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Valet forgot passcode

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Old Apr 20, 2017 | 08:12 PM
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Default Valet forgot passcode

I didn't forget my passcode, but I was messing around with the valet feature and I hit "forgot passcode" to see what my options would be in the event that actually happens. I get a prompt telling me that a text will be sent with my passcode. But it's been 2 hours and I still haven't gotten a text, and I've tried about 4 times. I don't anticipate this ever being an issue for me, but I would like to have it figured out now while it's not an emergency. Does anyone know how to get that feature to work? I've checked and my phone is the only phone paired to my corvette.
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Old Apr 20, 2017 | 08:19 PM
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I'm curious. For this to work GM (probably Onstar) needs to know your phone number. Did you give your phone number to GM? I haven't.
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Old Apr 20, 2017 | 08:21 PM
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Negative. I have not given out my phone number. I guess I assumed that being connected via Bluetooth, that the car would simply send the passcode to the phone paired with the vehicle.
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Old Apr 20, 2017 | 08:56 PM
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Bluetooth doesn't operate that way. Aside from the fact that it doesn't send that kind of data back to the phone, there's no app on the phone sitting there waiting for a Bluetooth text message in order to put up a notification. Bluetooth is simply a protocol, much like TCP/IP or SMTP.
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Old Apr 20, 2017 | 09:16 PM
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It says it will send a message to a phone that has been connected to the radio previously. The way this works is not always compatible with every device. I can almost guarantee it will never work with an iPhone due to the Bluetooth implementation they have. If you did not get a text right away, you will never get one. And the phone has to be in the car when it's trying to send because it actually connects to the phones Bluetooth if you watch closely.

Here is a video demonstrating how it doesn't work very well.

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Old Apr 20, 2017 | 10:02 PM
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I'm curious. Exactly what app would be responsible for receiving this supposed Bluetooth message? According to https://stackoverflow.com/questions/...oth-in-android sending text message through Bluetooth is possible but you'd still need some app (IOW some executable code) to receive the message and display it to the user. I'm wondering what app you think you have that does that? The default messaging app on the phone? Somehow I highly doubt that. Maybe Onstar's app has this functionality. But I don't think this would work at all unless some app is there to do the heavy lifting.
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Old Apr 20, 2017 | 10:20 PM
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^^^^ That's a good question for the engineer that created this system. I have no idea what it thinks it is supposed to be doing. Perhaps someone will ask at the bash next week.

Last edited by Steve Garrett; Apr 22, 2017 at 10:54 AM.
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Old Apr 20, 2017 | 10:31 PM
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If you don't get a message soon, then a trip to the dealer is in order so they can unlock it.
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Old Apr 21, 2017 | 09:09 AM
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Originally Posted by defaria
I'm curious. Exactly what app would be responsible for receiving this supposed Bluetooth message? According to https://stackoverflow.com/questions/...oth-in-android sending text message through Bluetooth is possible but you'd still need some app (IOW some executable code) to receive the message and display it to the user. I'm wondering what app you think you have that does that? The default messaging app on the phone? Somehow I highly doubt that. Maybe Onstar's app has this functionality. But I don't think this would work at all unless some app is there to do the heavy lifting.


It does not work that way. It works just like if you were to send a reply to a text via the car. The car can send any text through your phone. From the description above, it sends a text through your phone to GM. GM replies. If you want to get technical, you can find the capabilities by looking up the supported Bluetooth version profiles.
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Old Apr 21, 2017 | 10:07 AM
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It necessarily *has* to work that way. No computer does anything unless executing instructions. These instructions must be an application in userland or perhaps a service in the OS. Bluetooth profiles are a definition of a service. Definitions don't act - only code acts. As such which code on your phone would be responsible for notifying you of a Bluetooth text message?

Nowhere above did anybody say it sends any message to GM and why would it need to. It knows the unlock code locally. And how would it do that as many have never used the WiFi stuff and Bluetooth does not have the range to go all the way to Detroit.

