Hi,

Wondering if anyone has come across this issue. Apparently the eSim in my eDrive 40 should be active. It should show in the myBMW app, or with 'mobile devices' in-car.
However, mine shows neither. Can everyone else see this?
It is preventing me from purchasing add-ons - (now BMW have their Black Friday sale, it's an opportune time to buy!)

Is their a setting or tick-box I'm missing somewhere? Very frustrating!

I may take it to the dealer to sort out, but thought I'd ask here in case anyone has come across this issue and has an easy fix!

Thanks all

 

You don't need the eSIM to purchase add-ons. It's an option which creates a "hot spot" in the car. Did you purchase the eSIM as an option?

The car's connection for Connected Drive is native in the car and not associated with the eSIM. Are you able to use the app to see the car? If so, your connection is working.

 

Yes, that's the strange thing. I can connect to the car using the app. I can remote start climate control etc.

 

Follow up question. Is it something I need to set-up with my mobile phone provider, O2?

 

You can set up the eSim through your myBMW app (should come up near Alexa), if your provider has this service. In Germany only Deutsch Telekom and Vodafone have it. The service with Vodafone is called OneNumber Car. I do not know the situation with O2 in GB…

 

This is what I see on the BMW connected drive screen...

It states the online connection for my vehicle is deactivated, but I can access the car remotely through the app, so it must be activated, right?!!

 

Unfortunately this screen is not correct, i also get it. Try one other step:
First log in to you BMW ID, then look at your Connected Drive offers. They are tailored to the car:
either you see that the service is already activated or you you see the service and you can book it.
If the service you are looking for is not listed, means that very probable that the HW is missing.
You have to report that to Connected Drive, call them they are very friendly.
There are three possibilities:
Either you do not have the necessary HW installed, or
the actual SW level of your car doesn’t support it, which i doubt.
You already have this service activated….

 

Yikes! That's not right! Time to contact them.

 

Yep, that's what I thought....

thanks for your reply @ssh

 

The eSIM for the UK can only be activated via Vodafone, as far as I know. They might have changed it recently though. My car was specced with the eSIM but I don’t think I have it. At least, it’s not somewhere obvious!

 

It’s in Mobile Devices:

 

Not in my car!

The dealership is contacting BMW on my behalf, so I'll update here if/when I receive an answer.

 

I think the esim is present, as you would not be able to access the car remotely via the app (eg: turn on climatisation remotely etc). It should show under the mobile apps screen, but mine does not (assume you don't see that option either). I'll keep you posted

 

This is inaccurate!

The eSIM which is an option is one which creates a hot spot in the car. It is separate from the SIM the car uses for Connected Drive.

 

Good point! I was wondering how it managed all the remote services. Yes please, let me know what your contact says. It would be interesting to know.

 

For all connections between your car and services from and to BMW, the car uses a real embedded Sim. Nothing to do with the virtual eSim , which by the way allows you to phone from your car even if you do not have the phone with you. Furthermore it allows persons in your car to connect via WIFI to your eSim, and use it as a HotSpot. With eSim the communication is more stable, since it uses the car antenna.

 

I just checked with BMW - they left out the eSIM on my car.

 

it seems that eSim option is only done by SW. Maybe you can buy that option via Connected Drive. At the moment it is only available in USA, Germany Japan an China. You cannot even configure it when you buy your car…..
It might be available as an option 🤞

 

The eSIM requires hardware (although small). I suspect it cannot be retrofitted by software since I suspect they don't install the additional eSIM hardware.

 

Will let you know. Will be in Munich next week...

 

What really annoys me is why I need eSim to purchase the Active Cruise Control in the first place? I'm actually not bothered about having eSim, I just want to have ACC!

The car has the features built-in for ACC, as far as I am aware. When I try to activate ACC by pressing the buttons on the steering wheel, I receive a message on the display stating the option is acquirable within the connected drive. However, as @niam states, when I log in to Connected Drive that option does not appear. It only appears when I have added that option to my shopping basket prior to logging in. However, if the car has the hardware for ACC built-in, I don't see why I need to have eSim to purchase it.

