I found this out there :

"Starting in 2009, police may be able to stop vehicles in their tracks with a simple phone call. The technology would come as part of something that most of us are already familiar with: General Motors' OnStar system. GM and OnStar demoed a prototype today of the new feature, called Stolen Vehicle Slowdown, which will be targeted at... well, stolen vehicles on the road. Stolen Vehicle Slowdown will come as part of OnStar's newest hardware, which will be available in some 1.7 million vehicles in 2009."
Lots more here:

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post...satellite.html

I'm not too sure I want my car controlled that much by others, even if it is stolen.

Still, I can see the benefit to it if someone is running amok with a car and it can be turned off remotely , thus saving others and allowing the cops to get close enough to use their tazers

 

Maybe they were using some HHRs as guinea pigs, that would explain all the "reduced power" messages.

 

Good one

I get scared when I read those reduced power threads. I don't know what to think other than perhaps the old days of carburetors and simple intake manifolds had more reliability going for them than we may give them credit for.

 

I like the idea




Goose

 

Same here. Big Brother? Onstar?

 

There will be checks and balances in place to keep vehicles from being accidently idled.

All of the actions of the CSRs are logged in great detail.

True, but try finding someone to work on the carbs now.

My father drives an 84 Olds 98 with a 307 V8. He's having a hard time finding someone to adjust his carb after the cam had to be replaced in his engine.

 

if you have an ear you can adjust a carb its not that hard? You dont need a computer to adjust a carb!

As far as onstar and all that crap I had my dealer remove every aspect of it from my hhr before purchase!! if i want to pick my nose or scratch that certian man area in private i dont want to worry about whos watchin or listening!!
i accidently hit the OS button on my 02 impala and the gal told me who i was age etc. the color make and model,exactly where i was and which way i was goin? it freaked me out so NOT GONNA HAVE IT!!

 

My wife used to tune carbs all the time but my 68 year old father is not into carb tuning these days

But that's what it was designed to do. In order to provide the service OnStar needs to know which vehicle "called", where it is and which way it's travelling. They knew who you were because the cellular unit in the car has a unique ID that is tied to your account.

It's really no different than a bank or credit card company monitoring your transactions in order to determine if there is fraudulent activity on your card.

 

 

I think it will be a plus for those who want OnStar. I am sure it will be similar to bait car. Where cops employ cars for theives to steal then track them and shut car off remotely. The cops monitoring the car can tell when door is open, car turned on, and where/which way it is going.