UK owners with BMW Trackstar

Dandle · 07-18-2023, 10:56 AM

Do any of the owners in the UK have the BMW fitted Trackstar tracker? My car is fitted with it but the app is really intermittent and sometimes takes days to update.
I've spoken to trackstar a few times and once they couldnt ping the car at all but the sim was working. Other time when Ive spoken to them they could ping the car once I started the engine again and the app updated but before that it hasn't show journey or journeys at all. Once it connects it then syncs all data again. Is this how other people are experiencing this. They are trying to tell me it's due to poor sim service even though they could phone the sim and it's at different locations.
They are taking no responsibility for how intermittent it is, what the point on a geofence when the car/app don't update and the car can be driving miles out of it.

How are your Trackstars working?

sarpal123 · 07-18-2023, 03:05 PM

I've had limited need to use my Trackstar tracker (which is fine by me) and have had no problem locating the car or replaying journeys. It appears to be doing what I would expect it to do. Sorry, but this probably doesn't help you much. If you have a specific test I can help with...

Dandle · 07-18-2023, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sarpal123

I've had limited need to use my Trackstar tracker (which is fine by me) and have had no problem locating the car or replaying journeys. It appears to be doing what I would expect it to do. Sorry, but this probably doesn't help you much. If you have a specific test I can help with...

Thanks. Can you just check after each journey if it updates and shows where your car is for a week or so. My app is out of check with where the car is about 50% of the time. It can also take days before it updates so I want to know if others with the app work like this or is my car not reporting, which is what I suspect.

Cheers.

sarpal123 · 07-18-2023, 03:28 PM

Will do. FWIW just checked 'Journeys' and it's displaying all trips up to and including the last one at 10:30 today

Dandle · 07-18-2023, 03:31 PM

Mine only displays the journeys after it syncs and uploads the data which can be up to a week in the past. Once it syncs they are all there.

malvern_man · 07-18-2023, 05:01 PM

In journeys mine is displaying the last time I used the car which was yesterday ( July 17th ) and the journey log goes right back to July 4th.

CarlW · 07-18-2023, 05:42 PM

Hi, I'm in UK with an X5 45e and had a Trackstar fitted by my dealer from new.

As others have said, the phone app always gets visibility of my journeys eventually, but the App is slow to update the current location of the vehicle.

As an example I've just looked at the current location of my vehicle and its showing a location in the middle of a journey I undertook this morning - location is being shown as at 09:32 this morning. My vehicle was then parked for most of the day and then undertook a 27mile journey to my home, arriving around 17:00 this evening. It was parked on my path for about 30 mins and then driven into my garage. However the location in the App has not been updated.

I have complained to Trackstar and have been told that the vehicle location is sent when the vehicle is switched off - today I have 'switched my vehicle off at least three times since 09:32 but the App has not updated. I've also had the installing BMW dealer check the operation of the Trackstar unit. On every occasion if I look in the BMW App it shows the correct location of my vehicle.

I have come to the conclusion that the Trackstar is hidden somewhere in the vehicle, probably close to or behind a metal panel and as a result can probably only get a mobile phone signal in very strong signal areas to send its location/data to Trackstar.

I've taken the view that I've complied with my insurance requirement and will avoid buying another Trackstar unit in the future

julioccuk · 07-19-2023, 03:03 AM

Same here, got my X6 2024 delivered and needed the tracker (fitted by BMW) for insurance reasons (very annoying given that the My BMW app is way better in terms of locating the vehicle etc). The Trackstar app looks like to be designed and developed in the 2010s and it's very flakey indeed.

sarpal123 · 07-19-2023, 01:40 PM

OK, so, I've completed three journeys today and they have all been updated/replicated in the Journeys within a matter of an hour or so.

BMPHIL · 07-19-2023, 05:00 PM

A car can travel a long way in an hour.

Mancunian101 · 07-20-2023, 03:53 AM

If you drive the car without the tracker fob, how long until you get notified?

csm7djs · 07-20-2023, 07:07 AM

I had a Smartrak S5 fitted to my X5.

