Turn off Big Brother
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 107
Likes: 34
Last edited by ChrisNC; Mar 7, 2024 at 01:34 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2023
Posts: 2,368
Likes: 2,495
From: Northern Virginia
2023 C8 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
My understanding is that if the car does not get an "ack" back, things may not work (could include not starting). With all the software in these cars, telling to to "fail safe" is not that hard.... Note: they get to define what "safe" is
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2021
Posts: 2,555
Likes: 1,213
I'm with you philosophically Chris but it's not just a GM problem. As long as there is $$$ to be made collecting data, entities will collect it. This is not a problem the market can solve, it's one of those cases that requires regulation.
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2021
Posts: 1,667
Likes: 1,151
There's little point in speculating what may or may not happen. Someone has to go first and wrap the antenna and just see what happens. There's also a slight possibility the OnStar module may have a sim card that can be removed. That would be preferable.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2021
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Race Director
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 11,421
Likes: 8,575
It's times like this I feel compelled to ping @Andybump
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Drifting
Joined: Jan 2021
Posts: 1,667
Likes: 1,151
It may be, but the data coming from the car is being sold and attached to your SSN and can be purchased by anyone, including your insurance company whom it's being marketed to. And my insurance company would be happy to crush me with a rate increase based on that data. Google knows who I am, sure, but they aren't attaching my browsing habits to my SSN and allowing anybody with an LLC and credit card to purchase them.
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 1,731
Likes: 496
From: Glenelg MD
The easiest first step is to leave it unplugged and see what warning lights pop up (if any). It's a shame you're not a bit closer as we could pop it open on my bench and poke around with the scope and analyzer.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 11,421
Likes: 8,575
You do know that you have one under each fender right? From the schematic, the left one appears to support GPS and cell comms. The right one supports cell coms. They don't always show everything on a single schematic, so each could potentially support more. But the point is both need to be "disabled" to prevent cell comms.
Someone in this or another thread pointed out that it might damage the telematics RF section if it is operated without the antenna connection. It has something to do with not being properly loaded resulting in reflections back to the unit, or something like that. I'm not an RF engineer. But the person that pointed that out suggested it should be terminated. And, I don't know eactly how to do that. I'm liking the idea of covering them (both sides) with foil and then testing.
I'm not sure how to test. But here are some thoughts. First perform a control test to make sure it will connect. Make sure WiFi is not connected - you do that in the car menu. The before covering the antennas, push the OnStar button and verify that they answer. Hang up - sorry accidental dial. Then cover them and test again. Verify that it fails to connect.
Pro
Joined: Mar 2021
Posts: 627
Likes: 417
From: Virginia, Lynchburg-adjacent
Think it'll be possible to retain gps? From what I can tell, there are two connectors on driver side, and one connector on passenger side? I'm also curious why there would be two cell antennas.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 11,421
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They dont always show everything in one schematic. But the one I posted above shows a single coax going to the telematics and it says GPS and cell. I think the other connector on the left side may possibly be the XM connection? But you might find more than one connector on the right side.
Pro
Joined: Mar 2021
Posts: 627
Likes: 417
From: Virginia, Lynchburg-adjacent