Unreliable remote connection to the vehicle

[baader]

Hello, how reliable is remote access to the vehicle using the iSmart app? In my experience, very often when I need to connect to the vehicle (to remotely heat or cool it), the app fails to connect. This bothers me a lot. How about you? Is there a control unit fix for this? Or is it an irreparable issue and I have to accept that the connection to the vehicle sometimes works and sometimes doesn't?

 

[webhiker]

From the experiences I've had it is the nature of trying ro preseve the low voltage battery as much as possible over the perks of remote control.
I'd wish there was a setting "Keep vehicle live and drain low voltage battery vs Make sure I can start vehicle when needed"

 

[LizzieCH]

Hello, how reliable is remote access to the vehicle using the iSmart app? In my experience, very often when I need to connect to the vehicle (to remotely heat or cool it), the app fails to connect. This bothers me a lot. How about you? Is there a control unit fix for this? Or is it an irreparable issue and I have to accept that the connection to the vehicle sometimes works and sometimes doesn't?

That’s exactly what I’m getting on my app. ISmart-service team not much help. They say it needs the telematics box reset by an authorised workshop.

 

[JohnV6]

All the time. I think the mg servers get overloaded at peak times

 

[SD43]

I did an experiment with this and found after 36 hours of not using the car you’ll get this issue. So as webhiker says, it looks like it’s preserving the battery. My solution is to grab the key and unlock then lock the car and that seems to work, but is a bit of a crap hack that involves you needing to be in range of the car. In my case it’s ok as I’m using the remote to preheat the car early in the morning.

 

[slmorgan42]

I rely on public charging so use the app all the time to check the status. Generally it works most of the time. Sometimes needs a second refresh but not often.

As mentioned I have noted if car is not use for 2-3 days or will not connected until car is unlocked again. I assume it goes to sleep or something.

 

[LizzieCH]

I did an experiment with this and found after 36 hours of not using the car you’ll get this issue. So as webhiker says, it looks like it’s preserving the battery. My solution is to grab the key and unlock then lock the car and that seems to work, but is a bit of a crap hack that involves you needing to be in range of the car. In my case it’s ok as I’m using the remote to preheat the car early in the morning.

Tried this just now but unfortunately it didn’t work. Looks like a trip back to the dealership is needed.

 

[SD43]

Tried this just now but unfortunately it didn’t work. Looks like a trip back to the dealership is needed.

Did you try refreshing the app a few times? That usually works once I've unlocked and relocked the car. Not a great user experience I know. If you do return it to the dealership do let us know if it resolves the issue.

 

[pjmmk]

It's a bit flakey to say the least. My MG is sitting on the drive. The app shows it as 4 metres away but it's still slow to refresh, nearly always takes a couple of attempts to do anything. It's not the MG's strong point, that's for sure.

 

[nogbad]

It's a bit flakey to say the least. My MG is sitting on the drive. The app shows it as 4 metres away but it's still slow to refresh, nearly always takes a couple of attempts to do anything. It's not the MG's strong point, that's for sure.

Aye, but the wonders of modern digital communications means that your 4 metre air-gap could just as well be 4k miles. We've developed to the extent that all suffer from a comms lag, regardless of the distance.

iSmart does all comms over the cloud so the distance to the car doesn't matter, the delay is caused by the signal travelling a long way to get to the vehicle. This is that progress that we were promised by Raymond Baxter ;-)