I got an email form BMW to add remote start from my connected drive account it’s a one time purchase of $330 I think that’s a $30 premium over the option from the factory. I am thrilled this was the only option I wanted that my M340 didn’t have and in the dead of summer in south Florida I am missing it.
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I already have the feature, but thanks for sharing the knowledge. This should benefit many.
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That’s tremendous if it’s now on the X3 prior to 2022 MY.
Based no the photo I’d like to assume it is.
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Don’t do that, don’t get my hopes up. Literally never understood why x3 didn’t have it.
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So obviously this will only work if the hardware to do so exists. All 3 series have the remote start hardware. The option merely enables it. They smartly realized they could make a buck and enable it after purchase.
If your car doesn’t have remote start available from the factory there is no way in hell they can enable it via software after sale.
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Pre LCI G01 X3s have SP15 hardware so remote start isn’t supported on it. Need SP18 hardware suite for traffic jam assist and remote start capabilities which the LCI will get.
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Traffic jam assist as in crawl after the car in front? That exists now, at least mine has it. Or is there something new coming?
i have 2020 530 and it doesnt have remote start
Its really Sad and pathetic that bmw doesn’t have a simple remote start as a standard feature on a 2020 3 series And even a thousand times more pathetic its not a standard feature on a 2020 530.
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2020s have older SP15 hardware so they don’t have the capability for remote start. 2021 LCIs got updated SP18 hardware which supports remote start now.
Standard features are not free, they’re baked into the base price.
I would have no use for remote start, so I’m glad BMW didn’t cram that additional cost into my vehicle.
+1. Don’t need remote start and never used it when I had my F30 330e (vent function made the AC kick in because battery ftw) so I’m glad I don’t have to pay for it.
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The irony though is all 3 series have the remote start hardware. Therefore it is already baked in the price. They just enable it if you pay for it.
Kinda like Tesla with full self driving except remote start isn’t $10 grand.
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The fact that they are not optional on a lot of cars either is even sadder. BMW remotes SUCK! The range is ridiculously short, the comfort open only works when I’m almost on top of the car. If I don’t remember if I locked the car that’s in my driveway I can’t just hit lock and be done with it, as it doesn’t reach, I have to go into the app to check. I would gladly pay for remote start instead of going outside and starting the car for it to cool off.
coming from Honda’s/Acura’s I’m glad BMW finally allowed remote start on their cars. Fortunately my 3 series has it. It’s a MUST have in north east to heat up car for the winters.
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Just as vital to cool the car during summer in south Florida.
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I’d say cooling is far more important. Between heated seats, heated steering and how quickly the car gets to a point where the heater works, it’s not as horrible as trying to get heat out of the car when it was standing in direct sunlight the whole day. Just my 2 cents.
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Remote start just refers to opening the My BMW app and climatizing it? Because if that’s what it is, let me tell you, 9 out of 10 times it doesn’t even work so don’t waste your money.
Interesting you should say that. I just bought it and it hasn’t worked once from the app. It works fine from the key app fails every time.
I’ve never tried the keys but I don’t get it. Here’s when I use it. I am in Costco or maybe I am hiking with the family. I know I’ll be back in the car in about 5 minutes or so and the car has been sitting in the sun outside. From that distance I can’t use the key…I can only do that when within a shorter range. The garbage app not only takes forever to send the command, doesn’t update you and still fails by the time you get to your hot car.
I wrote an email to them about UX, their poor app, the fact that there clearly must be no testing, etc. I’m getting worked up thinking about how many things just don’t work.