As for Bluetooth profiles, the closest thing I could find was https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...file_.28MAP.29 in which Chevy is noticeably absent.
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Old Apr 21, 2017 | 10:23 AM
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Originally Posted by Marcho Polo
It says it will send a message to a phone that has been connected to the radio previously. The way this works is not always compatible with every device. I can almost guarantee it will never work with an iPhone due to the Bluetooth implementation they have. If you did not get a text right away, you will never get one. And the phone has to be in the car when it's trying to send because it actually connects to the phones Bluetooth if you watch closely.

Here is a video demonstrating how it doesn't work very well.

https://youtu.be/VwyiQh8iNQA



Defaria...read...

Originally Posted by defaria
It necessarily *has* to work that way. No computer does anything unless executing instructions. These instructions must be an application in userland or perhaps a service in the OS. Bluetooth profiles are a definition of a service. Definitions don't act - only code acts. As such which code on your phone would be responsible for notifying you of a Bluetooth text message?

Nowhere above did anybody say it sends any message to GM and why would it need to. It knows the unlock code locally. And how would it do that as many have never used the WiFi stuff and Bluetooth does not have the range to go all the way to Detroit.

As for Bluetooth profiles, the closest thing I could find was https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...file_.28MAP.29 in which Chevy is noticeably absent.

I have no idea what you are talking about. If it indeed functions as the above post says, its the car that's executing the instructions. The phones Bluetooth profile provides the method to send a text message. The car uses this medium to send to GM. This is how GM knows the number to respond to and the code to reply with. Or do you think the text has a code that unlocks all cars?

Last edited by Steve Garrett; Apr 22, 2017 at 10:55 AM. Reason: Merged Posts-please use the Multi-Quote button (the middle icon) in the lower right hand corner of each post to make your responses look like this!
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Old Apr 21, 2017 | 10:58 AM
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Originally Posted by falconhulk
Defaria...read...
I did read! It said, and I quote,

Lock Code Recovery
Connecting to phone...
Sending text message with unlock code
Where in that do you read in "Sending code to GM"?!? Clearly "Sending text message with unlock code" implies "Sending text message [to phone] with unlock code".

Further evidence includes the fact that it didn't work and the following message:

Unable to Send Code
Confirm a previously connected phone is in the vehicle with
Bluetooth enabled and try again. (This feature may not be
supported by your phone.) If unsuccessful, visit a dealer to
clear your PIN
Again nothing about sending anything to GM.

Originally Posted by falconhulk
I have no idea what you are talking about. If it indeed functions as the above post says, its the car that's executing the instructions. The phones Bluetooth profile provides the method to send a text message. The car uses this medium to send to GM. This is how GM knows the number to respond to and the code to reply with. Or do you think the text has a code that unlocks all cars?
You say the car "uses this medium to sent to GM". Really? Exactly which "medium" is the car using? Bluetooth? Bluetooth is limited to 10 meters. Do you have GM's office within 10 meters of your car? I think not.

Further you state "GM knows the number to respond to and the code to reply with". So you think that when you invoke Valet Mode a message containing your randomly selected PIN is sent over some "medium" (obviously not Bluetooth because Bluetooth doesn't have the range required) and it does so in an "secure" fashion? Really? When did you exchange keys and authentication tokens with GM such that this could be safely encrypted? Or is it sent in plain text?

Wouldn't it make a lot more sense that the car itself knows the 4 digit PIN you choose (after all it knows it enough to unlock the system) and all of that would be happening on the car's computer locally?

We still don't know the mechanism of how it would get from the car to actually be a text message. In order to be a text message the phone *has* to execute some code. What app is that?

Last edited by Steve Garrett; Apr 22, 2017 at 10:55 AM. Reason: Merged Posts-please use the Multi-Quote button (the middle icon) in the lower right hand corner of each post to make your responses look like this!
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Old Apr 21, 2017 | 11:17 AM
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Originally Posted by defaria
You say the car "uses this medium to sent to GM". Really? Exactly which "medium" is the car using? Bluetooth? Bluetooth is limited to 10 meters. Do you have GM's office within 10 meters of your car? I think not.

