Paak failure Verizon Outage

[Mark813]

Well Verizon was out of service here in Florida and other parts of the world for about 6 hours today. The Ford Pass app would show some things but it wouldn't show others. Couldn't lock or unlock doors but could open frunk and trunk/hatch.

It wouldn't show anything at the top of the app screen like my vehicle mileage or any specific info. Overall was having trouble with the PAAK being a PAAK.

So I was forced to go into my faraday pouch in the secret hiding spot duct taped to my glass roof. And I suffered using the key fob like it was 1999.

Even though the internet service was down my phone Wi-Fi NFC Bluetooth was all working fine. But I was driving mom around shopping so I didn't have time to play around to see if PAAK could have worked.

Some of this issue could have been my Galaxy s24 functions when the internet's down? Overall it wasn't showing the lock unlock buttons so I don't think I had any workarounds?

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[RickMachE]

Door keypad...

 

[Mark813]

Door keypad...

Jeez! Good point, it started while I was inside the car so I didn't think to use the door keypad and also touch screen code to start.

I've set them up and used both before. Also practiced the touch screen password regularly so I don't forget it. Forget to actually use it though LOL

 

[E90alex]

PAAK uses Bluetooth so it shouldn’t require internet to work. But I’ve never tested it and usually carry my key fob anyways.

 

[cyeung]

I have tried it using my iPhone 12 Pro:

• Phone in Airplane Mode, Wifi off, and Bluetooth off = Nothing works.
• Phone in Airplane Mode, Wifi off, and Bluetooth on = PaaK works, but cannot use in-app lock, unlock, or remote start.
• Phone has Internet access (cellular or wifi) and Bluetooth off = PaaK does not work, but in-app lock, unlock, and remote start functions work.
• Phone has Internet access and Bluetooth on = PaaK and in-app controls work.

 

[HuntingPudel]

I have tried it using my iPhone 12 Pro:

• Phone in Airplane Mode, Wifi off, and Bluetooth off = Nothing works.
• Phone in Airplane Mode, Wifi off, and Bluetooth on = PaaK works, but cannot use in-app lock, unlock, or remote start.
• Phone has Internet access (cellular or wifi) and Bluetooth off = PaaK does not work, but in-app lock, unlock, and remote start functions work.
• Phone has Internet access and Bluetooth on = PaaK and in-app controls work.

Correct. Regular PaaK functionality (I.e. proximity functions like starting the car with the in-car button, unlocking the door when the button on the B or C pillar is pressed, loading your driving profile) should work without cellular connectivity since they rely on BT.

FordPass app functionality is largely limited to having network access since they rely on having access to your Ford account on the Ford servers. The exceptions are hidden in the Bluetooth Controls button, which brings up a dialog with Windows up/down, frunk release (on 2021 Job2 cars and newer or 2021 Job1 cars with the proper software) and liftgate operation since they are BT related in the FordPass app.

 

[Mark813]

Correct. Regular PaaK functionality (I.e. proximity functions like starting the car with the in-car button, unlocking the door when the button on the B or C pillar is pressed, loading your driving profile) should work without cellular connectivity since they rely on BT.

FordPass app functionality is largely limited to having network access since they rely on having access to your Ford account on the Ford servers. The exceptions are hidden in the Bluetooth Controls button, which brings up a dialog with Windows up/down, frunk release (on 2021 Job2 cars and newer or 2021 Job1 cars with the proper software) and liftgate operation since they are BT related in the FordPass app.

Okay yep that's what experienced, Bluetooth Wi-Fi cellular was on but I had no internet signal through the cellular. Windows Up down hatch frunk were available. But lock unlock was not showing up in the fordpass app. They were blurry and looked like they were trying to load.

Funny that I forgot to just use door keypad and touch screen password to run everything. But I was in the middle of driving my 80 year old mom everywhere during this so I pulled the Fob out of the faraday pouch.

 

[RickMachE]

Okay yep that's what experienced, Bluetooth Wi-Fi cellular was on but I had no internet signal through the cellular. Windows Up down was available. But lock unlock was not showing up in the fordpass app.

Lock/unlock requires internet connection, windows is BT.

