Stranded - phone as a key stopped working

[tls]

Restart phone, update app, remove and reinstall app, make sure phone is as close as possible to the cup holder of the center console.

In my experience removing and reinstalling the app will require establishing a new PaaK association. So while it resolves most PaaK issues it won't help with this one.

We have 3 Ford vehicles with PaaK. Because at least on my Pixel 9, PaaK periodically goes on the blink with one of the three and a reinstall of the app is the only way to fix it, I have basically given up on keeping it working with all three at once. Very frustrating.

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[Henry Ford]

WTF. Do not remove and reinstall.

Bad advice. Sorry.

 

[chl]

I find a sheet of aluminum foil folded into a box size the FOB can fit into works perfectly to block signals...and the price is right, too!

Also works well in the shape of a hat if you are in the vicinity of a mind control device!
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TinfoilHat

 

[Altivec]

One of the updates around september of last year wiped door and backup start passcodes . Ford didn't announce that this occurred, but you're the fourth or fifth person I've seen here that has bumped into that problem.

@Ford Motor Company still owes us an explanation about how this happened, and how the engineers are going to prevent this happening again in any future updates. No, I am not letting BrIAn off the hook about this.

That's good to know...Thanks for communicating that (You know, like what Ford should be actually doing).... I also ran across this a while back. Phone as a key didn't work, no problem... I'll just put in my code.... and then shear panic when the code did not work. Thankfully about a few minutes later, phone as key started working again so my crises was averted. I've been using phone as a key exclusively for over a year and that was the only time I had problems. BUT not having the backup code work made me really question the whole system. If Ford would have just said "sorry we accidentally erased passwords, please make a new one" they could have saved a lot of anxiety and earned more trust in the system... This is basic communication that Ford just can't figure out.... sigh.

 

[Jseis]

While I like the convenience of PAAK, I don’t rely on it 100%. I’ll use frequently the fob, & use keypad access & start code at least once a week. I got serious about this when my phone went dead and I wandered around the college for a few minutes jonesing for a charge. Lesson learned. I have all codes hidden on my iwatch now as well.

When my S.O. took her Mach E to the dealer to have a new 2nd fob programmed, they accidentally wiped the original fob’s code and locked themselves out of the Mach E which resulted in a phone call to me (70 miles away), “The dealer needs you to unlock the Mach E”. PAAK performed flawlessly OTA so to speak.

Which reminds me of my fob hack for my ‘62 Bug. I was living in Seattle, Bugs are easy to steal…, I just made it slightly more difficult. I wired a grounding relay to the start circuit and used the cigarette lighter as the ground. Kept the lighter in my pocket. Put the key in, turn ignition on, then put the lighter in and punched it, the Bug started. Then pull the lighter out as it’d keep the starter running and I wasn’t going to wait till it popped out itself & red hot .

 

[Pioneer74]

Words of wisdom here. Yes, you can buy a faraday bag and put your FOB in it. It works. But over time the battery will go dead because it will constantly listen for the truck. Better option is to pull the battery out of the FOB. No bag needed. Just reinstall the battery when needed.

I hardly ever use my FOB, always use PAAK. But every time I've pulled my FOB out of my faraday bag, I've needed to replace the dead battery before dropping it off to the dealer.

 

[chl]

Words of wisdom here. Yes, you can buy a faraday bag and put your FOB in it. It works. But over time the battery will go dead because it will constantly listen for the truck. Better option is to pull the battery out of the FOB. No bag needed. Just reinstall the battery when needed.

I hardly ever use my FOB, always use PAAK. But every time I've pulled my FOB out of my faraday bag, I've needed to replace the dead battery before dropping it off to the dealer.

I use FOBs only with our cars, and keep them in an aluminum home-made containers when not in use.
The batteries usually last about 2 years more or less.

Generally the battery in the spare FOB, which is not used every day, lasts a few weeks longer.
So when the battery goes on the one that gets daily use, I just pull out a spare FOB, and order a new battery from Amazon which arrives the next day usually.

Many years of $1 or $2 batteries is a lot less expensive than an extra smart phone and cell line, and I've never had a problem with an FOB not connecting to a vehicle leaving me stranded.

Of course, I am old enough to remember the days when all you needed was a piece of metal (or two) cut to fit your ignition and door locks, when life and vehicles were so much simpler, although in many ways not better. Somehow, we survived nonetheless.

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