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Onstar in Enclave
Does anyone know where the Onstar box is mounted in the Enclave? And, has anyone tried disabling it (ie: pulling fuse, removing connectors, etc.)? I'm thinking of buying one but would only do so if I can disconnect the Onstar and I don't have to dissasemble half the car to do so.
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http://www.onstar.com/us_english/jsp/privacy_policy.jsp
See what you think. Appears to be lots of loopholes. Just not for me. really bugs me to have to pay for it, esp. if I am able to depower the unit. Then I have a dead box I paid for. Good thinking there.
When you think about all of the positive things that the system can do for you, like their turn by turn directions through the radio and the onboard diagnostics, just to name a couple, I think that this makes the system a great advantage! Another option would be to not pay for the service, or opt out.
This system has proved to be so popular that other auto builders are designing similar sytems for their cars and trucks.
safeway, they record all your purchases. Advertising dollars are dear and they are targeting as much as possible. I am about to get my first onstar car and with all the data out there, this little bit more doesn't worry me.
Wrong! Since 9/11 there has been a serious and huge erosion of our once taken for granted personal freedoms. There is all sorts of warrant less government surveillance activities going on out there as we speak. Booster2 has every right to be concerned. We all do. Now, would I hesitate to buy an OnStar equipped car? No. I have had one for over 6 years, but did let the service lapse due to the fact that it is analog in that car. I may be getting another car with OnStar's latest system very soon. However, I agree that the benefits outweigh the danger. I can certainly see why many would be distrustful, however, and not really want the system in their car.
Or since the vehicle records all those vehicle parameters, you maybe exceeded something or did not do some kind of procedure spelled out in the manual (after all, your a normal person, not an automotive magazine test driver who lives to follow every single procedure and limit to the letter). Yep, they may not try to track you at random, but all that information is recorded and can come back to bite you in the future. And who's to say the dealer doesn't download that stuff every time you head in for maintenance. They say their policy is not to, but that's not binding on anyone and you would have no way to know. It's a slippery slope. You think, oh, who cares about a little information here and there getting out. Plus, I never do anything wrong so why would I care? They don't want me. Maybe not today, but every time you decide to blow off a little freedom here, a little right there, you are just opening up a pandora's box for the future. Think I'm a little paranoid, maybe overreacting? Just ask someone who lived in Germany (or the surrounding countries) around 1939. I have and some of them are very concerned about what they see here today. Seems very familiar, just more high tech today.
As for the evesdropping, yes, Onstar says they will only do so "to comply with legal requirements". So again you think, I'm not a criminal, why would I care? But that does not mean anything. In today's climate of various govt. agencies wanting to get their hands on more information about individuals than at any time in history, under the guise of whatever they want to call it, national security, crime prevention, etc, it's really a crapshoot as to wether you will be victimized. And that would be an appropriate term since, as i said, we're not criminals anyway, right? And again, Onstar change those terms any time they want, they say so right in that 'privacy policy'. And lucky you, you get to pay extra for your vehicle to get all these benefits. personally, I can do without it. And i do not want to pay for it.
Can I live without turn by turn navigation and hands free calling? I think I'll survive. Plus, I have been told that the regular navigation system does not require Onstar so that would work anyway. As far as the warranty, I recieved the same generic veiled threat from GM, that modifying the vehicle and changing it's operation MAY invalidate the warranty. But, if I'm only, say, pulling the power from Onstar, how would that affect the operation of my vehicle? Unless there's more to Onstar than they say. Or maybe there's not at all but they DO NOT want you to disconnect because they really, really want that information they are collecting. Hmmm, just sounds unnerving.
Yes, I guess I do have general concerns about the general loss of privacy everywhere nowadays. And I'm sure it will continue as our lawmakers don't seem too concerned about that (again refer to 1939). But without getting too crazy about that, I'm just not happy with having to pay for a system that has the potential to do things to me I do want or authorize. And aside from the turn by turn and hands free calling, I see no huge advantage to it. I'm sure if I have an accident or the airbag deploys, it will be noticed by someone in a timely manner as I do not live on the deserted surface of the moon. And the tradeoff is not something I'm willing to make. If you are not all that concerned with your privacy and the consequences of it's abuse, well, that's of course, your prerogative. But as for me, I plan to stay Onstar free. If I can figure out a way to disable it in the Enclave, I will consider purchasing it as it seems like a great vehicle. It would be the first GM product I have owned since my first car in high school.
As far as the navigation system goes, I believe that it is GPS linked. It does use a DVD format. I think that there are some systems which do use only DVD, but without the GPS they cannot inform you exactly where you are, when to turn, or to recaculate your route if you miss a turn.
Good luck on your Quest! I hope that you end up the the Enclave!