Frightening experience, trying to use phone as key today!

[katracy]

Purchased my 2024 Mach e in January of this year, and I love it. Have been using my phone as key from the beginning with only the most minor of glitches. Today was the exception. My vehicle allowed me in the car but then would not recognize my phone as key to start the car. I was stranded for an hour and a half trying every single fix available to start the car. Finally after an hour and a half of trying everything it just magically decided to work. I will always use my key fob going forward!

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[RickMachE]

Why didn't you use your Passcode?

 

[cereal]

I've had surprisingly similar scenarios myself (and also my wife). Just suddenly it won't work. You should make sure you setup the door and backup start codes so that you can always get in and start the car even if your phone / car is angry at each other.

 

[Mark813]

I put my key in a faraday pouch and hid it in a hard to get to spot in case phone as a key fails.

But the last couple weeks I've also turned off my Bluetooth and Wi-Fi so I can test the door code to get in as well as entering the back up passcode on-screen to start it a bunch of times.

I'm convinced I won't need the key at this point.

 

[txaggies07]

Purchased my 2024 Mach e in January of this year, and I love it. Have been using my phone as key from the beginning with only the most minor of glitches. Today was the exception. My vehicle allowed me in the car but then would not recognize my phone as key to start the car. I was stranded for an hour and a half trying every single fix available to start the car. Finally after an hour and a half of trying everything it just magically decided to work. I will always use my key fob going forward!

Did you not setup a backup password when you setup PAAK? I thought it forces you to set one up. You would have been up and running in 30 seconds.

 

[RickMachE]

Did you not setup a backup password when you setup PAAK? I thought it forces you to set one up. You would have been up and running in 30 seconds.

It does not force you. It asks you.

 

[cereal]

It does not force you. It asks you.

This is definitely a mistake in my opinion. Also, the responsiveness of the keyboard on the screen really shows as the most obnoxious thing when you use the backup start codes. I've always preferred rebooting my phone instead of typing my password in!

 

[Killerkg]

Purchased my 2024 Mach e in January of this year, and I love it. Have been using my phone as key from the beginning with only the most minor of glitches. Today was the exception. My vehicle allowed me in the car but then would not recognize my phone as key to start the car. I was stranded for an hour and a half trying every single fix available to start the car. Finally after an hour and a half of trying everything it just magically decided to work. I will always use my key fob going forward!

I am an avid user of PAAK since 2021, I have had this happen multiple times ( back in 2022, I think I had this happen daily for a few weeks), all I had to do was use the passcode and got the car started and driving. Now, the PAAK is more reliable, though way slower than before ( now it takes almost 30 secs before the car recognizes the key, I have to use the door code to open). Though all in all, I still like the paak or passcode since I do not have to carry car keys ( which means I cannot lose the car keys). Really helps to have a door code and start passcode

 

[katracy]

Why didn't you use your Passcode?

Well…if I knew, I could’ve started my car with the passcode I would’ve done that! I was texting with the Ford person and they didn’t even suggest that! I guess I should’ve texted you in that Ford. ?

 

[hypersnake]

I put my key in a faraday pouch and hid it in a hard to get to spot in case phone as a key fails.

But the last couple weeks I've also turned off my Bluetooth and Wi-Fi so I can test the door code to get in as well as entering the back up passcode on-screen to start it a bunch of times.

I'm convinced I won't need the key at this point.

I have my spare key in a faraday pouch in a locked center console vault I installed.

I also have (and remember) my password to get into the car both at the door and at the lockscreen. I'm not going back to carrying keys.

 

[SonicBlue]

It’s super fun when the car doesn’t detect PAAK and it then takes a solid 30 seconds or more for the keypad to pop up to let you enter your passcode. Somehow, this always occurs when I have someone else present in the vehicle with me.

 

[txaggies07]

It does not force you. It asks you.

Good to know. Definitely users need to set that password though.

 

[Ravensfan1996]

Ill always carry my fob, i have a door code and passcode set up, the issue Is sometimes the keyboard doesn’t show to type in the password. Just the prompt to enter password with no way to type it in. Better safe than sorry.

 

[ChasingCoral]

Well…if I knew, I could’ve started my car with the passcode I would’ve done that! I was texting with the Ford person and they didn’t even suggest that! I guess I should’ve texted you in that Ford. ?

You can read all about it in the manual.

 

[ChasingCoral]

I put my key in a faraday pouch and hid it in a hard to get to spot in case phone as a key fails.

I skip the faraday pouch and just remove the battery. A fob in a faraday pouch can have a dead battery when you finally want to use it. Besides, you can use the fob to drive without installing the battery by placing it in the emergency start spot. The battery is only required for the fob buttons to work.

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