[fate9834]

When my ConnectedDrive subscription expired, the only feature I missed was the "Climate control rules". Loved how my hands and butt were always warm in the cold Canadian weather without me worrying about anything.

After a bit of search on this forum, I managed to code the feature back! Credits to Trojanlaw for sharing the info. Now they are under "Seat and armrest heating" rather than "Climate control rules" but the functionality are exactly the same and I have it for all four seats (it detects if a person is sitting there too)!

[TurtleBoy]

Good job finding that!

[sthsne]

Can that be coded with BimmerCode ?

[sigmabody]

Just to emphasize the totally obvious: the fact that these settings are able to be enabled locally, without any active online subscription service, proves conclusively that there's no technical or functional reason whatsoever that they imply any ongoing cost whatsoever for BMW, and shutting them off unless the customer pays the ongoing extortion fee to BMW is pure and unadulterated corporate greed.

This is in contrast to, for example, the real-time traffic information service, which probably has some marginal ongoing cost for BMW to provide, so at least in concept there's some rational justification for passing the ongoing costs along to the consumer, to continue using the feature.

Gating this feature behind the subscription service is just pure, disgusting, contemptable greed and customer-hostile product design (and dishonest product feature descriptions and marketing, as a cherry on top).

[fate9834]

Originally Posted by sthsne

Can that be coded with BimmerCode ?

Yes I believe so since Bimmercode should have full mapping for both HU_MGU (3E52) and BDC_BODY (7083) under expert mode

[biterror]

Originally Posted by sigmabody

Gating this feature behind the subscription service is just pure, disgusting, contemptable greed and customer-hostile product design (and dishonest product feature descriptions and marketing, as a cherry on top).

If you purchase those features with the car, there's no monthly payment. It's your choice, really.

[fate9834]

Originally Posted by sigmabody

Just to emphasize the totally obvious: the fact that these settings are able to be enabled locally, without any active online subscription service, proves conclusively that there's no technical or functional reason whatsoever that they imply any ongoing cost whatsoever for BMW, and shutting them off unless the customer pays the ongoing extortion fee to BMW is pure and unadulterated corporate greed.

This is in contrast to, for example, the real-time traffic information service, which probably has some marginal ongoing cost for BMW to provide, so at least in concept there's some rational justification for passing the ongoing costs along to the consumer, to continue using the feature.

Gating this feature behind the subscription service is just pure, disgusting, contemptable greed and customer-hostile product design (and dishonest product feature descriptions and marketing, as a cherry on top).

I hear you brother. Unfortunately, Telsa has proven how tolerate customers can be when it comes to subscription for features that should have been amortized into the car cost. Just blame Elon LoL.

[RNorb]

Originally Posted by sigmabody

Just to emphasize the totally obvious: the fact that these settings are able to be enabled locally, without any active online subscription service, proves conclusively that there's no technical or functional reason whatsoever that they imply any ongoing cost whatsoever for BMW, and shutting them off unless the customer pays the ongoing extortion fee to BMW is pure and unadulterated corporate greed.

This is in contrast to, for example, the real-time traffic information service, which probably has some marginal ongoing cost for BMW to provide, so at least in concept there's some rational justification for passing the ongoing costs along to the consumer, to continue using the feature.

Gating this feature behind the subscription service is just pure, disgusting, contemptable greed and customer-hostile product design (and dishonest product feature descriptions and marketing, as a cherry on top).

BMW can and should charge as much as the market will bear for their products and services. That's the way it works in a free market capitalist economy. There is plenty of competition and the consumer votes with their dollars determining which companies survive or fail. That system has given us the incredible technological advances and quality of life we have enjoyed for the past 100 years in this country.

[sigmabody]

Originally Posted by biterror

If you purchase those features with the car, there's no monthly payment. It's your choice, really.

Tell that to BMW. The vehicle I purchased was advertised to come with automatic climate control settings based on outside temperature, I purchased the feature, and I've been using it. In about 9 months, when the "trial period for Connected Drive" expires, I strongly suspect BMW will remotely disable it, effectively confiscating the functionality I paid for.

If you think that's inaccurate, please let me know, and I'll happily retract at least some of my criticisms of BMW as a corporation.

[sigmabody]

Originally Posted by RNorb

BMW can and should charge as much as the market will bear for their products and services. That's the way it works in a free market capitalist economy. There is plenty of competition and the consumer votes with their dollars determining which companies survive or fail. That system has given us the incredible technological advances and quality of life we have enjoyed for the past 100 years in this country.

I don't actually disagree with this in concept. I think if the US Congress passed solid "right to tinker/repair" legislation, companies were required to provide source code for any software they no longer supported, and companies were required to provide enough technical information for any devices sold that compatible software could be loaded onto them by anyone (who was technically capable enough), then I'd be on-board with "charge whatever price you can get for your services". As long as I can legally modify the software, and the company provides the docs to make this feasible, I think that's totally fine.

