Safety Warning
DIY auto repair can cause serious injury, fire, or vehicle damage. These guides are for informational purposes only. Always follow OEM torque specs, wear PPE, and consult a certified mechanic if you are unsure. You are solely responsible for your safety.
Over The Air (OTA) Description
The Over The Air (OTA) feature was designed to install vehicle software updates remotely. Remote software update is an in-vehicle feature that enables the installation of a software package to update certain modules without requiring service test equipment to be physically connected to the vehicle. Remote software updates will utilize a long range or short range connection from the host module to a remote IT system. There must be an active 4G LTE or WiFi connection to download and install vehicle software updates. The customer does not need an active OnStar subscription but they do need to accept the vehicle Terms and Conditions to be eligible to receive OTA vehicle software updates.
Fleet vehicles must be activated as a Fleet account (not a business account) and require a separate Terms and Conditions agreement to be completed. Please see your fleet administrator for assistance with completing this agreement.
OTA software updates that are pushed to vehicles remotely continue to expand in frequency and use on GM models. Vehicles using the Global A electrical architecture can support three modules for OTA updates, such as the radio, OnStar, and Serial Data Gateway modules.
The new Vehicle Intelligence Platform (VIP) electrical architecture, introduced on some 2020 vehicles and beyond, powers a new electronic system that is capable of managing up to 4.5 terabytes of data processing power per hour, which is a fivefold increase in capability over the previous Global A electrical architecture. On vehicles using the VIP architecture, virtually all modules can support OTA updates, which means that the OTA software is not only for the infotainment system.
When an OTA update has been downloaded to a vehicle and is available to be installed, a message is displayed on the infotainment screen notifying the driver of the impending update. The message to accept and install an OTA update will not appear until the minimum values for the battery State of Charge (SOC) and Outside Ambient Temperature (OAT) are met.
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When to See a Mechanic
Stop DIY work and contact a certified mechanic immediately if any of the following apply:
- • You smell fuel, burning insulation, or see smoke.
- • Brakes feel soft, pull hard to one side, or make grinding noises.
- • The engine overheats, stalls repeatedly, or misfires under load.
- • You are missing required tools, torque specs, or safe lifting equipment.
- • You are not confident in the next step or safety outcome.