Location of the OnStar module in 2009 vibe? plan to replace it with CoStar bluetooth

[jewett]

I am planning to buy this thing

http://www.costartech.com/index.html

and replace the useless OnStar with a hand free bluetooth module...

contacted a guy from this company and he said their product is compatible with 2009 vibe OnStar...a little bit expensive though...

anyone has access to the service manual? where is the location of the OnStar module? how to find it and remove it

[Old Tele man]

...interesting

[jewett]

i will post the whole process if I could get it done successfully...

[ajb812]

In the 09+ Vibes, the OnStar Module is located underneath the driver's seat. It is a silver box with four connections (two smaller single wires and two larger multiple wire connections). The module looks like this ...

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[jewett]

thanks...i will see whether i can finish this soon...

[star_deceiver]

Alright, I've added this to the list!

Edit: Mod complete, it's out!

[star_deceiver]

Here's the cover, pop the little tab in the middle and they pop right out. Then keep them to replace ones that break or fall out from other places in the car.

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[star_deceiver]

I removed the whole thing, 3 12mm bolts. The silver unit has 3 10mm nuts.

The VSC sensor is located to the left under that cover.

And yes... the car needs vacuuming...

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[star_deceiver]

Here's the back view with the seat as far forward as it'll go.

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[star_deceiver]

Engine running, automatic headlights are on, OnStar lights are no more!!!

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[star_deceiver]

Driving around, everything works normally, no CEL's!

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[star_deceiver]

The little black plastic box holds the Aux Communication Interface according to google search. I have no idea what the other silver box does... there are no part numbers of any kind. And yes those tires are going on soon.

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[star_deceiver]

So what did this accomplish?

1) Big brother's got to find another way to track my car!
2) The lights on the rearview mirror are out. Special thanks to JtoEnvy for pointing out just how annoying the are when driving at night even though they never bothered me until she brought it up...
3) Cars now 4 lbs lighter.

The costartech dot com unit costs $279 and is down on the list. The phone was the only useful thing that I could find in the OnStar system... too bad they couldn't have had a simple standalone plan just for it...

[j42.snyder]

Although it won't get rid of any weight in the car, a simple way to get rid of the lights on the mirror is to just pull the fuse for the OnStar system. It's in the fuse panel under the hood, labeled "MAYDAY". I pulled mine months ago with no other side effects - and the mirror is nice and dark!

[star_deceiver]

Or you could just unplug the mirror!

[Old Tele man]

...mirror unplug = done!

[vibenvy]

Quote, originally posted by star_deceiver »

Edit: Mod complete, it's out!

So, did you remove the seat or anything other than what's pictured? If not, I may have to do this as I don't necessarily like the thought of Big Brother knowing my every move .

Quote, originally posted by star_deceiver »

2) The lights on the rearview mirror are out. Special thanks to JtoEnvy for pointing out just how annoying the are when driving at night even though they never bothered me until she brought it up...

I told ya they were annoying ! Especially because they light up green! How does green go with the red of the radio, gauges, HVAC, etc.?

Quote, originally posted by j42.snyder »

Although it won't get rid of any weight in the car, a simple way to get rid of the lights on the mirror is to just pull the fuse for the OnStar system. It's in the fuse panel under the hood, labeled "MAYDAY". I pulled mine months ago with no other side effects - and the mirror is nice and dark!

Did this on both our '09s a couple weeks ago thanks to your post about it in another thread! Thanks for the tip !

Quote, originally posted by star_deceiver »

Or you could just unplug the mirror!

True, but than you have to figure out what to do with the plug. It doesn't seem like there's room to shove it up under the headliner.

Quote, originally posted by Old Tele man »

...mirror unplug = done!

Out of curiousity, what'd ya do with the plug?

[star_deceiver]

Quote, originally posted by J_TO_ENVY »

So, did you remove the seat or anything other than what's pictured? If not, I may have to do this as I don't necessarily like the thought of Big Brother knowing my every move .

Nope, just move the seat forwards and rearwards as necessary. The bolt at the back was a bit trickey, shorter sockets would've helped.

I'm on the hunt for a new rear view mirror. It's up as high as it'll adjust and I still have to hunch over to see anything out the passenger side of the windshield. I'm 6'4 and this is the one blind spot that bothers me... not to mention pedestrians who don't like running...

[Napalm]

star_deceiver

Thanks for your post on the OnStar module location and pics! The post came in handy today as I installed my Co-Star unit this morning --Christmas Present :-) I was curious if you had any issues with your device terminating the bluetooth connection to your phone. I tried multiple phones and it would connect to the BlueStar bluetooth and then disconnect almost immediately. The module was simple to install for the most part. I unplugged J1 & J2 from the on star device and plugged them into BlueStar. Any information you may have would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Nate

[star_deceiver]

I only removed the OnStar system. There's nothing in it's place.

http://www.costartech.com/pb/p...2.pdf Did you do anything with the J4 connecter?

