PaaK issues possible resolution with update. All trims / models.

[bellyer]

So, my dealer's service department has had my MME for about 2.5 of the past 4 weeks working on a number of things, including the PaaK update and had asked them to install any and all available updates that existed because I had a number of other issues with various modules. The most time-consuming work was trying to get the wireless charging pad fixed, which is now fixed thankfully. In the course of the work, I did have our good pal, DevSecOps, run my VIN to check for the updates and he noted that my MME was pretty much fully updates, with the exception of the new gearshift update. Since some of the work on the wireless charging pad required them to completely replace a few things, including the BCM, I held off on trying the recommended steps of deleting the PaaK settings from the Sync system in the MME until the work was all completed.

I got my MME back about 48 hours ago and fully reset the PaaK settings at that time per the guidance that DevSecOps had provided and I have not had any problems with PaaK since <knock on wood>. The only complaint that I have about PaaK at this time is that it is still somewhat slow to connect, but I am also a fairly fast walker, so I can understand it needing a little bit longer to connect when I approach the car. I do still have a couple of scenarios to test out with it, but so far so good and I have not had any "Key not found" messages popping up like I used to get pretty much every drive I took. If things are fully fixed or as good as they are going to get, I cannot say for sure, but so far so good mostly and it is nice having all of the updates applied to my MME, as things are definitely a bit smoother overall.

Now, if they can get my windshield and panoramic roof recalls addressed and then *magically* find some sort of way to address my complaints about the uncomfortably bouncy ride (no need to touch that one in this thread as I have beat it to death in my other thread?), I will be almost completely satisfied with this car.

Thanks for the help, @DevSecOps!

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[DevSecOps]

@bellyer Some of the issues about connecting to the car are interesting. Over the last few weeks I've been able to determine the behavior of the vehicle a bit more. When you are constantly in range of the car, like in your house, the vehicle enters a state where the greeting lights won't come on when you approach. I assume that Ford decided this would be best practice so that the car doesn't constantly unlock/lock or for cases where you might be inside a restaurant while your car is outside, preventing someone from entering the vehicle unexpectedly. So when you consider if the car recognizes you, keep that in mind. I find that if you are a great distance away and then return the car tends to do better at saying "hi".

Don't be discouraged if you get a random key not found here or there. In the last few weeks I think I've had it happen twice. Both times my phone was heavily used and was likely thermal throttling. In these cases I felt that it was probably an expected issue.

Lastly, updating the FP app, power management of the FP app (remember for Android it's in 2 places), GPS location for the FP app, turning off/on BT, killing the background service, power save mode and more can negatively affect the connection between the phone and the car. I've also noticed while in the camera app, browsing the internet or on the phone while approaching the car can cause issues. Keep these in mind if you do experience an issue. The above mentioned issues are phone related and Ford can't really be blamed for them.

Thanks for the update and fingers crossed!

 

[SoriceConsulting]

PaaK has been mostly OK for me. It got a bit weird after I brought car to Dealer to install TSB 21-2310 and I had been stuck at Powerup 1.4 forever (got my MME in May).

As an experiment, I deleted my phone from within the car settings, then reinstalled the Fordpass app on my Samsung A52 and re-setup my phone as a key, backup start code, etc.

That seems to have done something because now I have a message that Powerup 1.7 is installed. What's weird is that I have some, but not all features. I have Notes, Apple CarPlay (but I'm an Android user so don't use it). The TicTacToe thingy is nowhere to be found (but I REALLY don't care about that).

I also don't see how to access or use the 'new Remote Vehicle Setup' that supposedly
'lets you use FordPass™ or the owner’s site to set up profile preferences, including all your radio presets. It’s all stored in the cloud and sent to your Mustang Mach-E through the SYNC® 4A system.

Has anyone been able to access/use this feature?

 

[DevSecOps]

As an experiment, I deleted my phone from within the car settings, then reinstalled the Fordpass app

I've preached this throughout this post and in other posts as well. I noticed early on that when updates are performed to certain modules that PaaK needs to be reset from the car and then re-done. For many who haven't taken this step, or simply removed PaaK from the phone without performing the reset in the car, the issues persist.