 

[Mustangor]

Verizon, or any telco is not your problem. PAAK is. PAAK is simply unusable on the Mach-E. I stopped trying to use it many month ago. And man, I tried hard to make it work. Tried different phones. Upgraded Android. Crawled on forums to find what was going on. The only thing I didn't try is switching to Apple. The simple truth is : it doesn't work reliably. So what the point of using it if you have to keep your car key anyway ?

Another failure from Ford...

 

[Mark813]

Verizon, or any telco is not your problem. PAAK is. PAAK is simply unusable on the Mach-E. I stopped trying to use it many month ago. And man, I tried hard to make it work. Tried different phones. Upgraded Android. Crawled on forums to find what was going on. The only thing I didn't try is switching to Apple. The simple truth is : it doesn't work reliably. So what the point of using it if you have to keep your car key anyway ?

Another failure from Ford...

Actually Verizon was the problem yesterday, after nine months of flawless PAAK. And door keypad entry with touchscreen password start has worked great when I don't forget to use it.

It doesn't mean some users haven't had issues with those options not working for them. And software updates and other hiccups can take these offline where you have to reset them. But this was my first time in nine months having an issue.

If it didn't work at all like you've experienced I'd put it away also. And I'll be the first to admit the door code plus touchscreen password can be a slow process to get rolling especially when being chased by zombies. But these are great options instead of carrying (or hiding) the fob.

I will say a credit card sized key that fits in your wallet like Tesla did is probably the best update to keys and key fobs in the last 50 years.

 

[fkyct]

Gat to love having backup password. Just today my wife went to move our Lightning at our remote cabin property so I could mow the lawn where it was parked. She didn’t have her phone with her so she used the keypad to unlock the door and the password to start the truck.

I wish that Ford would enable Apple watch to be used a a key like Tesla does. Apple Watch works flawlessly with our Teslas. We have become spoiled with Apple Watch since it also can be used as a cell phone and Tesla key.

Here is Ford Pass message I got when wife used the password.

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

Verizon, or any telco is not your problem. PAAK is. PAAK is simply unusable on the Mach-E. I stopped trying to use it many month ago. And man, I tried hard to make it work. Tried different phones. Upgraded Android. Crawled on forums to find what was going on. The only thing I didn't try is switching to Apple. The simple truth is : it doesn't work reliably. So what the point of using it if you have to keep your car key anyway ?

Another failure from Ford...

A bit dogmatic there. PAAK has worked just fine for most people that have tried it and for some it’s been years now. It’s unfortunate that you can’t get it to work, but that’s not a universal issue on the Mach-e.

 

[fkyct]

I will say a credit card sized key that fits in your wallet like Tesla did is probably the best update to keys and key fobs in the last 50 years.

I had a Lexus credit card fob for our 2015 RX450h that was about 2 credit card thicknesses. I kept it in my wallet. It had a thin battery in it and acted like a typical FOB in your pocket. Never took it out of my wallet. Just walked up to the car, grabbed the door handle and it unlocked. Got in and hit start button and drove off. About every 3 years the car would display fob battery low, would change the battery and put it in my wallet for another 3 years.

With the Tesla credit card key you must take it out of your wallet and place it on th B pillar to unlock the door. Then place it on the center console to start the car.

 

[Mark813]

I had a Lexus credit card fob for our 2015 RX450h that was about 2 credit card thicknesses. I kept it in my wallet. It had a thin battery in it and acted like a typical FOB in your pocket. Never took it out of my wallet. Just walked up to the car, grabbed the door handle and it unlocked. Got in and hit start button and drove off. About every 3 years the car would display fob battery low, would change the battery and put it in my wallet for another 3 years.

With the Tesla credit card key you must take it out of your wallet and place it on th B pillar to unlock the door. Then place it on the center console to start the car.

That's fantastic, and a much better setup. I rented a model 3 for a month before I bought the MME. Forgot you had to take it out, put it against the door pillar and then put it on the center console.

 

[Homestead]

My ford pass partially stopped working yesterday too but I'm on ATT. Was able to get in and start the car ok just not seeing the updated charge level in FP or when the car is charging.

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