most parts search systems and recall bulletin systems do backflips to get you to report your customers. Popups requesting the make/model of the vehicle eventually expanded to just asking for a partial vin, then full vin. Now its not uncommon for Ford/GM parts search systems or recall databases to ask for the subscriber code for the vehicles OnStar system. Enter that code and it triggers a server somewhere at GM to pull vehicle data for the car. Ive called up a warranty claim or parts hotline to find the person on the other end asked for my customer by name. Pretty invasive for a wheel bearing.
The good news is, you can permanently disable OnStar and remote data collection fairly simply:
1. Theres usually an onstar control box near the radio inside the dash (not hard to get to.) this is NOT your ECM...look for a box with MAC address data on it.
2. Disconnect the box and open it. triple check to make sure its NOT the ECM. youll find a daughter board with a GPS antenna, and a cellular antenna.
3. Theres a male/male header bridge between the master board and that daughter board. pull that bridge, or remove the daughter board, and youve disabled onstar.
Caveats:
-Most vehicles dont check for the modem. youll not get a service code on the dash.
-This should not affect bluetooth pairing.
- Onstar calls, both automated and regular, will fail with "call completed."
-Be perfectly certain you want to disable onstar because the box comes with crash detection software that tries to dial onstar and report your crash.