MAC Posted July 30, 2009 Report Share Posted July 30, 2009 I'm thinking about subscribing to OnStar's basic plan which costs $18.95 a month ($199 a year) and would provide the following services for my 2005 STS: Automatic Crash Response Emergency Services Crisis Assist Remote Door Unlock Roadside Assistance Remote Horn & Lights OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics includes On-Demand Diagnostics and monthly diagnostics email reports Hands-Free Calling Notice the Vehicle Diagnostics and Hands-Free Calling. These are the two features that appeal to me the most. I would have to buy time in order to use the Calling feature. As far as the Roadside Assistance, I don't know if OnStar pays for a tow or only directs a towing service to the location of the breakdown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marika Posted July 30, 2009 Report Share Posted July 30, 2009 I have the same plan with my '08 Impala and it's great. You can also set up "virtual advisory" which will tell you about traffic in your area, weather or stocks. The diagnostics occur once a month and the results are Emailed to you. If you have trouble with the car, you can also ask an Onstar advisor live to run the diagnostics as well. I also have the hands free calling. Very easy to use and works VERY well. If the car is in warranty, GM pays for a tow. If the car is out of warranty, they'll call a tow truck for you but you'll have to pay so get a plan like AAA which is $78/year for the best plan. If you really want to make people safe drivers again then simply remove all the safety features from cars. No more seat belts, ABS brakes, traction control, air bags or stability control. No more anything. You'll see how quickly people will slow down and once again learn to drive like "normal" humans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadeInAmerica Posted July 30, 2009 Report Share Posted July 30, 2009 Mac - Whether that's worth it to you or not is a personal decision. If the budget can't comfortably handle $18.95 per month, then it's not worth it at all. If it can, then you'd have to decide if those added security features are worth it, to you. I never realized how much my privacy meant to me until our modern day society and government has taken away more and more of our privacy. With OnStar, I personally don't like the notion that someone always knows where I and my car are. It's like Big Brother in the sky. If our privacy in the U.S.A. continues to be attacked by this liberal/socialist out of control mega-big-government and gets even worse, I'm leaving for some other country. I've had it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Jim Posted July 31, 2009 Report Share Posted July 31, 2009 I'm thinking about subscribing to OnStar's basic plan which costs $18.95 a month ($199 a year) and would provide the following services for my 2005 STS: Automatic Crash Response Emergency Services Crisis Assist Remote Door Unlock Roadside Assistance Remote Horn & Lights OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics includes On-Demand Diagnostics and monthly diagnostics email reports Hands-Free Calling Notice the Vehicle Diagnostics and Hands-Free Calling. These are the two features that appeal to me the most. I would have to buy time in order to use the Calling feature. As far as the Roadside Assistance, I don't know if OnStar pays for a tow or only directs a towing service to the location of the breakdown. Mac, I have had it for over three and a half years. I have the DIRECTIONS AND CONNECTIONS plan. I too like the monthly reports. There is a good possibility that when/if you call them, you can negotiate some added minutes or a few extra months from them. I paid for three years (in advance) the last time I renewed, and got an extra six months and an extra 200 minutes...plus they transferred my 600 minutes from my other car to this one. I too have some privacy concerns...but the benefits outweigh them for me. We use it "A LOT" when we are traveling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OynxSTS Posted July 31, 2009 Report Share Posted July 31, 2009 No, I have had it for free with a few of the new personal or company cars that I have had over the years... I only used it once (when my 2001 3.5L Intrigue Crank sensors failed) and I was not at all impressed... Meh... Just about sums it up. I have a GPS antenna for my laptop... that and a personal cell is more then you will ever need. Easin' down the highway in a new Cadillac, I had a fine fox in front, I had three more in the back ZZTOP, I'm Bad I'm Nationwide Greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAC Posted July 31, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2009 Mac - Whether that's worth it to you or not is a personal decision. If the budget can't comfortably handle $18.95 per month, then it's not worth it at all. If it can, then you'd have to decide if those added security features are worth it, to you. I never realized how much my privacy meant to me until our modern day society and government has taken aware more and more of our privacy. With OnStar, I personally don't like the notion that someone always knows where I and my car are. It's like Big Brother in the sky. If our privacy in the U.S.A. continues to be attacked by this liberal/socialist out of control mega-big-government and gets even worse, I'm leaving for some other country. I've