DIY: Start, Lock, or Unlock your car with Siri, Widget, or Shortcut

[Jimmyd]

https://discord.gg/Ju3Kq4AQ

This guy has done some amazing work in the shortcuts app. Little cleaner than your current solution.

Not criticizing, just curious. I bring up my ford pass and tell the car what to do and it is done. Just wondering what else can be better. I’m an old man , don’t understand it all. I own two Mach E’s and only had one complaint. So I’m happy with status quo. Don’t understand most of the technical language you guys use.

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[Gullwingdmc]

https://discord.gg/Ju3Kq4AQ

This guy has done some amazing work in the shortcuts app. Little cleaner than your current solution.

Thanks! @markboris was just telling me about this. I just joined.

 

[Gullwingdmc]

Not criticizing, just curious. I bring up my ford pass and tell the car what to do and it is done. Just wondering what else can be better. I’m an old man , don’t understand it all. I own two Mach E’s and only had one complaint. So I’m happy with status quo. Don’t understand most of the technical language you guys use.

No criticism taken. It’s a valid question. For me the big difference is voice. With this workaround I can just raise my wrist say “Hey Siri Start my car” and then I’m done. I don’t have to take out my phone, open the app, wait for it to get its mind together and load the buttons, press the button, wait for the confirmation that it did what I asked.

 

[markboris]

No criticism taken. It’s a valid question. For me the big difference is voice. With this workaround I can just raise my wrist say “Hey Siri Start my car” and then I’m done. I don’t have to take out my phone, open the app, wait for it to get its mind together and load the buttons, press the button, wait for the confirmation that it did what I asked.

I do the same as Chip here. I use my watch so that I don't have to take my phone out of my pocket and start pressing buttons plus it executes faster than the FordPass app does. I don't have to use my watch, I can use voice (Siri) on my phone so not to have to press buttons but the watch is easier/faster. Also, you can have Siri read to you your Odometer, Battery SOC, Range remaining, tire pressures, besides all the other functions. On my ICE cars Siri also tells me my remaining engine oil life.

 

[Ljrochon]

No criticism taken. It’s a valid question. For me the big difference is voice. With this workaround I can just raise my wrist say “Hey Siri Start my car” and then I’m done. I don’t have to take out my phone, open the app, wait for it to get its mind together and load the buttons, press the button, wait for the confirmation that it did what I asked.

For me the shortcut option allows me to use the action button on my iPhone 15 pro max to start my car.

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

Last 6 months, this forum has mostly been “Where’s my adapter or OTA”

Speaking of which had anybody gotten the adapter OTA update yet? Soon™?

And I got the wrong battery. Oh wait, I need to wait 4 months for that one. nvm.

 

[markboris]

For me the shortcut option allows me to use the action button on my iPhone 15 pro max to start my car.

I did that too with my action button (8 shortcuts in one window) just to try it out but don't really use since I use Siri on the watch (or phone if I don't have my watch).

I even have a dedicated Mach-E screen (and one for my ICE Mustang).

On a different note, I found out ABRP has a widget I can add to my lock screen to show battery SOC.

 

[Ford Motor Company]

I’ll be up front, this is a workaround, but it does work and it plays by the rules.

What you need:
- An Apple device
- An Amazon Echo
- FordPass Skill for Echo

- Virtual Buttons Skill for Echo

How To:

1. Enable and setup the FordPass Skill in the Alexa app. It will ask you to setup a PIN for starting your vehicle, remember this number.
2. Enable and setup the Virtual Buttons Skill in the Alexa app. You will need a Patreon account to do this. You get one button (action) for free, more cost money. Each virtual button will create a fake doorbell in your Alexa app.
3. When you setup Virtual Buttons they will send you an email with a URL in it for each button. Keep this and do not share it with anyone.
4. In the Alexa app, create a routine where the trigger is the virtual doorbell being pressed. For the action, select custom, then enter the phrase you would say to Alexa to lock, unlock, or start the car. (See the FordPass skill for phrasing. This is where you’ll need that PIN you setup earlier.). You will also need to set which Echo device will speak out the response to this request. Pick any Echo, not your phone.
   
5. Test run the routine from the Alexa app to make sure it sent the right command to your car.
6. Go to the Shortcuts app on your iPhone and create a new shortcut that looks like this:
   
   The URL will be the one that Virtual Buttons emailed you. Name the shortcut whatever you want to say to Siri.
7. Test run the shortcut to make sure it does what you wanted.

I know this seems like a lot of hoops to jump though, but it does work.

In my testing the lag between Siri > Virtual Buttons > Amazon was a second or less. Any lag after that is the normal delay you would experience if you asked Alexa to Lock, Unlock, Start. Most of that delay seems to be the communication to the car. If the car was sitting idle the total time from request to action was maybe 10-15 seconds. If the car was “awake” it responded in as little as 6 seconds.

This is pretty neat! Thanks for sharing that on here.

