A remote starter and a remote transmitter make up the two primary components of the BMW remote engine start system for vehicles. Simply said, the remote starter, when installed in your vehicle, enables you to remotely start your BMW by pressing a button on the remote transmitter.
To start your car remotely, you attach a small device called a remote starter to your ignition switch, ignition wires, power wires, starter wires, brake wires, ground wires, and tachometer wires. The transmitter, on the other hand, is often a BMW key fob with the remote start feature, which enables you to start your car by pressing a single button.
Although remote starts are quite common in colder areas, BMW owners who live in warmer climates may find them to be very useful. BMW remote start allows you to warm or cool down your car’s interior and, if necessary, defrost the engine, regardless of how cold or hot the weather is outside.
In This Article...
Are remote starts available on new BMWs?
Remote start is now available on most new BMWs, but it’s an extra function that you’ll have to pay for.
BMW is now including the remote start feature into the majority of its new models because it has paid close attention to consumer demand.
Remote start is a paid option that BMW can activate when the car is purchased or later as an update, as is the case with a lot of modern in-car technology.
Thankfully, it just requires a one-time payment as opposed to a recurring membership like some other features.
The BMW Remote Engine Start option is now available for purchase.
A number of updates and new services for BMW automobiles have just been published. BMW owners may now choose from a variety of other options in the ConnectedDrive Store to add to their vehicles in addition to the “Uneven Road Surface alert” feature. One of them allows you to remotely preheat the temperature of your BMW vehicle, and it is called “Remote Engine Start.” While Remote Engine Start has been a feature of BMW vehicles from MY 2019, it is now also available as a new “Function on Demand” that can be added to eligible cars that weren’t initially equipped with it. This functionality can be purchased through the ConnectedDrive Store.
Through Remote Software Upgrade, the new functionality can be downloaded and installed wirelessly. This is a fantastic feature for the sweltering summer and icy winter months. You can preheat the interior by turning on the heat or the air conditioning while starting the engine from inside your house or place of employment.
Simply tap a button in the My BMW app to turn on Remote Engine Start, and your BMW’s engine will start, allowing the cabin to reach the ideal temperature. A triple-click of the lock button on the BMW key fob will also activate Remote Engine Start.
Has the 2016 BMW had remote starting?
Just adhere to the directions: Select “Car” from the touchscreen menu, followed by “Settings,” and then click. Click “Climate Comfort” on the right side of the screen, followed by “Preconditioning/Ventilation.” Then select “Starting Engine for Climate Control” after selecting “Remote Engine Start.”
Does every BMW have a remote start?
Only a small number of nations and not all BMWs come equipped with remote start as standard.
If your BMW isn’t equipped with remote start, adding it requires an extra step, but if your vehicle is compatible, it can now be downloaded quickly through the ConnectedDrive Store.
If your automobile is a 2018 model or newer and doesn’t already have remote start, you probably can add it. The software, however, is incompatible with a few earlier models (such the 1 and 2 Series).
Most pre-2018 models were not factory equipped with remote start, and it is not feasible to retrofit it to incompatible vehicles.
Does BMW offer a remote start app?
With the BMW Display Key and the BMW Connected App, you may remotely start your car. After turning on automatic engine starting in your driver assistance settings, you can easily maintain the interior temperature of your BMW by pressing a button.
If my BMW has remote start, how can I tell?
Look up the “Remote engine start” option in your Premium Package or in the settings of your iDrive sub-menu to see if your car has BMW remote start. It might be present if your BMW has an iDrive 7.0 (also known as the Live Cockpit) and a digital gauge cluster.
The digital gauge cluster and the iDrive system 7.0 (Live Cockpit) appear like this.
Which BMW models provide remote starting?
You want your car’s interior to be cool before you leave on a hot summer day. You want it to be warmed up when you get inside on a chilly winter day.
BMW is transitioning to a linked car, just like many other automakers, enabling you to start the engine remotely using your smartphone or the BMW key.
A number of models made between July and August 2020 will come standard with the feature, and several current models can have it added by downloading an over-the-air software upgrade.
Depending on the degree of the car’s equipment, you can also manage the seat-heating, seat-cooling, and steering-wheel heating, which will be available on the forthcoming 4 series and 5 series models.
The feature will be available starting in July 2020 on the 3 Series Sedan range, 4 Series Coupe range, 520i, 530i, M550i, M5 Competition, as well as the Z4 Roadster range.
Additionally, starting with the August 2020 manufacturing month, on the X5 xDrive40i, X5 M50i, and X5M Competition as well as the X6 xDrive40i, X6 M50i, and X6M Competition.