Further you state "GM knows the number to respond to and the code to reply with". So you think that when you invoke Valet Mode a message containing your randomly selected PIN is sent over some "medium" (obviously not Bluetooth because Bluetooth doesn't have the range required) and it does so in an "secure" fashion? Really? When did you exchange keys and authentication tokens with GM such that this could be safely encrypted? Or is it sent in plain text?

Wouldn't it make a lot more sense that the car itself knows the 4 digit PIN you choose (after all it knows it enough to unlock the system) and all of that would be happening on the car's computer locally?

We still don't know the mechanism of how it would get from the car to actually be a text message. In order to be a text message the phone *has* to execute some code. What app is that?

Sooo...lets be clear this is a theory and makes the most sense to me.


Again, you are going to far and I have no idea what you are talking about. I did not think I would have to go this deep. The Bluetooth profile on your phone opens up methods to access capabilities. These capabilities are made available to any device that supports the same profile capabilities and that is paired with the phone. One of which is sending texts. Utilizing this connection, the car can send text messages using your phone...the same way you can over the same networks you do...because it is. Its not using Bluetooth to communicate with GM. Its using Bluetooth to communicate with your phone. Your phone then uses your provider. The text message sent from the car contains a code, to which GM generates a reply code. GM sends the reply code to you via text. You enter the code and the car is unlocked.
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Old Apr 21, 2017 | 11:32 AM
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Sure seems to me that if a car offers a service that has the great risk of users locking themselves out of compartments, that it would offer suggestions on how to unlock and retrieve your items. And since it does offer a "forgot passcode" feature, it seems to me that it would be in the owners manual or somehow made known to owners how that feature would actually work and what I need to do to take advantage of that feature.
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Old Apr 21, 2017 | 12:00 PM
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Originally Posted by drivemewilder
Sure seems to me that if a car offers a service that has the great risk of users locking themselves out of compartments, that it would offer suggestions on how to unlock and retrieve your items. And since it does offer a "forgot passcode" feature, it seems to me that it would be in the owners manual or somehow made known to owners how that feature would actually work and what I need to do to take advantage of that feature.
It's top secret. If they told you, they would have to kill you.
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Old Apr 21, 2017 | 01:19 PM
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Originally Posted by falconhulk
Sooo...lets be clear this is a theory and makes the most sense to me.


Again, you are going to far and I have no idea what you are talking about. I did not think I would have to go this deep.
Sorry but details are important.

The Bluetooth profile on your phone opens up methods to access capabilities. These capabilities are made available to any device that supports the same profile capabilities and that is paired with the phone. One of which is sending texts.
What the Bluetooth protocol defines is method to access the send text action. What it does not define is how that message is processed after being received. Instead a process of some sort registers with the OS saying "If you get a message on this port then hand it to me" and this process then is responsible for taking that message and displaying it. Bluetooth does not display it.

Think of it like email. Email is defined by the SMTP protocol. When you send an email it's sent to a machine at a certain port (typically port 25). If (and only if) that machine is running software called an email server (e.g. Sendmail or Postfix) then that message will be read when it is received at port 25 and then the message will be "processed". In some instances the message is not bound for a user at this machine to the email server forwards the message along to another machine down port 25. If the user is local then the message is deposited in their mailbox.

The important thing to note is that the mere act of receipt of the message does not show the message to the end user. In fact there is no processing of that message at all until and unless there is software (Sendmail/Postfix) who's job it is is to process it and that software is running. To actually read the message the user runs yet another process called an email client which fetches the email from the mailbox on the server using one of two popular protocols - IMAP (143) or POP (110). It is only then that the user will actually be able to read the message.

SMTP does not display the message to the user - it's just a description of the protocol that the server can adhere to. Even then if Sendmail/Postfix is not running *NOTHING HAPPENS* and the message is not processed. IOW the protocol does not equate to action. The only way to get action is to run code. Same thing on the email reader and the IMAP or POP protocols.

