[everiklevine]

The Lightning has three ways to connect wirelessly: Cell, WiFi and BlueTooth. What features on the truck are limited to either just one or two of these?

I just arrived at our cabin where we have no cell service (we use call-over-WiFi for our phones). The Lightning is hooked up both to our cabin WiFi, and to BlueTooth to my phone, but I cannot get FordPass updates (battery charge level) or control any remote features (lock, unlock, start). PAAK also does not appear to work.

For the BlueTooth connection,my iPhone seems to be connected to an ##### F-150 (##### = last five of my VIN) that I cannot disconnect from. There is also a BlueTooth connection to the BlueTooth name that I manually setup in the truck, but when I connect to that, it warns me that my AirPlay will be disconnected. This BlueTooth connection only appears able to be connected to when the truck is on. It also appears to disconnect when the truck is turned off. I never use this BlueTooth connection, so what is it for?

 

[ChasingCoral]

Bluetooth is used for phone connectivity (calling) PaaK, and Apple CarPlay. CarPlay also requires WiFi be active on your phone.

Power Ups seem to require cell connection but are faster on WiFi. I’m just not sure if WiFialone is sufficient.

I learned from time in the Everglades when my Mach E was brand new and one of the few on the road that PaaK requires periodic cell connection. I suspect the vehicle and your phone must both download a series of timed codes that are used for PaaK. If you are out of touch long enough, one or both may not get the needed codes. I don’t know if it is enough for one but not the other to download the code list but I suspect both must do so separately.

 

[everiklevine]

Bluetooth is used for phone connectivity (calling) PaaK, and Apple CarPlay. CarPlay also requires WiFi be active on your phone.

Power Ups seem to require cell connection but are faster on WiFi. I’m just not sure if WiFialone is sufficient.

I learned from time in the Everglades when my Mach E was brand new and one of the few on the road that PaaK requires periodic cell connection. I suspect the vehicle and your phone must both download a series of timed codes that are used for PaaK. If you are out of touch long enough, one or both may not get the needed codes. I don’t know if it is enough for one but not the other to download the code list but I suspect both must do so separately.

Thanks @ChasingCoral . I just recently noticed the part about WiFi having to not only be on, but be connected, to the truck for AirPlay. This is weird since AirPlay connection is via BlueTooth. And, connecting to the car via WiFi means that I can't actually use any of the WiFi features on my phone (like other phone apps). For someone off the Cell grid (like I am while on vacation), this really limits me. When i try to connect to my home WiFi, it wants to disconnect from AirPlay, but only does so momentarily, then switches back to the Lightning's WiFi signal (unless I go into the truck settings and turn off AirPlay). The Truck's WiFi is some sort of private network and does not allow any other connection to the rest of my house.

Your PaaK assumption is probably right. Do other car's (like the Tesla) PaaK work the same way?

 

[ChasingCoral]

Your PaaK assumption is probably right. Do other car's (like the Tesla) PaaK work the same way?

No idea. Sorry.