[Joelc]

I live in Canada where the winters can sometimes be cold...I am thinking of getting a remote starter but don't want to walk around with two FOBs...are there any remote starter options that can be added that will work with either the BMW FOB [as unlikely as this is] or my iPhone*

* Very disappointing to see that BMW Remote can lock the car, unlock the car, make the horn sound, and make the light flash but cannot start the car...why did they omit this?

[Mike_L]

BMW does not approve of idling the car. Thats why they omitted it, and will never offer a remote starter. Its also quite a nuisance making a remote starter work with their cars.

[timmahh]

Can you imagine the fun of a remote starter with auto start/stop?! Hah!

[Joelc]

Originally Posted by Mike_L

BMW does not approve of idling the car. Thats why they omitted it, and will never offer a remote starter. Its also quite a nuisance making a remote starter work with their cars.

Mike:

Appreciate the response but I am curious:

1. Why does BMW not approve of idling cars; and

2. Why did I sit in my idling car for 45+ minutes when it was delivered so that the dealer could show me all the controls, etc.?

Too bad though, as I would have enjoyed and used it once or twice a week during the winter months.


Joel

[34.50]

Originally Posted by Mike_L

BMW does not approve of idling the car. Thats why they omitted it, and will never offer a remote starter. Its also quite a nuisance making a remote starter work with their cars.

It's not BMW...It's Germany. They have a law that prohibits idling of a car.

@OP - I have a 5 min. commute to work, and by the time I'm out of my complex, the seat heaters have kicked in, the steering wheel is warm, and half way through my drive, heat starts coming out of the vent. I let it sit/idle for a minute or two while I check emails and such. I'm sure you'll be fine being cold for a few mins.

[0715AW335XI]

Originally Posted by Joelc

Mike:

Appreciate the response but I am curious:

1. Why does BMW not approve of idling cars; and

2. Why did I sit in my idling car for 45+ minutes when it was delivered so that the dealer could show me all the controls, etc.?

Too bad though, as I would have enjoyed and used it once or twice a week during the winter months.


Joel

#1. It's Germany... Owned 3 dollars different German cars. 2 of them have wrote not to idle car when starting.
#2. Dealer should of just turned on all electronics. Not start the complete car

[Blubaron79]

Germans believe idling cars are a waste of fuel, and it's not a proper way to warm up a car.

Also some countries have laws against it.

[Ali Shiralian]

Originally Posted by Blubaron79

Germans believe idling cars are a waste of fuel, and it's not a proper way to warm up a car.

Also some countries have laws against it.

Pretty sure there is an idling bylaw in Toronto as well. I'd look into it before messing with car electronics for a few minutes of comfort

[Joelc]

Originally Posted by 34.50

It's not BMW...It's Germany. They have a law that prohibits idling of a car.

@OP - I have a 5 min. commute to work, and by the time I'm out of my complex, the seat heaters have kicked in, the steering wheel is warm, and half way through my drive, heat starts coming out of the vent. I let it sit/idle for a minute or two while I check emails and such. I'm sure you'll be fine being cold for a few mins.

Appreciate the response...

Originally Posted by 0715AW335XI

#1. It's Germany... Owned 3 dollars different German cars. 2 of them have wrote not to idle car when starting.
#2. Dealer should of just turned on all electronics. Not start the complete car

I too have owned other German cars -- both Audi [just got out of a TT RS] ad Mercedes -- and agree that the manuals say not to idle cars but i) is it bad for the car or bad for the environment and ii) what is the difference between idling and sitting in rush hour traffic?

Originally Posted by Blubaron79

Germans believe idling cars are a waste of fuel, and it's not a proper way to warm up a car.

Also some countries have laws against it.

Appreciate the response...

Originally Posted by Ali Shiralian

Pretty sure there is an idling bylaw in Toronto as well. I'd look into it before messing with car electronics for a few minutes of comfort

I am not going to mess with the electronics...I would likely only do it through the dealer as I have had bad experience with such things in the past even when done by supposed experienced third parties.

[Sedoy]

I would wait until FlashLogic FLRSBM1 becomes available for 2014+ models. It's a pretty good unit all plug-and-play, no cutting. Also it supports 3 x LOCK remote start from factory transmitter and smartphone app to start from virtually anywhere.

[Joelc]

Originally Posted by Sedoy

I would wait until FlashLogic FLRSBM1 becomes available for 2014+ models. It's a pretty good unit all plug-and-play, no cutting. Also it supports 3 x LOCK remote start from factory transmitter and smartphone app to start from virtually anywhere.