had it. I also thought of privacy. I figure that it's no big deal for those who don't intend to do anything wrong. I certainly would not subscribe if OnStar had any kind of agreement with police to monitor my speed or if there was an agreement to report my driving habits to my insurance carrier. It's not that I'm an unsafe driver, it's that I would never accept these kinds of intrusions. Also, I don't know if OnStar will attempt to locate a reported stolen car, but I would think it possible--like LowJack. The $18.95 per month is acceptable as long as I'm getting something I can use in return. I like the diagnosis service, particularly since I have a high mileage car. I also want to buy an OBD-2 code reader as well. As far as the phone, I don't know how much minutes cost to purchase because I didn't see the prices on OnStar's website. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAC Posted July 31, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2009 Mac, I have had it for over three and a half years. I have the DIRECTIONS AND CONNECTIONS plan. I too like the monthly reports. There is a good possibility that when/if you call them, you can negotiate some added minutes or a few extra months from them. I paid for three years (in advance) the last time I renewed, and got an extra six months and an extra 200 minutes...plus they transferred my 600 minutes from my other car to this one. I too have some privacy concerns...but the benefits outweigh them for me. We use it "A LOT" when we are traveling. Are you saying that because you purchased three years that you were given an extra 200 minutes of phone? That's not bad! I take it that the minutes never expire as long as your account is current? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAC Posted July 31, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2009 I have the same plan with my '08 Impala and it's great. You can also set up "virtual advisory" which will tell you about traffic in your area, weather or stocks. The diagnostics occur once a month and the results are Emailed to you. If you have trouble with the car, you can also ask an Onstar advisor live to run the diagnostics as well. I also have the hands free calling. Very easy to use and works VERY well. If the car is in warranty, GM pays for a tow. If the car is out of warranty, they'll call a tow truck for you but you'll have to pay so get a plan like AAA which is $78/year for the best plan. Thank you for the info Marika. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Jim Posted July 31, 2009 Report Share Posted July 31, 2009 I don't know if OnStar will attempt to locate a reported stolen car, but I would think it possible--like LowJack. The $18.95 per month is acceptable as long as I'm getting something I can use in return. I like the diagnosis service, particularly since I have a high mileage car. I also want to buy an OBD-2 code reader as well. As far as the phone, I don't know how much minutes cost to purchase because I didn't see the prices on OnStar's website. My understanding is that OnStar will attempt to locate the car if stolen. last time I bought minutes...it was $14.95 for 100 minutes...kinda pricey, but pretty handy to have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyG Posted July 31, 2009 Report Share Posted July 31, 2009 I'm with Onyx on this one, VERY unimpressed! Directions and connections suck outright, especially in city driving.......MUCH too slow to respond. Monthly e-mails basically told me that my tire pressures were OK...............nothing else. Funny part about that is I have a button on my dash that does the same thing...they mostly agreed. When I DID have trouble, Onstar was silent. No codes, nothing. No, I did not ask for an in depth look at the codes, but felt I should not have needed to. The phone was pretty bad. I was under the impression that it would be satellite or something, turned out not to be the case. After the car dropped a call for the second time, I pulled out my trusty old "brick" cell and made the call without issue. Now THAT sucked! Remember, if you tie your car insurance to Onstar reported mileage, you loose that discount too. Also remember that if you choose NOT to renew Onstar, you also loose any remaining minutes on the carphone, including bonus minutes should there be any. Tape a door key under your car somewhere and you have the remote door unlock feature for free! I could probably go on, but that's enough for now. In fact, I don't know how they could improve the service, except make it MUCH less expensive. It's probably worth about $5.00/month or less. Never underestimate the amount of a persons greed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAC Posted July 31, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2009 No, I have had it for free with a few of the new personal or company cars that I have had over the years... I only used it once (when my 2001 3.5L Intrigue Crank sensors failed) and I was not at all impressed... Meh... Just about sums it up. I have a GPS antenna for my laptop... that and a personal cell is more then you will ever need. I also think that a cell phone and a Navigation CD might be well adequate. Then again, the on-board phone system is convenient and voice activated. Believe it or not, I don't have a cell phone. My sisters and brother-in-law are wondering what's wrong with me. The word "cheap" comes to