Is OnStar required?

[Anonymous]

Could anyone tell me about OnStar being required for the Chevy Spark EV? My car came with it, and the dealer told me that it had a free subscription on it and I didn't need to use it or renew it. I had no idea how integrated it is with the car through. There is currently a nationwide OnStar outage, so I cannot charge my car. When I tried to unplug OnStar when I first got the car, the e-brake didn't function and charging the car drained the starter battery.

So is there a way that I can take it out? It seems like it's an option, but I wonder if anyone has a Spark EV without OnStar? Not once was I told that I wouldn't be able to charge my car when there was an OnStar outage. That's ridiculous!

 

[MrDRMorgan]

The Spark EV comes with a 3 year free OnStar subscription but you have to activate it. I recently purchased a 2014 Spark EV that was a rental so the OnStar subscription had not been activated but I was still able to do everything I wanted with the car as I drove it home. The next day I activated the OnStar subscription so I could monitor the car from my tablet using OnStar's RemoteLink App. I believe the key fob works independently of OnStar. Is it possible your problems are being caused by a problem with your 12 volt battery? If you have a good voltmeter, check the voltage across the 12 volt battery terminals. I would be concerned if it reads below 12 volts.

If you do not want OnStar, you should be able to call them and ask to be disconnected.

 

[nikwax]

Who say that there is an OnStar outage? Mine is working just fine, and there is zero on the inter webs about it. And who says that the car can't charge if On Star is inactive?

 

[Chaconzies]

Onstar is working fine. Please provide your proof that there was an Onstar outage. Also what do you mean by

When I tried to unplug OnStar when I first got the car, the e-brake didn't function and charging the car drained the starter battery.

The Onstar module is located deep within the vehicle and cannot be simply unplugged due to it's antitheft technology.

 

[nikwax]

That was a heck of a first post :roll:

 

[NORTON]

....... When I tried to unplug OnStar when I first got the car, ....the e-brake didn't function and ....charging the car drained the starter battery.
... Not once was I told that I wouldn't be able to charge my car when there was an OnStar outage. That's ridiculous!

Yeah, this is a hell of a first post.
Are you sure you're on the right forum?

I do agree with one part of your post --- "That's Ridiculous".

If faintly true, why would you dik with a new car that is under warranty and start unplugging things you know nothing about?

Please, tell us more !!!

 

[nikwax]

Please, tell us more !!!

are you sure about that?

 

[NORTON]

And another thing Vir,

What makes you think Onstar is 'required' to charge?

When a Spark EV owner is way 'over the hill and through the woods at Grandmother's house' and there is no cell phone service, do you really think ANY EV manufacturer would make a car that is not able to charge because there is no 'cell phone service' ?

That's all Onstar is. A cell phone your car has to allow data and voice calls to and from the car.
Maybe once a day it sends a usage report to the mother ship (GM).
Maybe once a day you ask your car for data concerning when it should be done charging or precondition the cabin, and mine is set to send me a notification that it is done charging.'
You get a monthly email from Onstar with a report about your car and the usage.

And most importantly, when a suicidal deer comes through your windshield and you are off in the brush, out of sight, and incapacitated ,,,, Onstar automatically has Emergency Services on the way to your crash site. (Only if there is cell service.)

What's not to love about this system?

Except maybe the yearly fee when your first 3 years are done? I think there is a 'Lite' version of service, at a lower cost.

 

[StevesWeb]

Not once was I told that I wouldn't be able to charge my car when there was an OnStar outage. That's ridiculous!

So then it is your invention. The reason nobody told you that you could not charge during a (non-existent) OnStar outage is that such a claim is inconsistent with reality.