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Remote Start with Temperature Controls for models 2020+
When I first took delivery of my GLE 450, I was not able to adjust the car's temperature before using the remote start feature, but now it is possible.
I figured this tip might help others who rely on remote start.
Instead of using the shortcuts on the home screen, go into the full menu where all the vehicle options and settings are listed. Under the remote controls section, you'll find the option to start the car while setting the temperature for individual zones (mine has 4, but some models have 2) or the whole vehicle with a single click.
Just a heads up: Once the car is started remotely, you can't tweak the temps anymore (for whatever reason the Germans decided not to allow it), so make sure to set them beforehand.
I'm on Android, but I bet it's the same process on iOS.
I'm assuming that on 2024+ models it was there from day one.
If your model year is 2020 - 2023, please comment when did you first find out about this option.
Last edited by IconBycon; Feb 22, 2026 at 08:55 PM.
The heat or AC came on before at what temperature it was set at when you got out of the car. Having the heated seats and steering wheel come on with remote start would have been a more useful change.
The heat or AC came on before at what temperature it was set at when you got out of the car. Having the heated seats and steering wheel come on with remote start would have been a more useful change.
Agree the heating seats and steering would have been nice to include, but be able to adjust the temperature setting is still helpful and long overdue. We're in Canada and the winters are freezing, so being able to pre-heat the car (especially with 3 young kids which take a while to put in their car seats with snow and wind blowing in your face) is a big plus. The temperature that's set when we get out of the car is much cooler after a while of driving (otherwise we'd be suffocating on high heat) and we rarely remember to increase the heat to HIGH just before turning off the car and getting out, so the remote start wasn't all that useful.
I'm on Android. Perhaps they're rolling it out gradually, or perhaps (wild guess) it's being pushed out in Canada first. I noticed the thread starter's location is Canada, and although I bought my GLE in the US and drove it there for years, I recently moved to Canada. The import process for the car required me to go to the dealer to flash MBUX to the Canadian version to pass federal inspection (*), so although I have a US VIN (and my 7-year extended warranty which expires this October can only be honored at a US dealer), my vehicle might be in the Canadian batch getting updates? Would be curious to hear if US-based GLE owners got this remote start temperature update.
(*) The only difference is Canadian regulations require Daytime Running Lights that can't be disabled. My US MBUX had a toggle where you can turn off DRL, and also the rotating light switch to the bottom left of the steering wheel can be set to a position where DRL are not operational while the vehicle is in Drive. I was surprised that this caused me to fail the federal import inspection on my first try. The Canadian dealer flashed the Canadian MBUX which doesn't all you to turn off DRL. The software setting is still there in the same place, but if you try to uncheck it it just checks itself back on right away. The only other change I noticed after the MBUX change is temperatures on the dash are now in C instead of F, which surprisingly you can't change in MBUX settings (I think the app has a preference setting but it only affects in-app values, not what's shown in the car).
I received a message on 2/13. It's about time they did this. Yes, heated seasts would have been nice to be included, but I will take any heat at this point.
Thx for posting this - I got the message on Android a couple days ago, though I had no idea what it was about specifically - all it said was Digital Extras were updated - that's it. Now I see the 4 separate temp controls for remote start on my '22 GLE53. I also see them on our '25 GLE 450, but those may have been there since we got it last Spring. Not sure. I do not use remote start, so never really knew about these temp controls. Kinda neat for those who can benefit from it. Since the car shuts off once you get in and try to put it in gear after remote starting, I have never used it once I figured that out. I have full ceramic on all glass so even in FL summers it is not very warm inside my car to need to have it started and cooled down before I get to it.
I'm on Android. Perhaps they're rolling it out gradually, or perhaps (wild guess) it's being pushed out in Canada first. I noticed the thread starter's location is Canada, and although I bought my GLE in the US and drove it there for years, I recently moved to Canada. The import process for the car required me to go to the dealer to flash MBUX to the Canadian version to pass federal inspection (*), so although I have a US VIN (and my 7-year extended warranty which expires this October can only be honored at a US dealer), my vehicle might be in the Canadian batch getting updates? Would be curious to hear if US-based GLE owners got this remote start temperature update.
(*) The only difference is Canadian regulations require Daytime Running Lights that can't be disabled. My US MBUX had a toggle where you can turn off DRL, and also the rotating light switch to the bottom left of the steering wheel can be set to a position where DRL are not operational while the vehicle is in Drive. I was surprised that this caused me to fail the federal import inspection on my first try. The Canadian dealer flashed the Canadian MBUX which doesn't all you to turn off DRL. The software setting is still there in the same place, but if you try to uncheck it it just checks itself back on right away. The only other change I noticed after the MBUX change is temperatures on the dash are now in C instead of F, which surprisingly you can't change in MBUX settings (I think the app has a preference setting but it only affects in-app values, not what's shown in the car).
Bringing the car over is a real hassle, especially since we can cross the border in either direction with our cars for months and nothing in the system needs to change.
On the bright side, Canadian spec non AMG 53/63 models will not get a real TPMS, so you probably do have it, which is a nice feature to have. It is not required in Canada, so Mercedes basically said, why add it to a $100K plus car if we do not have to. Meanwhile Mazda includes it on cars that cost a fraction of that. Mercedes just does things their own way.
Thx for posting this - I got the message on Android a couple days ago, though I had no idea what it was about specifically - all it said was Digital Extras were updated - that's it. Now I see the 4 separate temp controls for remote start on my '22 GLE53. I also see them on our '25 GLE 450, but those may have been there since we got it last Spring. Not sure. I do not use remote start, so never really knew about these temp controls. Kinda neat for those who can benefit from it. Since the car shuts off once you get in and try to put it in gear after remote starting, I have never used it once I figured that out. I have full ceramic on all glass so even in FL summers it is not very warm inside my car to need to have it started and cooled down before I get to it.
I got the "Digital Extras were updated" many times over the years, but it never said what was actually changed, for me it was always a hunt for the answer by memory or good forums.
Bringing the car over is a real hassle, especially since we can cross the border in either direction with our cars for months and nothing in the system needs to change.
Yup, and I did that for years, but since I officially changed residencies and had to convert my driver's license, I couldn't keep a US-plated car in Canada. Had to go through the hassle of federal import (not too bad minus the federal inspection which required DRL re-flashing of MBUX), the provincial inspection (much more involved than the federal inspection, the checklist has dozens of items instead of ~5, but passed on first try), and then registering it in the province.
All of those have expenses, but:
1- as a returning resident bringing in a personal vehicle (I lived in Canada for ~20 years before moving to the US for ~20 years), with the appropriate paperwork the value assessed at the border is reduced by $10K off the current market value, which saves on import duties and registration fees.
2- the border officer was very nice and used the very low end of the market estimate before applying the $10K deduction, even though I showed the original purchase price with all the fancy options.
3- my 2020 450 has pretty much every option available at the time, including the relatively rare e-ABC, which I wasn't going to get a good deal for had I sold it in the US 5+ years later. And finding a similar new car in Canada wasn't possible since e-ABC isn't offered anymore (except on the GLE 580 and GLS I think), so I probably would have been net negative had I sold and re-bought a similar car.
4- it's in very good shape and very low mileage and was custom ordered with everything I wanted, so I had confidence that it would last me a long time and didn't want to risk a lemon etc.
The only thing I didn't know about about until after the fact, which is slightly annoying, is that Mercedes still considers it an MBUSA US vehicle, so any upcoming recalls or service bulletins must be performed at a US dealer if I want them done for free (unless I can convince a Canadian dealer or MB Canada under goodwill). Roadside Assistance still works in both countries at no charge though.
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