[Napalm]

There is nothing in the J4 plug. Only J1 & J2 are populated.

[DressedInBlack]

is the old module worth anything or is it my newest paperweight?

[DressedInBlack]

anyone know what the stuff is under the passenger's seat??

[ajb812]

Quote, originally posted by DressedInBlack »

anyone know what the stuff is under the passenger's seat??

I believe it is the amplifier for the Monsoon audio system ...

[DressedInBlack]

Quote, originally posted by ajb812 »

I believe it is the amplifier for the Monsoon audio system ...

of course it is!! im officially a dufus.

[dvgb173]

So Napalm,
Did you get it working?
I'm about to buy that for my 09GT.
lmk.
Thanks.

Quote, originally posted by Napalm »

star_deceiver Thanks for your post on the OnStar module location and pics! The post came in handy today as I installed my Co-Star unit this morning --Christmas Present :-) I was curious if you had any issues with your device terminating the bluetooth connection to your phone. I tried multiple phones and it would connect to the BlueStar bluetooth and then disconnect almost immediately. The module was simple to install for the most part. I unplugged J1 & J2 from the on star device and plugged them into BlueStar. Any information you may have would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Nate

[dvgb173]

Just installed this in the '09 GT. It appears to work with my Verizon Thunderbolt. Voice dialing works with a few mis-dials - have to speak more clearly.
Will update after more usage.
PS. 09 Vibe GT did not need the J4-J1 jumper. There were no connectors in J3 & J4 of the OnStar module.

[JohnnieMo]

I wanted to buy one of these Costar units. Can you tell me if call display and number dialing shows up on the stock radio?

[hpb]

My Onstar promotional period ends in a few weeks. Was Googling converting Onstar to Bluetooth and looked this up. Anybody successfully do this conversion on a 2009 Vibe? Any issues? Does it work well enough to make it worthwhile IYO?

[JohnnieMo]

I did end up getting one and installing it. The install is dead simple. It is a plastic shroud, a couple bolts and 2 wires you pop off the onstar module and plug it into the Bluestar. Sound quality is better than the Parrot bluetooth I have in my truck. However its only as good as the voice dialing feature on your cell phone. So try that out first. The bluestar simply queries the voice dialing system on your cell phone and uses that to place calls. Mine works okay, but not as good as the Parrot. It gets the names right, but it is a bit sluggish.

As a side note, I have not seen the caller ID showing up as other people did. That was disappointing.

[vzDean1600]

Does anyone have the wiring diagram for this? I would like to use the mirror mic for an aftermarket HU, and picking up the connection for it under the seat will be easier that running new wires up the windshield pillars.
Dean

[Th17kit]

Does anyone have the wiring diagram for this? I would like to use the mirror mic for an aftermarket HU

I'd also like to know about this option. I imagine there's a 50/50 chance it would simply be a splice and play type mod.

[BaseWhiteVibe]

Hi, I just wanted to check in with you and see what the reliability is for the CoStar system.

I am trying to do a cost benefit analysis to prove to my wife that it is worth while, assuming that the system works well I think I would be willing to remove the OnStar system.

Is there anything else on the market that is equivalent to this system?

[Rayven01]

Personally I don't think it's worth it unless you do a TON of calling. The CoStar bluetooth is for handsfree calling only, not bluetooth audio so you can't play music from your phone through it, etc. That's a lot of money for a feature you can replicate by replacing the head unit for the same money with one that has full bluetooth, or spending a lot less for a bluetooth external mic/speaker.

[JohnnieMo]

Hi, I just wanted to check in with you and see what the reliability is for the CoStar system.

I am trying to do a cost benefit analysis to prove to my wife that it is worth while, assuming that the system works well I think I would be willing to remove the OnStar system.

Is there anything else on the market that is equivalent to this system?

Mine works well. It is obviously very integrated, which I like, and tech support is good. I would have preferred a parrot system but the monsoon stereo needs a module which no one produces. If you ask the support guy you can install the right firmware version to get call display on your radio.

It has some quirks and if I hit the buttons too fast it gets confused, but it never drops calls or stops working.

I'm not aware of anything else that replaces the on star like this so your options are either an aftermarket head unit or a stand alone unit (using internal speaker or fm)

[BaseWhiteVibe]

Cool thanks guys! The reason I am considering it is because:

A) I feel that it is a waste of space, functionality and weight for something that I can't physically remove without having issues with the car
B) In Michigan you can be driving in one city with no issues while on the cell phone and just like that cross over into another city and get a ticket

For that price I will agree that it is a bit much, so I will just wait for now and see if any stereo options that I like pop up

[mrbravo2000]

Driving around, everything works normally, no CEL's!

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Not trying to hijack the thread, but that guage that reads 45.7, what is that? Is that a mpg display?