mind. The truth is that I don't use the phone that often so why spend at minimum $42 a month for the cheapest cell phone plan when I'm going to use it maybe twice a month on average. So I look at OnStar as a bridge between no cell phone and having a phone available when needed. Then again, Johnny was not impressed with the phone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Jim Posted July 31, 2009 Report Share Posted July 31, 2009 I also think that a cell phone and a Navigation CD might be well adequate. Then again, the on-board phone system is convenient and voice activated. Believe it or not, I don't have a cell phone. My sisters and brother-in-law are wondering what's wrong with me. The word "cheap" comes to mind. The truth is that I don't use the phone that often so why spend at minimum $42 a month for the cheapest cell phone plan when I'm going to use it maybe twice a month on average. So I look at OnStar as a bridge between no cell phone and having a phone available when needed. Then again, Johnny was not impressed with the phone. I am not trying to start anything with anybody... Just my opinions... I have a good cell phone and the most current NAV DVD. 98 percent of the time...that is more than adequate. But...there HAVE BEEN a few times that that I was in an area where my cell DIDN'T work...and the car phone did. Like in Mexican Hat, Utah. (look it up) It is literally in the middle of nowhere...and about a hundred miles from ANYWHERE. But there sure are some good T-Bone steaks there. The difference may be that a normal cell phone puts out less than one half watt..most of then about a third of a watt. The car phone puts out 4 watts. Unlike JohnnyG...I have had excellent service from the OnStar advisers. I had an error message once when on a trip about a front parking sensors malfunction. Pushed the blue button...they ran diags on the car...while I was running down the road...told me what code was showing...then called my dealer and made an appointment for me to take it in the next week after I got back from my trip. They have located numerous restaurants and motels for me when traveling and I am in a strange town. Anyway...I guess I will shut up about it. We all have our opinions...that is why there are so many products to choose from. Some like them ...some don't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadeInAmerica Posted July 31, 2009 Report Share Posted July 31, 2009 Mac - Whether that's worth it to you or not is a personal decision. If the budget can't comfortably handle $18.95 per month, then it's not worth it at all. If it can, then you'd have to decide if those added security features are worth it, to you. I never realized how much my privacy meant to me until our modern day society and government has taken aware more and more of our privacy. With OnStar, I personally don't like the notion that someone always knows where I and my car are. It's like Big Brother in the sky. If our privacy in the U.S.A. continues to be attacked by this liberal/socialist out of control mega-big-government and gets even worse, I'm leaving for some other country. I've had it. I also thought of privacy. I figure that it's no big deal for those who don't intend to do anything wrong. I certainly would not subscribe if OnStar had any kind of agreement with police to monitor my speed or if there was an agreement to report my driving habits to my insurance carrier. It's not that I'm an unsafe driver, it's that I would never accept these kinds of intrusions. Of course none of us would plan to do anything wrong, but if we follow that line of thought, well then it would be, "okay", for the authorities to install video camera's on our street for our, "safety". Next they could install a video camera to monitor the front door of our homes for our, "safety". But my gosh, someone could actually break into our homes and assault us, (or worse), and since you wont be able to defend yourself, (or at least greatly discourage the criminal from breaking into your home in the first place), because firearms will be banned, then we also have to have a video camera inside our homes for our, "safety". The notion of giving up our privacy in exchange for security is very dangerous. Once we open Pandora's box, it's virtually impossible to get the demons back into that box and shut again. In other words, once a precedent is set, the game is over. Further, who knows if our comings and goings on OnStar are being recorded and stored for some reason, (I'd bet they are!). That's nobodies business. If someone knows where you and your car are and have been, then they could also easily compute if you were speeding or not, etc., etc., etc. With our current anti-freedom/mega-government control administration in Washington right now, I wouldn't trust those people with information like this further than I could throw a Cadillac Escalade! So for me, when it comes to OnStar or any kind of electronic monitoring of any citizen in the U.S.A., the, "land of the free", I say a big, "No thanks!". I believe it was Thomas Jefferson who said, "Those who would give up their freedom in exchange for security deserve neither". Wise words! Charles Manson is a big supporter of gun control! He's still alive because of it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadeInAmerica Posted July 31, 2009 Report Share Posted July 31, 2009 No, I have had it for free with a few