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I got this email from OnStar yesterday and it indicated the following and was wondering if it was do to the Range Active fuel management device I started using it to defeat the V4 activation. What do you think? The car is not showing any CEL codes and runs like a champ. I don't have an Onstar subscription. This is just the Onstar service the comes with the car for the first 5 years.
I get these too, and I'm not a big fan. No information I don't already have or know, and when the car sends the email you hear a voice over the audio system say 'This vehicle is connected to limited services with OnStar' or something similar - creepy behavior - like the car is waiting for you and needs to call home to Mama, and then send junk mail I don't want. Wonder who else gets this info.
The whole point of this 'feature' is to encourage service visits and sell OnStar subscriptions. Doesn't appear to be a way to turn these off without disabling the OnStar system, and I haven't seen a definitive way to do just that on a C7.
I have personally found "On Star" to be pretty much useless and have never renewed it once the free trial period has expired on any of my cars. As pickleseimer said, no detailed info is provided by them ... well, except for your tire pressure
I'd run the car to the dealer for a check. Likely covered by warranty. If it's nothing, no harm no foul. If it is something, I'd rather get it fixed than let it go and possibly turn into something more serious.
This On-Star feature is free. I've had it report to me I was a couple lbs pressure low in one of my tires. If I got a report of something else, I'd certainly take it to Chevy for a look-see. If it's something you added or did, at least you'll know.
I had a code thrown about my rear differential. After 30 minutes on the phone and several people talking with me, they could tell me nothing about it and said go to the dealer. Not worth much for that. I have kept to stolen vehicle on star level just for peace of mind. The Guidance level is absolutely useless. My wife can look up what we need much faster on her phone or even she isn't there, Siri usually figures it out for me and I use car play.
Thanks to all for your replies. I'll run it to the dealer. I have 36,004 miles on the car and bought it with 20 miles. I will have 4 miles left on the 36 month or 36,000 mile warranty when I drive into the dealers service bay. Made it by a hair.
Warranty should be good up to 36,020 miles. Whew! Probably was the Range device anyway.
Last edited by joemessman; Jun 23, 2017 at 10:20 AM.
Ive had fhe range device in mine for nearly a year. Never have i gotten anything from onstar. I do not have a subscription as it provides only a little for a lot. IF onstar was all that great they would just include it as standard. If i could disable the whole program, I would.
The 2015 I had for two years did that several times and a diagnostic check from the dealer found nothing. He said to ignore the warnings, as did OnStar when I called them. My 2017 hasn't shown any warnings yet after four months.
Lose the AFM disabler before going to the dealer. It'll probably clear before you get there.
Yes. I did that. I'll be curious if that was the issue. I took it down to Bradley Chevrolet this morning and will have it back by 5PM and will file a report. One other thing that was mentioned to me that there was a service suggestion for Stingray A8 cars for a change in differential fluid at 30K now. I asked the service writer if I could read his information and it was letter type with the GM Chevrolet emblem on it for the suggestion. I didn't have time to read it all, but it was essentially an early cautionary maintenance procedure. Must have something to do with the know warble issue, which I had for a couple thousand miles about a year ago. It eventually stopped on it own. Go figure.
The diagnostics on the car at the dealership didn't show any issues. So it probably was the Range device. I don't turn it off when I leave the car over night. I drive it every day and don't worry about battery drain. So the mechanic and I are guessing that may have been the issue with the report. The only issue the mechanic could detect in regard to the him plugging CEL device into OBD slot was it showed that fuse 42 was not detected. That is the one to keep the NPP exhaust open at all times regardless of speed, and it just stays in "Track" sound.
He stated that the diff fluid that was changed out really didn't look bad, but better safe than sorry I guess.
At this particular dealership they check the alignment as part of the maintenance check with oil changes. Mine were all with in spec on all four corners. Good to know since I have never had it checked. My tires always seemed to wear evenly.
