2023 SQ5 Remote Start Option?
 

Good afternoon! I'm brand new to this forum and have been very grateful for many of the discussion points I've read. Thank you for that!

I recently bought a 2023 SQ5 about three weeks ago and really enjoy it.

When I bought it, I inquired with the dealer about adding a remote start feature and was told, vehemently – like, the guy got REAL serious – there was absolutely no way to incorporate remote start.
He explained that it was not legal in Germany, where the car was made, so all Audi's ship with no remote start option. He then said if I added a third party remote start, it would void the warranty.

Okay, that's fine and I accepted what I was told and made the choice to purchase. It was definitely not a dealbreaker.

However, now that the 2024 SQ5 models have been released, I learned that they come with a remote start option via the MyAudi app.

I was extremely disappointed and contacted the dealer. They told me that the new 2024's do come with that feature, but it is not retroactive to the 2023 model.

TL;DR: Does anyone know if the remote start feature is possible to install in the 2023 SQ5? The dealer said, "no way!" but I can' imagine it would be that complicated. Would it?

Thanks for taking the time to read. Cheers and happy new year!

I believe my Mercedes was built in Germany. It has remote start. Contact a custom auto store, they will tell you if it can be done. My Q5e was made in Mexico.

Only way for remote start is an aftermarket option where you sacrifice a key fob to stay in the vehicle all the time. I've lived most of my life without remote start, had a couple vehicles with it, and can honestly say (for me), not a hill I'd die on. Get in the car, start it, turn on the heated seats, when your butt is warm drive off. Doesn't take long with modern engines to start blowing hot air regardless of how cold it is outside (coming from an area where it can hit -40C/-40F in the winter).

The new Audi factory remote start cannot be retrofitted. There's more to remote start than meets the eye. The key requirement (no pun indented) is that it has to be secure. Modern cars have immobilizers, so there has to be a secure element hardware in the car to act as a key to authorize remote start. This is why aftermarket remote starters only work by hiding an actual key fob somewhere in the car. Aftermarket remote starter are quite unsecure, because of the hidden key fob. If found, a thieve can drive off with it. Moreover, once the car is started with an aftermarket remote start, it can be driven off by anybody who has physical access to it, because of the hidden key fob. Factory remote start systems have measures in place that prevent the car from being driven off until the owner's key fob is present. The 2024+ models have the necessary secure hardware for the factory remote start.

Congratulations on your new SQ5, Just some info, Your car was made in Mexico in the San Jose Chiapa Plant for American and European markets. Q5's for china are made in China and For India they are made in India.. For now the Mexico plant only builds Q5's SQ5's and Q5e's

Thank you and thank you for the responses.

I appreciate the feedback and the consensus is pretty much what I figured.

I've read that third party remote installs may cause other issues with the Q5 series, so I'm not likely going for that option.

I spoke to the dealer (about another issue... a speckled/pitted windshield) who speculated that Audi "may" be working on a possible remote option for older models.
But even he wasn't confident it would actually happen.

Thanks again and happy new year! :D

Usually involves hacking into wiring, and if done incorrectly, does cause problems (hence other issues).

As for the "remote start for older vehicles", I can 10000% guarantee that from my experience of owning our SQ5 over the past 6 years, Audi will commit ZERO time into this. They took 2-years to fix the 360-degree camera not displaying properly (and that was a feature I paid for). Having them spend money to add in features into older cars just isn't going to happen. That is the typically dealer comment to make you feel good about what you bought, and stop heckling them about it. :)

I have a 2020 with the 12 volt solutions remote start and I installed it myself. Pretty easy to do. Not sure if they will make one for the new models or not, but I'd bet they will. Might ask them anyway if its in the works. Mine works perfectly. My X5 was the first car I had in a a LONG time without it, so having the option to have it on the Audi - I jumped on it. I really missed it. Not a deal breaker, but for $700 - it was not even a question. I could care less about losing the fob and it works flawlessly. It's out in the parking lot warming up as we speak.............

I'd be fine with 1-fob, but would be more concerned about leaving the car pretty much unprotected from thieves. With a fob always in the car, you just need to get the door open, and then any person has full access to start and drive the car off.

Nope - not the case. You pull the BATTERY out of the fob - so it is "dead". When you activate the remote start - it energizes the fob for that split second it takes - then it is dead again. It's also buried in the side trim of the back of your car where someone would have to KNOW where it was to even look for it - then find it - then find it is dead.

Even with the remote start running - if the car is locked you can not enter it unless you have an active fob with you. With the mobile app add on - you CAN start the car with it unlocked - but you still can't drive off with it. The mobile app also shows you if it is locked or not when you open it, so you know anyway and you can use the mobile app to lock and unlock it remotely too - like the Audi Connect app only better.

If you use the key fob to remote start it - you hit the lock button 3 times - so you have to lock it to get it to start if it was not already.

With the mobile add on it is the best non-factory remote start I have ever owned. Only one better was the OEM one I had on a ford once and only because you could set conditions where it would automatically kick on the defrost and heated/ac seats under/over set temps etc.

The 12 volt systems one has been rock solid for me and their customer support has been excellent.