How Can I Use The 3 Watt Digital Phone In My 2005?

5Alive · October 2, 2011

After 6 years of faithfully paying Onstar, I have decided to discontinue their service in my 2005 Yukon.

What I will miss the most is the excellent signal strength and call quality of the built in 3 watt telephone... a dual technology analog/digital CDMA transeiver with external antenna. This phone worked where my handheld phone was scrambling for signal.

How can I use this phone without a subscription to Onstar, and without paying Onstar for minutes?

Effective the end of this year, 12/31/11, Verizon Wirelss customers will no longer be able to use their Onstar phones on Verizon calling plans. The dissolution of this former partnership extends to both America's Choice as well as Nationwide plans. In fact, it even obliterates the ability of formerly grandfathered customers to keep their in car Onstar phones linked to their Verizon minutes.

That means that the only official way to use this powerful built in phone is through Onstar... with either prepaid minutes, or through a couple of pay by the month calling plans, $5 for 100 minutes a month that expire with no rollover, $10 for unlimited minutes a month. The problem is, that requires a subsription to Onstar, which at minimum adds $150 a year on top of the monthly commitment for the phone plan, plus taxes and a mysterious myriad of other "service" fees.

So what are the UNOFFICIAL ways to make use of this phone?

I've heard about bluetooth modules that are able to utilize the microphone, speakers, and steering wheel controls in the car. That sounds good... but the transceiver is still the half watt handheld cell phone in my pocket, right?

Is there a lockpick type of module that also uses the 3 watts of power and the external antenna of the built in car phone?

Is there a way to capture the MEIN (Mobile Equipment Identification Number) or the ESN (Electronic Serial Number) of the VCIM (Vehicle Communcation Interface Module... basically, the in car cellphone transceiver) and give that to a CDMA service provider as if it were just a bag phone (fortunately, the 2005 model year is digital, not just analog like true bag phones were) and get it to work as a separate phone, at any price, beyond just utilizing only the handsfree features?

If there isn't, what are the best "lockpicks" or blackboxes that integrate with the late GMT800 era 2005-2007 phones? If it makes a difference, I also have the GM navigation radio with screen, and steering wheel controls, as well as a driver information screen where the odometer is that displays the phone number I am dialing when using the Onstar phone.

Any links, tips, ideas, experience would be highly appreciated.