[BMWM4CX]

Hi all,

When using the remote control parking (using your phone from outside of the car), can you actually steer the car at all?

There are a handful of videos and forum posts saying that people can steer the car by tilting their phone, but I’m unable to replicate that behaviour myself.

There is a steering wheel icon on the app as you’re manoeuvring, but I’m unsure if it only lights up green when it’s steering automatically not manually.

[AiredaleDad]

Originally Posted by BMWM4CX

Hi all,

When using the remote control parking (using your phone from outside of the car), can you actually steer the car at all?

There are a handful of videos and forum posts saying that people can steer the car by tilting their phone, but I’m unable to replicate that behaviour myself.

There is a steering wheel icon on the app as you’re manoeuvring, but I’m unsure if it only lights up green when it’s steering automatically not manually.

You don't tilt your phone. You rotate your phone horizontally while the car is moving.

[BMWM4CX]

Originally Posted by AiredaleDad

You don't tilt your phone. You rotate your phone horizontally while the car is moving.

Thanks. Tbh, I’ve only played around with it on my driveway, so didn’t have a massive amount of room to play with. I’ll head to a car park later and give it a full trying out.

I’m assuming it only needs a slight horizontal rotation to register a turn; like a 45deg angle?

[AiredaleDad]

Originally Posted by BMWM4CX

Thanks. Tbh, I’ve only played around with it on my driveway, so didn’t have a massive amount of room to play with. I’ll head to a car park later and give it a full trying out.

I’m assuming it only needs a slight horizontal rotation to register a turn; like a 45deg angle?

Correct. Slight movements only. I find it helps if I am walking beside the car when it's moving as well. I forgot to ask. You are in England I see. Is remote parking and remote start allowed there? I know in the EU it is not allowed in all countries. For example in Spain it is not allowed for the car to start and move without a driver in the seat. I am an exception because I have a US Spec car, and it is allowed in the US. I used to live in London when I was in the service. My wife and I go back at least once or twice a year.

[BMWM4CX]

Originally Posted by AiredaleDad

Correct. Slight movements only. I find it helps if I am walking beside the car when it's moving as well. I forgot to ask. You are in England I see. Is remote parking and remote start allowed there? I know in the EU it is not allowed in all countries. For example in Spain it is not allowed for the car to start and move without a driver in the seat. I am an exception because I have a US Spec car, and it is allowed in the US. I used to live in London when I was in the service. My wife and I go back at least once or twice a year.

When I was playing with it yesterday, I could get the wheels to turn briefly but couldn’t work out whether it was my movements or it was a bit of a fluke. I’ll try and perfect it later with more space to play in.

With regards to remote parking, we seem to be allowed that functionality but remote start (from factory), is disabled from an insurance standpoint. We also lose access to the proper hands off driver assist (including the lane change assist using the eye check in the mirror), as we don’t allow L2+ Autonomy here yet. Frustrating as they’re some of the best features. I did try coding the full driving assist functionality in a G82 M4 a few years ago but there are so many module interlocks in place to cross check you’re in the right country, it just got too complicated.

[AiredaleDad]

Originally Posted by BMWM4CX

When I was playing with it yesterday, I could get the wheels to turn briefly but couldn’t work out whether it was my movements or it was a bit of a fluke. I’ll try and perfect it later with more space to play in.

With regards to remote parking, we seem to be allowed that functionality but remote start (from factory), is disabled from an insurance standpoint. We also lose access to the proper hands off driver assist (including the lane change assist using the eye check in the mirror), as we don’t allow L2+ Autonomy here yet. Frustrating as they’re some of the best features. I did try coding the full driving assist functionality in a G82 M4 a few years ago but there are so many module interlocks in place to cross check you’re in the right country, it just got too complicated.

AH. Understood. Must be because with remote parking the car is still "Supervised" since you have to be standing next to it. Maybe you can use BimmerUtility to activate the remote start in the same fashion many of us are using to activate the Anti-Dazzle high beams that are disabled for the US? I know I love it to set the program to start the car about 15 min before I leave for work in the morning. It heats up the interior and the steering wheel. And in the summer I will use it in the afternoons so I walk out to a nice cool car and not an oven.

[BMWM4CX]

Originally Posted by AiredaleDad

You don't tilt your phone. You rotate your phone horizontally while the car is moving.

I gave this a go yesterday in an open car park but I still cannot get it to steer, even slightly. I can’t see why US spec cars would be allowed to and UK cars not.
Obviously if I get it to follow a pre-recorded path via remote parking, it’ll steer to its hearts content, but manually steering via phone rotation just doesn’t seem to work for myself.

If anyone has a video of themselves doing it or knows of a video that clearly shows it, I’d be all ears!