of the new personal or company cars that I have had over the years... I only used it once (when my 2001 3.5L Intrigue Crank sensors failed) and I was not at all impressed... Meh... Just about sums it up. I have a GPS antenna for my laptop... that and a personal cell is more then you will ever need. I also think that a cell phone and a Navigation CD might be well adequate. Then again, the on-board phone system is convenient and voice activated. Believe it or not, I don't have a cell phone. My sisters and brother-in-law are wondering what's wrong with me. The word "cheap" comes to mind. The truth is that I don't use the phone that often so why spend at minimum $42 a month for the cheapest cell phone plan when I'm going to use it maybe twice a month on average. So I look at OnStar as a bridge between no cell phone and having a phone available when needed. Then again, Johnny was not impressed with the phone. Mac - Sounds like you are a perfect candidate for a track phone instead of a cell phone. That way you have the security or convenience of a phone whenever you need it, but don't have monthly bills for a cell phone you rarely use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OynxSTS Posted July 31, 2009 Report Share Posted July 31, 2009 I'm with Onyx on this one, VERY unimpressed! When I DID have trouble, Onstar was silent. No codes, nothing. No, I did not ask for an in depth look at the codes, but felt I should not have needed to. Ya, my Intrigue story was really bad.. the car dies... people with NorthStar crank sensors know exactly what I'm talking about... So I coast to the curb and I push the blue button... Wendy comes on and she is really friendly... "My car just died" "I'm sorry Mr. XXX, how can I help, do you need a tow?" "No Wendy, lets just run the diagnostic codes and lets take it from there" "I'm sorry Mr. XXX, I can't run the codes unless the engine is running" "OK Wendy, lets see if she will go" (I reach for the key and...) "SIR, if you try to s.... " (car starts) "Ok Wendy, its running, what are the codes... Hello, Wendy are you there... Wendy?" Push the blue button again... Scott comes on and he is really friendly.. I won't bore you with the second conversation but in the end Scott was unable/unwilling to tell me the codes my car had... and he was equally unable to book an appointment for me with my dealer... Meh. As soon as it wasn't free I cancelled the service (just like the other over 85% of Onstar customers) and I have never missed it. Easin' down the highway in a new Cadillac, I had a fine fox in front, I had three more in the back ZZTOP, I'm Bad I'm Nationwide Greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coolnesss Posted August 2, 2009 Report Share Posted August 2, 2009 Chris at http://www.costartech.com/ has a device to make your car's speakers and microphone work as a bluetooth - so it works with your phone. I have it and love it, if the phone is the main reason to consider connecting Onstar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maximln Posted August 8, 2009 Report Share Posted August 8, 2009 I have had Onstar on my last 2 Cadillacs & I wouldn't be without them. They are the friendliest people and will bend over backwards to do what they can for you. I have always had the Directions & Connections package and it has been invaluable. Navigation is great but even if you get the latest Nav update disc, it is still outdated. New streets are popping up, restaurants are opening & closing as well as other retail stores. Onstar updates their database monthly & they have never not been able to get me somewhere one way or another. If you are driving & attempting to get directions from them, you have to know how to use it. The best way is to pull over, push the blue Onstar button, let them locate you & then proceed from there. If you push the blue Onstar button as you are driving & then make several turns, it can be frustrating. They get your location from the spot where you push the blue button so by the time you push it & by the time you get an advisor to know what you are wanting to do, you could have veered far off where you were. I've also had them locate my car in a Disneyland parking lot. If anyone has been to a big amusement park, you know finding your vehicle amongst all the others can be difficult but Onstar can honk your horns & flash your lamps so locating it is very easy! I've also had them lock my vehicle while I was boarding an airplane. I remembered I had locked my vehicle, was getting my luggage from the trunk but I forgot something in the car so I opened the doors but in my haste, I forgot to lock the vehicle again. Onstar was able to do it for me & even give me confirmation that it was locked. I've had the concierge get me tickets to sold out concerts, they have priced out tv's for me, and they have even helped to answer a trivia question once when no one in the car could figure out what it was! Thankfully, I have never been in an accident where my airbags have gone off but it is very comforting to know that if I am, they will handle everything from contacting me in the car, sending emergency help to exactly where the vehicle is & even contacting family. As for the whole "big brother" thing, Onstar does not make any information about the vehicle readily available to just anyone. If the car is stolen, you yourself cannot call Onstar & find out where the vehicle is or your