Do our Ford Key Fobs have Sleep Mode?

[TNFurb]

I have read some articles from the UK that Ford began including a motion sensor in their key fobs so that if the fob is stationary for more than 40 seconds, it stops transmitting its signal. Additionally the articles stated the fob had to be within 2 meters of the vehicle for it to transmit. Does anyone know if this is the case here in the US and specifically for our Mavericks? I’m hoping the @fordvideoguy can confirm for us. If so, then I’m not sure I need a a faraday pouch to keep my keys in while at home. I hang my keys much further than 2 meters from my garage and they stay stationary on my hooks. Also if this is true, then all of our discussions in this forum about the deep sleep issues and putting the fobs in faraday pouches probably were misinformed too.

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[HeyBales]

Remote Control Limitations

Make sure a valid remote control is within 3 ft (1 m) from the front door handles and rear of vehicle.
The system may not function if:

• The remote control remains stationary for about a minute.

Keyless Entry Limitations

Make sure your remote control is within 3 ft (1 m) from the front door handles and the tailgate.
The system could not function if:

• The remote control remains stationary for about a minute.

 

[inline_five]

I have read some articles from the UK that Ford began including a motion sensor in their key fobs so that if the fob is stationary for more than 40 seconds, it stops transmitting its signal. Additionally the articles stated the fob had to be within 2 meters of the vehicle for it to transmit. Does anyone know if this is the case here in the US and specifically for our Mavericks? I’m hoping the @fordvideoguy can confirm for us. If so, then I’m not sure I need a a faraday pouch to keep my keys in while at home. I hang my keys much further than 2 meters from my garage and they stay stationary on my hooks. Also if this is true, then all of our discussions in this forum about the deep sleep issues and putting the fobs in faraday pouches probably were misinformed too.

I tested this extensively here.

12v battery monitor results [DATA LOG] on 18 month old XLT hybrid

On my '23 XLT I found zero car wake up when walking around d it it with the key, after being stored inside. Faraday pouch or no faraday pouch.

 

[TNFurb]

I tested this extensively here.

12v battery monitor results [DATA LOG] on 18 month old XLT hybrid

On my '23 XLT I found zero car wake up when walking around d it it with the key, after being stored inside. Faraday pouch or no faraday pouch.

Great info thanks for the link. My main question is regarding the fobs and if they truly go into sleep mode and stop sending a signal if unmoved for a short time. We had a neighbor have a car stolen after the thief apparently cloned the key fob hanging in the house. It was a dodge charger I think. So I was ordering faraday pouches for our Maverick and Bronco Sport fobs when I came across the UK article. If the fobs definitely go into sleep mode then I’m thinking the pouches aren’t needed for the purpose of preventing cloning when they’re left hanging in my house.

 

[canuckford]

I have read some articles from the UK that Ford began including a motion sensor in their key fobs so that if the fob is stationary for more than 40 seconds, it stops transmitting its signal. Additionally the articles stated the fob had to be within 2 meters of the vehicle for it to transmit. Does anyone know if this is the case here in the US and specifically for our Mavericks? I’m hoping the @fordvideoguy can confirm for us. If so, then I’m not sure I need a a faraday pouch to keep my keys in while at home. I hang my keys much further than 2 meters from my garage and they stay stationary on my hooks. Also if this is true, then all of our discussions in this forum about the deep sleep issues and putting the fobs in faraday pouches probably were misinformed too.

Going to test that and let you know what I find. But that sounds like a good plan by ford, although I'm sure they're not the only manufacturer who's doing that. I have a feeling there's an initiative by all vehicle manufacturers to find a way to reduce stolen cars. The manual supplement I found in my glove box states that 3rd party keys won't work on the maverick, and for me, that's fine, one less way for a thief to pawn off my new maverick. The protocol isn't that hard to implement.... In a nutshell this a protocol that would make it harder for a thief....

With security computer systems exists a protocol called public & private keys, in a nutshell, the car only has the public key and the physical key has the public and private keys. If they steal or hijack the physical key, game over, but extracting those keys by way of scanning the signal the physical key is sending is not going to work for new vehicles. But it's a cat and mouse, crooks will devise new methods and around and around we go.

 

[HeyBales]

Great info thanks for the link. My main question is regarding the fobs and if they truly go into sleep mode and stop sending a signal if unmoved for a short time. We had a neighbor have a car stolen after the thief apparently cloned the key fob hanging in the house. It was a dodge charger I think. So I was ordering faraday pouches for our Maverick and Bronco Sport fobs when I came across the UK article. If the fobs definitely go into sleep mode then I’m thinking the pouches aren’t needed for the purpose of preventing cloning when they’re left hanging in my house.

Now - if you have a cat that gets on the counter and bats at the hanging key fobs ...

Yes - there have been many car makes/models where the fob is constantly sending out a signal, so the keyless entry can work.

One news item found the thief had been a delivery person in some manner - while they visited homes they had a signal reader, to show which homes were worthy of a revisit at better hours for the more detailed recording/duplication work. And even if they didn't opt for the more expensive equipment to create a key right then and there, they could do that another night so purely a drop off and drive away situation.

And since the fob is a little computerish chip situation, nothing says that couldn't malfunction in a way to indeed not sleep.

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