Climate preconditioning

[MrABC22]

With a petrol engine is climate preconditions an option using the app? I'm not sure if it electric/plugin cars only?

So am I right in thinking you can, via the app, set the cars temp, and even if your not near it, as in house, work and its on car park, the car will start itself and run up to temp? Or does it use another battery (leisure battery), that's gets recharged once car is running?

How often do people use this? Suppose great in winter if it does what I think it does, to help defrost instantly etc

thanks

[Haldex]

Yes, it is available on petrol and mild hybrids as well. Naturally, it remote-starts the engine in order to warm/cool the cabin. Can’t say that I use it much though- but it’s not like I paid for this feature 🙂

[MrABC22]

Originally Posted by Haldex

Yes, it is available on petrol and mild hybrids as well. Naturally, it remote-starts the engine in order to warm/cool the cabin. Can’t say that I use it much though- but it’s not like I paid for this feature 🙂

Yes just a nice to have and if it’s outside your house while your getting ready it could help to defrost and warm.

Didn’t realise it would start the car, wonder if people use it in car parks etc and a random car starts with no one in it!! Presume it doesn’t unlock the car when it does this.

I thought it might be done with a leisure battery or something though.

[steve99uk]

It's also available with the T5 Recharge Plug-in hybrid. If there is power in the battery it will use that before starting the engine. Hence the reason I (again) won't be charging it up regularly this winter as it kills the miles you can then get out of the battery.

[MrABC22]

Originally Posted by steve99uk

It's also available with the T5 Recharge Plug-in hybrid. If there is power in the battery it will use that before starting the engine. Hence the reason I (again) won't be charging it up regularly this winter as it kills the miles you can then get out of the battery.

Yeh most plug-in cars allow this, just surprised that a petrol allows it, and starts engine?

Can’t find any YouTube on it working with petrol, I presumed that it would have a leisure battery, sure friend had an old LR and that’s way that worked, as in off a separate battery, then that battery got charged when you were driving.

Can’t imagine an insurance claim….I was warming my car up in Asda car park while I was sat in cafe, went to car and was gone!!

[KeithR56]

just surprised that a petrol allows it, and starts engine

Most of the petrol cars I was looking at when shopping around last year could be started remotely. It’s been available on Volvos for several years. The Hyundai that I test drove could be started from the key fob and moved forward, or backward from a tight parking space without getting into the car.

However, it is illegal in the UK to leave a car unattended on public roads with the engine running. It’s OK on private property though.

If remote starting is standard on your car, your insurance will cover you. They won’t cover you if it’s unattended and unlocked (engine running, or not). Anyone who manages to enter the car with the engine running will only be able to drive for a few yards without the key anyway.

[Mervin]

I regularly use this feature from the Volvo app to warm the car on cold damp winter mornings It will also melt ice from the car whilst it is on my driveway. During the summer it will cool the car. 10 minutes preconditioning is usually sufficient. It's a small price to pay to drive off in in warm ice free car,hot steering wheel & seats.

[SnineT]

Originally Posted by Mervin

I regularly use this feature from the Volvo app to warm the car on cold damp winter mornings It will also melt ice from the car whilst it is on my driveway. During the summer it will cool the car. 10 minutes preconditioning is usually sufficient. It's a small price to pay to drive off in in warm ice free car,hot steering wheel & seats.

Which car and spec do you have Merv? I ask because as far as I could get with mine was to remote start the car from the app and it would run for up to 15 minutes iirc but only warm the car to whatever temp I left it last time I used it, seats, wheel & defrosters never did anything unless I entered the car and turned them on?


Cells kicking in now, I seem to remember I could pre set the wheel and seats to automatically start when the car started in the my car options in the sensus, it was the wrong time of year so I never used it to that depth. Option was never in the app though.

I'll leave the post up as it may help someone in the future understand it better as the manual doesn't go much further than to tell you the option to do so is there rather than actually fully explain the process.

[Mervin]

Hi Sninet, I have a 2021 Xc40 B4P AWD including climate pack pack. You have to set the steering wheel and seats in climate settings to come on automatically. Heating will only come on when the outside temperature is less than 10 degrees centigrade.