PAAK unreliable with Pixel 6

[scoopman]

@scoopman
The FordPass is still at 3.35.2, so no code change at the phone side between the OnePlus and Pixel 6. I assume OnePlus has served you well after the `RFA` update from @DevSecOps . If so, then no comparison is needed.

@DevSecOps mentioned:
> This is something I've noticed and talked about many times. PaaK always seems to work better when you leave at a distance and return.

I agree. I had a similar experience. So @scoopman have you tried to walk far away from the vehicle and walk closer to the car with the Pixel 6 to see if the door will open? It would be nice to experiment with this in a relatively open area instead of your garage.

Yes same app version on both phones, and same RFA version on the car. OnePlus worked reasonably well, but the Pixel 6 doesn't work well at all to unlock or walk away lock doors.

I've tried this yesterday outside, and the car also didn't realize when the phone was no longer anywhere near the car and the "walk away lock" feature didn't work. It's really as if the car just isn't able to recognize the Pixel 6's location well, even though FordPass shows it is connected to the car.

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[DevSecOps]

There have also been tracked issues regarding the Pixel 6 line and thermal throttling affecting Bluetooth. After using the phone with AA I've noticed the phone throttling and walk away failing. When not using AA I don't experience the thermal management kicking in and walk away seems more reliable.

I could try and do some testing and logging to prove/disprove the theory, but I've noticed it and assume it's in relation to other's issues with this model line.

 

[scoopman]

There have also been tracked issues regarding the Pixel 6 line and thermal throttling affecting Bluetooth. After using the phone with AA I've noticed the phone throttling and walk away failing. When not using AA I don't experience the thermal management kicking in and walk away seems more reliable.

I could try and do some testing and logging to prove/disprove the theory, but I've noticed it and assume it's in relation to other's issues with this model line.

Thanks -- but that shouldn't be a factor at all here, I've not been using AA on my phone or even wireless charging, so there's no thermal problems. Generally Android throws notifications when there's throttling and I also certainly haven't seen any of this.

I just think PAAK is really flaky with the phone.

 

[Eraser]

Thanks for such a quick reply. I thought you had a P6 Pro.

I dunno, I take kinda a pedantic end-user perspective here, but I don't think it's an uncommon experience to be sitting in my house with my phone somewhere near the car in the garage, or to eat at a restaurant near the car. These are common things humans do with their car.

As @DevSecOps mentioned, most of the time I have issues opening the door from home with the car being in the garage. I never close FP so most of the time it is connected to my car at all times. I've had the same issue as you as well at times. Sometimes I can press the lock button on the door then press the open door button. Other times just unlocking my phone first, then pressing the button works (without opening the FP app). I'm using a Pixel 5 (Android 12) with the December security update.

Since the issue is mostly around just opening the door, I just use the pin code to get in if either of those two workarounds don't work. As you said, once you're inside the car PAAK usually starts the car without fail.

 

[Eraser]

There have also been tracked issues regarding the Pixel 6 line and thermal throttling affecting Bluetooth. After using the phone with AA I've noticed the phone throttling and walk away failing. When not using AA I don't experience the thermal management kicking in and walk away seems more reliable.

I could try and do some testing and logging to prove/disprove the theory, but I've noticed it and assume it's in relation to other's issues with this model line.

From my experience the issue isn't with AA perse, but its due to wireless AA and Google Maps using the GPS. When leave my phone on the wireless charger it will stop charging after 15-20 minutes, and the phone will be warm to the touch. This is while Google Maps is running, but not actually navigating to a destination. If you do the same test, but switch AA to something like a music app, the phone doesn't get nearly as hot, and wireless charging is never stopped.

Give that a try on your next couple of commutes and see if that makes any noticeable difference. I certainly did for me, so much so that I don't have Google Maps up unless I actually need it.

 

[timbop]

Thanks -- but that shouldn't be a factor at all here, I've not been using AA on my phone or even wireless charging, so there's no thermal problems. Generally Android throws notifications when there's throttling and I also certainly haven't seen any of this.

I just think PAAK is really flaky with the phone.

Do yourself a favor and just put the fob in your pocket like you've done for decades. It really isn't that hard or inconvenient. Screwing around with your phone every day and hoping the damn thing works when you're far from home are far bigger concerns than a fob your pocket.

 

[DevSecOps]

Do yourself a favor and just put the fob in your pocket like you've done for decades. It really isn't that hard or inconvenient. Screwing around with your phone every day and hoping the damn thing works when you're far from home are far bigger concerns than a fob your pocket.

I normally refrain from ad hominem and I preach to others that they should refrain from it... But you really know how to push the envelope.

The purpose of this thread and many of the threads that you like to bomb is that we want a better outcome. We want to find solutions. We want to make it better by working with Ford. We don't want to resort to your suggestions.

I don't think Scoop posted this because he wants to carry a FOB. He probably posted this to get the attention of others and to work with the devs to make it better.