Appreciate the information...two follow ups:

1. Any idea when this will be available; and

2. Why -- I am new to all of this -- this model over anything else?

Thanks so much,


Joel

[cjack]

Originally Posted by Joelc

I live in Canada where the winters can sometimes be cold...I am thinking of getting a remote starter but don't want to walk around with two FOBs...are there any remote starter options that can be added that will work with either the BMW FOB [as unlikely as this is] or my iPhone*

* Very disappointing to see that BMW Remote can lock the car, unlock the car, make the horn sound, and make the light flash but cannot start the car...why did they omit this?

We too live in Canada. Our other cars (one Japanese and one American) both have remote starts and we use them when the windows are frosted. Is safe and convenient.

I agree remote start should have been a option in colder climates.

Regards,

[Moisted]

I looked up the city by law in Ottawa and yes idling for more than 5 minutes is against the law. However there is an exception when temperature is below -5 degrees Celsius. Germany doesn't have that exception.

But I don't understand why bmw couldn't put logic to force shut off after 5 minutes instead of putting effort in making sure starters will not work on their cars.

[Polo08816]

I wonder about the warranty implications for installing an aftermarket remote start...

[erichighley]

Originally Posted by Blubaron79

Germans believe idling cars are a waste of fuel, and it's not a proper way to warm up a car.

Also some countries have laws against it.

What is the "proper" way? I've always been of the mindset when it's cold to let the car sit for a minute or two. Not for my comfort, but for lubrication and allowing the engine some time to build up some temp. What is the recommendation?

[Professor///M]

Most automakers do not recommend idling their cars. They actually explain that is most efficient and fastest to warm up the car once the idler is below 1000 RPMs.

Regardless, you will not see many options as there are a lot of safety features that must be disabled for a remote start to work.

The only recommendation I would have to you if you want a car with a remote starter, is to get a cheap domestic car. They have this available to them.

[Mike_L]

Originally Posted by erichighley

What is the "proper" way? I've always been of the mindset when it's cold to let the car sit for a minute or two. Not for my comfort, but for lubrication and allowing the engine some time to build up some temp. What is the recommendation?

Proper way is to start the car, put on your seatbelt and just drive off. Low rpms until its warm, no hard starts, revving, or hard braking.

[Cyberdemon]

Originally Posted by Mike_L

Proper way is to start the car, put on your seatbelt and just drive off. Low rpms until its warm, no hard starts, revving, or hard braking.

Unless your windows are so frosted over that the real way is to sit down, freeze your ass off for 5 minutes while the defroster blows cold air on your frosted over windows, and then drive off.

You can always scrape the ice off the outside and then use a rag to wipe down the condensation inside (especially when wet snow has accumulated on your floor mats making the inside super damp) but the remote start is super nice. My wife hated her new Jeep until winter came. Heated wheel, seat, wipers and remote start means she'll never have to clean off a frozen car again.

[simarddominic]

Here we don't talk about cold...we talk about fu....g cold

Last week:



Below -25 Celsius, it's not a bad thing for my car and my ass to be able to start it for 5 minutes...

It's a premium car and I'm not able to have this little luxury when we are able to have it on the majority of others cheap cars brands !

At home it's not a problem because it's in the garage but, when we go out for a relatively long period of time, It would really be a small practical luxury.

No F30/F32 owner with a remote start ?

[xlover]

considering its just programming i think this is definitely something that should be offered for the north american market. lets not forget its not fully a german law thing as vw offers remote start (even promotes it with the famous mini darth vader commercial with the passat)

the modern integrated systems like you will find on a jeep, ford, etc. (that come as standard factory equipment) start the car and the heated or cooled seats from the standard key or app where available.

I could care less about german idle laws for US models they need to step up and offer a feature that customers demand

[JK1320]

Here in the Boston area I have found two installers that have done remote starts on BMW/Mercedes/etc. and they will do it for the F30. They gave me a ball park price of $1,000 to get it done. It will not control heated seats or anything, just starts the car in the manner it was left.

I also am pretty surprised to learn this. You would think the high end cars would have this figured out. Can't believe I can get a KIA with remote start but not a BMW lol

[snowghost]

Originally Posted by Mike_L

BMW does not approve of idling the car. Thats why they omitted it, and will never offer a remote starter. Its also quite a nuisance making a remote starter work with their cars.

I thought it was supposed to be bad for the cats.