GM Service Manual Online
For 1990-2009 cars only

Diagnostic Aids

    • The customer concern may have been due to a lack of cellular service in a given area. A failure in the National Cellular Network infrastructure at the time of the customer's failed connection that has since been repaired may also have been the cause.
    • If an OnStar Emergency call is able to successfully connect the vehicle to the OnStar Call Center when an OnStar Call Center button press is not, there may be a failure in the ability of the OnStar system in the vehicle to be recognized by the local cellular carrier.
    • If the prompt "OnStar request ended" is heard without depressing the white "Dot" button at the end of the an OnStar keypress, the OnStar system at one time has made a successful cellular connection but was unable to complete the call. If repeated calls are placed with this result, contact the General Motors Technical Assistance Center.

Step

Action

Value(s)

Yes

No

Schematic Reference: OnStar Schematics

DEFINITION: When the OnStar® Call Center button is pressed, no connection is made to the OnStar® Call Center.

1

Did you perform the Cellular Communication Diagnostic System Check?

--

Go to Step 2

Go to Diagnostic System Check - Cellular Communication

2

Important: It is important to have the vehicle in an open outside area where a cellular call can be successfully placed and GPS data can be received from satellites.

  1. Hold down the answer/end call button (button with a white dot) until the LED turns from green to red and back to green.
  2. Press the OnStar® Call Center button.
  3. Wait for the system to either connect or end the call .

Is a connection made with the OnStar Call Center?

--

Go to Diagnostic Aids

Go to Step 3

3

Other than the prompt "Unable to Contact OnStar", were any other tones or messages heard?

--

Go to Step 4

Go to Step 6

4

Was a fast, busy beep heard?

--

Go to Step 7

Go to Step 5

5

Were any cellular messages heard?

--

Record all cellular messages, use the scan tool to access the STID, ESN, and Transceiver I.D. and contact the General Motors Technical Assistance Center

Go to Step 8

6

Was the prompt "OnStar Request Ended" heard?

--

Go to Diagnostic Aids

--

7

Important: Placing an emergency call to the OnStar Call Center should only be made if the diagnosis of the system leads to this step. Immediately after an OnStar advisor picks up the call, they should be told that this call is for diagnostic purposes only and there is no emergency.

Press the OnStar® Emergency button.

Does the emergency keypress call make a connection to the OnStar® Call Center within 10 minutes?

--

Go to Diagnostic Aids

Go to Step 8

8

Inspect the Cellular antenna for exterior damage.

Is the antenna assembly damaged?

--

Go to Step 12

Go to Step 9

9

  1. Disconnect the Cellular antenna coax from the Vehicle Communication Unit.
  2. Disconnect the Cellular antenna coax from the cellular antenna.
  3. Measure the resistance from the center conductor of the coax to the metal outer shield.

Does the meter read out of limits?

--

Go to Step 10

Go to Step 11

10

Measure the resistance of the cellular antenna coax center conductor from end to end.

Does the resistance measure greater than the specified value?

1ohms

Go to Step 11

Go to Step 13

11

Replace the Cellular antenna coax.

Did you complete the replacement?

--

Go to Step 14

--

12

Replace the Cellular antenna assembly.

Did you complete the replacement?

--

Go to Step 14

--

13

Test the following circuits for an open:

    •  OnStar® Serial data return
    •  OnStar® Serial data (-)
    •  OnStar® Serial data (+)

Refer to Circuit Testing in Wiring Systems.

Did you find and correct the condition?

--

Go to Step 14

Contact the General Motors Technical Assistance Center

14

Operate the system in order to verify the repair.

Did you correct the condition?

--

System OK

Go to Step 2