UK Customers

[Wonky_Donkey]

I have now had my car for almost 21 months and I am STILL learning about it and it's little oddities. One thing I have found out, quite quickly, is that if you exit the car and leave it on and shut the door(s) the horn will sound twice roadrunner fashion (beep beep). My way around this, don't want to disturb the neighbours at 0600 when going to work, is that I will leave the key fob IN the car when I get out to shut the garage and the gate so no beep beep.
This morning, on arrival at work, I forgot to remove the key fob from the car so consequently the key fob did what it is supposed to do when inactive and went to sleep. The problem with this, of course, is that I couldn't open the car by pushing the e buttons on the ANY of the doors as the key fob wasn't sending a signal to the car even though the car was unlocked. Completely dead, non functioning. Tail lift wouldn't work either.
Brainwave. Lets see if remote start using FP works. No, well yes and no. I did manage to start the car but this didn't enable door button activation. Lets try unlock/lock button in FP. Didn't want to use the lock button just in case so I pressed the unlock button. Couple of clicks, an electrical whirl here and there and then the lights in the door buttons illuminated. Success???? Luckily, yes.
Lesson to be learn't. Don't leave your keys in the car for any length just in case.
For once FP was useful.

If anyone else finds themself in this situation it’s also worth having a note the door keypad code so you can unlock the door that way too

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[portlandg]

If anyone else finds themself in this situation it’s also worth having a note the door keypad code so you can unlock the door that way too

Good thinking. Didn't occur to me to try that way.

 

[Dermot Vermin]

If anyone else finds themself in this situation it’s also worth having a note the door keypad code so you can unlock the door that way too

I have my spare key hidden in the car in a faraday pouch and can then use the code to get in and start with the key if I ever loose mine. I love the keypad entry and locking, it's a useful feature.

 

[James III]

That must have been a bit of a panic!
I actually leave my keys locked in the car on purpose sometimes, like when parked up when going for a hike, and afraid I could loose them what then! Really Stuck! So I put keys in centre console out of sight, then simplify use the CODE to Lock & Unlock on return to the car. I am also able to do it with FP but that is not always reliable as you found out. I keep a pic of my entry code card in my phone.
In my previous BMW X5 I always kept a spare key very hidden inside the car with key in a small RFID Faraday pouch. I started doing this after I returned to Gatwick after a week away in USA , …OH where are my keys???
Had to take a train home,3hrs get my spare, and train back, next day, 3hrs pay extra £45 overstay parking , and drive home 3hrs. Of course I had to buy another key, £575 from BMW. But if it happened again I use the BMW app to unlock and find my hidden stealth spare. The BMW App actually works all the time, & without agreeing to massive data sharing for their marketing, for it to work. (Like you know who!).
Keep that Ulock Key Code handy!

 

[MikeC]

Sorry, I may be over cautious and they may well be tyres which are perfectly fine but I’ve forensically examined too many part-worn/second hand tyres on Trading Standards’ stings to feel comfortable about taking the risk. Selling part-worn tyres are regulated for good reason: https://www.tyresafe.org/tyre-advice/part-worn-tyres/

Years ago I owned a 2.8i Capri…lovely car. An old gentleman decided to change lanes without looking and hit the nearside wing. I was breaking so hard that the front dipped down which on impact the inside edge of the wing caught the tyre wall resulting in a slight slash. The tyre was almost new. Anyway I took it into a tyre dealer and when I asked “Is the tyre ok”, he replied “It’s up to you, but remember the only things that keep you on the road are your tyres”. I had a new tyre fitted.

 

[su-ch+mache]

Of course I had to buy another key, £575 from BMW.

does anyone have an idea what our MME keys would cost?

 

[Teslaeata]

Years ago I owned a 2.8i Capri…lovely car. An old gentleman decided to change lanes without looking and hit the nearside wing. I was breaking so hard that the front dipped down which on impact the inside edge of the wing caught the tyre wall resulting in a slight slash. The tyre was almost new. Anyway I took it into a tyre dealer and when I asked “Is the tyre ok”, he replied “It’s up to you, but remember the only things that keep you on the road are your tyres”. I had a new tyre fitted.

Very wise, good call!

You won’t believe, or possibly you might, some stuff I find on cars which I examine forensically for all sorts of people.

Once as part of a criminal prosecution I discovered that a garage sold a car with wheel bolts with all but totally stripped threads that were held in place on a prayer by plumbers tape! And that passed an MOT Test which doesn’t discover that kind of thing, so if you think your car’s roadworthy just because it passed an MOT Test, well, you may just be deluded!

And on a Trading Standards “sting” I proved that a part worn tyre seller sold and fitted an oval part-worn second hand commercial rated tyre to single mother’s family MPV, and another tyre illegally repaired by one of those silicone “string” kind of DIY repairs

I remain your most humble servant fighting the good fight against dodgy car repairers, sellers and fraudulent motor insurance claimants protecting your premiums

You’re welcome

BTW those new Mich Cross Climate tyres I had fitted stick to the road like baby poo to a terry nappy!!

