Many modern BMWs are now coming equipped with Remote Engine Start. This is a great feature during the hot days of summer and frigid cold winters. It allows you to start the engine from inside your home or work and precondition the interior by either cooling it with air conditioning or turning on the heat.
To do this, it must first be activated in the BMW iDrive 7.0 infotainment system:
- From the home screen, press the ‘CAR’ menu on the left-hand side.
- Select ‘Settings’
- Scroll to the right and choose ‘Climate Control’
- Select ‘Preconditioning/Ventilation’
- Select ‘Remote Engine Start’
- Check the box for ‘Starting Engine for Clim. Control’
- Select ‘OK’ if you agree to the disclaimer
Now that you have Remote Engine Start activated, you can use the BMW Connected app to precondition your vehicle by pressing ‘Climatize Now’. You will get a notification if the start was a success. You can also use your BMW keyfob to start the engine as well. If you are in range of your vehicle, just press the Roundel lock key 3 times and your engine will start up.
The engine will not run indefinitely though. It will time-out after a short period of time and turn off to conserve fuel and the environment.
