Ford Smartlink
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 1,377
Likes: 294
From: SE Michigan
Imagine how many more of these they would sell if the purchase and installation were plug and play simple and not shrouded in such mystery. The Ford website should be straight and to the point as the cost and the procedure, not "see dealer for details", then as many are reporting, the dealer knows nothing. It would be great to able to buy it online, and activate it online yourself, the plug it in to the OBDII and go.
Mountain Pass
Joined: Jul 2018
Posts: 243
Likes: 18
From: PA
Ford did a pretty **** job of rolling this out. I tried to buy at my local dealer and they had no clue. Nate at fairway hooked me up and I gave the instructions with pictures to my local dealership. All I needed them to do is to upload the 48 digit code. Been here for 2 hours and they still haven’t figured it out!
**Edit - after 3 hours they came and told me they still didn't figure it out and are waiting for ford engineers to call them back. Sent me off with a truck off the lot and said they will need it for a day or two. With the instructions that Nate provided, I think I could have figured it out myself. Literally screen shots and step by step instructions. Should have taken no more than 10 min.
**Edit - after 3 hours they came and told me they still didn't figure it out and are waiting for ford engineers to call them back. Sent me off with a truck off the lot and said they will need it for a day or two. With the instructions that Nate provided, I think I could have figured it out myself. Literally screen shots and step by step instructions. Should have taken no more than 10 min.
Lead Driver
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 5,650
Likes: 243
From: GA
Ford did a pretty **** job of rolling this out. I tried to buy at my local dealer and they had no clue. Nate at fairway hooked me up and I gave the instructions with pictures to my local dealership. All I needed them to do is to upload the 48 digit code. Been here for 2 hours and they still haven’t figured it out!
**Edit - after 3 hours they came and told me they still didn't figure it out and are waiting for ford engineers to call them back. Sent me off with a truck off the lot and said they will need it for a day or two. With the instructions that Nate provided, I think I could have figured it out myself. Literally screen shots and step by step instructions. Should have taken no more than 10 min.
**Edit - after 3 hours they came and told me they still didn't figure it out and are waiting for ford engineers to call them back. Sent me off with a truck off the lot and said they will need it for a day or two. With the instructions that Nate provided, I think I could have figured it out myself. Literally screen shots and step by step instructions. Should have taken no more than 10 min.
Mountain Pass
Joined: Jul 2018
Posts: 243
Likes: 18
From: PA
More Turbo
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 551
Likes: 39
One thing I did was only give them the part of the instructions that I needed them to do. Any moron with access to IDS can follow the few steps. I left out all of the other parts of the instructions to cut down on confusion.
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Jul 2018
Posts: 243
Likes: 18
From: PA
I did exactly that and they screwed it up. Said they don’t know when to hear back from ford. They gave me a 2018 f-150 off the lot with a dealer plate and asked me not to do “truck things” with it. I gotta get me a load of mulch tonight though!
Lead Driver
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 5,650
Likes: 243
From: GA
I can`t believe they have the actual instructions in hand as well as the only computer system that can program it and they still can`t do it.
I`m not sure if you`ve tried this but maybe they should get on the phone with Fairway Ford and ask them how to program it or they can walk them through it on the phone. They have the same Ford computer system software so hopefully their ego is not to large too ask for help from another dealer.
Mountain Pass
Joined: Jul 2018
Posts: 243
Likes: 18
From: PA
Wow......unbelievable how something so simple can be made so difficult by people of the same company who`s offering the product. Come on many but not all Ford dealers......get your crap together.
I can`t believe they have the actual instructions in hand as well as the only computer system that can program it and they still can`t do it.
I`m not sure if you`ve tried this but maybe they should get on the phone with Fairway Ford and ask them how to program it or they can walk them through it on the phone. They have the same Ford computer system software so hopefully their ego is not to large too ask for help from another dealer.
I can`t believe they have the actual instructions in hand as well as the only computer system that can program it and they still can`t do it.
I`m not sure if you`ve tried this but maybe they should get on the phone with Fairway Ford and ask them how to program it or they can walk them through it on the phone. They have the same Ford computer system software so hopefully their ego is not to large too ask for help from another dealer.
1) I called fairway and Nate said it sounds like they haven't updated IDS software
2) I called the tech support line and they told me the technician made the wrong input several times and got locked out requiring a total reset---not an error code.
3) I picked up the truck yesterday (2 full days at dealer) and had to re-generate a 48 digit code myself. My neighbor has IDS (he does contract work at several dealerships) and if I can catch him before next week, I will do it myself. If not, I have an appointment at another dealership next week. When you make an appointment you have to ask to have a keyfob programmed. If you mention smartlink they automatically have no idea what you are talking about.
Lead Driver
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 5,650
Likes: 243
From: GA
I tried to get them to call fairway. They said they are required to call Ford and can't talk to other dealers. They said that one of the menus on their IDS didn't come up and then they got an error code.
1) I called fairway and Nate said it sounds like they haven't updated IDS software
2) I called the tech support line and they told me the technician made the wrong input several times and got locked out requiring a total reset---not an error code.
3) I picked up the truck yesterday (2 full days at dealer) and had to re-generate a 48 digit code myself. My neighbor has IDS (he does contract work at several dealerships) and if I can catch him before next week, I will do it myself. If not, I have an appointment at another dealership next week. When you make an appointment you have to ask to have a keyfob programmed. If you mention smartlink they automatically have no idea what you are talking about.
1) I called fairway and Nate said it sounds like they haven't updated IDS software
2) I called the tech support line and they told me the technician made the wrong input several times and got locked out requiring a total reset---not an error code.
3) I picked up the truck yesterday (2 full days at dealer) and had to re-generate a 48 digit code myself. My neighbor has IDS (he does contract work at several dealerships) and if I can catch him before next week, I will do it myself. If not, I have an appointment at another dealership next week. When you make an appointment you have to ask to have a keyfob programmed. If you mention smartlink they automatically have no idea what you are talking about.
Mountain Pass
Joined: Jul 2018
Posts: 243
Likes: 18
From: PA
I had my appointment for dealer number 2 today. Was in and out in 20 minutes. Unfortunately, for some reason the "remote start" icon is grayed out---the whole reason I bought the damn thing. The dealer said to call smart-link, smart link said to take it to the dealer. I am over this thing. Don't buy it until Ford is able to support it. I reached out to Nate and at this point I just want my money back.
Lead Driver
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 5,650
Likes: 243
From: GA
I had my appointment for dealer number 2 today. Was in and out in 20 minutes. Unfortunately, for some reason the "remote start" icon is grayed out---the whole reason I bought the damn thing. The dealer said to call smart-link, smart link said to take it to the dealer. I am over this thing. Don't buy it until Ford is able to support it. I reached out to Nate and at this point I just want my money back.
Since the second dealer was kind of successful, maybe Nate can get that remote start feature working for you.
