OnStar and racing - the truth

[Rogue Leader]

This topic I am bringing up from the other OnStar thread as it would get lost in there and is a little different.

Multiple times on this forum we have heard stories of "a friend" "a guy on another forum" "my cousin" etc who "raced" their car and OnStar called them and said they knew they were racing. I am calling BS on every single one of those stories. EVERY SINGLE ONE.

According to OnStar's website they state that toey do not actively monitor your vehicle. As well the ONLY proof that this ever happened was the Hennessey Video where the car called OnStar (NOT the other way around) because the acceleration was so strong it thought it was in a rearend collision.

As per the T&C of OnStar:

OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION

OnStar does not continuously or routinely monitor or track the location or speed of your car.
OnStar only knows the location of your car or the approximate speed of your car (as calculated from GPS data) when:

there is a request for service initiated from within the car (when you press the OnStar button to speak with an advisor);
there is a request for Stolen Vehicle Assistance or to locate a missing person;
there is an Air Bag Deployment;
there is an Automatic Crash Response;
required by law;
required to protect our rights or property or the safety of you and others; or
required by us to troubleshoot our services.

So I am sure we have plenty of racers on this forum, has ANOYNE HERE PERSONALLY ever had OnStar call them and say specifically it thought they were racing, please describe fully the conversation and exactly what they told you. And if this did happen was it right after a maneuver that could be perceived as an auto accident?

I am pretty sure there will be no response to this.

[Camaro_Corvette]

[v6sonoma]

Why would they even bother to waste their money to see if you might be racing. You don't put a feature called launch control in a vehicle if it isn't intended to be used. FTW!

[Number 3]

There was a video of a CTS-V done by Hennesey that was posted. The launch was so hard that it triggered the on board sensors. In the video OnStar called to confirm everything was ok but because the sensors were triggered NOT because of any speed or racing.

This may have become a anecdotal story used by others.

I am not aware of anyone being called by GM because of high RPM or high speeds, which are recorded in the data log, but are not monitored by OnStar.

Only when you push a button to call or when a sensor is triggered is OnStar involved.

Think of it this way.....OnStar can do a snapshot of your tire pressure for your monthly email, but they don't call you to tell you.

So yes there is evidence that OnStar will call you under certain conditions..............racing isn't one of them unless you launch so hard or stop so hard that you set off a sensor.

[R6P]

There was a video shot where a supercharged CTS-V was on track and the G-force prompted a call to Onstar. Automated crash respose does not necessarily happen only after an airbag deployment. I remember hearing a demo or seeing in print something to the effect that certain erratic manuevers may prompt a call just to question that you are ok.
I also do not believe they are monitoring you to see if you are racing.

OOPS Sorry Number 3 beat me again. I'm a slow typer

[Kenji]

Even if OnStar did monitor every vehicle at every second, how would they know that you are racing? You could be just driving fast, taking test laps, doing a track day (which is NOT racing), participating in driver training, etc. Just because you are driving on a race track does not mean you are racing and would not be definitive proof that you are.

<------ (avatar) NOT RACING!

[Rogue Leader]

Originally Posted by Kenji

Even if OnStar did monitor every vehicle at every second, how would they know that you are racing? You could be just driving fast, taking test laps, doing a track day (which is NOT racing), participating in driver training, etc. Just because you are driving on a race track does not mean you are racing and would not be definitive proof that you are.

EXACTLY. That is why I am calling out this story, because aside from the aforementioned Hennessey video which we KNOW FOR SURE was triggered by a crash sensor, OnStar has no clue how fast you are going or what you are doing unless YOU initiate contact with them.

But people seem to have cited "I know a guy" who had OnStar call him cause his car was at 5000 RPMs or over 100MPH for an extended period of time. Well the "guy" should post here if he exists... he doesn't.

PS this should also mean they are NOT going to be writing you speeding tickets either, in fact the ONLY data that can be used against you in an accident isn't from OnStar but from the car's onboard black box computer which with or without OnStar, is always gonna be there.

[greenrail]

Rogueleader - Amen!!!

Paranoia at its finest. Fueld by anecdotal BS.

[Rtoups]

Here's the link to the youtube video that people have mentioned:


OnStar detected a "vehicle event", probably due to the high g's experienced during launch.

[TooCool5]

Chill guys chill.

[Riderover40]

If it sounds like BS then it is BS , we are all big enough boys to understand BS when we read it ! Are we not !

[GaryTucker]

Originally Posted by Number 3

There was a video of a CTS-V done by Hennesey that was posted. The launch was so hard that it triggered the on board sensors. In the video OnStar called to confirm everything was ok but because the sensors were triggered NOT because of any speed or racing.

This may have become a anecdotal story used by others.

I am not aware of anyone being called by GM because of high RPM or high speeds, which are recorded in the data log, but are not monitored by OnStar.

Only when you push a button to call or when a sensor is triggered is OnStar involved.

Think of it this way.....OnStar can do a snapshot of your tire pressure for your monthly email, but they don't call you to tell you.

So yes there is evidence that OnStar will call you under certain conditions..............racing isn't one of them unless you launch so hard or stop so hard that you set off a sensor.

This is the birth of the urban legend about OnStar calling about racing. It is simply the computer telling OnStar that the car 'may have" been in an accident...the hard launch of the CTS set off some of the crash sensors...which alerted OnStar...nothing more. OnStar isn't watching you like big brother. It is there for your safety and convenience...period.

[Rogue Leader]

Originally Posted by GaryTucker

This is the birth of the urban legend about OnStar calling about racing. It is simply the computer telling OnStar that the car 'may have" been in an accident...the hard launch of the CTS set off some of the crash sensors...which alerted OnStar...nothing more. OnStar isn't watching you like big brother. It is there for your safety and convenience...period.

I feel like the story has been around even before that video, but this story gave people fodder to believe it and build on it and multiply!

[Legend]

Originally Posted by Rtoups

Here's the link to the youtube video that people have mentioned:


OnStar detected a "vehicle event", probably due to the high g's experienced during launch.

That's awesome!

Hadn't seen that before!