[astramaster]

1.How do you think that you have Internet on the car, and gps tracking? There is a preinstalled sim card for data and call's somewhere hidden in your car.
3. I am the one who first open this topic so I know it very well by the time GM sent me the info..... You prefer a car with preinstalled stuff inside or a car without these gadgets that cannot be installed after the purchase?. And what if PSA in the future decide's to buy this feature?

1. But, when OnStar ends, you'll not have Internet on the car or gps tracking anymore. These features cannot be accessed (until someone be able to physically retro-engineer it) by any other mean.
3. PSA already informed that will not buy OnStar or give any continuity with a compatible system. 3 buttons will have no function.

 

[Corbil]

1. What makes you think that I don't understand this? Your query before was different.
3. Let's hope that they will use some other platform then. As I explained you before its better to have it onboard than not.

When you bought your car could you imagine that this will happened one day? Anyhow you have already paid for having those 3 buttons on the car.

 

[Splint]

Hello All
I can only say, that luzing OnStar is a major step backward in terms of security. If a accident occurs and airbags are deployed the car want send any allert to anyone. This means, that risk of dying becauce of lack of help is increased. Actualy, PSA is removing the same service which EU have decided to make mandatory in everry new vehicle in a few years which is the so called e-call. Because og that, and the fact that everry component, or most of them will come from PSA, this is my last Opel/Vauxhall i have bought, and I have owened a phew in the last yers. I can only encourage you to make calls to OnStar and express discontent whith the PSA descision, and not to by Opel/ Vauxhall any more. PSA could have found another solution.

 

[Corbil]

Totally agree with you Splint in the matter of safety. By the way the letter for discontinuity of the program was done by the CEO of OnStar Europe.....not from the CEO of PSA.
All new cars have at least the SOS button using some other platform. I don't care about the internet.....I can use my wifi pocket.....I dont care about getting directions from someone who doesn't know the places in my country or uses a poor searching platform....I can use my mobiles maps or Google maps.......BUT in case of accident or stealing the car ,this possibility was something I'd like to have it continuously. This was a feature other cars didn't have.
Today PSA owns GM, tomorrow some other big company will get the rights.
For today PSA seems that removes those buttons, because they decided so. This is for sure a backward step for Opel/Vauxhall.

 

[Mikewall-84]

All comes down to money psa wont pay what GM want to use the service so we loose out,unless the asking price from gm drops it gone.shame really the tracking service actually reduced my insurance premium a tad which is why I resubscribed after the years free trial along with the sos function

 

[nsanderson]

The buttons have been removed as standard as OnStar is not going to be an option from 2020. You can order a car with OnStar but on the understanding that it ceases in a couple of years.
Can't remember which way round it is but I think the Astra has OnStar still but you can have it as a no cost option without.

Just to clarify then, once OnStar goes out of service, why does the Vodafone SIM WiFi stop working? Does it go via an OnStar proxy service? Is it possible to activate it direct with Vodafone once the OnStar finishes? Or can the SIM be replaced with another one?

 

[stan4]

Has anyone got any further updates on this? Any information about retrofitting an alternative to those models which currently have it?

 

[astraowner]

My car does not have onstar and as such it has just a blanking plate.

If anyone want to get rid of their buttons, when they have no function i am willing to do a 1:1 trade, where you get my blanking plate, and i get your Onstar button panel.

I want to use the buttons for another application than onstar, so if someone want to trade, i am willing to do so.

 

[stan4]

Actually, this has raised a question in my mind; am I right in thinking all new European cars have to have SOS and other connectivity by law? And does it mean that it cannot simply be disabled at a later date - else it would be a fairly feeble ruling?

 

[astramaster]

My car does not have onstar and as such it has just a blanking plate.

If anyone want to get rid of their buttons, when they have no function i am willing to do a 1:1 trade, where you get my blanking plate, and i get your Onstar button panel.

I want to use the buttons for another application than onstar, so if someone want to trade, i am willing to do so.

How do you plan to program the same buttons but with new features?

Actually, this has raised a question in my mind; am I right in thinking all new European cars have to have SOS and other connectivity by law? And does it mean that it cannot simply be disabled at a later date - else it would be a fairly feeble ruling?

That rule only applies if you buy a new model of car, approved for manufacture after 31 March 2018.

 

[astraowner]

How do you plan to program the same buttons but with new features?

I am hoping to gut the module of it's electronics, solder some wires to the switches and run these wires to an external module that has a different functionality.

If the switches are PCB mountes, i can probably cut some traces on the module and solder wires to the switches.

Ideal situation is offcourse if the module is just some switches and LED's that has no electronics and just run PCB traces to a connector that goes to the wiring and then to the Onstar module.

 

[astramaster]

How do you plan to program the same buttons but with new features?

I am hoping to gut the module of it's electronics, solder some wires to the switches and run these wires to an external module that has a different functionality.

If the switches are PCB mountes, i can probably cut some traces on the module and solder wires to the switches.

Ideal situation is offcourse if the module is just some switches and LED's that has no electronics and just run PCB traces to a connector that goes to the wiring and then to the Onstar module.

Here are some interesting ideas! :idea:

 

[astraowner]

Here are some interesting ideas! :idea:

Yeah, to be more precise, i want to integrate this little bugger into the Onstar position.

What this is, is a small Bluetooth device that connects to my mobile phone every time it detects movement (Car driving) and an app on the phone keeps track of where i am (GPS) and if there is an accident (Red button) or a Cameravan (Blue button) i will be given an audible warning and the LED will flash red og blue, depending on what is up. The buttons are an easy way for me to report if i see something and also warn me of what other motorists have seen.

Right now the device is glued to the windscreen in a position where i can see it, but i would really like it to go into the spot where the Onstar is, as this is not of any use anymore.

The buzzer would be mounted over the hole for the microphone, in the side where there is no actual microphone to get maximum volume through from above.

 

[obees]

Replaced my 2016 model with a 2018.5 and that's the one item I miss getting emails showing my cars infomation on oil life, tyre pressure etc, The system had a built in tracker that my friend found useful for finding his stolen car and was able to stop it from being moved whilst the police traced it.

 

[Bonarius]

Some hopefull news from Opel Germany. In short:

We are also investigating whether there can be a solution for OnStar customers

<TWITTER id="1150789232081997825" url="https://twitter.com/OpelDE/status/1150789232081997825"> </TWITTER>

 

[Y0shster]

Hopefully they'll make Opel/Vauxhall connect available for owners without the OnStar hardware too. Wasn't going to pay extra for a feature that was going EoL in 2020 that was standard on Astras since launch....

 

[stan4]

Hi, my subscription is about to expire (UK) - given renewing for a year will overlap the end of onstar - should I go for monthly or annual payment? Which one is going to cost least - how much will they reimburse - assume whole months?

 

[Quarryhunslet]

Hi, my subscription is about to expire (UK) - given renewing for a year will overlap the end of onstar - should I go for monthly or annual payment? Which one is going to cost least - how much will they reimburse - assume whole months?

If you renew for a year, it will last for the year, as OnStar is available until 31st December 2020.

 

[stan4]

doh!!!
I'll have to ask the same question again next year!

 

[astramaster]

Some hopefull news from Opel Germany. In short:

We are also investigating whether there can be a solution for OnStar customers

<TWITTER id="1150789232081997825" url="https://twitter.com/OpelDE/status/1150789232081997825">https://twitter.com/OpelDE/status/1150789232081997825</TWITTER>

That is an answer only to silence possible movements of indignation...
In fact, they will not follow up on anything related with OnStar.