Its *seems to be great tracker, it notifies my phone when the car is started/stopped, its live journey, speeds etc etc. If the car is started and driven without the D-ID card in it, they usually call me within about 15 minutes.

All works on the app, set what notifications you want to receive and you can even geo-fence your car within certain time ranges.

*can't comment on how good it is if its stolen as its not been stolen before, but the Global Telemetrics who operate the service have an exceptionally high recovery rate

rogerramjetx5 · 07-21-2023, 12:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mancunian101

If you drive the car without the tracker fob, how long until you get notified?

I drove to the next village without the tracker in my pocket, got a call to my mobile after 5 mins and 2 miles, I then got another call when I set off back after my errand, again a few minutes into my journey.

I can’t comment on the speed at which the app gets updated but the service seems good and I’m expecting to be notified if someone does drive away in my pride and joy without my permission.

Mancunian101 · 07-21-2023, 05:43 AM

Yes, that's my experience too.

The app can be a bit glitchy, but generally seems up to date.

Dandle · 10-03-2023, 04:02 PM

Just thought Id update this thread in case anyone has similar issues. I finally got Trackstar to replace the unit under warranty. It turns out the unit fitted worked on the 3g networks which is slowly being turned off in the UK. That was why the uploads were sporadic and so delayed. The new unit fitted works on 4G and the location updates within minutes of turning the car off.

