PSA - DO NOT UPDATE to 3.35.0 on Android if using PaaK without a FOB

[Kamuelaflyer]

I'm not going to carry a FOB and I started this thread (at least within 100 miles). Sh*t happens. I've had a great PaaK experience so far, beside this encounter. Now I know ... only update when home.

I’ll try to be serious for a change.

1. This happened to you and it sux. It shouldn’t have.

2. I keep one of my two FOBs (I bought an extra before delivery way back when) in a Faraday bag hidden in a rather unusual location in the car. PAAK has failed me exactly twice in just short of 7 months. I simply don’t trust the technology enough to leave it at home.

3. There’s no excuse for the backup start code prompt to not show up. None. That needs to work 100% of the time regardless of circumstances.

4. I know that for me, the backup start code prompt (and actual code) worked post 1.7.1. So it’s not likely simply a 1.7.1 issue in isolation.

At any rate, I wish you smooth sailing and tailwinds the rest of the time with your car. You earned it.

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[WildfireOne]

Agree that the backup start code should work 100% of the time once it's been set. The code is a failsafe, for crying out loud. The failsafe should not, you know, FAIL...

Having said that, it has failed for me within a week of owning the vehicle, in the last week of January. It was like I never even set it up, which I know I did (because I remember sending the sales guy to get me some paperwork to avoid him seeing me set the code! ) before driving off the Ford dealership lot.

So though I feel for the OP's plight today, I think that his PAAK update, and the backup code being unset or deleted, may actually be independent -- it would make sense that there should be an air gap between any connected device and a security code that can only be setup and used only locally in the vehicle. But who said all this made sense?

By the way, I got the backup start code screen when I entered the vehicle and tried to start without phone or fob. Then I did update to FP to 3.35 and verified that BT wouldn't connect, though I could start and unlock the MachE within FP. I then discarded phone and fob outside of the vehicle's range, entered it, and was given the backup start code screen to start the vehicle. So updating FP to 3.35 did not disband my previously set back up start code.

Guess I should say my phone is also the Pixel 6 Pro on Android 12, November firmware 037.a1 on Verizon.

 

[Blue highway]

As the FordPass Android Tech Lead, it is disheartening to read this thread. I pinged my colleagues just now, and they were shocked and will start the investigation immediately tomorrow morning.
So far, we believe the only change about Paak going into the new Android release 3.35 was to relieve the battery drain by avoiding excessively checking the vehicle status.
Release testing was certainly in place before the new release went to the public, but we will dig into the root cause and get back to you.
Sincere apologies!

There are a zillion flavors of Android and a zillion different hardware combinations. For PAAK, (a mission critical app for lots of MME owners) regression testing must be a nightmare as there are always edge cases for Android.
I use IOS and 5 months and 5k miles I’ve always been able to get into the car.

 

[Blue highway]

Two things:

1. you guys are convincing me to abandon my 99+% reliable PAAK and go with a FOB only. Beacause disaster looms.

2. The bottom advertisement on this page was a advertisement for an aftermarket FOB company.

It’s destiny I tell you.

Or periodically test that the entry and start codes work…. It’s good to know how to get them to work before you have to get them to work

 

[zvez]

Damn.
Very odd. I didn't think we could do anything to our phones to cause the backup code not to appear. I assumed I could smash my PaaK enabled phone with a hammer and toss it in the river and the backup start code would still work.

BUT if you delete your PAAK in your phone it also eliminated the back up start code.

 

[zvez]

Updated to the new version when I got home, zero issues. Doors unlocked no problem, car started no problem. FOB was completely out of range as well.

If anything changes in the next few days I'll chime in.

just for grins, you might want to make sure your back up start code works just to be on the safe side

 

[RickMachE]

Yes, a failsafe process like the backup code must work 100% of the time. Of course the screen must light up, Sync must be running, etc.

For those that have 2 fobs, or 1 fob and only 1 driver, and refusing to carry the fob because it's too big or too heavy, #Really? #FirstWorldProblems

Life has many challenges, but having to carry a fob is not one of them.

 

[connoisseurr]

OK fine fine.

Just in case anyone's new here, first of all, congratulations for reading this many replies in a single post. You done good.

Second, Always Be Charging your phone if you have phone as a key running in the background.

