October 15, 2009
Finding a road hazard under the hood
OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics helps head off car trouble.
Butch Grafton has been around technology all of his adult life, first as an Army helicopter pilot and now as a flight instructor for military personnel. Still, he doesn’t pretend to be an expert on cars. He likes to leave these matters to his dealership’s service department … with more than just a little help from OnStar.
On a recent Friday afternoon, Butch received his monthly e-mail from OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics1 telling him that there was a problem with his Envoy’s cooling system. He started the car and heard an odd noise coming from under the hood. Unfortunately, the dealership was closed for the weekend, so Butch took the vehicle to a friend’s shop the next morning.
Finding the problem
Pulling into his friend’s shop, Butch initially assumed a broken fan belt might be causing the problem and could be easily fixed. They popped the hood and immediately noticed that the cooling fan, which in an Envoy is powered by an electric motor, wasn’t turning.
“I asked my friend what he thought would cause that, and he said he’d never seen a fan that did not turn when the engine was running,” Butch recalls. “I turned the car off while he reached in and manually turned the fan — and while he was doing that, I caught a glimpse of something between the fan and radiator.”
It was a squirrel — trapped under the fan blades.
“To say we were surprised would be an understatement,” says Butch.
After they removed the squirrel, the fan blades could turn and the cooling system was working again. And Butch was relieved.
“I’m so thankful that OnStar sent that e-mail, because my wife or I would have probably jumped in the car, hit the highway and the Envoy would have overheated.”
OnStar to the rescue
The incident not only saved Butch a big repair bill, it also reinforced the entire OnStar experience for him — from OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics to Emergency Services to Roadside Assistance.2
Working within the high-tech environment of today’s military, Grafton often discusses technology with the soldiers he trains for helicopter pilot duty. He relates media reports he hears or reads about OnStar and how the service has saved lives. Hearing about these incidents, many of the pilots began subscribing to OnStar, which frees them from such worries during long deployments.
“These guys really do understand technology, and they couldn’t be more impressed by OnStar. When they’re serving in places like Iraq, they say OnStar gives them peace of mind because they know someone will be on the way quickly if their wives and families are in a crash or their car breaks down.”
Monthly e-mail reports
OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics helps take the worry out of maintaining vehicles for busy people. The system checks in regularly to monitor key operating systems and make sure your car is ready for the road.
Has anything odd ever gotten under your hood? Has OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics saved you trouble on the road?
1 Capabilities vary by model and model year. Visit onstar.com for details and
system limitations.
2 Roadside service provided by Cross Country.
Tags: car, e-mail, military, OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics, squirrel, under the hood
[...] If something needs your attention, it will be flagged on your monthly diagnostic report — letting you know if “action is suggested” or “immediate attention required.” Read how Butch Grafton was alerted to a potential problem: Finding a road hazard under the hood. [...]