I Think I’ve Figured Out PaaK

agoldman

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I walked up to the car with and without phone just now, and with only having the phone definetly takes longer to open the car. I thought maybe that related to my touch lock delay issue, but that didn't affect wether it was key or phone.
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shutterbug

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I think they had to do it because it’s a popular feature that Tesla has that this car otherwise would not have. Anyone who test drove a Tesla would probably wonder why this feature is absent from the MME. I know when I decided to buy this vehicle, I had a mental checklist of how it compared to the Model 3 and Model Y.
No one wonders why MME isn't rife with misaligned body panels ;). We can't actually tell if this feature is actually popular, since Tesla owners don't have a choice. We do know that not having a 2nd fob is unpopular, evidenced by comments here and the part being sold out. When I showed up with a 2nd fob to be programmed, my salesdroid wanted to know how I got hold of one, since every MME buyer he had was asking for one.

It's just like having a Start button. There is a very small vocal minority who think that there is no need for one, and the rest who think it's a pretty natural thing.
 

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Activating PaaK may be a metric that the dealer is graded on by Ford.
Don't think so. The survey I got from Ford didn't specifically ask about PAAK, or if it did, I just gave it Fully Agree/Fully Satisfied. When I was picking up the car, I told them, that I don't need anything explained or set up and just drove off.
It's on their checklist of things to do with you when you take delivery.
Yes, but they aren't going to force the issue if you just say no.
 

BMT1071

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Don't think so. The survey I got from Ford didn't specifically ask about PAAK, or if it did, I just gave it Fully Agree/Fully Satisfied. When I was picking up the car, I told them, that I don't need anything explained or set up and just drove off.

Yes, but they aren't going to force the issue if you just say no.
While the operation of PaaK is less than perfect, I am certain that Ford knows whether it has been setup without asking about it on the survey.
 


shutterbug

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While the operation of PaaK is less than perfect, I am certain that Ford knows whether it has been setup without asking about it on the survey.
Ok, How does Ford know that the dealer set it up?
 

benk016

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Don't think so. The survey I got from Ford didn't specifically ask about PAAK, or if it did, I just gave it Fully Agree/Fully Satisfied. When I was picking up the car, I told them, that I don't need anything explained or set up and just drove off.

Yes, but they aren't going to force the issue if you just say no.
My salesman said he was required by Ford to provide proof that we activated everything. He had to take a picture of it successfully activated. I don't know if the requirement was just management there, or actually from Ford though.
 

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Ok, How does Ford know that the dealer set it up?
You realize that Ford knows the location of the car when it pings it for PaaK functions, right?
 

GoGoGadgetMachE

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The dealer I bought mine from wouldn't let me leave until I configured PaaK, despite telling them multiple times that I probably wouldn't be using it. Strangely insistent about it. Yes, I do occasionally use it, but I've probably used the door/backup passcodes more. That and take notice of how "chatty" the Ford Pass app is. I glanced at the background activity on my phone one day and found that the FP app, if open, was talking to the car almost non-stop overnight. Talk about a battery drain... =)
the standard guide Ford gives the dealer to walk new owners through delivery includes PaaK. I suspect that's why they were "strangely insistent."
 

GoGoGadgetMachE

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My salesman said he was required by Ford to provide proof that we activated everything. He had to take a picture of it successfully activated. I don't know if the requirement was just management there, or actually from Ford though.
nobody else has reported that particular thing so I'm thinking that was your dealer. mine didn't need to do that anyway (although mine was vaguely clueless as described on my delivery thread).
 

shutterbug

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You realize that Ford knows the location of the car when it pings it for PaaK functions, right?
Sure. I also realize that doesn't tell them whether it was setup by a salesdroid or another dealer flunkie or me or my next door neighbor.
 
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It does not require cellular phone data.

I've entered and started the vehicle with just my phone, with mobile data completely disabled. It worked great.
On both the phone and the vehicle? And neither connected to any WiFi networks?
 
