[Jcit]

I have a 2024 50e and use preconditioning from the MyBMW app and key fob "3x press" regularly and it works great. The only problem I have with the system is there is no visual indicator (lights blinking) that the preconditioning signal has been received by the car from the app or the key fob. In my 2019 40i and the 2024 X7 I had as a loaner recently, the headlights flash to indicate it received the "remote start" signal from either the remote or the MyBMW app but not on the 50e. Is this normal?

It seems pretty ridiculous that BMW programmed it this way since it is pretty clear in an ICE engine that it received a signal since the engine physically starts but not in the PHEV which uses a silent electrical heater. The only indicator that preconditioning has been started in my 50e are the orange wavy lines in the MyBMW app and a little blue fan icon on the console. It's kind of crazy that I have to check my app to see if the car received my 3-button press signal while walking to my car.

[AndrewG25]

I think if you see the orange wavy lines then that means it's received and working, you can also check the log in the app under remote history. I didn't even know about the 3x key fob press, I tried it before and it didn't look like anything happened so I just thought it was for remote start which it didn't have.

[six]

Agreed, there isn’t any confirmation and it’s an oversight. For that reason I tend to not use the key from inside the house to trigger a warm up on a cold morning as a couple of times it didn’t pick up the key request and I went out to a frosted up car.

One of my old X5’s had a separate two way remote for the preheating, this had a little screen which confirmed the car had picked up the request. I guess they think we have smartphones and apps now but that doesn’t work if you don’t have mobile service at home!

[biterror]

Thinking is forbidden at BMW...

[AndrewG25]

I'll also add that for me, any commands sent from the app fails for me about 50% of the time. Even though it's parked outside in an area with good cell service.

[jad03060]

The status does show in the app, but you have to know what to look for.

[Brando95]

Whenever I remote start my M60i from the app, my headlights/taillights always flash to signal that the car is about to start. Maybe there is a setting that needs to be enabled or this is something unique to the 50e?

[jad03060]

There’s a difference in response between the mild hybrid and the PHEV. I’ve not looked at the app except for my PHEV, and that does show whether it is cooling or heating, and pops a message up in the app when the message gets through.

[Jcit]

Originally Posted by Brando95

Whenever I remote start my M60i from the app, my headlights/taillights always flash to signal that the car is about to start. Maybe there is a setting that needs to be enabled or this is something unique to the 50e?

I looked everywhere in my 50e and didn't see any settings for this so I believe this is how they want it to behave. In the 2024 X7 with iDrive 8.5 it flashes the lights before starting the engine just like every other BMW so it must be unique to the 50e. It just doesn't make any sense and I was hoping I missed something.

[mobsync]

Yeah, I've been annoyed by this since I got my 50e last fall. Another easy software fix that BMW continues to ignore.

[crackerjack15]

It should have an indication via flashing lights or something. I use the app. Never tried the key yet.

[jad03060]

On the 45e, and I’m guessing on the 50e, when you ask it to precondition from the app, once the command is accepted by the vehicle, I get a pop-up message that preconditioning will operate for 30-minutes, and the fan symbol rotates, and depending on heating or cooling, the vehicle will have either blue or red waves running across it. Now, when I did this this afternoon, it took maybe 30-seconds for that request to complete. The app is talking to the server, it is initiating a request to the cellular service, then, it has to wait for the response from the vehicle, and then pass it on to the server feeding status to the app…the time to complete seems to vary, and I’ve seen it over a minute.

I’ve not tried to use the fob to initiate preconditioning. Not sure if it works with the PHEV.

[six]

Originally Posted by jad03060

I’ve not tried to use the fob to initiate preconditioning. Not sure if it works with the PHEV.

You can use the key here in UK, you can assign the diamond shape button on the fob to pre-condition in key settings in the car. Here we don’t use that button to trigger the alarm, in fact I don’t think there is any way to remote trigger the alarm as a panic function here.

Also I believe the key sends this command with a much greater range than the unlock signal so in theory it’s more reliable and works from further away.

As has been said there is no visual confirmation though, apart from the little blue LED on the dash. Would be nice if the indicators flashed twice or something.

When I do use the key to pre-condition it’s when I know I’m leaving the house in less than 30 min and I’m in a hurry. The app does sometimes work at home for me but not always, I think because there is patchy mobile service where I park.

But as has been said at least the app does give a confirmation with the wavy red lines and the spinning fan as well as the pop up message but you have to watch the screen all the time waiting for the message to pop up and that’s a faff if you are in a hurry!

[nZtiZia]

Originally Posted by jad03060

On the 45e, and I’m guessing on the 50e, when you ask it to precondition from the app, once the command is accepted by the vehicle, I get a pop-up message that preconditioning will operate for 30-minutes, and the fan symbol rotates, and depending on heating or cooling, the vehicle will have either blue or red waves running across it. Now, when I did this this afternoon, it took maybe 30-seconds for that request to complete. The app is talking to the server, it is initiating a request to the cellular service, then, it has to wait for the response from the vehicle, and then pass it on to the server feeding status to the app…the time to complete seems to vary, and I’ve seen it over a minute.

I’ve not tried to use the fob to initiate preconditioning. Not sure if it works with the PHEV.

adding some points:
1) there are three preconditioning waves that run across the vehicle in the app:

• red = heat
• blue = AC
• white = ventilation

2) the U.S. 45e doesn’t support using the key fob to precondition. our fobs have the PANIC button in lieu of the programmable diamond button seen in other markets such as the UK. the U.S. 50e does support preconditioning via its different fob model