wife cannot call them to find out which bar you are at. Onstar will only work with the proper authorities with the proper authorization to locate the vehicle. They are very protective over their customers personal information & data. Having the personal calling feature of Onstar is also very handy to have. You do have to purchase minutes but the great thing about that is you don't have to worry about long distance use & you don't have to worry about having a cellular contract. If you use Verizon as your cellular carrier which is the carrier for Onstar, you can actually add your Onstar phone to your Verizon contract for only 9.95 per month & then your Onstar phone shares your calling plan minutes. I do it this way & it has worked out great. Also, if you have an 07 or newer vehicle, Onstar can actually send driving commands to your vehicle, even if it is not equipped with navigation! It utilizes the radio display & voice commands, just like navigation, to get you to your destination. The monthly e-mail updates are nice. It gives you current data on your vehicle concering all the major systems. Onstar can even update you on traffic, stock quotes & email. Onstar is definitely a luxury & a convenience service. Can you live without it? Of course. Is it nice to have it? Sure it is! Of course it is a personal preference. Max Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Jim Posted August 8, 2009 Report Share Posted August 8, 2009 Max, Your experience and mine are pretty close. I like OnStar. I also have the Directions and Connections Plan. It has came in really handy too many times to count in the last 3 1/2 years. we have put well over 100,000 miles on the 2, 2006 DTS's, we have had in that time. Most of that has been on road trips to unfamiliar areas. I understand that a lot of people have had bad experiences with OnStar. I have never..(so far)...had a bad experience with them. If I had, my opinion might be different. Sure, I could live without it. But I don't want to. Later, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maximln Posted August 9, 2009 Report Share Posted August 9, 2009 <<Sure, I could live without it. But I don't want to. >> I agree 100%! Max Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAC Posted August 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 23, 2009 Well, I've done some thinking about OnStar. I'm going to subscribe for a year. So the next time I get into my STS, I'm going to press the blue button. I also learned that each OnStar equipped vehicle comes with its own phone number so I will be able to make and receive hands-free calls. Also, OnStar will be able to use GPS to locate my car should it be stolen. For $18.95 a month, I think it's worth it for the calling, diagnostic reports, and stolen vehicle recovery. Also, should I ever get locked out, I'll have OnStar open the door. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Jim Posted August 23, 2009 Report Share Posted August 23, 2009 Well, I've done some thinking about OnStar. I'm going to subscribe for a year. So the next time I get into my STS, I'm going to press the blue button. I also learned that each OnStar equipped vehicle comes with its own phone number so I will be able to make and receive hands-free calls. Also, OnStar will be able to use GPS to locate my car should it be stolen. For $18.95 a month, I think it's worth it for the calling, diagnostic reports, and stolen vehicle recovery. Also, should I ever get locked out, I'll have OnStar open the door. When you renew/subscribe, they will offer you a special price for the minutes on the phone. I think it is 15 bucks for 100 minutes. They are good for one year. Buy as much as you need / can afford at this price. Buying more minutes later...is VERY EXPENSIVE. 30 or 40 bucks for 100 minutes. I have used OnStar to unlock my car a couple of times. Considering that it cost $50 to $75 for a locksmith to come out, and the time spent waiting on him... that just about paid for one year of the service for me. Also had them honk the horn to help me locate the car in a parking garage one time. It was one floor up from where I thought it was. This may or may not have been mentioned.... Not only can they "UNLOCK" your car...they can also "LOCK" it. If you forget to lock it...say at the mall parking lot or at the football stadium...you are already inside and remember that it isn't locked. Just call them and they can lock it for you without you having to walk all the way back to the parking lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAC Posted August 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 23, 2009 When you renew/subscribe, they will offer you a special price for the minutes on the phone. I think it is 15 bucks for 100 minutes. They are good for one year. Buy as much as you need / can afford at this price. Buying more minutes later...is VERY EXPENSIVE. 