I also don't see how to access or use the 'new Remote Vehicle Setup'

From my understanding this is the initial setup that you perform when adding the vehicle. It's partially there and partially "vaporware". The part that you referenced is vaporware.

 

[benk016]

I also don't see how to access or use the 'new Remote Vehicle Setup' that supposedly
'lets you use FordPass™ or the owner’s site to set up profile preferences, including all your radio presets. It’s all stored in the cloud and sent to your Mustang Mach-E through the SYNC® 4A system.

Has anyone been able to access/use this feature?

This is only done when you first setup your vehicle. Since you've already done it, you would have to do a master reset of your car and start over.

 

[benk016]

What's weird is that I have some, but not all features. I have Notes, Apple CarPlay (but I'm an Android user so don't use it). The TicTacToe thingy is nowhere to be found (but I REALLY don't care about that).

Tic Tac Toe is inside the notes app. Along with the calculator.

 

[SoriceConsulting]

Thanks benk016 and DevSecOps! Great info.

Hopefully Ford will update things so you can use the 'Profile Preferences' without a Master Reset (seems way too extreme).

As for Tic-Tac-Toe - who cares? I don't, but will check to see if it is there just for giggles. Why they devoted programming time/resources to that is beyond my comprehension.

I definitely recommend the delete/re-add phone as has been mentioned - worked for me.

 

[IL_Vet]

I also don't see how to access or use the 'new Remote Vehicle Setup' that supposedly
'lets you use FordPass™ or the owner’s site to set up profile preferences, including all your radio presets. It’s all stored in the cloud and sent to your Mustang Mach-E through the SYNC® 4A system.

Has anyone been able to access/use this feature?

Yes, I found it this evening without doing a Master Reset. Well, I don’t consider the steps to be a Master Reset. Remove your MME from your “garage” in your online Ford account or your FordPass App. Verify that the MME has been removed from both FordPass and the online owner's website. Log out of Ford Pass and then uninstall FordPass from phone(s). Delete all personal profiles in the MME. Remove all phones from the MME. Download the FordPass app. The "Remote Vehicle Setup" should appear. I hope that it helps. And, thanks to ALL of you who are diligent and responsive in helping ALL of us to deal with some of the MME's quirks.

 

[Skip Towne]

Tic Tac Toe is inside the notes app. Along with the calculator.

How specifically? I found it! I shouldn't be so excited about finding a completely rediculous unnecessary feature added to my new $60k car instead of actual bug fixes, but that is where I am at this point.

to get to Calculator or tic tac toe

- Open Notes from the absurdly cartoon-colored icon available in your Profile and randomly managed cards
- Select Right arrow on bottom of the left vertical Nav of Notes (different than all other selections of that nav which are color selections)
- Select + on far right of new bottom Nav
- Select Calculator or TTT icon
- Wait the necesary many seconds for the screen to render to the game or calculator
- start the game
- do not question why any engineering time was spent on this instead of the myriad bugs in actual funtional systems to fix.
- next time you need to use a calculator, resort to your 1985 Casio watch, it is faster.

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

do not question why any engineering time was spent on this instead of the myriad bugs in actual funtional systems to fix.

In all likelihood, the reason it was added was precisely that it didn't require a huge amount of programming. It was intended to show, at least internally, that they could add features to the car via OTA. Expect Pong next.

 

[BMT1071]

In all likelihood, the reason it was added was precisely that it didn't require a huge amount of programming. It was intended to show, at least internally, that they could add features to the car via OTA. Expect Pong next.

I'm hoping for Tetris. ? ?

 

[Mach_Enrique]

Hi all! Was not sure what thread to post this in so picked this one (so many on PAAK topics to choose from).

I have been driving a GT for a couple of months and had the usual "weak sauce but usable" PAAK experience most folks report (works 70% of the time so long as you have the phone out, unlocked and app active on screen...some delays maybe a few seconds after no-response button push, occasional "key not detected" after you start driving, etc.). Most annoyingly I have tried to show off the puddle lights 2-3 times with PAAK and of course they don't come on when I approach when there is an audience.