 

[MikeC]

Very wise, good call!

You won’t believe, or possibly you might, some stuff I find on cars which I examine forensically for all sorts of people.

Once as part of a criminal prosecution I discovered that a garage sold a car with wheel bolts with all but totally stripped threads that were held in place on a prayer by plumbers tape! And that passed an MOT Test which doesn’t discover that kind of thing, so if you think your car’s roadworthy just because it passed an MOT Test, well, you may just be deluded!

And on a Trading Standards “sting” I proved that a part worn tyre seller sold and fitted an oval part-worn second hand commercial rated tyre to single mother’s family MPV, and another tyre illegally repaired by one of those silicone “string” kind of DIY repairs

I remain your most humble servant fighting the good fight against dodgy car repairers, sellers and fraudulent motor insurance claimants protecting your premiums

You’re welcome

BTW those new Mich Cross Climate tyres I had fitted stick to the road like baby poo to a terry nappy!!

I so agree about that the MOT does not necessarily mean the vehicle is safe. My daughters first car (18 years ago) was a Mini Cooper (the original ones). The car had 9 months MOT remaining. The rear sub-frame rust holes were patched with paper, glue and finished off with beaded runs of silicon (to look like an weld) and then undersealed. The sills were the same. The radius arms had so much slack etc etc. New sub-frame, sills etc etc fitted and a genuine MOT obtained. Morale behind buying a second hand car, get a third party (e.g. AA or RAC) to check the car over if you don’t know what you are looking for. HPI check. If you are unsure, walk away!

 

[Jonno21]

I so agree about that the MOT does not necessarily mean the vehicle is safe. My daughters first car (18 years ago) was a Mini Cooper (the original ones). The car had 9 months MOT remaining. The rear sub-frame rust holes were patched with paper, glue and finished off with beaded runs of silicon (to look like an weld) and then undersealed. The sills were the same. The radius arms had so much slack etc etc. New sub-frame, sills etc etc fitted and a genuine MOT obtained. Morale behind buying a second hand car, get a third party (e.g. AA or RAC) to check the car over if you don’t know what you are looking for. HPI check. If you are unsure, walk away!

You might want to look at this YouTube channel

https://www.youtube.com/c/justrolledin

I know I cringe at some of the stuff on there.

 

[davkd]

That must have been a bit of a panic!
I actually leave my keys locked in the car on purpose sometimes, like when parked up when going for a hike, and afraid I could loose them what then! Really Stuck! So I put keys in centre console out of sight, then simplify use the CODE to Lock & Unlock on return to the car. I am also able to do it with FP but that is not always reliable as you found out. I keep a pic of my entry code card in my phone.
In my previous BMW X5 I always kept a spare key very hidden inside the car with key in a small RFID Faraday pouch. I started doing this after I returned to Gatwick after a week away in USA , …OH where are my keys???
Had to take a train home,3hrs get my spare, and train back, next day, 3hrs pay extra £45 overstay parking , and drive home 3hrs. Of course I had to buy another key, £575 from BMW. But if it happened again I use the BMW app to unlock and find my hidden stealth spare. The BMW App actually works all the time, & without agreeing to massive data sharing for their marketing, for it to work. (Like you know who!).
Keep that Ulock Key Code handy!

Great advice.

I changed the number from the original Ford supplied one to a more memorable one to get round this.

 

[Dc63]

Hi anyone had the 1 year check to maintain the AA cover if so how much did you pay

 

[Jonno21]

Hi anyone had the 1 year check to maintain the AA cover if so how much did you pay

I didn't know a check was required annually as the service interval is every 2 years. Where does it state this in documentation or the Ford website?

 

[Wonky_Donkey]

I didn't know a check was required annually as the service interval is every 2 years. Where does it state this in documentation or the Ford website?

Service intervals are every 2 years for Mach-E, but this is a legacy thing from the Ford ICE vehicle era.

Basically you get 1yr of Ford Breakdown cover with a new vehicle, and the sweetner to encourage people to get it serviced annually was that if you took it in you got your breakdown cover extended every time.

Unfortunately that doesn’t work with the Mach-E, but some canny people are taking it in after 1yr for an “inspection” (not a service) to maintain that free breakdown cover for another year.

But you have to ask the question are the dealers charging for that inspection - and if so is the cost more or less than a year’s worth of breakdown cover?

 

[Schwarzy]

Hi anyone had the 1 year check to maintain the AA cover if so how much did you pay

It’s called a convenience check @ £105.

Extends Europe wide Ford Assistance for a year. Cheaper than other breakdown quotes I looked at

 

[mustangguy64]

Hi anyone had the 1 year check to maintain the AA cover if so how much did you pay

The cost varies between dealers some charge the same as they would for an ICE vehicle whilst others discount it. In my case full cost quoted was £95 but because it was an EV it was discounted to £65.

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