Hilarious PaaK misadventure

[kltye]

There's a lot of background to this story, but here goes:

I'm running PaaK on an unsupported phone. This means I can connect to the car's Bluetooth LE radio and perform all the functionality in the app, but generally the car will have a hard time recognizing that the phone is in the car.

One important point here: I just got my windows tinted. This will be important later.

Last night, I wanted to grab some McD's two blocks from my apartment. I walk up to it, and realize they're only doing drive-thrus. Fine, I walk to the parking garage (I park several blocks in the opposite direction, since I don't have an attached garage) and get in to the car, even though I don't have my fob with me. The car starts up just fine, and I head to the drive-thru.

Since I can't roll down my windows due to the recent tint job, I have to open my door to get my food. At this point, the car thinks there's no key in the car, AND ALSO SWITCHES TO PARK AUTOMATICALLY because I opened my door. So now the gear selector will NOT shift out of park, even though it's powered on fully. There's now a line of cars impatiently waiting for their late-night McD, so I'm frantically hitting the power button in the car and trying to start the car using my phone (I notice there's usually a higher rate of success if I do this before hitting the power button).

Fortunately, after about 90 seconds of shear panic, the car recognizes my phone, and I get out of there ASAP.

The screen didn't prompt me for the backup password, but that might be due to several reasons, e.g., my messing about with the phone trying to get it to start the car. Either way, I'm just going to start the car with the pillar keypad and backup passcode from now on ?

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[TruWrecks]

You will be remembered.

 

[JRT]

Thanks I have a iffy phone too. I set the key pad and start code but can't see how to use the start code once in the car?

 

[kltye]

Thanks I have a iffy phone too. I set the key pad and start code but can't see how to use the start code once in the car?

You're supposed to wait for the startup animation to finish, then press the brake pedal and hit the start button. It may take a couple presses, but eventually the middle screen will prompt you for the passcode.

 

[SimS]

My PAAK misadventure involves an absolute frog strangling thunderstorm and no cloud connectivity and no fob. It also is the one and only time I couldn't unlock the MME.
The lack of connectivity may have been that the thunderstorm was interfering with the local 4G wifi. But I thought the BT connection would have sufficed. After two soaking attempts standing next to the car I went back inside my doctor's office and did a remote unlock and this time the wifi gods smiled on me. Everyone in the office thought it was hilarious that Mr. High Tech couldn't unlock his fancy new car. BTW the keypad didn't seem to like being wet, because it wasn't sensing my finger presses correctly. Totally soaked I drove home.
SimS

 

[06VistaGT]

I had a similar situation in a cvs drive thru. I put it in park (dummy) and couldn't get it out. Then with all the pressure building, I failed in my first attempt to enter the backup code. Finally got my phone to reconnect and could shift out of park. Only one car behind me and they weren't honking the horn, bit still a very unsettling situation.

 

[HuntingPudel]

With my luck, all of the above will happen to me. While I’m on a first date. With a woman I’d want to date again.

I think that I am going to make sure I have a fob on me.

 

[mpshizzle]

Oh I know! I've found PAAK is 300% more likely to stab you in the back when you're showing off your fancy new car.


Side note of a funny story... I went with my friend this afternoon to check out the new Volkswagen ID 4, and the sales guy at the Volkswagen dealership was far more interested in the mach e than we were in the ID 4 haha! He ended up coming out with me to check out my car LOL. Guess I sold him on Ford ??

 

[Scarpia]

More reinforcement for my fobbiness.

Great stories, though. ?

 

[Jimrpa]

I’m confused - why can’t you roll down tinted Windows? This does not seem like a good thing? What do people with tinted Windows do if pulled over by LEO? (Oh, wait, I forgot, this is America ?)

 

[Scarpia]

I’m confused - why can’t you roll down tinted Windows? This does not seem like a good thing? What do people with tinted Windows do if pulled over by LEO? (Oh, wait, I forgot, this is America ?)

Only for a day or two right after getting the tint installed. You have to let it "set".

 

[kltye]

I’m confused - why can’t you roll down tinted Windows? This does not seem like a good thing? What do people with tinted Windows do if pulled over by LEO? (Oh, wait, I forgot, this is America ?)

You're not supposed to roll it down for the first couple of days after you get the tint installed - it's supposed to cure first. Tint is installed with a soapy solution applied to the glass to help the tint film adhere to the glass. This soapy solution is squeegeed out of the film, but the remaining bits of moisture needs to evaporate.

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