The BMW Connected Drive Store may offer an upgrade for models that are already available or on sale.
These include models made starting in July 2019: 320i, 330i, M340i, 740i, 740Li, 840i, Z4 sDrive20i, Z4 sDrive30i, and Z4 M40i.
Additionally, the BMW 4 Series coupe, 520i, and 530i, starting in July 2020, as well as the X5 xDrive40i and X6 xDrive40i from August 2019.
By the fourth quarter of this year, BMW anticipates adding the feature to more vehicles.
When did BMW introduce remote start?
When did BMW adopt remote starting? BMW didn’t begin including remote starting in their list of standard equipment until 2019. Before 2019, it was possible to add a remote start feature to cars as long as they were automatic and had a matching remote that would link with the car.
How does a BMW’s remote start function?
You can activate Remote Engine Start by pointing your BMW key fob at your car and pressing the lock button (the BMW Roundel) three times in a row.
Has my vehicle a remote start?
You must first check at your key fob to see if you have the remote start option. The remote starter button has an arrow-like form.
If your key fob has this button, your car has remote starting capability. Press the button that locks the car once to try remote starting. Your engine will start when you press and hold the remote-start button for at least four seconds.
The climate control and parking lights will turn on as soon as the engine begins. Additionally, the heated/ventilated seats and the rear window defroster may turn on. You must only move out of park after pressing the start button on the dashboard since this function starts the engine but does not switch on the ignition.
Press and hold the button with the curved arrow on it to turn the engine off if you change your mind. Parking lot lights will go out.
Can I use my iPhone to start my BMW?
With the BMW Digital Key and BMW Digital Key Plus, go keyless. The key fob for your car can be replaced with an iPhone, Google Pixel, or Samsung Galaxy smartphone that is compatible. To lock and unlock, simply touch it to the driver-side door handle. To start the engine, place your device in the wireless charging tray.
Can a car have remote start added to it?
We may receive affiliate commissions if you use our website’s store links to make purchases. All fees are used to fund our nonprofit purpose in full. Study more.
With the help of the handy remote start option, you can start your car’s engine from a distance to cool the inside on a sweltering summer day or warm it up on a bitterly chilly winter morning.
It’s usually never too late to install a remote starter, so don’t worry if your car didn’t arrive with one.
The manufacturer of your vehicle is your best bet, advises John Ibbotson, principal technician of CR’s Auto Test Center.
The automaker’s dealer-installed remote-start technology can possibly be installed in vehicles made after the mid-2000s. You ought to be able to add a remote starting if one was offered for the model, trim, and transmission of your automobile when it was new, according to Ibbotson. Your car’s ability to use remote starting can be determined by your dealer.
Vehicles manufactured prior to 2005 will likely require an aftermarket starter. If you choose to use an aftermarket product, Ibbotson advises, “have it professionally installed at a national chain like Best Buy or at a respectable local shop to help ensure this complex operation is done well. You’ll also obtain some degree of protection against failures.”
Stay away from inexpensive remote-starter systems that you can get online, and don’t even try to install one yourself, he advises.
How do you use a key fob to remotely start a car?
- To lock every door, press the Lock button on your key fob.
- Two times on the Remote Start button. Each step must be completed in 3 seconds. When the external lights flash twice, the car will start.
Can I remotely heat my BMW?
People will be looking for ways to warm up their cars before getting inside as winter approaches quickly. Consequently, whether we’re talking about internal combustion engines or electric automobiles, the BMW Remote Engine Start feature will be quite useful. The latter scenario gives them the advantage because you can heat up your car while it is charging, which prevents pollution and noise while heating up the interior.
That’s also crucial to note because it’s against the law in several nations to leave your automobile running, even in your driveway. To ensure you don’t break any laws, you might wish to check your local laws before utilizing the system. If everything is in order, you may watch a little video below from BMW that demonstrates several ways to use the Remote Engine Start technology.
You must first enable the feature from the car’s iDrive system submenu before taking any action. Choose Preconditioning/ventilation from the submenu under Car – Settings – Climate Comfort. You must select the Remote engine start option that will appear. After that, you can heat up the interior of your car in one of three ways: using the key fob, the BMW Display key, or the BMW ConnectedDrive app.
By touching a few clicks on the app, you can start the car’s engine from the farthest distance. By pushing the lock button three times while using the BMW key fob, you can turn on the heater; however, the Display Key has a preconditioning sub-menu that lets you start the engine remotely. If you get in the car before the engine shuts off automatically after 15 minutes, you can turn it off manually. By swiftly pushing the lock button three more times, you can turn off the engine if you’re using a conventional key fob. Hope this makes the winter go by a little bit easier for you!