Ford Remote Access, Tasker, AutoInput, and SharpTools to start your truck from SmartThings

##This is for Ford Vehicles with the Ford Remote Access app but it could be modified to work with any app##
I just wanted something basic to start the truck when I turn on a light in my closet to get dressed for work between 4:30am and 5:30am. I didn’t care to do unlock stuff or to turn off remote start so I created a simulated switch in Smartthings IDE. https://graph.api.smartthings.com/

Login, click my locations, Home, My Devices, +New Device.

Name: Truck Engine
Label: Truck Remote Access Engine
Type: Simulated Switch
Version: Published
Device Network Id: Engine - 001
Hub: SmartThings Hub

Save and now it should show up in SmartThings. Now open up SharpTools and click on the gear in the top right. Click on Authorize Things and authorize at least the switch you just created. Now go back to Things and find your switch that you authorized. Long click on the switch and this will subscribe to status changes of the switch. It tells it whenever you change let it know so it doesn’t have to poll constantly for changes.

Thats it for SharpTools, now open up Tasker. As you add things it will say it needs specific settings configured to make it work just follow those steps. I don’t remember what it was specifically but something around accesibility settings. Just enable it for Tasker and you should be good.

Click on Tasks and then click the + at the bottom right to create a new task. This is what is actually going to start the truck. I named my task Start Truck and then click the check mark. Next you have to add some stuff in the task so it knows what to do.

Click the + sign inside the task, select Plugin, then select, SharpTools, then select Thing: Get Attribute.

Select a location: Home
Thing: Truck Remote Access Engine
Attribute: switch

Click Apply

Now scroll down to the If statement. There is a coffee cup looking icon on the same line just so you know what to look for.
type in %switch and select the button right after it. It may have an equals sign. Change it to Matches and then in the next blank type on. It should look like:
%switch ~ on
Click the back button at the top.

Now click the + sign at the bottom and select App, and then select Launch App. Scroll down to Remote Access.

Click the + sign again and select Task, and then select Wait.
Move the slider over to like 5 seconds. We can change this later if your phone is a potato and cant launch it fast enough or reduce it if its faster.

Click the + sign again and select Plugin, and then select AutoInput.
Select Geststures, and then click on the pencil to edit configuration. Click on Gesture Type and select Swipe. Now go down to start point and I used the following
Start Point: 1060,1600
End Point: 1060,1600
Duration: 100
Yes I know we’re not actually swiping but I was having trouble getting clicks to work. Click on the Check Mark and then the back button at the top. You can click the Play button at the bottom now to see if your super slicky duper clicky is working right. It should launch the Ford Remote Access app and then click the start button and begin counting down. If its not clicking in the right spot you need to change the start and end points.

You can turn on developer mode by going into Phone Settings and clicking on About Phone and then click on Build Number 10 times. Then go into System, Advanced, Developer Options. Under Input turn on Pointer Location to find the sweet spot for the button presses for your phone. You can open up Ford Remote Access and you’ll have the X,Y coordinates up at the top wherever you press and hold.

Almost done now… Click the back button at the top to save your task and then click the Check Mark at the top to commit your changes. Now click on the PROFILES tab and click the + sign at the bottom. Select Event, then select Plugin, then select SharpTools, then select Thing State. Click the pencil to edit Configuration:
Select a location: Home
Thing: Truck Remote Access Engine
Attribute:
We want to see when it changes not it’s actual state. This is easier that trying to figure out what to actually put in there. Click the back button and a drop down box will appear. Select Start Truck.

Open up SmartThings, then SmartApps, Smart Lighting (you can add it by clicking the plus sign if it’s not there). Scroll to the bottom and click New Lighting Automation. Click Which devices do you want to control? Scroll down to Truck Remote Access Engine and select it. Next check that What do you want to do? is set to Turn On. Select trigger. Now this is where you can get creative based on whatever sensors you have. I selected:
Select Trigger: Switch
Which Switch: Master Bathroom Closet Light
Turn on when: Turned On
Turn off as well: Enabled
You can add more restrictions if you want. I used between 430am and 530am on weekdays.

Then I created a second event to turn the Truck Remote Access Engine Switch off with a trigger of Power Allowance and a time of 5 minutes. This won’t turn the truck off. It just resets the switch so all the backend stuff is happy to trigger it the next day.

All done! Time for a beer.

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