What does my OnStar system have to do with my factory radio, and why does it stop operating if my factory radio is replaced?
The OnStar system uses the factory radio as the communications tool to broadcast OnStar messaging throughout the vehicle. When you are speaking with an OnStar operator, you are engaging in a normal cellular phone call. The difference is that instead of hearing the other person talking through a cell-phone, you are hearing them through your factory radio and speakers. When you remove your factory radio you have, in essence, removed part of your factory cell-phone. When installing a new aftermarket receiver or CD player, a Mobile Electronics Specialist has to recreate what OnStar-related components were lost during the removal of the factory radio. This will require the installation of additional interfaces by your Mobile Electronics Installer. SoundGate’s Digistar, Digistar-X, and StarMod-series of interfaces perfectly handle these complex chores.
