remote app connection issues

[jasleinstein]

Do many of you regularly use the connected app? If so what is your success percentage to connect? With all the TCU problems of the car, we basically stopped even trying to use the app, but after the last software update (June) I have been trying more often. I get about a %50 successful connection rate. To test, I am only using headlight flasher and horn, no preconditioning, which is a tiny bit more complicated, I get. When it works response time for flashing or honking seems to take 15 to 20 seconds. Sometimes response times take 30 to 45 seconds. weird.

It's unfortunate BMW decided to not use Wifi for at home connections and force all connections thru the cell networks and their service, but it is what it is. I've been told BMW is working on service to improve reliability but I don't see much improvement. BMW NA likes to raise the cell network signal coverage issue to try to defect the problem away from them, but our coverage is very good and I monitor it with a TESSCO network monitor.

I'd like to go back to ignoring the problem, but fall and winter are ahead, and we will want to warm the car in the mornings before long.

Do you use the connected app? If so what is your connect success rate?

thanks for responses.

 

[epirali]

Do many of you regularly use the connected app? If so what is your success percentage to connect? With all the TCU problems of the car, we basically stopped even trying to use the app, but after the last software update (June) I have been trying more often. I get about a %50 successful connection rate. To test, I am only using headlight flasher and horn, no preconditioning, which is a tiny bit more complicated, I get. When it works response time for flashing or honking seems to take 15 to 20 seconds. Sometimes response times take 30 to 45 seconds. weird.

It's unfortunate BMW decided to not use Wifi for at home connections and force all connections thru the cell networks and their service, but it is what it is. I've been told BMW is working on service to improve reliability but I don't see much improvement. BMW NA likes to raise the cell network signal coverage issue to try to defect the problem away from them, but our coverage is very good and I monitor it with a TESSCO network monitor.

I'd like to go back to ignoring the problem, but fall and winter are ahead, and we will want to warm the car in the mornings before long.

Do you use the connected app? If so what is your connect success rate?

thanks for responses.

I use mine couple of times a day and barring a cell coverage dead area I have had pretty good success rate. In fact I think I've only had server issues maybe once or twice. Mind you sometimes it takes a LONG time to get the command to the car.

 

[SSi3]

Same ^^^

 

[jadnashuanh]

Mine generally works, but I am also in sort of a hole for cellular coverage. Moving a foot or less can make the difference of whether I connect.

SOme of the newest BMW's are coming with 4G connections, and all may eventually, but I think we have 3G connections in the car now. As more and more get 4G, BMW will be including free over the air nav updates in the USA, at least according to a press release from earlier this year. THey say the current connection speed on most of the models just isn't viable for some of these large volume downloads. Personally, I think that's a copout, and you could still do it in smaller segments, and how many cars are being driven 24/7...there's a lot of down time where they could move that data. It all goes onto the hard drive to be buffered before the whole thing is ready to be swapped, so who cares if it takes a week?!

 

[jasleinstein]

So it looks like most folks are having fairly good connection experiences with the app. great. I guess my experience is something else.

I agree with jadnashuanh, the 3g vs 4g is a copout. With the other experiences I am having with the online service, I believe the online service is not capable of downloads in a mass scale, ok maybe 20,000 cars isn't mass. I bet BMW will fix that over the next year or so as the press release hints.

 

[stumbledotcom]

When the car is in a good coverage area (meaning not my parking space, three floors below ground), the app works reliably. In 15 months, I've experienced only handful of network errors. Waiting a moment and retrying always has resulted in success. If you're having different experiences, perhaps the issue is congestion on your regional cell network.

 

[I33t]

well, mine is stuck for days. BMW Concierge is investigating...

 

[mindmachine]

Mine updates in about 5 to 10 minutes or less after I shut the car off. It is faster if I am parked outside in a metro area as opposed to in a parking garage or my home garage.

 

[NoMoreGas]

I park the car in one of three places depending on the day. In NYC in an underground garage where my signal on my cell phone is two bars of 3G i have no problems with the app. The longest it has taken me to connect and perform an action is two minutes. In my home in Westchester, NY it is practically instantaneous with no longer than 30 seconds ever. In Bronx, NY it is also instantaneous. I have also had the car in Charlottesville, VA, and Washington, DC and it is very quick.

 

[Boltoni3]

My Connected Drive went down while at my cottage. Back in Toronto- BMW Canada has been looking into the problem - they've reached out to BMW NA. One week later I still don't have a connection. Waiting for BMW NA to provide input - hoping I'm not asked to visit dealership.

 

[jadnashuanh]

Do you use the i3 APP? Has the status been updated? If not, consider momentarily pulling and replacing fuse F115. Do this while you are NOT hooked up to the EVSE and with the car off. After maybe 5-minutes, check again. That fuse, among other things, powers the cellular module in the i3. While it hasn't happened to mine lately, mine would get into a loop, and not connect to anything. Sometimes, just like many computers...it just needs a hard reset, and that will do it.

 

[Boltoni3]

All good! Took a week but the system is again up and running with the assistance of BMW NA. Just required a data transfer - no explanations regarding why it had stopped.

Noticed some new apps such as parking find and emailing vehicle location.