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Jimrpa

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Ok, so here’s the acid test for someone who lives in California. Go to Death Valley. There are lots of dead spots there with no cell service. Remove the battery from your key fob and place it far away from your car. Try to use PaaK to enter and start your car. That will confirm whether the phone and the car have to contact the Ford mothership as part of their handshake. ???
If I lived in the American west, this might be an experiment I’d try myself, just as an excuse to go to the desert but I live on the east coast.
 

ChasingCoral

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Ok, so here’s the acid test for someone who lives in California. Go to Death Valley. There are lots of dead spots there with no cell service. Remove the battery from your key fob and place it far away from your car. Try to use PaaK to enter and start your car. That will confirm whether the phone and the car have to contact the Ford mothership as part of their handshake. ???
If I lived in the American west, this might be an experiment I’d try myself, just as an excuse to go to the desert but I live on the east coast.
I've run the acid test. There's no cell signal out in Everglades National Park. PaaK was dead.

I posted it at
https://www.macheforum.com/site/threads/my-travels-with-marlin-gb-fe-delivered.3298/post-127060
and
https://www.macheforum.com/site/threads/paak-seems-to-require-cellular-service.4231/

However, here's the part of the post about that test:

The Everglades Incidents:
PaaK failed miserably and consistently when there was no cell coverage. Many parts of the Everglades have absolutely no cell signal. This is true of many big National Parks. First, PaaK wouldn’t work at all at the Shark Valley Visitor Center. It would neither open the doors, nor start the car, even if the phone was connected to the USB. The app would not start on the phone since it couldn’t connect to the mothership (won't get past the first Ford splash screen). We had to use the door and start backup codes. Once in Miami for the charge at the Miami International Mall PaaK was working fine. Then we entered the Park through the main entrance. Once a short distance past the Visitor Center, we had no cell signal again. The rest of the day in Everglades National Park, PaaK would not open doors or start the car. Every hike, every boardwalk, etc., we had to use the door and start codes. If I left Marlin on and got out to the pictures, the security system would require a key to put the car into drive. Since the PaaK wasn’t working, that meant waiting for a minute for the passcode prompt to appear and then entering the start code again -- every, single time.

If you're going to be out of cell phone coverage, I recommend you have your fob with you as a backup or else your backup codes will be your primary.
 
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Jimrpa

Jimrpa

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I've run the acid test. There's no cell signal out in Everglades National Park. PaaK was dead.

I posted it at
https://www.macheforum.com/site/threads/my-travels-with-marlin-gb-fe-delivered.3298/post-127060
and
https://www.macheforum.com/site/threads/paak-seems-to-require-cellular-service.4231/

However, here's the part of the post about that test:

The Everglades Incidents:
PaaK failed miserably and consistently when there was no cell coverage. Many parts of the Everglades have absolutely no cell signal. This is true of many big National Parks. First, PaaK wouldn’t work at all at the Shark Valley Visitor Center. It would neither open the doors, nor start the car, even if the phone was connected to the USB. The app would not start on the phone since it couldn’t connect to the mothership (won't get past the first Ford splash screen). We had to use the door and start backup codes. Once in Miami for the charge at the Miami International Mall PaaK was working fine. Then we entered the Park through the main entrance. Once a short distance past the Visitor Center, we had no cell signal again. The rest of the day in Everglades National Park, PaaK would not open doors or start the car. Every hike, every boardwalk, etc., we had to use the door and start codes. If I left Marlin on and got out to the pictures, the security system would require a key to put the car into drive. Since the PaaK wasn’t working, that meant waiting for a minute for the passcode prompt to appear and then entering the start code again -- every, single time.

If you're going to be out of cell phone coverage, I recommend you have your fob with you as a backup or else your backup codes will be your primary.
Thanks! Glad we have a confirmation datapoint. I’ve only been through alligator alley once in the winter and only stopped briefly. It was a cold snap and not really a pleasant time to explore.
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