I'm only assuming the ACC hardware is built-in as I notice the car to automatically slow down if I get close to a car in front, so I'm presuming all the sensors and processing is there to control the ACC, especially as the buttons are on the steering wheel!

BMW are making this far more complicated than it needs to be!

 

What really annoys me is why I need eSim to purchase the Active Cruise Control in the first place?

every i4 come with an eSIM. The personal eSIM is an additional eSIM.

Maybe it depends on the market if afterbuy purchases are available?

You got the radar? Check the front of the grill. There should be a little black square at the bottom

 

As stated, I don't actually want eSim, I want ACC...it's because Connected Drive asks for eSim in order for me to purchase ACC.

Yes, my car is fitted with Radar and all the HW requirements, so I don't know why BMW are making this so difficult.

I'm told that the new software update due today should be the panacea to this and many other issues. Mine should be automatic over-the-air. I've not received it yet, has anyone else had the update?

My dealer is just as lost as to why I can't get ACC (or eSim for that matter). They will take it in if the SW upgrade does not work...

 

As stated, I don't actually want eSim, I want ACC...it's because Connected Drive asks for eSim in order for me to purchase ACC.

This is bizarre because eSIM isn't available in the UK. Indeed it is a pretty limited number of countries that it is currently available in.

 

It should be an alternative to smartphone and eSIM (but your car need personal SIM 6PA (for hardware reasons like antenna, wifi...)).

BMW Germany (German)

 

I can't speak to AT&T as they lost me as a customer years ago, but for anyone carrier-agnostic looking for a provider for their eSIM/cell plan, I would highly recommend T-Mobile over Verizon.

Congratulations on your success; and thank you for sharing your experience here.

But as someone who is preparing to file a complaint with FCC against T-Mobile, after being targeted by them with two instances of wire fraud, and who was affected by T-Mobile's last two data breaches, I recommend that anyone with the option to use a different wireless vendor should avoid giving their personal data (including payment method) to T-Mobile.

 

Congratulations on your success; and thank you for sharing your experience here.

But as someone who is preparing to file a complaint with FCC against T-Mobile, after being targeted by them with two instances of wire fraud, and who was affected by T-Mobile's last two data breaches, I recommend that anyone with the option to use a different wireless vendor should avoid giving their personal data (including payment method) to T-Mobile.

Oof, I had similar experiences with AT&T. I'm aware of T-Mobile's breaches as a cybersecurity professional, however I personally do not rate the risk of their being compromised to the extent of also compromising BMW's network as high. Nearly all attackers are financially motivated, so while it is likely hackers will try to compromise T-Mobile's payment services again, it's just as likely they'll hit one of the other big carriers. And state sponsored groups typically go after bigger targets such as infrastructure, not individual car brands' eSIMs. To be frank, there aren't many "safer" options when it comes to your online data anymore, just acceptable levels of risk you must mitigate, transfer, or accept. That being said, the OPM hack gave me free identity monitoring for life, so I expect to continue having my identity stolen/have to react to that. /rant

 

If you have the esim in the united states, be sure to add your Esim to the do-not-call registry, or you may get telemarketers calling your car.

National Do Not Call Registry

Register your phone number to report stop or block unwanted, annoying,telemarketing, spam calls, robocalls to the FTC

www.donotcall.gov

Dan

 

I've used this in the past, however it's a list also perused by spammers outside of the US, so adding your number often just confirms it's a live, valid number to dial. I've found the greatest reduction in spam calls by answering and muting my line. They listen for any sort of audio before playing the script, and eventually will remove your number from their list if they can't confirm it's connected to anyone.

 

This may be slightly off topic but wondering if eSIM activation is needed for hotspot? We have an X3 PHEV as well that has a hotspot without eSIM and got a 3 month trial. Did BMW replace this with eSIM?