Bamafan

My remote start works about one of every three times I try to use it. Not at all what I expected. Usually I get a "communication failure" message.

Does anyone else have a high failure rate?

mathechr

Mine works about half the time as well. I have spent time troubleshooting with Mbrace and they verified that they can't connect with the car as well. Instructed me to take it back to the dealer to have the antenna checked, software reinstalled and then go from there. I have not had a chance to schedule an appointment yet.

maxmini

I think it has to do with the fact that the chip is a 3G and most of the modern cell infrastructure for communication is LTE. I am not an engineer, but when I turn off the LTE (even when I have four bars) the Mbrace app seems to connect better with the car. I don't even want to think about how much time I've spent talking with them at Mbrace.

skw

It's hit or miss here as well. Sometimes sending it a lock command (even though it is already locked, then try starting it again works. At times it would also give the communication failure msg on the app, but then I get a text saying the car was started. And when I go outside, it is indeed running.

phoenixone

I called Mbrace and they've acknowledge that there is an existing problem with their system signaling the vehicles. They said they've received numerous calls about intermittent success using the Mbrace remote start/lock and that they were in the middle of a system repair/overhaul/update (whatever they want to call it) and that it should be back up and running soon but no time frame given.

Bamafan

That's good news. I must say, I am disappointed in how all of the systems integrate (or don't) integrate in this car. I am also disappointed in how rarely the help desk has been able to help.

However--just so I don't end on a negative note--I continue to be impressed with the solidity of the car. The first car my wife and I purchased together was a '90's 190. That thing felt like a bank vault. Mercedes lost a lot of that feel over the years. But this GLE has a bit of that "bank vault" character.

Rainers

I wish Mercedes was listening to all of us! But they are not! You are talking with Verizon, not Mercedes when you call MBRACE!
"Customers assume they're talking to Mercedes representatives, not Verizon. "We are really an extension of the Mercedes-Benz business"
http://www.fiercewireless.com/tech/s...enz/2015-08-12

Verizon telematics might write the app but Mercedes lets this Happen!*
Verizon telematics has an app and hardware they sell that works very well. Check it out at hum.com. You pay monthly fee and plug a module onto you ODBll port. *Too bad Mercedes let them get away*with this and not fix their own app.

Perhaps a class action lawsuit is needed, MBRACE is misleading in all the Mercedes literature.*

maxmini

Remote start is down yet again. Calls to mbrace yielded 2 10minute waits for a technician and finally a request to call back because all the techs were busy. When I refused and asked for a supervisor he said that he would place the service request in and I would get a call...

.....Still waiting.

I can't understand why they can't send out notifications when their telematics go down being that everyone using the app is registered. Unless they are afraid we all will see how often and how unstable their system is.

Duspin07

I believe most of us are smart enough to figure things out. Thanks to the poster who blew the cover off mbrace's true identity. One of the CSRs indeed admitted they were a 3d party concern but didn't mention that they were Verizon. Not surprised since they are NOT properly trained on the remote start feature and impart incorrect information about how it works. OK for mobile phones but not for my Mercedes-Benz. I'm not convinced Verizon is at fault here. I believer it's M-B.

Now then, while it's true that M-B continues to equip vehicles with 3G ("the best or nothing?") technology when the rest of the world for the last 6 years has been using 4G LTE, it's more of a capacity problem that is compounding the inability of this app to work. On cold mornings in the northeast, try as you might, it will take on average approx 8 mins to start the car, if it starts at all (on morning I spent 1 hour and 38 tries to no avail). Ridiculous. When the weather is more temperate (as it is now), almost immediately and almost every start completes on the first try or two. At least, the response is much quicker.

Now we are approaching the warmer weather when everyone will want a cooled off car to get into in the peak of high temps. I see more delays between 4 and 7 PM once the northeast breaks out of spring and gets into summer, though probably not so much in the AM.

Carl Benz: "The best or nothing." For this feature, we got nothing.

maxmini

Have you gotten the Mbrace satisfaction questionnaire??? It was a pleasure to register my disgust at the app and also the way I have been treated.

Duspin07

Yes indeed I did and I registered more than disgust. But keep in mind, they really hate to be told they're wrong. Ask M-B to admit they didn't rust-protect their vehicles from MYs 1996 through 2002 and they'll deny it every time.

ilumo

50% hit rate even now.... So doesn't look like MB has done anything to improve on this feature.