System Description
Important: To successfully diagnose and repair the OnStar® system it is necessary to comprehend its operation. Technicians should read and understand the OnStar Description and Operation before attempting to repair an OnStar® system.
This symptom table will enable the user to verify the customer complaint and narrow it to its source. If the OnStar® system is always on, regardless of ignition state or if there is a concern with voice recognition or the remote actuated features of the OnStar® system, technicians should proceed directly to the applicable diagnostic found in Symptoms - Cellular Communication .
Diagnostic Aids
| • | The customer concern may have been due to a lack of cellular service in a given area or a failure in the National Cellular Network infrastructure that has since been corrected. |
| • | 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. |
| • | Inaccurate or aged global positioning system (GPS) position may have been due to the temporary loss of GPS signal reception by the vehicle in instances such as driving through tunnels or parking structures which restrict the GPS antenna from a clear view of the satellites in the sky. |
Step | Action | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Did you perform the Diagnostic System Check - Vehicle? | Go to Step 2 | Go to Diagnostic System Check - Vehicle in Vehicle DTC Information |
2 |
Does the LED turn Green? | Go to Step 3 | |
3 |
Does both the OnStar® LED blink after the OnStar® keypress is made and the call ended after pressing the white dot button? | Go to Step 4 | |
4 | After the OnStar® keypress, does both the radio mute and is the "Connecting to OnStar" message heard playing through the audio system? | Go to Step 5 | |
5 |
Important: It is important to have the vehicle in an open outside area where a cellular call can be successfully placed and global positioning system (GPS) data can be received from satellites.
Is a connection made with OnStar? | Go to Step 6 | Go to Step 9 |
6 |
Important: It is necessary to inform the OnStar® Call Center advisor that this call is for vehicle diagnostic purposes. Ask the OnStar® Call Center advisor if your voice can clearly be heard. Does the advisor clearly hear your voice? | Go to Step 7 | Go to OnStar Microphone Inoperative - Caller Cannot Be Heard |
7 | Ask the OnStar® Call Center advisor if they have received any data from the customers vehicle. Did data transfer of the OnStar® call occur? | Go to Step 8 | Go to Step 11 |
8 | Ask the OnStar® Call Center advisor if the vehicle has ever been configured. Has the vehicle been configured? | Go to Step 10 | Go to Step 16 |
9 | Is the audio prompt "Unable to Contact OnStar" heard? | Go to Step 12 | |
10 | Ask the OnStar® Call Center advisor to verify the vehicle identification number (VIN) which they have on record and ensure it matches the actual VIN. Does the VIN at the OnStar® Call Center match the VIN of the vehicle? | Go to Step 13 | Go to Step 15 |
11 | Ask the OnStar® Call Center advisor if this call was a "fail to voice". Was this call a "fail to voice"? | Use the scan tool to access the STID and ESN and contact the General Motors Technical Assistance Center | -- |
12 | Is the audio prompt "OnStar® Request Ended" heard? | Go to Diagnostic Aids | -- |
13 | Ask the OnStar® Call Center advisor to verify your position. Is the location provided by the OnStar® Call Center advisor within a reasonable distance from the actual location of the vehicle? | Go to Step 14 | Go to OnStar Global Positioning System (GPS) Data Not Current or Inaccurate |
14 | Ask the OnStar® Call Center advisor if the global positioning system (GPS) position is marked as "Current". Is the GPS position current? | Go to Step 17 | Go to OnStar Global Positioning System (GPS) Data Not Current or Inaccurate |
15 | Ask the OnStar® Call Center advisor to update the customer account with the correct information. Has the customer account been updated? | Go to Step 16 | -- |
16 | Ask the OnStar® Call Center advisor to perform a Reconfiguration on the vehicle. Was the Reconfiguration successful? | Go to Step 18 | Ask the OnStar® Call Center advisor why the reconfiguration was not successful, use the scan tool to access the STID and ESN and contact the General Motors Technical Assistance Center |
17 | Is the customer concern with the inability of the OnStar® Call Center to perform remote functions? | Go to OnStar Call Center Remote Function Requests Inoperative | Go to Diagnostic Aids |
18 | Operate the system in order to verify the customer concern has been corrected. Has the customer concern been corrected? | System OK | Go to Step 2 |