30 or 40 bucks for 100 minutes. I have used OnStar to unlock my car a couple of times. Considering that it cost $50 to $75 for a locksmith to come out, and the time spent waiting on him... that just about paid for one year of the service for me. Also had them honk the horn to help me locate the car in a parking garage one time. It was one floor up from where I thought it was. This may or may not have been mentioned.... Not only can they "UNLOCK" your car...they can also "LOCK" it. If you forget to lock it...say at the mall parking lot or at the football stadium...you are already inside and remember that it isn't locked. Just call them and they can lock it for you without you having to walk all the way back to the parking lot. I just activated OnStar and did buy the extra 100 phone minutes for a little over $16. So I have a total of 130 minutes because I was also given another 30 complimentary minutes as a 'welcome to OnStar'. Then I was told to renew the minutes would be about $45. However, if I renew minutes whatever I have remaining will roll over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cadillac Jim Posted August 24, 2009 Report Share Posted August 24, 2009 THE BEGINNING I had OnStar on my car from when I bought it in 1997 until the analog service was finally cut last year. Apparently they never made a digital phone retrofit for models older than the 2002 or 2003 model year. My plan was similar to the Directions and Connections plan. My first generation OnStar couldn't read my OBD codes. What I did have includes Hands-free cell phone with voice dialing, and voice speed-dialing. The red button gets you a priority connection with the OnStar equivalent of a 911 operator. Quick connection with someone with a pulse -- and a brain -- for any reason. Transfer to GM Customer Service on request. Accident response; they call YOU if your air bag deploys. If you report your car stolen and call OnStar, they will disable the phone and track the car for the police. If the car is broken into, or the alarm is set off, they will call you on another phone, disable the phone and, with your permission, start tracking the car for the police. They will give you directions to anywhere from anywhere. They will stay on the line if things are complicated. If you want to go to "the big movie theater in Dullsville" no problem; they will look it up while you continue to drive and give you directions. They will tell you how to operate your cell phone, including how to record their directions and play them back. They will keep your MedAlert information (blood type, medication allergies, conditions such as diabetes, etc.) and report them to the authorities if you have an accident and ar unable to do so. They couldn't read the codes, but if you give them the DIC information they will call the dealer of your choice, or pick one near you, and conference you in with them and/or make an appointment. Early on, I had the Concierge service and I used it to arrange a complete vacation. OnStar does NOT track your car except at your request. OnStar reads your GPS only if you give permission. Examples are when you request directions (even then they ask if it's all right to read your GPS before they do so) or you need to locate your car, or if you request that they track it for the police. In practical terms, they can't do that because the data stream would be humongous; you would need a second cell phone line just to support it because it takes up a line while it's working. Then, there's the problem of sorting out all that data and storing it, then if by some miracle someone needs something, finding it. Other services were offered, such as traffic alerts and reports for a municipal area that you select in advance, weather alerts and reports, personal stock portfolio reports, etc. but I never availed myself of these. THE GOOD The guy that sold me the car told me to get my own cell phone plan from the git-go and I did. I never bought minutes from OnStar. That way I negotiated my own plan and got a far better rate than the negotiated plan through OnStar. Also, the AT&T network in L.A. had top-notch coverage. I bought OnStar originally because of its theft reporting feature, and for safety -- you have the accident they-call-you service, the red button for any 9111-type emergency, and a hands-free capability that I once used to report a stalker on the freeway (redneck pickup-truck vigilantes in Orange County CA cruising for someone to run to ground -- OnStar called the police for me and it wasn't even the red button -- I first noticed the pickup while they were staying on the line for directions). Once I got a DIC message about the security system and that the car might not start; I called OnStar and they did the neat thing and involved GM Customer Service, who set me up with the dealer, who replaced my ignition switch. THE BAD One down side of getting your own cell service is that it takes more than a casual negotiator to beat the OnStar negotiators, but you might be able to do better locally than they can globally, and I did in L.A. In the Philly area, my cell phone provider sold me a plan with humongous roaming charges (for a car phone???? get real) and I once got a bill for $275 for a day in DC, which I successfully protested. My provider was difficult until AT&T bought them and then the BS stopped. Another down side is that OnStar is an 800 call, and those count on your minutes if you have your own plan, so be sure and take that into account when you negotiate your minutes. GM never retrofitted cars older than the 2003 model year for digital phones, and the cell network no longer supports analog phones or I95, TDMA, etc. Note that some of these cell phone standards that people call "analog" were actually digital. But if you don't have GSM or later protocol, the cell network doesn't provide coverage anymore. When I called GM Customer Relations about oil-burning, they