[Bart_Man]

Hey guys!

Been reading a lot of posts about remote start and idling not being okay in Germany and so forth, but anyway, I live in Canada and I want one, I don't care what it costs, and I need to be able to start my car with an iPhone app.

Here in Calgary it can get bitter cold. I work at the airport, and I have to walk 15 minutes to the parking lot where my car is, in easily -20°C with a good wind (it's Calgary), and my car is out of range of even the furthest reaching FOB when I leave work (I'm a pilot and I want to be able to start my car as soon as I get out of my airplane and into the terminal and take my phone out of airplane mode).

Several other employees have had frost bite in their fingers from walking to the parking lot and cleaning the snow off their cars, and that's with gloves and scarf and toque and everything you'd expect a prepared person to wear in those conditions. I've had it happen too, and I can take the pain during the drive home, but it just shouldn't have to be a regular part of leaving work, it's a little absurd. Also it's not that safe driving with a thumb that feels like it's soaking in dry ice, it's distracting.

Does anyone have a remote start installed in their 2016 or later Beamer and if so, which brand is it and are you happy with it? How much did it cost and does it come with a reliable iPhone app, how long does it idle before it shuts off again, and where did you get it installed?

Thanks,
BartMan

[xlover]

Best bet is to complain to BMW. The software is so complex it is near impossible aftermarket (have been one or 2 custom one offs done I think).

It would be an easy software enable with all the other stuff the app can do to the car. BMW just needs to spend the time and code it. Almost all other premium and regular brands offer it now.

I make sure every survey and comments on the vehicle I fill out I call out this option. It pure laziness on bmws part at this stage in the game where again... it is just software.

[RM7]

Bmw did it for the 5 series, it's available at the dealer. They could do it for the 3/4 if they wanted. The claim that you can't do it in Europe so they don't offer it is crap, Volvo and others also offer remote start and these cars are sold in very cold environments. Many times the ice and frost deposits on your car during the day and you won't go anywhere unless you can heat it up enough to soften the stuff so you can the scrape it. Until you get the car a little warm, you aren't going anywhere. I don't think some people appreciate how cold it is in some of the environments that these cars are sold in or how fast they can cold soak in these places. You can plug your car in or put it in a garage at home, but not so much at work or wherever else you go.

[Bart_Man]

Originally Posted by JamesNoBrakes

Bmw did it for the 5 series, it's available at the dealer. They could do it for the 3/4 if they wanted. The claim that you can't do it in Europe so they don't offer it is crap, Volvo and others also offer remote start and these cars are sold in very cold environments. Many times the ice and frost deposits on your car during the day and you won't go anywhere unless you can heat it up enough to soften the stuff so you can the scrape it. Until you get the car a little warm, you aren't going anywhere. I don't think some people appreciate how cold it is in some of the environments that these cars are sold in or how fast they can cold soak in these places. You can plug your car in or put it in a garage at home, but not so much at work or wherever else you go.

So you guys are saying it still cannot be done?

What about that outfit Firstech LLC, or FTX out of Seattle? I found that outfit by googling "BMW remote start". They have something called "Dronemobile", has anyone tried that system?

[xlover]

Originally Posted by Bart_Man

So you guys are saying it still cannot be done?

What about that outfit Firstech LLC, or FTX out of Seattle? I found that outfit by googling "BMW remote start". They have something called "Dronemobile", has anyone tried that system?

I don't think it cannot be done but the couple of instances where it has were part of very expensive bigger customizations and software hacks. Very far from plug and play. Fundamentally cost prohibitive or there would be easy solutions on the market today

[RM7]

Originally Posted by xlover

I don't think it cannot be done but the couple of instances where it has were part of very expensive bigger customizations and software hacks. Very far from plug and play. Fundamentally cost prohibitive or there would be easy solutions on the market today

It can't be done by hack-job shops, because this requires splicing into the harness and wiring and there are features to prevent your car from being stolen that have to get work-arounds. If BMW does it, like with the 5, they'll do it right.