Phantom Phone Calls

A customer may report that the OnStar^® system is attempting and/or completing phone calls which the operator of the vehicle did not initiate.

It is important to know which type of reported phantom phone call the operator is reporting. Some phone calls of this nature are considered normal and cannot be addressed other than through education, while others may require some remedial action to resolve. When attempting resolve, it is very important to determine under which circumstances the reported Phantom Phone call resulted.

The following are different scenarios:

• The vehicle may receive an incoming call just like any other phone. Typically the customer will hear the phone ringing in the vehicle. This scenario also includes incoming Bluetooth calls.
• Because the button assembly and associated wiring feeds voltage back to the OnStar^® system based on the amount of voltage drop through each of the buttons, should the return line be partially shorted to voltage the system could interpret this voltage as a key press. If one of the buttons voltage is simulated, such as the Blue button. The system will make a phone call just as if the button had been pressed by the operator of the vehicle. Refer to the OnStar^® Button Malfunction document for diagnostics.
• Internal module fault. Some customers may report a condition where "Phone Unavailable" message is heard after the vehicle door is opened or key is cycled. The technician may find a DTC stored in the Telematics module (example: U1500 or B1000). Refer to diagnostics for the DTC making sure to follow any applicable Bulletins or PIs.
• Unwanted Hands free calling activation. A customer may report that the "Ready!" or "OnStar^® Ready!" message is heard while driving. The customer may also advise that this seems to happen mostly while making a turn. In some cases it has been found that the customer is inadvertently pressing the "push to talk" button on the steering wheel controls. On rare occasions, other issues in the steering column or Steering Wheel Control system may induce this event.

The majority of reported Phantom Phone Calls can be attributed to accidental button presses or customer induced concern. In some cases an incoming call may be mistaken as a phantom call concern. It is important to verify all aspects of the customer concern in order to properly duplicate and diagnose the condition. If the concern points to normal operation and customer induced concern, please communicate to the customer this condition is a normal operating characteristic of their vehicle.