A few days ago (11/24). I had my car at the dealership to get some sensors calibrated after a bumper replacement (that's another story in another thread I won't touch on here). I asked them to do all the latest greatest updates while they had it. They did. The service manager quickly went over what they did (I did not get a list, sorry, was in a hurry) but specifically mentioned the updates should improve the PAAK. I am blessed with a service department at my dealership that is pretty MachE savvy.

I immediately noted some differences but wanted to wait a few more days of observations before I shared here to give folks hope as their cars get updated:

The following observations occurred with my iPhone 12 mini, latest Ford Pass app. active but running in background, with phone locked in my pocket:

• On every walk-up to the car, it sensed my phone from ~5 seconds walking pace away and the doors opened on first try (the "i see you" lights were on and the circle lit on the buttons). This is about 10-15 "walk-ups" of data...and in the past it often would not sense me walking up until I was at the door and about to push the button or after the first [few] press attempts)
• As I was coming and going through the garage a lot over the holiday break, every time I walked through the garage with my locked phone in my pocket (app was active in background) the car did the "I see you" light-up stuff. I walked through a LOT as I started holiday decorating outside. I lost count but it never missed a "light up" when I walked by. In the past I would walk through (locked phone/app in background) and the car usually never even flinched.
• Had one instance I backed the car out of the garage, then got out to move to the passenger seat so my son could drive (yes I do my 17 year old drive it...with me in the car...sounds brave but he is a really good driver). When I got out (phone in my pocket, locked), the car instantly said "key not detected" until I climbed back in the passenger side and it saw the key again right away.
• Tested multiple walk-ups with the Ford Pass app not activated and car did not react (as expected but wanted to test)

I had been using PAAK since I got the car despite flakeyness (been on a mission to carry less stuff in my pockets everywhere I go and not having to grab a fob/keys has been liberating) with only a few exceptions. Now I am feeling even better on daily PAAK use even though I know likely there will be a few delays eventually as my sample size is only a few days. On a long trip, would still take a faraday-bagged fob with me, but other than that I think with latest updates (can only speak for the GT) Ford has PAAK working as one would have expected on day one.

 

[DevSecOps]

Hi all! Was not sure what thread to post this in so picked this one (so many on PAAK topics to choose from).

Throughout this forum I've been one of the people who have religiously been on a mission to make PaaK a better experience. So you picked a good place to post.

I asked them to do all the latest greatest updates while they had it. They did.

If you send me your VIN in a PM I can double check to make sure they did all of the modules in the PaaK chain. No personal information is in the check I do, just a module update check.

As for the walkup issues and observations here's my take. Most of the time when your phone leaves the BT range of the vehicle it almost always works with the puddle lights and the door ring. If you are in a constant range of the vehicle, like when it's parked in the garage, many times the puddle lights wont come on. I have a feeling that this is by design otherwise the car would constantly run down the battery, unlock and lock. So just keep in mind that if you wanted to show off the puddle lights make sure that you leave the area of the car completely otherwise it might not work.

As for the app running in the background, it must otherwise it just wont work. You might also want to make sure that there's no power restrictions, bluetooth restrictions or any other services on your phone that would limit the FP app. Any of these can cause the connection to fail.

Lastly, if you ever have a hiccup with PaaK on a fully updated car, it's sometimes best to reset PaaK in the car and re-setup PaaK. There's been a few times, mostly after updates, where the security key used to authenticate the phone to the car becomes invalidated. I've seen this on the phone via a FP update and also after update of some of the PaaK modules. So use caution when updating away from a FOB.

 

[DevSecOps]

For anyone interested I have updated my RFA module to the latest version as of today. Ford released a new RFA module update a few days ago. I will report back if anything major happens, but since I already have a good PaaK experience I'm not sure we should expect much.

One thing to note about this RFA module update was the time. It took about 3x longer to update vs previous RFA Module updates.

 

[BMT1071]

For anyone interested I have updated my RFA module to the latest version as of today. Ford released a new RFA module update a few days ago. I will report back if anything major happens, but since I already have a good PaaK experience I'm not sure we should expect much.

One thing to note about this RFA module update was the time. It took about 3x longer to update vs previous RFA Module updates.

My PaaK performance has been pretty solid. I'm wondering if I would see significant improvement with an RFA update. I have a Job 2 build date, but I have only had the PCM and its associated modules flashed at the dealer.

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