07-18-2023, 10:56 AM	#1
Dandle Lieutenant 218 Rep 541 Posts Drives: G05 X5 M50i Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: West London iTrader: (0)	UK owners with BMW Trackstar Do any of the owners in the UK have the BMW fitted Trackstar tracker? My car is fitted with it but the app is really intermittent and sometimes takes days to update. I've spoken to trackstar a few times and once they couldnt ping the car at all but the sim was working. Other time when Ive spoken to them they could ping the car once I started the engine again and the app updated but before that it hasn't show journey or journeys at all. Once it connects it then syncs all data again. Is this how other people are experiencing this. They are trying to tell me it's due to poor sim service even though they could phone the sim and it's at different locations. They are taking no responsibility for how intermittent it is, what the point on a geofence when the car/app don't update and the car can be driving miles out of it. How are your Trackstars working?
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07-18-2023, 03:05 PM	#2
sarpal123 Private First Class 69 Rep 140 Posts Drives: 50e Join Date: Apr 2023 Location: Wales iTrader: (0)	I've had limited need to use my Trackstar tracker (which is fine by me) and have had no problem locating the car or replaying journeys. It appears to be doing what I would expect it to do. Sorry, but this probably doesn't help you much. If you have a specific test I can help with...
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07-18-2023, 03:28 PM	#4
sarpal123 Private First Class 69 Rep 140 Posts Drives: 50e Join Date: Apr 2023 Location: Wales iTrader: (0)	Will do. FWIW just checked 'Journeys' and it's displaying all trips up to and including the last one at 10:30 today
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07-18-2023, 03:31 PM	#5
Dandle Lieutenant 218 Rep 541 Posts Drives: G05 X5 M50i Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: West London iTrader: (0)	Mine only displays the journeys after it syncs and uploads the data which can be up to a week in the past. Once it syncs they are all there.
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07-18-2023, 05:01 PM	#6
malvern_man Lieutenant 522 Rep 511 Posts Drives: X5 40i xDrive Join Date: Jan 2022 Location: Derbyshire UK iTrader: (0)	In journeys mine is displaying the last time I used the car which was yesterday ( July 17th ) and the journey log goes right back to July 4th.
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07-18-2023, 05:42 PM	#7
CarlW New Member 8 Rep 16 Posts Drives: X5 45e MSport, F33-435D Join Date: Jun 2021 Location: Lancashire,UK iTrader: (0)	Hi, I'm in UK with an X5 45e and had a Trackstar fitted by my dealer from new. As others have said, the phone app always gets visibility of my journeys eventually, but the App is slow to update the current location of the vehicle. As an example I've just looked at the current location of my vehicle and its showing a location in the middle of a journey I undertook this morning - location is being shown as at 09:32 this morning. My vehicle was then parked for most of the day and then undertook a 27mile journey to my home, arriving around 17:00 this evening. It was parked on my path for about 30 mins and then driven into my garage. However the location in the App has not been updated. I have complained to Trackstar and have been told that the vehicle location is sent when the vehicle is switched off - today I have 'switched my vehicle off at least three times since 09:32 but the App has not updated. I've also had the installing BMW dealer check the operation of the Trackstar unit. On every occasion if I look in the BMW App it shows the correct location of my vehicle. I have come to the conclusion that the Trackstar is hidden somewhere in the vehicle, probably close to or behind a metal panel and as a result can probably only get a mobile phone signal in very strong signal areas to send its location/data to Trackstar. I've taken the view that I've complied with my insurance requirement and will avoid buying another Trackstar unit in the future
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07-19-2023, 03:03 AM	#8
julioccuk Enlisted Member 20 Rep 45 Posts Drives: 2023 X6 40i Skyscraper Grey Join Date: Jul 2018 Location: Redhill iTrader: (0)	Same here, got my X6 2024 delivered and needed the tracker (fitted by BMW) for insurance reasons (very annoying given that the My BMW app is way better in terms of locating the vehicle etc). The Trackstar app looks like to be designed and developed in the 2010s and it's very flakey indeed.
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07-19-2023, 01:40 PM	#9
sarpal123 Private First Class 69 Rep 140 Posts Drives: 50e Join Date: Apr 2023 Location: Wales iTrader: (0)	OK, so, I've completed three journeys today and they have all been updated/replicated in the Journeys within a matter of an hour or so.
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07-19-2023, 05:00 PM	#10
BMPHIL Major 666 Rep 1,218 Posts Drives: 2024 M60i Join Date: Dec 2018 Location: DORSET , UK iTrader: (0)	A car can travel a long way in an hour. __________________ 2024 M60i Frozen pure grey/Black Merino 2023 M50i Tanzanite / Ivory/Night Blue Merino gone 2022 40i G05 Arctic grey/Ivory Merino gone
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07-20-2023, 03:53 AM	#11
Mancunian101 Enlisted Member 23 Rep 44 Posts Drives: M8 Competition GC Join Date: May 2023 Location: Manchester iTrader: (0)	If you drive the car without the tracker fob, how long until you get notified?
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07-20-2023, 07:07 AM	#12
csm7djs Second Lieutenant 70 Rep 284 Posts Drives: G05 X5 3.0d M-Sport Join Date: Dec 2017 Location: UK iTrader: (0)	I had a Smartrak S5 fitted to my X5. Its seems to be great tracker, it notifies my phone when the car is started/stopped, its live journey, speeds etc etc. If the car is started and driven without the D-ID card in it, they usually call me within about 15 minutes. All works on the app, set what notifications you want to receive and you can even geo-fence your car within certain time ranges. can't comment on how good it is if its stolen as its not been stolen before, but the Global Telemetrics who operate the service have an exceptionally high recovery rate
	Appreciate 0 Quote

07-21-2023, 05:43 AM	#14
Mancunian101 Enlisted Member 23 Rep 44 Posts Drives: M8 Competition GC Join Date: May 2023 Location: Manchester iTrader: (0)	Yes, that's my experience too. The app can be a bit glitchy, but generally seems up to date.
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10-03-2023, 04:02 PM	#15
Dandle Lieutenant 218 Rep 541 Posts Drives: G05 X5 M50i Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: West London iTrader: (0)	Just thought Id update this thread in case anyone has similar issues. I finally got Trackstar to replace the unit under warranty. It turns out the unit fitted worked on the 3g networks which is slowly being turned off in the UK. That was why the uploads were sporadic and so delayed. The new unit fitted works on 4G and the location updates within minutes of turning the car off.
	Appreciate 0 Quote