As required by the manufacturer, a remote start button is installed on the BMW X3. When inside the automobile, the push-button start is not available because they still turn the ignition key. Make sure that the remote start feature in the iDrive system is turned on first. You will have two options for remote starting your car: either through the app or with the key fob. You may start the engine from the farthest distance thanks to the app. To use the remote start function, push and release the lock button on the transmitter three times. The trunk must be closed and the car must be locked in order to remotely start the engine. Following these instructions will enable you to turn off the engine by quickly pushing the lock button a further three times.
I have a 2016 X3, and remote start is NOT an option. Additionally, it doesn’t utilize a key to start the ignition (its a push start). One can “ventilate” their car using the app, however this does NOT “start the engine.”
In This Article...
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.
How does it function?
Simply stand close to your car, within the range of your key fob (so at a maximum of 230 feet), and push the lock button on your BMW key fob three times within 2 seconds to activate the remote start feature. Even when your car is still locked, the engine will start right away and turn on the most recent climate control settings. Press the trunk button on your key fob three times to turn the engine off. Depending on your arrangement, it will automatically shut down after 10, 20, 30 or 40 minutes if you don’t do that. You can change this by hitting various key fob button combinations.
Our retrofit doesn’t necessitate turning on the iDrive’s remote start capability, in contrast to the OEM BMW remote start. To ensure that your on-board computer recognizes the presence of a BMW key fob and permits engine activation, it will be necessary to have a spare BMW key fob permanently fitted under the front passenger’s footwell panel.
Because the key fob doesn’t include a battery, it is obviously impossible to start your car’s engine using just that one item inside. Therefore, if you were concerned about that, don’t 😉 The second key is necessary to engage the engine.
Are remote starts available on new BMWs?
Most recent BMWs now come with remote start, but it’s an optional feature that costs extra.
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.
Cars from the past can learn new tricks.
In the not-too-distant future, subscription services and pay-walled features might define the experience of owning a car. The quick uptake of connected software technologies is providing manufacturers with fresh concepts on how to present and market the vehicles they produce. Such a model has several drawbacks, including questions and worries about ownership, even though such services would allow vintage cars, like those made by BMW, to download new features.
The business’s most recent summer tech upgrade does that by giving customers the option to buy its Remote Engine Start technology if their vehicle isn’t equipped with it. Anyone who drives a compatible car without the feature can buy it from BMW’s ConnectedDrive Store.
How can I tell if the BMW X3 I own has remote starting?
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.
How can I tell if the 2017 BMW I own has remote starting?
How can I determine if my BMW has Remote Start, then? To see if “Remote Engine Start” is available, check the settings of your iDrive sub-menu or Premium Package. You will probably find it there if you have the iDrive system 7.0 or Live Cockpit installed.
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.
Why is there no remote start on my BMW?
Why wasn’t it included earlier? BMW has purposefully left the remote start out of their cars up until this moment. The inclusion of the remote start is prohibited under some legislation that are relevant to the German and European markets. To stop a car from idling for too long is the goal.
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.
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.
How did the BMW Connected app fare?
Customers in the United States will be able to download the My BMW App on April 12, 2021, for use on iOS and Android-compatible mobile devices; the My BMW App will completely replace the BMW Connected app by the end of June 2021. Since 1975, BMW of North America, LLC has operated in the United States.