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.
In This Article...
OEM BMW remote start added
Two approaches are possible:
- * Tell your BMW dealer that you want remote start added to your iDrive before you even buy a car. Just make sure it’s accessible where you live. It will cost you about $500, but this is the quickest and most straightforward way to install an OEM remote start option in your BMW. A reasonable one in terms of the overall cost of the vehicle, too. The cars listed above are those that work with this option.
- * If you didn’t notice it and purchased a BMW without the factory-installed remote start, you can still download it using the most recent Remote Software Upgrade. For suitable vehicles as of September 2021, BMW will offer a remote start update as a Function on Demand in the ConnectedDrive store. For additional information, visit their ConnectedDrive website.
- You must first add the option to your ConnectedDrive account’s shopping basket, then input your payment information, and then confirm your purchase.
- While you’re driving, the new software will download, and once it’s ready for installation, an activation notice will appear on the iDrive display.
- Simply follow the directions on your screen to activate it, but don’t forget to park your car first. It won’t take more than five minutes to install the BMW remote starter.
- Before you begin your subsequent drive, you will be informed if the installation was successful.
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 has taken consumer demand seriously and is now putting the remote start technology into the majority of its new vehicles.
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 only requires a one-time payment as opposed to a recurring subscription like some other features.
Do I have remote start on my BMW X3?
The 2022 BMW X3 has a remote start feature, thus the answer is yes. Before you even enter, you can start your automobile and prepare your cabin by making it cozy.
How is a 2021 BMW remote started?
- Using the touchscreen in your car, select “Car” and then “Settings.”
- To the right, scroll and select “Climate Comfort.” Click “Preconditioning/Ventilation” after that.
- Select “Starting Engine for Climate Control” after selecting “Remote Engine Start.”
- Click “OK”
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.
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.
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.
If my BMW has remote start, how do I know?
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 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.
Does remote starting cancel the warranty on a BMW?
Q. I would like to have a remote car starter installed that I received for Christmas. My new car’s guarantee could be voided, the dealer warned me, if they are not the installers and I do not use factory parts. They informed me that the car’s push-button starter made this possible. Is this a fact?
A. No, the warranty of any vehicle, including those that employ proximity keys and push-button starters, will not be voided provided the remote starter system is fitted correctly. In actuality, many remote starts installed by dealers are aftermarket brands rather than ones made by the car’s maker. The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act protects consumers by prohibiting firms from voiding your warranty or denying coverage under the warranty just because you utilized an aftermarket part, so long as the aftermarket part was installed properly.
Q. I may not be taking my car (a 2008 Honda Civic EX) with me when I travel out of state for work for more than three months. What must be done to get the car ready for long-term storage if I don’t take it with me? What maintenance procedures would you recommend if I could find someone to watch the car?
The best response is to let someone else operate the vehicle. It would be ideal if someone could operate the vehicle for 20 minutes every two to three weeks. By doing so, you exercise the entire vehicle in addition to maintaining the battery’s charge. At the very least, properly inflated tires, full tanks of fuel, and fuel stabilizer should be done if that doesn’t work. If it were my car, I would get the oil changed and have a mechanic give the vehicle a brief inspection when you come back in three months because the battery could need to be recharged.
A. I drive a 2007 Honda Element, and I’ve noticed that one of the headlamps can occasionally develop moisture inside the plastic lens cover. This will dry out during the summer, but the moisture is present the rest of the year, and I assume this is reducing the lamp’s efficiency. What should I do in order to fix the issue?
A. Having moisture build up in the headlamp assembly will undoubtedly distort the light pattern and reduce the lighting’s efficacy. At this point, dry off the headlight assembly and carefully remove the bulb. There are two potential entry points for moisture into the assembly. The headlight reflector is the first, and the headlight lenses are the second, where the bulb attaches to the headlight assembly. A gasket or seal on some lenses dries up over time. In some circumstances, you can simply clean the lens’s edge and reseal it with some clear silicone. In some circumstances, it may be possible to separate and then re-gasket some headlamps in order to stop further leaks.
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.
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.