I hope someone from Land Rover reads this. I love everything about my Defender, everything. I am a Land Rover guy now because of the attention to detail found in this vehicle. However, whose bright idea was to remove the key remote starter button in favor of exclusively an app on a phone? It's my first winter with this thing and it never works. Cellular connection issues, app logs me out, app times out, phone might be dead, Land Rover went into sleep mode. I am at a 50% success rate when starting and will prob go aftermarket because aftermarket will work 95% of the time.

My $40k Ford work truck has the button on the key and works every time. The truck also has a temp sensor outside that matches the climate to reflect how you'd like it inside when you remote start it. Yes, my Ford also has an app option but I don't ever use it cause the key works better.

I would pay an extra $500 when building my Defender to get the remote start on the fob.

 

What I have found is my LR needs a daily affirmation from the App in order for everything to function right every day.
After changing my routine to open the app every morning I have no issues with remote start, Spotify, or any other app not working. Granted I’ve only done this now for a couple weeks, but compared to the last couple months I haven’t had an issue since.

That said I’m in an area of generally decent cell service and I have enough other tech that going into yet another app works for me. Should this thing be so reliant on a daily connect? No.

 

No issues with the app on mine, don't use the app for days/weeks and always starts first time when l try it.

Not that l really need remote start so much here in the U.K.

 

that works as long as the Defender itself hasn’t gone to sleep, which seems to happen after a few days of non-use. In other words, if you’re using the Defender most days it won’t go into sleep mode and the app should work all the time even if it was a while since you last used it. But just a few days parked up is enough to stop the app working until the defender has been woken up and physically started.

 

Is there an aftermarket solution that works with the OEM Land Rover key fob? Maybe press & hold the unused tailgate button to remote start? I’d buy it.

 

Generally I've had good success with the remote start app on my iPhone. Don't use it a lot but when I have it's been great in colder weather to warm the rig up.

The smart phone app has disconnected me twice from my rig, but both were after I did a Pivi upgrade. Logging back in to the Land Rover Remote iPhone app corrected the issue. I also had to log back into my Pivi Pro in the rig hence the reason why I believe the Remote app disconnect is related to the main software upgrades.

I see the logic for wanting a remote start also on the key fob and am surprised it's not available. However, the smart phone remote app has the advantage in working at a much great distance than the fob, and being able to dial a preset temp (albeit there are what I consider to be missing functions including turning on the heated windshield, among others). Both remote start models have their uses IMHO.

 

You can make the tailgate button work with GAP tool. Very handy as opening it this way doesn't wake up PIVI. Less power drain if you're in situations where that is desirable. Camping etc.

Sorry for the tangental info but it might suggest that button is off limits. Perhaps not.

 

Functionality had to be killed (remote start by key fob button) so that they can sell using "software as a service" model and charge for it annually beyond four years.

The problem is most people won't use it enough to justify paying for it. With it being hardware based, you would probably use it more often, I know that I would.

 

l didn't know that. But l do use the vehicle every day.
l guess the vehicle "goes to sleep" to stop the battery becoming depleted.

 

Remote start works well for me including using the apple watch app. No problems here.