Last edited by joemessman; Jun 24, 2017 at 03:41 AM.
Here is what Range Technology FAQ section has to say about OnStar reports when the device is plugged in at the time OnStar wants to run a report.
******************
The quick answer is - the OnStar report occurs once a month and it does not like ANYTHING (Progressive SnapShot, Range Module, DashHawk, DashBoss, etc.) plugged into the OBD2 port when it runs.
The longer answer - OnStar runs diagnostics on the CAN bus at the same "address" as a diagnostic tool plugged into the OBD2 port (makes sense, right?) If something else is plugged into the port, it's like the address slot is already filled, so it can't run it's diagnostics. (Same thing happens with the dealer Tech II and any other device).
This doesn't hurt anything, but it will complain that it can't run diagnostics ... it usually occurs the same time every month and if you want, you can just unplug the module when your report is due that night and then plug it back in the next morning.
The good news is the fact the Range Module can just be unplugged and replugged to cure. It doesn't leave any "footprint" in the ECU and it doesn't modify ANYTHING in any of the modules.
St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15- '16-'17-‘18-‘19-'20-'21
NCM Lifetime Member
Originally Posted by joemessman
Thanks to all for your replies. I'll run it to the dealer. I have 36,004 miles on the car and bought it with 20 miles. I will have 4 miles left on the 36 month or 36,000 mile warranty when I drive into the dealers service bay. Made it by a hair.
Warranty should be good up to 36,020 miles. Whew! Probably was the Range device anyway.
Joe, the powertrain is covered for 60k and this would be a powertrain issue. Also, it is possible to throw a code and not trigger the CEL. I've had that happen a time or two. Imho, it would have been less expensive to simply use the M mode and the paddles.
Not to hijack this thread, but about 10 days after my Z06 was totalled in Maine, I received my monthly email from OnStar and it said there was nothing wrong with my car.
Just a FYI--when I received a CEL from the Range device (last year's version) I read the code with my BlueDriver reader. The two codes reported were:
1. P0700
Transmission Control System (MIL Request)
2. P26C8
Chassis Control Module 1 Requested MIL Illumination
Easy to clear with either BlueDriver or just pulling the Range and reinserting. Just thought this might relate to the OnStar report.
Another FYI: Before I hard-wired my V1, I was using the Savvy that plugs into the OBD2 port. In this case, OnStar could not read anything!
Thanks to all for your replies. I'll run it to the dealer. I have 36,004 miles on the car and bought it with 20 miles. I will have 4 miles left on the 36 month or 36,000 mile warranty when I drive into the dealers service bay. Made it by a hair.
Warranty should be good up to 36,020 miles. Whew! Probably was the Range device anyway.
I assume you opted not to get an extended warranty because you plan to upgrade to a Z06?
Here is what Range Technology FAQ section has to say about OnStar reports when the device is plugged in at the time OnStar wants to run a report.
******************
The quick answer is - the OnStar report occurs once a month and it does not like ANYTHING (Progressive SnapShot, Range Module, DashHawk, DashBoss, etc.) plugged into the OBD2 port when it runs.
The longer answer - OnStar runs diagnostics on the CAN bus at the same "address" as a diagnostic tool plugged into the OBD2 port (makes sense, right?) If something else is plugged into the port, it's like the address slot is already filled, so it can't run it's diagnostics. (Same thing happens with the dealer Tech II and any other device).
This doesn't hurt anything, but it will complain that it can't run diagnostics ... it usually occurs the same time every month and if you want, you can just unplug the module when your report is due that night and then plug it back in the next morning.
The good news is the fact the Range Module can just be unplugged and replugged to cure. It doesn't leave any "footprint" in the ECU and it doesn't modify ANYTHING in any of the modules.
****************
Sounds like what you are seeing on the report.
Uh.....Mine was plugged in all day yesterday during which time OnStar ran the diagnostic and the report I received shows, "No Issues Found".