tried to get me to trade it in. When I pointed out that a new engine was $5000 and a new car was $60000, they told me about the Service Bulletin and fix process. I ended up working this out using Caddyinfo forums. The directions involve a computer with GPS inputs from your car and NavTech or some equivalent service. If you keep driving, you will pass the turns before they give them to you most of the time. It's best to pull over when you need directions from OnStar. You get to write them down that way, too. THE UGLY In later years the concierge service quality went down the tubes. Some dumb kid got an email message non-delivery and didn't call me; that lost us the reservations for my sister's funeral and we lost the lock-in rates. I chewed the kid out and he flagged me as a potential terrorist through the travel agent computers; I'll tell the story of check-in at the airport another time. Then OnStar started charging for it, and I dropped it, because, as I told OnStar at renewal time, "I didn't have good luck with it the last time I used it." When I called OnStar and asked them about a digital phone, they told me that the plan was to drop OnStar support for "those old cars." The last time I called OnStar about this, some young woman got on the phone and told me that GM "had tried a digital phone on one of those old cars and it fried the electrical system." At the time I was teaching digital communications at the graduate EE level and I offered my services to solve that problem for them. THE END When analog phone service ended, I replaced my OnStar system with a Garmin Nuvi with Bluetooth and "upgraded" my car phone to a Treo 750. A Bluetooth headset would be better than the Garmin and I don't use the Bluetooth anymore, I just don't talk on the phone in the car. The directions are a lot better, with voice and map in real time, and the directory in the Garmin database is amazingly extensive and up-to-date, and Garmin offers updates on their web site for a fee. TomTom and others are as good. I miss the accident protection, which LoJack would need about $1K plus a small yearly fee to duplicate (the base service without the they-get-alerted-and-then-call-you add-on is about $700 with no yearly fee). There is no other service that will hook up to the air bag. There's no direct line to GM Customer Service. There is no one with a pulse and a brain, hands-free, at the touch of a button. If I could get OnStar on my 1997 again, I would take it. -- Click Here for CaddyInfo page on "How To" Read Your OBD Codes-- Click Here for my personal page to download my OBD code list as an Excel file, plus other Cadillac data -- See my CaddyInfo car blogs: 2011 CTS-V, 1997 ETC Yes, I was Jims_97_ETC before I changed cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAC Posted August 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2009 I called OnStar and requested a Vehicle Diagnostic check because my check engine light is on. I asked for the specific trouble codes and was told codes cannot be given to subscribers, only a GM dealership. However, I was then transferred to an OnStar diagnostic technician and he told me exactly what the problem is. In my case, the MAF sensor is the problem as it's having difficulty reading the airflow. I suspect the air filter needs to be replaced, which I'll have to order unless I go to my local Cadillac dealership which will no doubt have one on the shelf. Then I was asked if I want OnStar to setup an appointment for me. I declined and said that I will first check the air filter. If it's just the air filter, I'll save myself probably $100+ replacing it myself--Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cadillac Jim Posted August 24, 2009 Report Share Posted August 24, 2009 I would be sure and get the AC/Delco air filter element. Bruce did extensive performance comparisons between K&R and other air cleaners and intakes way back when and never found anything to match the performance of the factory stuff, and even the element is important for overall peak performance. And, the AC/Delco air cleaner element filters dust best, too. The MAP sensor is on the intake manifold, on my car (1997 model year) near the intake end. Mine gave a diagnostic once, and I had it out in my hand, looked at it, and decided to give it another chance. I just made sure that the connector was clean an tight. That was several years ago and it's never peeped since. I think it got a little grease on a connector when I got the fuel line recall work done, a few months before. The MAF sensor sounds more like what your trouble code was because that's what reads the airflow. You know what that is and where it is; it may have lint on it or something. I would look at that too, and clean it and its connector contacts and/or the throttle body, and make sure that the throttle cable, IAC, etc. were clean and working properly. And, make sure that the hose between the throttle body and the air cleaner is tight and not leaking, the air cleaner housing is seated tightly over the PCM, etc. -- Click Here for CaddyInfo page on "How To" Read Your OBD Codes-- Click Here for my personal page to download my OBD code list as an Excel file, plus other Cadillac data -- See my CaddyInfo car blogs: 2011 CTS-V, 1997 ETC Yes, I was Jims_97_ETC before I changed cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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