hopefully someone can figure out a signal strength setting in Forscan so that we can tweak it a bit.

 

[K6CCC]

PAAK and WAL are two "features" specifically did not want. Too many horror stories from people I know where they have PAAK (various vehicles), and they find that they left their phone too close to the parked car at home and it unlocked without them knowing.

WAL would drive me nuts. Way too many times that I am doing work and in an out of the truck all day for hours. Having it lock every time I walk away would be annoying.

Yes, it's large, but I carry the fob in my pocket and just walk up and grab the door handle and it unlocks. As for locking (when I want it to lock), it's so easy to push the button inside before getting out (as I did with prior trucks), or the lock button on the handle. And if for some reason I really can't remember locking it, I can use the lock button in FordPass.

 

[astrand1]

PAAK and WAL are two "features" specifically did not want. Too many horror stories from people I know where they have PAAK (various vehicles), and they find that they left their phone too close to the parked car at home and it unlocked without them knowing.

WAL would drive me nuts. Way too many times that I am doing work and in an out of the truck all day for hours. Having it lock every time I walk away would be annoying.

Yes, it's large, but I carry the fob in my pocket and just walk up and grab the door handle and it unlocks. As for locking (when I want it to lock), it's so easy to push the button inside before getting out (as I did with prior trucks), or the lock button on the handle. And if for some reason I really can't remember locking it, I can use the lock button in FordPass.

Well first PAAK would not just “unlock” the truck. You have to be next to it and put your hand in the handle. And being able to just shut the door and walk away and have the truck lock is pretty slick. I don’t k of why that would drive you crazy. Now what does bother me is its inconsistency as far as how far away I have to get from truck. Which I hope will be fixed soon. But I’m not holding my breath.

 

[K6CCC]

Well first PAAK would not just “unlock” the truck. You have to be next to it and put your hand in the handle.

Then it behaves different from some other vehicles where it will unlock the vehicle if the phone gets within Bluetooth range (around 30 feet). A friend found that he can't leave his phone on the nightstand on his side of the bed without it unlocking his car.

And being able to just shut the door and walk away and have the truck lock is pretty slick. I don’t k of why that would drive you crazy.

Working at a mountaintop radio site where I am in an out of the truck 50 times in a couple hours. Having to unlock it every time would get VERY annoying.

 

[astrand1]

Then it behaves different from some other vehicles where it will unlock the vehicle if the phone gets within Bluetooth range (around 30 feet). A friend found that he can't leave his phone on the nightstand on his side of the bed without it unlocking his car.



Working at a mountaintop radio site where I am in an out of the truck 50 times in a couple hours. Having to unlock it every time would get VERY annoying.

I think he might be mistaking it unlocking for the welcome lighting which will come on when the phone is sorta close. But unless there is something wrong with his truck PAAK works exactly like a key fob does and can’t unlock truck unless hand is in the handle. And yeah if you’re going in and out of truck WAL would be irritating but you can toggle it off easily in the settings.

 

[K6CCC]

I think he might be mistaking it unlocking for the welcome lighting which will come on when the phone is sorta close.

Not a Ford. And yes, it unlocks. Many people have reported the same issue.

 

[bmwhitetx]

Now WAL is another great feature. It’s something I liked about GM. They have had this feature for yrs. So the way GM does it is simply a timer once the last door closes. 10 sec or so and vehicle locks and horn chirps. In the case of the Lightning there is no rhyme or reason I can figure.

Here are the lock conditions from the online Owners Manual. Note the last bullet:

Walk away lock locks all the doors when all of the following are met:

• The vehicle is off.
• All doors, hood and luggage compartments have been closed and unlocked.
• Any passive key or authorized phone is not inside the vehicle.
• All passive keys or authorized phones leave the approach detection zone of the vehicle or more than two and a half minutes has elapsed after closing the door.

But as you have noticed, what Ford says and what it actually does is usually quite different.

 

[astrand1]

Not a Ford. And yes, it unlocks. Many people have reported the same issue.

Well if it’s not a Ford then yeah who knows. I’m just saying the f150 does not work that way.

 

[astrand1]

Here are the lock conditions from the online Owners Manual. Note the last bullet:

Walk away lock locks all the doors when all of the following are met:

• The vehicle is off.
• All doors, hood and luggage compartments have been closed and unlocked.
• Any passive key or authorized phone is not inside the vehicle.
• All passive keys or authorized phones leave the approach detection zone of the vehicle or more than two and a half minutes has elapsed after closing the door.

But as you have noticed, what Ford says and what it actually does is usually quite different.

That last part is the real problem. They just need to do it the way GM does. 10 sec after last door is closed it auto locks period. It makes no difference how far away or close you are with the keys.

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