 

[scoopman]

From my experience the issue isn't with AA perse, but its due to wireless AA and Google Maps using the GPS. When leave my phone on the wireless charger it will stop charging after 15-20 minutes, and the phone will be warm to the touch. This is while Google Maps is running, but not actually navigating to a destination. If you do the same test, but switch AA to something like a music app, the phone doesn't get nearly as hot, and wireless charging is never stopped.

Give that a try on your next couple of commutes and see if that makes any noticeable difference. I certainly did for me, so much so that I don't have Google Maps up unless I actually need it.

Phone is staying in my pocket and I haven't been using it for AA, wireless charging, Google Maps, or anything else with heavy compute or thermals. Phone just really isn't all that reliable...... I can do another video in a parking lot, but it's kinda cold out and about to rain, and I'm just kinda meh at this point. Apple and Google are both integrating PAAk into their OSes which is probably what's needed for this to be consistent and reliable enough -- I'm sure Ford will adopt this as part of all the Google stuff they're working together on in the future. BMW is the first adopter of this in their ugly iX SUV.

In the meanwhile, I'm just leaving the phone without PAAK in the left pocket, FOB in the right pocket, and calling it a day. It's not like there isn't a more reliable way to do everything PAAK does...

 

[scoopman]

I normally refrain from ad hominem and I preach to others that they should refrain from it... But you really know how to push the envelope.

The purpose of this thread and many of the threads that you like to bomb is that we want a better outcome. We want to find solutions. We want to make it better by working with Ford. We don't want to resort to your suggestions.

I don't think Scoop posted this because he wants to carry a FOB. He probably posted this to get the attention of others and to work with the devs to make it better.

Bingo! This is very new for car makers, and there's a ton of complexity here between many phones, radio software, app versions, car software, antenna calibrations, user expectations.

I'm just trying to say in a friendly constructive way that I'd love to leave the FOB home, but it's just not reliable enough yet for me as a driver.

The perception of reliability is very important when it comes to physical access to your car, especially when you have people with you or are in a distant place. The last thing I want to be doing is fumbling with an app or remembering keycodes when I'm with my young kids or far away from home, or its bad weather out, or I have stuff I'm carrying to my car.

PAAK needs to work every time and not in a flaky-slow-sometimes-not-working sorta way to build up my confidence before I would consider leaving the FOB at home permanently.

 

[timbop]

I normally refrain from ad hominem and I preach to others that they should refrain from it... But you really know how to push the envelope.

The purpose of this thread and many of the threads that you like to bomb is that we want a better outcome. We want to find solutions. We want to make it better by working with Ford. We don't want to resort to your suggestions.

I don't think Scoop posted this because he wants to carry a FOB. He probably posted this to get the attention of others and to work with the devs to make it better.

Interesting. My suggestions are that people don't set themselves up for failure and use an already available and reliable solution.

As for you, well.....

 

[Kabish]

Did you happen to get the customer satisfaction update?

I don't believe so.

I tell you what though.. I've had my car since July, PAAK was "buggy" but not horrible my first month of owning it. After that, it has been pretty much solid and reliable.

As of this exact minute, I am about to go to my fob, its been THAT bad. Today, pouring down rain, and the stupid thing would not let me in. Punched in my door code swearing at the car. I get in, cursing that if the %*#%@) thing started with the button I was going to burn it to the ground... Luckily it was raining, and I could not get the match to light.

I also noticed tonight that my car is still not allowing me to turn on auto updates or schedule them. The car has been stuck like this for a little over a month now. Afraid that it might be time to take a gamble and take the car in...

 

[DevSecOps]

I don't believe so.

I tell you what though.. I've had my car since July, PAAK was "buggy" but not horrible my first month of owning it. After that, it has been pretty much solid and reliable.

As of this exact minute, I am about to go to my fob, its been THAT bad. Today, pouring down rain, and the stupid thing would not let me in. Punched in my door code swearing at the car. I get in, cursing that if the %*#%@) thing started with the button I was going to burn it to the ground... Luckily it was raining, and I could not get the match to light.

I also noticed tonight that my car is still not allowing me to turn on auto updates or schedule them. The car has been stuck like this for a little over a month now. Afraid that it might be time to take a gamble and take the car in...

And I assume that you have a Pixel 6 since you're posting on this thread? If you do try disabling adaptive battery management. Since I disabled it I'm getting perfect approach openings. Scoop is also trying that.

 

[imstriker]

I'm on a Pixel 5 and have had similar behavior the last week. In fact I just started a new thread before I found this one. Things were working great, but now they are quite poor again. I turned off adaptive yesterday, does not seem to have helped.

I did just run an RFA self-test in Forscan and got a bunch of failures on antennas 3-11. Not sure is that is "normal".

 

[scoopman]

Yeah I don't know about any issues with your antenna and RFA software, but it's too cold for me the days with kids to rely with something that still seems flaky to me. I've tried all this stuff and PAAK doesn't work reliably, especially when I'm home and want to get in the car. TLDR: I'm going to stick with fob for now.

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