OnStar Description and Operation: Features

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2012 Buick Verano. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

OnStar® Personal Calling

The hands free, OnStar® personal calling cellular phone feature is an additional feature of the OnStar® system. This feature is embedded within the telematics communication interface module; however it must be activated by an OnStar® advisor. OnStar® personal calling operates similar to most hand held cellular phones in that the availability for its usage is based on minutes or units. The customer must have a current OnStar® subscription, as this feature cannot be utilized without it. To use OnStar® personal calling, the customer must also purchase units (minutes) as outlined in the owners guide provided with the OnStar® system. Units begin to deplete, 1 unit is equal to 1 minute, as the customer makes outbound phone calls, answers inbound phone calls, or while connected to the OnStar® virtual advisor. In addition, units may also have an expiration date, depending upon the type of units purchased.

Customers have the ability to store telephone numbers within the module, referenced by a nametag for the convenience of frequently dialed numbers. After storing a nametag, the user can dial this number by initiating the OnStar® personal calling feature, speaking the word "call," and repeating the nametag assigned.

Customers have the capability to lock their OnStar® personal calling system by pressing the answer/end call button, speaking "security" and entering a 4-digit code. Once this process is complete, the user must enter the code before OnStar® personal calling is available. In the event the customer cannot remember their code and is unable to use their system, they can press the blue OnStar® button and speak to an advisor to unlock the system by means of a discrete cellular call to the vehicle.

Turn by Turn Navigation

Turn by Turn Navigation allows the driver to contact OnStar® to obtain directions for driving from a current location to a desired location. The Turn by Turn Navigation system stores your planned route and continually checks your position along that route, when you deviate from the planned route, the system will recognize this and prompt the driver with verbal prompts for how to proceed. The driver then responds verbally to direct the system to continue the current routing or to recalculate the route because of a missed turn. On some vehicles, the Turn by Turn Navigation instructions may be displayed to the driver in the radio display or the driver information center.

OnStar® Stolen Vehicle Slowdown (If equipped)

OnStar® Stolen Vehicle Slowdown allows advisors working with law enforcement services to send a signal to limit fuel flow to the engine, gradually slowing down the stolen vehicle.

Stolen Vehicle Slowdown is an enhancement to OnStar's Stolen vehicle Location Assistance, which uses Global Positioning Technology to pinpoint the location of a vehicle reported stolen. Stolen Vehicle Slowdown is powered by OnStar's new generation of hardware (Generation 8).

Advisor Record Feature

The Advisor Record Feature allows the user to store any information given during a call with an OnStar® Advisor. Recording is activated by pressing the blue OnStar button during a call; pressing the button a second time stops the recording. The stored information can be played back by pressing the phone button and using the voice command "Advisor Playback".