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If I had a vehicle with OnStar, I'd probably be unplugging it.


Casper
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Be lucky it's just OnStar right now.

When CARB implements OBD3 diagnostics, there's rumors of ALL new vehicles being able to be tracked, wirelessly.

So, for those with uber-paranoia, pretty soon you'll be stuck buying used cars pre model year 201x for the rest of your lives.

the uber paranoid are still driving pre-obd/computerized vehicles in case there is an EMP attack

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the uber paranoid are still driving pre-obd/computerized vehicles in case there is an EMP attack

Don't you? I admit I gave it up. Except for an available pre-computer motorcycle. Fuel would be so hard to find, I'd rather have a horse.

You'd have to learn how to brew up alcohol for fuel, and then enough of it to actually run a vehicle. By that time, you could have your pick of any vehicle anywhere for free.

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camera in rear view mirror?

PIC_0634.jpg

The first OnStar "push the blue button" contest commercial, about 1/2 way through. There are two girls in a car and there is a time stamp running across the bottom. I think it was footage from this camera. Sure looks like a camera behind my spit ball... :dunno:

I can't find that commercial now either. Its what made me really look at my mirror.

It would help if someone stole your vehicle. They would have the suspect on film......all in the name of security of course. :rolleyes:

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PIC_0634.jpg

The first OnStar "push the blue button" contest commercial, about 1/2 way through. There are two girls in a car and there is a time stamp running across the bottom. I think it was footage from this camera. Sure looks like a camera behind my spit ball... :dunno:

I can't find that commercial now either. Its what made me really look at my mirror.

It would help if someone stole your vehicle. They would have the suspect on film......all in the name of security of course. :rolleyes:

Isn't the sensor that reads the light, to dim the rearview mirror? My old Nissan Maxiam had that.

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Dude, that spitball is covering the light sensor.

Here's the mirror on my Subaru (no onstar)

IMG_1800.jpg

You may have more than one sensor? If you covered the sensor then it shouldn't make the mirror go dim - it would stop the mirror from going dim even if a light was shining in it.

I have GPS and cameras in my car but I control them, nobody else does.

Dead giveaway for a camera it to hold a small flashlight near your temple and shine the light at the "camera". A real camera will reflect a brilliant pinpoint of white/purple light that looks like a star in the sky.

Edited by Scruit
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Examples of finding cameras with a flashlight:

Overt cameras with large glass lenses and CCD sensors:

IMG_1803.jpg

Small overt camera with fixed lens and cmos sensor:

IMG_1801.jpg

Covert camera with fixed glass lens and CCD sensor:

IMG_1810.jpg

Photoresistor (Light sensor) on an auto-dimming mirror:

IMG_1809.jpg

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Dude, that spitball is covering the light sensor.

You may have more than one sensor? If you covered the sensor then it shouldn't make the mirror go dim - it would stop the mirror from going dim even if a light was shining in it.

Why would their be two light sensors? :confused:

My mirror works fine with the spitball in there. Compass dims at night and the mirror auto-darkens.

I covered the one facing out and the mirror dimmed like it does at night. :dunno:

I looked for that OnStar commercial for nearly half an hour. I really wish I could find it now. There are two young women sitting in the car and the footage has a time stamp along the bottom. Like a security camera would.

And camera prospective matches about where my spitball is....I tried to dig the spitball back out but couldnt. I might try again later, now that you posted the info about the flashlight.....

Just a side note, I'm not paranoid "big brother" is watching my every move...I'm paranoid Joe Blow at OnStar is bored at work and just scrolling through various vehicles cameras...maybe trying to find vehicles with hot women in them to get off to......because its something I would probably do if I had that job..:D

Edited by GregoR6
Mirror auto darkens not dims...lol
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Why would their be two light sensors? :confused:

My mirror works fine with the spitball in there. Compass dims at night and the mirror auto-darkens.

I covered the one facing out and the mirror dimmed like it does at night. :dunno:

the same reason my Lincoln LS had two light sensors in the mirror. The rear facing sensor is so the mirror can auto dim if a vehicle behind you has its high beams on or just very bright headlights.

It does not make sense to install a recessed camera with no way of cleaning lens on said camera.

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the same reason my Lincoln LS had two light sensors in the mirror. The rear facing sensor is so the mirror can auto dim if a vehicle behind you has its high beams on or just very bright headlights.

It does not make sense to install a recessed camera with no way of cleaning lens on said camera.

My cell phone camera is recessed and a PITA to get the lense clean of the pocket lent...

and it would make it harder to cover up the mirror cam with beads, fuzzy dice, air fresheners, bracelets etc.. it would protect the lense from being scratched..

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all i know is that in my 2010 silverado, there is NOT 2 light sensors in the mirror. Pretty sure one is a "cab camera" in which I also spitballed about 2 weeks after I got my truck

Are the mirror components identified in your owner's manual?

You want to remove the spitball and take a closeup pic? Or try the flashlight trick?

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Are the mirror components identified in your owner's manual?

You want to remove the spitball and take a closeup pic? Or try the flashlight trick?

either i'm wrong or the silverado forum consensus is wrong. There is 2 spots that look like a sensor and the one of the backside of the mirror, facing towards the windshield is definitely the light sensor. The one on the front i suppose to be a cam camera. I have no way of confirming thats exactly what it is, but i also have no reason to not believe it

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That's why GM is going under, they've got all the engineers designing expensive surveillance equipment in all their vehicles that they're not charging you for so everything stays hush-hush. Or maybe it's all subsidized by the gov't, and they're ONLY in bed with GM because they know that only people that buy new or used GM vehicles are POIs for the gov't.

:rolleyes:

Bunch of conspiracy theorists in here.

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Interior cameras ARE coming...

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/01/05/ces-2011-gm-shows-off-onstar-equipped-with-4g-skype-video-mon/#continued

But until someone show me a pic of what is being the spitball I'm going to assume you covered up something innocuous, likethe microphone.

Oh, and all the video stuff in this prototye car is the same as the stuff I have had in my car for years. Cameras that are activated by impact detection, interior intrusion, trunk/hood opening etc. Wirlessly downloads to my PC when I want to review and incident or I can use the 7" in-dash screen I custom installed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8hvqumiq1E

I'm wondering when they will make dashcams mandatory.

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