I object to companies modifying products I purchase, in ways I cannot control, to extort more money after the fact, and/or because they don't allow people to modify the products they have purchased. If the government fixed that, then my issues with BMW's behavior in this context largely evaporate.

[ChiTownM]

Originally Posted by sigmabody

Tell that to BMW. The vehicle I purchased was advertised to come with automatic climate control settings based on outside temperature, I purchased the feature, and I've been using it. In about 9 months, when the "trial period for Connected Drive" expires, I strongly suspect BMW will remotely disable it, effectively confiscating the functionality I paid for.

If you think that's inaccurate, please let me know, and I'll happily retract at least some of my criticisms of BMW as a corporation.

I did comment the same on a different thread - I paid for it when I handed over the check, it was never advertised as a feature only available with Connected Drive 4 years ago.
I will look into the workaround, will not pay for the subscription!

[starlights]

Awesome, and thank you for sharing this OP - will try it out next time I plan to connect BC to car. I still have connected drive access so hopefully this will not screw anything up - would definitely like to have auto heating for occupied passenger and rear seats.

[thereef510]

My connected drive subscription will run out on February 03, 2024. I'm the secondary account holder. the 'add to cart' option is greyed out for me to purchase another year of the service. Do I have to wait until like february before I can buy it, or is it because im a secondary user, not the primary?

[TurtleBoy]

Originally Posted by thereef510

My connected drive subscription will run out on February 03, 2024. I'm the secondary account holder. the 'add to cart' option is greyed out for me to purchase another year of the service. Do I have to wait until like february before I can buy it, or is it because im a secondary user, not the primary?

It likely is because you are a secondary user. Mine expires soon and I have had the option to purchase it for a month or so.

[thereef510]

Originally Posted by TurtleBoy

It likely is because you are a secondary user. Mine expires soon and I have had the option to purchase it for a month or so.

This is phenomenally dumb, given that there's a place over there to add your credit card to their site. so if i cant continue the services, why is there the ability to add the card? I'll call the number and see if I they can add my card manually, if not I'll have to reset the password for the primary account my mom never uses..

[TurtleBoy]

Originally Posted by thereef510

This is phenomenally dumb, given that there's a place over there to add your credit card to their site. so if i cant continue the services, why is there the ability to add the card? I'll call the number and see if I they can add my card manually, if not I'll have to reset the password for the primary account my mom never uses..

I could be wrong and maybe the renewal window hasn't opened for you yet. Then again, they aren't always the greatest at web sites.

[thereef510]

Originally Posted by TurtleBoy

I could be wrong and maybe the renewal window hasn't opened for you yet. Then again, they aren't always the greatest at web sites.

update: I just got an email, sent both to the primary and secondary account holders that my subscription will expire in two weeks. Except their website now clearly states that only the primary can pay for subscriptions. And my mom wont be back in the country till January 31. I'm gonna call their phone number and see if i can do it manually, if not I'm gonna have to wait till that window when she returns to somehow to do it.

[TurtleBoy]

Originally Posted by thereef510

update: I just got an email, sent both to the primary and secondary account holders that my subscription will expire in two weeks. Except their website now clearly states that only the primary can pay for subscriptions. And my mom wont be back in the country till January 31. I'm gonna call their phone number and see if i can do it manually, if not I'm gonna have to wait till that window when she returns to somehow to do it.

Hopefully they can take care of it for you. I renewed mine last night. In the past some folks said the renewal did not start after the current subscription expired but started right away so you lost some time on the original subscription. I didn't remember seeing that happening but since I had no data I wasn't sure. I watched this time and the renewal definitely does not start right away but rather it waits until your current subscription has expired. In my case my original expired on 1/19/24, I renewed on 1/18/24 and after renewing my expiration is 1/20/25.

[starlights]

I may try this today to enable auto heating on all seats, however, I do have active connected drive subscription - will that mess up?

[fate9834]

Originally Posted by starlights

I may try this today to enable auto heating on all seats, however, I do have active connected drive subscription - will that mess up?

Just make sure you use the same settings in both menus for the driver's seat

[starlights]

Both menus? So if I understand correctly the driver setting will remain available in the current menu as it is now and there will be one more separate setting under seating for all seats including driver seat? Did I understand that correctly?

[fate9834]

Originally Posted by starlights

Both menus? So if I understand correctly the driver setting will remain available in the current menu as it is now and there will be one more separate setting under seating for all seats including driver seat? Did I understand that correctly?

Yes. The "Climate control rules" will remain unchanged. I believe it actually works like an app even in ID7, just not as explicit in ID8. You'll see a new items under "Seat and armrest heating" like the photo illustrated in this thread to enable rule-based auto activation.