PSA - DO NOT UPDATE to 3.35.0 on Android if using PaaK without a FOB

[SnBGC]

I have the exact same phone if you're talking about the 6 Pro and it didn't work. Either way. I could care less if PaaK didn't work. The backup start code not appearing is a MAJOR issue since it's sole purpose is if there's a key fob or PaaK failure this is a last resort. When the last resort doesn't work that's just bad.

For those that have a key fob and they lose it, or the battery dies or something else happens to it, the backup pass code is supposed to be there for any circumstance where the key (regardless of phone or fob) is lost, broken or malfunctioning.

Agreed. It is even in the name..."Backup Start Code". It's supposed to be the backup plan.
I presume when one presses the start/stop button.....the car looks for a valid key (fob or phone) and upon not finding one then it presents the backup code screen? If so, then that seems to indicate the phone might be found at some level but just stuck or unable to validate?

Maybe turning of the phone completely would help get that screen to appear?
(someone probably suggested this already I bet.....)

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[DevSecOps]

Maybe turning of the phone completely would help get that screen to appear?
(someone probably suggested this already I bet.....)

Yes I tried completely turning off the phone. Didn't work.

 

[SnBGC]

Yes I tried completely turning off the phone. Didn't work.

Damn.
Very odd. I didn't think we could do anything to our phones to cause the backup code not to appear. I assumed I could smash my PaaK enabled phone with a hammer and toss it in the river and the backup start code would still work.

 

[DevSecOps]

Damn.
Very odd. I didn't think we could do anything to our phones to cause the backup code not to appear. I assumed I could smash my PaaK enabled phone with a hammer and toss it in the river and the backup start code would still work.

Like I said, I'm thinking that this has been an issue, but it went unnoticed because we had no reason to use the backup code. The phone can't change the car software.

 

[SnBGC]

I just checked and I have 3.34.0
Is there any reason to think that updating will also affect my fob? Should I Force Stop FordPass to be safe? Is there a way to set FP so it doesn't auto update?

 

[ARK]

This actually sort of happened to me yesterday on iPhone right after I updated to 3.35.0. PaaK wasn’t recognized, I tried unlocking through the app, it seemed to freeze, I force closed the app, opened it back up, still no dice with PaaK, successfully unlocked through the app, and could not get the back-up password code prompt to appear.

I’m not sure if it eventually would have started working, but I was in a rush so I went inside and got the fob.

Just verified that my PaaK is working fine now and, separately, could get the back-up code to appear.

I’ve only had one total PaaK/back-up code failure before (not sure if this would count because I didn’t give it a chance). In that situation, it seemed the back-up code was never created or never saved for some reason.

I’d recommend trying a Sync reset, which I was able to do in the summer when experiencing the total failure I mentioned. It works even if the car isn’t ‘on’. I believe it was hold volume down and seek right simultaneously for several seconds. Perhaps it will bring your back up code screen up.

https://www.macheforum.com/site/threads/failure-of-back-up-start-code-screen-to-appear.7181/

 

[DevSecOps]

I just checked and I have 3.34.0
Is there any reason to think that updating will also affect my fob? Should I Force Stop FordPass to be safe? Is there a way to set FP so it doesn't auto update?

No it won't affect the FOB. You can stop an app from updating in Android by going to the app in the play store and hitting the menu and disabling auto-update.

 

[ARK]

I just checked and I have 3.34.0
Is there any reason to think that updating will also affect my fob? Should I Force Stop FordPass to be safe? Is there a way to set FP so it doesn't auto update?

I don’t have Android, but I believe you can disable auto updates for specific apps while leaving it generally on for all other apps - see link.

 

[SnBGC]

Like I said, I'm thinking that this has been an issue, but it went unnoticed because we had no reason to use the backup code. The phone can't change the car software.

For what it is worth.....I just went out to my car sans phone or fob and it let me in and the backup code worked. I know this doesn't help you but just as a point of information in the solution finding process.

 

[DevSecOps]

For what it is worth.....I just went out to my car sans phone or fob and it let me in and the backup code worked. I know this doesn't help you but just as a point of information in the solution finding process.

Well you're lucky ? - There's quite a few here reporting the same. I'm guessing it's a software update in the car that you didn't get. I would guess it's based on a different version of either Sync or one of the modules in the PaaK/FOB chain that would tell the car that a key isn't available.

I even tried leaving my phone on my desk, very far from the car, and then going to it and still didn't work. Tried that thinking that maybe the BT once connecting (maybe) then power off didn't disconnect completely. This ruled that out.

 

[DevSecOps]

Looks like reviews are starting to hit the play store with the same issue

Meanwhile, I still wait for an Uber 2 hours later ...

 

[timbop]

Anything like "see I told you so" makes you sound like a dick here. Just so you're all aware.

Unless you have never lost a keyfob, and been stranded as a result (I have).

Actually, you still sound like a dick.

You misunderstand my point. It is not to say "I told you so". My point is that everyone needs to learn from history instead of repeating it. I've lost track of the number of FP updates that have broken PaaK but it is way too many to ignore as an anomaly.

Everyone needs to do themselves and the forum a favor and recognize that Ford's implementation of PaaK is going to be broken for a very long time. They clearly have a serious design flaw that they cannot work around. Stop beating your head against the wall and do something useful about it: carry the damn fob and move on with your life.

 

[Clicker]

Here's another one for you. My phone updated to 3.35 and paak stopped working. In addition the link to set up paak on the FP home page is now missing in action. After spending an hour on the phone with Ford nothing they told me to do worked. I have supposedly been sent as a case to engineering dept. They said it could take as much as 7 days to get a call from them. Currently 4 days and counting. This all happened with the update and a switch to a new Pixel 6 with Android 12.

 

[Clicker]

At this point Ford needs to send out a second fob to all of us who didn't get one with the car.

 

[BMT1071]

The FP app doesn't change the vehicle software. It could be a module update that changed it or an OTA that changed it in the car. This is the issue I'm most upset about. Like I said, PaaK - who cares. The backup code failure is what I'm livid about.

I think the likely situation here is that no one noticed that the backup code wasn't working because we had no need to use it.

No. I used my backup code this morning when it was just PaaK that wasn't working. This afternoon neither are working for me. The complete failure happened to me somewhere between noon MST and ~1:30 pm MST.

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