Frequently Asked Questions

IgniteRemote is an automotive-first remote access platform: browser-based remote desktop plus live J2534 tool sharing, so OEM diagnostic software can use a pass-thru interface that is plugged into a vehicle somewhere else. It's built for locksmiths, automotive programmers, dealers, and mobile technicians.

Generic remote desktop tools share a screen. IgniteRemote also shares a J2534 pass-thru interface across the internet, so OEM software such as Ford FDRS, GM Techline Connect, Chrysler wiTECH, Toyota Techstream or VW ODIS sees the tool in its own picker while the tool and the vehicle stay at the shop. Before a module write, it checks the link and the vehicle's battery voltage and refuses to start programming if either falls short. Generic USB passthrough and USB-Only Mode are in development.

No. Your own technician does the work from their own PC, with your tool at the vehicle and your OEM subscription. There is no per-job fee and no appointment with a vendor's technician. Remote desktop runs in a browser; tool sharing needs the IgniteRemote desktop app on the expert's PC, because a browser cannot host a J2534 driver.

Yes. Auto Module Lab's technicians do remote module programming over IgniteRemote: you connect your J2534 tool to the car, install IgniteRemote and follow the connection instructions in your booking email, and they run the factory software from their side. Sessions start at $150 and shop plans at $255 a month.

The account owner creates a tool-sharing token in the console under Tools > Tool sharing and sends it to the shop. On the computer the vehicle interface plugs into, the shop installs the interface maker's J2534 driver, plugs the interface in and installs IgniteRemote. In the app it chooses “At the car”, pastes the token under “Paste your tool-sharing token”, presses “Continue” and then “Share this computer's tools”. Tokens need the Automotive Pro+ or Tool Sharing plan.

The account owner invites the technician from the console's Team page. The technician opens the invitation link and chooses a password, installs IgniteRemote on their own Windows PC, chooses “Running the diagnostic software” and signs in with their own account. They keep “Add IgniteRemote to your diagnostic software” ticked and press “Finish setup”, and Windows asks for an administrator once. Then they press “Connect to a car”, pick the shop's tool and press “Connect”; it is usually ready in 10 to 30 seconds. In the diagnostic software they choose IgniteRemote as the J2534 device.

No. The shop joins with the tool-sharing token the account owner sends, so nobody at the shop signs in or needs a password. The app tells the shop whenever its tool is in use, and the owner's technicians can ask to view the shop's screen only if the token allows it; the shop approves each time.

Check that both computers are running IgniteRemote on the same current version; that the shop computer is on and online; and that the vehicle interface is plugged in with its maker's J2534 driver installed. For programming, use a direct link and put a charger on the car: a module write is refused on a relayed or unsteady connection, or when the battery voltage is out of range.

Yes, in full. Every call the diagnostic software made and every answer the vehicle gave is kept and decoded into fault codes, the VIN and part numbers, and every programming decision, including a refusal, is logged before the car is touched. Remote desktop sessions are recorded only when you choose to record one.

USB-Only Mode is a planned mode that forwards only USB data — no screen sharing, no video stream — for ECU flashing and key programming over LTE or mobile hotspot connections. It is in development and not available today.

Flash-Safe is a planned set of safeguards for remote programming over USB passthrough: heartbeat monitoring, automatic pause when the connection degrades, and session recovery. It is in development and not available today. What ships now is narrower: J2534 tool sharing checks the link and the vehicle's battery voltage before a module write and refuses to start on a connection or battery that is not good enough. That lowers the risk of an interrupted write; it cannot remove it.

Today, J2534 pass-thru interfaces, used from OEM diagnostic software such as Ford FDRS, GM Techline Connect, Chrysler wiTECH, JLR SDD, Toyota Techstream, VW ODIS or BMW ISTA. Nissan CONSULT-III plus works over tool sharing as well: IgniteRemote speaks J2534 version 05.00, so CONSULT selects it as its interface and works through a pass-thru tool at the shop. Key programming over a remote interface has been done successfully on cars. A DoIP car — a DoIP-only BMW, a CONSULT 4 Nissan, a Mercedes 206 or 223 — is worked the other way round. A DoIP BMW is handled with ISTA on the PC at the car over an ENET cable, driven by remote desktop, which is on every plan. Standalone key programmers and scan tablets — an Autel IM608 or XTOOL X100 PAD, for example — would need generic USB passthrough, which is in development and not available yet. Results always depend on the tool, the vehicle and the connection.

The IgniteRemote Agent runs on 64-bit Windows 10 (version 2004 or later) and Windows 11. Remote desktop works from a web browser on the technician's side, with nothing to install there. Using a shop's tool in OEM diagnostic software needs the Windows app on the technician's PC as well, because a browser cannot host a J2534 driver. macOS and Linux agents are planned.

Yes. Every plan starts with a 7-day free trial of that plan, and a credit card is required to start it.

Remote access comes in three plans: Solo ($9.90/mo, up to 5 computers), Pro ($24.90/mo, up to 25) and Automotive Pro+ ($49.90/mo, up to 100, with J2534 tool sharing included). J2534 tool sharing on its own is $39.90/mo for up to 25 computers. Plans also differ in how many sessions can run at the same time, and they stack on one account. The pricing page has the details.

All connections run over TLS, and by default the person at the remote computer must approve access before any screen sharing starts — unless you switch on unattended access for that computer. Team members get roles, and sessions are recorded in an audit log. Live session video is relayed through our servers and never stored — recordings are kept only when you choose to record one. Every download publishes a SHA-256 checksum you can verify.

Yes. Switch on Unattended Access for a computer and it can be reached without anyone clicking approve. Add Admin Mode and the IgniteRemote Agent runs as a Windows service that starts at boot, so the computer is reachable before anyone signs in; turning Admin Mode on needs an administrator on that PC. This suits shop PCs, dealer workstations, and permanent installations.

For Remote Desktop, we recommend at least 500 KB/s for a good experience; on a weaker link, choose a lower quality preset. USB-Only Mode, which is in development, is being designed to need far less.

Email support@igniteremote.com, or use the contact page for sales inquiries and technical questions.