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Speaking as a full-time automotive mechanic, this has been a regular fact of life for longer than most customers know. most parts search systems and recall bul
by nimbius 8y ago
Speaking as a full-time automotive mechanic, this has been a regular fact of life for longer than most customers know.
most parts search systems and recall bulletin systems do backflips to get you to report your customers. Popups requesting the make/model of the vehicle eventually expanded to just asking for a partial vin, then full vin. Now its not uncommon for Ford/GM parts search systems or recall databases to ask for the subscriber code for the vehicles OnStar system. Enter that code and it triggers a server somewhere at GM to pull vehicle data for the car. Ive called up a warranty claim or parts hotline to find the person on the other end asked for my customer by name. Pretty invasive for a wheel bearing.
The good news is, you can permanently disable OnStar and remote data collection fairly simply:
1. Theres usually an onstar control box near the radio inside the dash (not hard to get to.) this is NOT your ECM...look for a box with MAC address data on it.
2. Disconnect the box and open it. triple check to make sure its NOT the ECM. youll find a daughter board with a GPS antenna, and a cellular antenna.
3. Theres a male/male header bridge between the master board and that daughter board. pull that bridge, or remove the daughter board, and youve disabled onstar.
Caveats:
-Most vehicles dont check for the modem. youll not get a service code on the dash.
-This should not affect bluetooth pairing.
- Onstar calls, both automated and regular, will fail with "call completed."
-Be perfectly certain you want to disable onstar because the box comes with crash detection software that tries to dial onstar and report your crash.
- franciscrick1 8y agoExcellent. Now when I crash in a ditch on the side of the road and my phone flies out the window, I'll hang upside down with a concussion and internal bleeding until the morning when someone finds my dead body.
- packetized 8y agoThis is a profoundly unhelpful comment.
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]
- justinjlynn 8y agoSafe beneath the watchful, ever seeing eyes.
- huntie 8y agoJust like everyone did before mobile phones existed.
- Shivetya 8y agoHaving recently owned an Onstar equipped vehicle I had my ire raised early in the year when they revamped their terms of service and such. They were basically telling their customers how they would expand usage of their driving habits and more and then charge us even more for the privilege. Just look at their plans, https://www.onstar.com/us/en/plans-pricing/compare-plans/ https://www.onstar.com/us/en/plans-pricing/compare-plans/ Starting at $25 a month just for crash reporting and stolen vehicle assistance. I am of the opinion that if ANY manufacturer can detect a crash that they legally be required to render assistance. This assistance can simply be calling local authorities and up to informing the occupants through the in car system that that has occurred. Even if you don't pay they know it happened. Onstar isn't the only plan but it certainly is the most expensive I have encountered. Then again BMW will charge you not only for map updates but to use Apple's Carplay. Manufacturers have realized that if people buy cars and keep them longer then they need to find means to turn that into a continuous stream of income and too many are willing to exploit the safety side to do it.
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]