Bluetooth is a protocol specification. And while the car may send the message to the appropriate "port" or Bluetooth profile *NOTHING HAPPENS* unless there is a corresponding process on the other side (the phone) that accepts and processes this message.

WRT texting apps, they must be installed so the question is which app is responsible for processing this "Bluetooth sends a txt message to phone". Note as I said before it could be a system process in the OS but I have not heard of that before.

Utilizing this connection, the car can send text messages using your phone...the same way you can over the same networks you do...because it is.
Actually no it isn't. Text messages are send on your phone using the data connection you have with your provider. My car has no data connection with any providers therefore it can't send text messages. And if it uses my phone to send text messages then it must use some sort of process to do so. Additionally, under Android, it would need to ask for and receive permission to do this action, which I have not granted.

Its not using Bluetooth to communicate with GM. Its using Bluetooth to communicate with your phone. Your phone then uses your provider. The text message sent from the car contains a code, to which GM generates a reply code. GM sends the reply code to you via text. You enter the code and the car is unlocked.
This makes no sense. Where is your information coming from that says that this is what is happening? You seem to be suggesting that your car connects to your phone via bluetooth and says "Send a text message to GM with this code" and then GM somehow magically reads the text message, does some sort of computations (why it would need to do this is beyond me - obviously your car knows the valet code you put in because it will unlock valet mode when you put it in so there's no need to go anywhere outside the car - the phone could just send the code is knows directly to your phone via Bluetooth but we get right back to the question of 'what code is running on your phone that will do the action of displaying the message?') to compute a reply code (what's a reply code?) and then again GM would need to know your phone number in order to text you.

Last edited by defaria; Apr 21, 2017 at 01:43 PM.
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Old Apr 21, 2017 | 01:46 PM
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^^^ Ok, you win. I tap out. It would be funny if you knew you were explaining email to an email expert...at least that's what Microsoft considered me when I worked for them up until last year. That's all irrelevant just as your email breakdown is.



You are making this too complicated and you don't understand what you think you do. Its a waste of my time doing this with you. Especially when all I have is a theory based on behavior reported by another owner.

Last edited by Steve Garrett; Apr 22, 2017 at 10:53 AM.
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Old Apr 21, 2017 | 02:24 PM
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Originally Posted by falconhulk
Ok, you win. I tap out. It would be funny if you knew you were explaining email to an email expert...at least that's what Microsoft considered me when I worked for them up until last year. That's all irrelevant just as your email breakdown is.
If you were an email expert I would have thought you would have understood this from the start. Apparently you don't code. Have you ever actually written code that reads from a network socket? If you had you'd quickly realize that sending stuff down the network socket will do absolutely nothing unless your code is running to accept and process the stuff.

You are making this too complicated and you don't understand what you think you do.
Quite the contrary - I understand exactly what I'm talking about here and it's quite simple - nothing, absolutely nothing happens on a computer unless it is processing instructions. Descriptions of protocols are just recipes in a way. Nothing gets done unless the "cook" gets to work. I merely asked the question "who's the cook" and you and everybody else keep failing to address this.

Its a waste of my time doing this with you. Especially when all I have is a theory based on behavior reported by another owner.
Technically you have a hypothesis... :-)

Think of it this way Mr. Microsoft Exchange expert... You have SMTP right. I mean it exists and is codified in an RFC. What happens if you have a Windows machine but have not installed Exchange? Can it receive emails? The answer is no. Same here. You have a Bluetooth profile. And unless you have software that runs in response to a message receipt nothing happens. This couldn't be simpler...
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Old Apr 21, 2017 | 02:35 PM
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Don't you just love it when two smart guys get into an argument? I have no idea what either one of you are talking about.
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Old Apr 21, 2017 | 02:47 PM
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Not sure why you find this difficult to understand. Computers don't do anything unless running code. What code is being invoked on the cell phone when your car is using Bluetooth to send your phone a text message? It's a simple question.
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