tsts

Would have been nice if GM would have been all over their dealers on the Mobil 1 oil change issue.

MikeyTX

True. The difference being that Mobil1 full synthetic costs GM big bucks while the other one, OnStar, makes them big bucks !

MikeyTX

Sadly, I did not get the form with the opt out check off box until after I'd left the museum. It was in among other paperwork that was sent to me by my selling dealer that I had to sign and return.

bob guzzy

They never asked me when I was signing the salesman asked me if I wanted to activate it now.
I said not now or ever, on 1 or 2 occasions I got a recorded message telling me Onstar has limited services.

I get no service they get no money, sounds like a perfect arrangement.

turbo8765

First time I tracked my stingray Onstar called me repeatedly, 8-10x, to let me know that my brakes needed to be serviced and that I'd been in an accident.

It was VERY distracting.

Gearhead Jim

Many others have. It's even been in some of the test report articles.

As for tracking, the issue today is not can you be tracked, but how easily you can be tracked. In the case of your driving habits (speed, cornering, braking, etc) it seems that the data gets sent to GM regardless of your settings, they just don't look at it without your request. Yeah, right...

Gearhead Jim

So here we are at 65 posts (not counting mine ) and I don't see any way to disable Onstar without losing some other functions, like the compass.

Disconnecting the antenna sounds easiest, I did that on our C6 and everything worked fine but no communication with the mother ship so no info going out. Has anyone figured out how to do that on the C7, and if you lose any functions?

Fcal

Someone found the easy answer.

MikeyTX

Jim, why not pull the OnStar fuse ? Yes, you will lose the weather function and the compass.

Avanti

I got a letter from State Farm telling me that my low-mileage discount (on another vehicle) was going to be revoked because my mileage was too high--it wasn't--and I went to my agent's to find out what-the-heck was happening. I was told they monitor sources of info like OnStar to check such things. However, they had nothing to monitor on my truck, so all got fixed.

As for with the C7, I bought two new Vettes the same afternoon, first a '17 and when it developed a problem as I was leaving Kerbeck's they put me in an identical '18 (for the same price). However, I still get reports for the first Vette and know that it's tires are constantly underinflated (not that OnStar has ever gotten even THAT datum right on my '18).

The point is, who knows exactly who ends up with OnStar's data and what it might or might not be used for???

Gearhead Jim

I like the compass. It even annoys me that they ditched the nice big compass on the C6 Nav for those wimpy little letters giving only an approximate direction.


Maybe it will be too difficult to disconnect the Onstar antenna, but with all the brains and DIY people here, somebody must have already done it.
Where is that somebody?

MikeyTX

Oh Well, Either or ............ No OnStar, no compass. It is a married unit.

cowboy casey

Just install a range device and it will not be able to pull any data, no data no report...

Still does not turn it off but I have a mirror tap powering my radar detector so I really do not want to pull fuses..

MikeyTX

Jim may not want to mess with that. I know I wouldn't. And, what makes you think the ECM can't read it ? I'd put good money on the fact that there is (are) readings we are not aware of that can be pulled from the on board diagnostics systems on the car. Each gen has more of this it seems.

65daytona

I cancelled my ONSTAR about 6 months ago. Hit the steering wheel very hard in an emergency reaction to hit the horn. Girl came on and scared the hell out of me asking was I all right. It appears that even if you are not signed up to pay they are still watching you.

Bill K

Gearhead Jim

I'm thinking there should be a way to disconnect the antenna with a cable fitting, either as it comes out of the Onstar or as it goes into the antenna itself, like on the C6. That should be different from the GPS antenna.

I looked at the thread where a guy disassembled the Onstar box in the trunk, removed a circuit board, and put the rest back together. That seems to have worked, but it's more complication to do and eventually undo, than I prefer.

demasterz

Woodson

You're still being tracked by your phone.

green2000

Not me.