I'll be in severe danger with the POS battery life on my iPhone 12 mini ?

 

[alexgorod]

BUT if you delete your PAAK in your phone it also eliminated the back up start code.

Really? It's so bad that I don't want to believe it. And I don't want to test it.

 

[alexgorod]

That's alright. I ask my wife to leave her MacheE key fob at home and keep her faith in the Paak. I rely on her to give me the feedback. (I work from home). She is asleep now with kid, otherwise I would grab her phone to test ...

Thank you Suyang for revealing your identity in this forum, it takes a lot of bravery to admit that you are responsible for the product that so many people have so many problems with.

There are a lot of software developers in this forum, and specifically in this thread. Can you tell us here what is your testing strategy, especially with so many different hardware and software combinations of android devices, and different versions of the car software? It is obvious that most of the available functionality (PAAK especially) works flawlessly (or at least "as designed") for some people and doesn't work at all or works sporadically for others. If it can't be fixed, can it be at least explained?

 

[VaderMachE]

I had some time so I just went to my garage to test a bit. The car is not making the PaaK BT connection.
Made sure FordPass was up and running.
Entered the garage and the car had no idea I was there with my phone.
No illuminated ring on the door button, no welcome lighting.
Pressed the door button and heard the usual relay/contactor clicking.
Several more button presses did nothing.
Entered the car using the pillar keypad.
Put my phone on the charging pad.
Foot on the brake, pressed the start button.
No Key Detected message in the IPC.
Sync screen came on as it would in accessory or ready mode.
AA connected.
Switched to BT connection to Sync without a problem.
Checked my phone's BT connections. Mach E PaaK pairing was listed but inactive.
Tapped on that pairing and got a message "An app is required to use this device".
After another press of the Start button the password screen came up and I was able to enter my code and start the car.
Shut the car off and walked away. No walk away lock.

I tested mine exactly as you with all the same results. Everything was fine prior to update.?‍

 

[mattsaradan]

Just updated; PaaK no longer connects, although I do still get the backup start code. Samsung S20+ on Android 11.

 

[alexgorod]

I had some time so I just went to my garage to test a bit. The car is not making the PaaK BT connection.
Made sure FordPass was up and running.
Entered the garage and the car had no idea I was there with my phone.
No illuminated ring on the door button, no welcome lighting.
Pressed the door button and heard the usual relay/contactor clicking.
Several more button presses did nothing.
Entered the car using the pillar keypad.
Put my phone on the charging pad.
Foot on the brake, pressed the start button.
No Key Detected message in the IPC.
Sync screen came on as it would in accessory or ready mode.
AA connected.
Switched to BT connection to Sync without a problem.
Checked my phone's BT connections. Mach E PaaK pairing was listed but inactive.
Tapped on that pairing and got a message "An app is required to use this device".
After another press of the Start button the password screen came up and I was able to enter my code and start the car.
Shut the car off and walked away. No walk away lock.

I updated my phone (Galaxy S21, Android 12) to the latest FordPass, got the same result. Restarting the phone didn't help. Notification shows that PAAK is trying to connect to the vehicle.

 

[SnBGC]

BUT if you delete your PAAK in your phone it also eliminated the back up start code.

Really? I no longer use the original phone used to set up PaaK but the start codes works still. That phone is shut down in a box somewhere and hasn't been turned on in 6 months. My IT department transferred everything over to my new phone so I suppose PaaK is still present on the old phone? Are you saying if I power up that old phone and delete the FordPass app then my start code won't work any more?

 

[Cm12]

Yes, a failsafe process like the backup code must work 100% of the time. Of course the screen must light up, Sync must be running, etc.

For those that have 2 fobs, or 1 fob and only 1 driver, and refusing to carry the fob because it's too big or too heavy, #Really? #FirstWorldProblems

Life has many challenges, but having to carry a fob is not one of them.

Not a huge challenge, true. But there are plenty of good reasons I, and many others, don’t want to carry a key fob. Some of them are situation-specific, such as while going on a run. This isn’t a cheap car designed to get me from point A to point B, it’s a relatively high end mainstream consumer vehicle. The little added little luxuries that none of us really *need* such as PaaK, are what justify the price. Otherwise, we could just all drive a Leaf.

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