 

[azerik]

I love how when people go to start their MME's, they start.
Mine, I get to sit there for 2 minutes or so hoping it starts. Is it only that fast in the garage on your wifi? I don't have a use case to start mine in the garage most of the time but dang I get tired of looking at my FP screen hoping to not get 'Failed to start' after 2 minutes of awkwardness when I'm out and about.

 

[Old_Norm]

I’ll be up front, this is a workaround, but it does work and it plays by the rules.

What you need:
- An Apple device
- An Amazon Echo
- FordPass Skill for Echo

- Virtual Buttons Skill for Echo

How To:

1. Enable and setup the FordPass Skill in the Alexa app. It will ask you to setup a PIN for starting your vehicle, remember this number.
2. Enable and setup the Virtual Buttons Skill in the Alexa app. You will need a Patreon account to do this. You get one button (action) for free, more cost money. Each virtual button will create a fake doorbell in your Alexa app.
3. When you setup Virtual Buttons they will send you an email with a URL in it for each button. Keep this and do not share it with anyone.
4. In the Alexa app, create a routine where the trigger is the virtual doorbell being pressed. For the action, select custom, then enter the phrase you would say to Alexa to lock, unlock, or start the car. (See the FordPass skill for phrasing. This is where you’ll need that PIN you setup earlier.). You will also need to set which Echo device will speak out the response to this request. Pick any Echo, not your phone.
   
5. Test run the routine from the Alexa app to make sure it sent the right command to your car.
6. Go to the Shortcuts app on your iPhone and create a new shortcut that looks like this:
   
   The URL will be the one that Virtual Buttons emailed you. Name the shortcut whatever you want to say to Siri.
7. Test run the shortcut to make sure it does what you wanted.

I know this seems like a lot of hoops to jump though, but it does work.

In my testing the lag between Siri > Virtual Buttons > Amazon was a second or less. Any lag after that is the normal delay you would experience if you asked Alexa to Lock, Unlock, Start. Most of that delay seems to be the communication to the car. If the car was sitting idle the total time from request to action was maybe 10-15 seconds. If the car was “awake” it responded in as little as 6 seconds.

Worked with

I’ll be up front, this is a workaround, but it does work and it plays by the rules.

What you need:
- An Apple device
- An Amazon Echo
- FordPass Skill for Echo

- Virtual Buttons Skill for Echo

How To:

1. Enable and setup the FordPass Skill in the Alexa app. It will ask you to setup a PIN for starting your vehicle, remember this number.
2. Enable and setup the Virtual Buttons Skill in the Alexa app. You will need a Patreon account to do this. You get one button (action) for free, more cost money. Each virtual button will create a fake doorbell in your Alexa app.
3. When you setup Virtual Buttons they will send you an email with a URL in it for each button. Keep this and do not share it with anyone.
4. In the Alexa app, create a routine where the trigger is the virtual doorbell being pressed. For the action, select custom, then enter the phrase you would say to Alexa to lock, unlock, or start the car. (See the FordPass skill for phrasing. This is where you’ll need that PIN you setup earlier.). You will also need to set which Echo device will speak out the response to this request. Pick any Echo, not your phone.
   
5. Test run the routine from the Alexa app to make sure it sent the right command to your car.
6. Go to the Shortcuts app on your iPhone and create a new shortcut that looks like this:
   
   The URL will be the one that Virtual Buttons emailed you. Name the shortcut whatever you want to say to Siri.
7. Test run the shortcut to make sure it does what you wanted.

I know this seems like a lot of hoops to jump though, but it does work.

In my testing the lag between Siri > Virtual Buttons > Amazon was a second or less. Any lag after that is the normal delay you would experience if you asked Alexa to Lock, Unlock, Start. Most of that delay seems to be the communication to the car. If the car was sitting idle the total time from request to action was maybe 10-15 seconds. If the car was “awake” it responded in as little as 6 seconds.

Works with Android also.

 

[azerik]

Seriously.
My car takes over 40 seconds to start (while I stare at the FP screen), even if I'm standing next to it (so I know it's not using the BT connection) but takes all of 2 seconds to shut down. What gives? There a magic fuse I need to find?

 

[Mauser]

https://discord.gg/Ju3Kq4AQ

This guy has done some amazing work in the shortcuts app. Little cleaner than your current solution.

How Do I join this? I'm getting an error: Invite invalid.

 

[Gullwingdmc]

How Do I join this? I'm getting an error: Invite invalid.

I think the links expire after a while.
Try this one https://discord.gg/72Jkg4Y4

 

[ChasingCoral]

I did that too with my action button (8 shortcuts in one window) just to try it out but don't really use since I use Siri on the watch (or phone if I don't have my watch).

I even have a dedicated Mach-E screen (and one for my ICE Mustang).

Is there one for “Where’s My adapter?”

 

[ryannix123]

Two things I will never have:

An apple device
An amazon echo device. (ok I do have a kids fire)

Google all day, have a Pixel Pro, Google Minis, Google Smart Displays, etc, etc....

Using Google means you're the product. Apple respects privacy, and it's hard to believe that's a highly touted feature, but it is when you're in the Apple ecosystem.

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