Chevrolet is releasing a new system called OnStar Proactive Alerts, aimed at predicting upcoming issues with certain vehicle parts and warning the driver before they occur.
Specifically, the system is continually monitoring the starter motor, fuel pump and 12-volt battery for any anomalies or odd behaviour. The alert system takes a sample of data each time the vehicle is started and then compares it against billions of data points collected from the fleet of vehicles.
If something does seem to be out of the ordinary, the vehicle will flash a message to driver and a text message or e-mail will be sent to the customer.
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“Accuracy is the key to our prediction algorithms,” said Steve Holland, chief technologist for Vehicle Health Management at General Motors. “We will be able to inform dealer service departments so they can spend less time testing for a condition we have already diagnosed. They can replace the necessary part quicker and minimize the amount of time a customer’s vehicle is at the dealership.”
The system will also be able to tell, for example, if a battery is low on power or if it has a high resistance and needs to be replaced.
The service is available now for OnStar subscribers in 2016 Chevy Silverado, Tahoe, Suburban, Corvette or Equinox vehicles. Proactive alerts can be had with any OnStar plan, including the basic package which is included on every Chevrolet for five years for free.
GM is working to continually expand the system to cover other parts on the vehicle.
