INDUSTRY ISSUESOnStar Continues Focus on Vehicle Maintenance Needs DETROIT, MI (Oct. 24, 2006) - When does a vehicle's oil really to be changed? How much air pressure is in a vehicle's tires? Even if you don't know the answers to these maintenance questions, chances are, your customer's General Motors (GM) vehicle does. Most GM vehicles on the road today are equipped with OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics advanced telematics technology. GM vehicle owners receive vehicle maintenance by the factory-installed OnStar technology. This service collects valuable maintenance information on four of the vehicle's key operating systems from hundreds of diagnostic checks. It then sends a personalized e-mail directly to the owner. For example, OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics can monitor and e-mail the mileage at which the next oil change will be needed based on current driving patterns. Integrated with GM's Oil-Life System (GMOLS), GM says oil change intervals can be doubled or even tripled by evaluating engine and driving conditions. The system is driven by a sophisticated algorithm that predicts oil life based on two key parameters - engine revolutions and temperature - and driver use. The system is designed to automatically adjust the oil change interval based on engine characteristics, driving habits and the climate in which the vehicle is operated. More than 95 percent of GM vehicles on the road - about 20 million built since the 1990s - are equipped with GMOLS technology. Other maintenance notifications handled by OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics include:
* Tire Pressure Monitoring - This feature is being rolled out in select models by the end of 2006 and across the majority of GM's lineup throughout 2007. Consumers will be notified of their vehicles' current tire pressure, as well as the manufacturer's recommended tire pressure.
* E85 Ethanol Compatibility - The e-mail also notifies drivers if their vehicles are E85 ethanol compatible and links owners to GM's www.livegreengoyellow.com Web site, which links to the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition's (NEVC) E85 ethanol station on-line look-up tool.
* Enhanced Vehicle Emissions Data - The OnStar monthly diagnostic e-mail also includes detailed vehicle powertrain emissions data.
* Other Services - In addition to these enhancements, OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics also notifies subscribers of the status of the engine, airbag, antilock brake and OnStar systems, as well as the current mileage. The report also includes scheduled maintenance alerts.
(Source: GM) 
