Anyone here subscribing to UConnect service?

[ShadowsPapa]

I pay for the SiriusXM service that provides Remote Start/Lock/Unlock/Locate and whatever else is included in the package. It is free for the first year and $249 per year after that. I don't use the WiFi features. I have a shared data plan from AT&T for all the cellular phones and my tablet.

My wife likes the ability to lock from anywhere. She had customer quilts in the truck - and we were at church, under 5 minutes to service start.
She said - did you lock the truck? I was pretty sure I had - but I made her feel better by taking my phone out of airplane mode, going to the uconnect app and hitting "lock" and then showing her the screen where it says it accepted my command. I'd not have made it way out to the truck out at the edge of the parking lot and back.
I doubt I'd use the thing as a cell hotspot - if I don't have service normally no one else does so the truck wouldn't and I have unlimited data on my phone and can use it as a hotspot - and have before.
I think she's leaning toward my re-upping the Sirius services on this truck - and when she gets her new Jeep GC - she may want it on that, too.

I've not had the services fail me - unless my truck was in the garage or under the lean-to by my barn - we are in a cell dead zone at home and no one gets services here, I mean NO ONE - except us, our carrier works here in our area but nothing else does. Visitors are ready to throw their phones at a brick wall, frustrated as they have no service, yet our phones work - in the house but not in my shop or garage.

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[AEsco48]

Can you guys please confirm you need the 8.4" screen for the uconnect phone app remote lock/unlock start?

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Im not sure why people have problems with Sirius every time my music subscription ends on whatever car I have at the time I tell them I want to cancel and the only way to keep me is the $5 a month music plan which they will do. And when it comes to cancelling you can now do it through your account and not have to talk to anyone.

My son has usually gotten either FREE service, or cheap service using similar tactics. He waits until they beg him to come back. He says he's used it for years and never paid full price, sometimes no price.
I've gotten two letters from them in the last 3 weeks, the second was a far better deal than the first..... I'm still waiting..........I've got about 3 weeks left.

 

[johnparjr]

My son has usually gotten either FREE service, or cheap service using similar tactics. He waits until they beg him to come back. He says he's used it for years and never paid full price, sometimes no price.
I've gotten two letters from them in the last 3 weeks, the second was a far better deal than the first..... I'm still waiting..........I've got about 3 weeks left.

I have never been able to get better than 5 a month and to be honest that is pretty easy to get

 

[Mr._Bill]

It's easy to get a deal on the SiriusXM audio service. The Uconnect remote access service is separate and a fixed price. It is ordered through the Mopar site.

 

[Tapped_Out]

Suggest you prowl around deep into these apps because some of them allow tracking of your driving behavior and locations. If memory serves me right, the tracking feature was turned on by default in the Sirius Guardian app. On top of that, our Mojave had a hidden Spireon KAHU tracking device wired in underneath the steering wheel. I'm still fighting to get that removed, because I wasn't told about it, nor did I consent to having it installed. I found out a week after buying the vehicle that it was installed when KAHU started sending me texts and emails.

From their website:

"2. Consent to Use of Data:"


A. You hereby acknowledge and agree that, in the course of providing the Kahu Services and operating the Company Site, subject to applicable law, Spireon, Inc. (“Company”) is hereby permitted to collect, maintain, and use any of Your Information made available, or otherwise disclosed, by or on behalf of You. For purposes herein, “Your Information” means any data or other information made available to Company arising out of Your use of the Company Equipment, Kahu Services, Your Vehicle (with an activated Company Equipment), the Kahu Mobile App or the Company Site, including, but not limited to (a) information provided or obtained from Your vehicle’s manufacturer, dealer, owner, lessor or secured lender; (b) information in any way related to the lease, loan or any security interest in and to Your vehicle; (c) information provided or obtained during Your registration; (d) information provided or obtained for the purpose of granting access rights to You; (e) Your contact information; (f) Your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN); (g) information about your driving behavior, including the operation, location, mileage or features of Your vehicle; (h) information and data about collisions involving Your Vehicle; (i) information about moving violations or infractions, vehicle code or traffic code violations or infractions involving Your vehicle; (j) information about Your subscription to, or any and all use of, the Kahu Services and Company Site; (k) Your Security Data; (l) any information provided by You on the telephone or via email to Company; or (m) all other personally identifiable information about You provided or obtained by Company, including but not limited to your name, date of birth, physical address, email address, and your telephone number, arising out of the Kahu Services and Company Site."

https://www.spireon.com/kahuterms/

 

[Mr._Bill]

There's at least one long thread on the tracking devices. Mine has one, and included instructions on how to setup an account to access it, and is prepaid for three years.

 

[fun2drum]

I have never been able to get better than 5 a month and to be honest that is pretty easy to get

My wife and I both get phone calls before our contracts terminate because they're trying to keep our business. I tell them I'm not interested in continuing because I like to stream Pandora and I just listen to music anyway. I don't listen to talk, sports, etc. At that point they immediately offer the $5 deal for everything. The thing is that I'm not lying to them - if it's more than that then I'm really perfectly content dropping them and streaming Pandora.

BTW, I apparently don't have access to what you guys are talking about with my 7" screen, but from what I'm reading here in this thread I don't think I'm missing anything I would be interested in. For my personal preferences it seems like bad deal. For that money it would have to do a lot more than provide a way to lock doors from a cell phone and provide spotty internet service which I already have from all of my devices anyway.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Suggest you prowl around deep into these apps because some of them allow tracking of your driving behavior and locations. If memory serves me right, the tracking feature was turned on by default in the Sirius Guardian app. On top of that, our Mojave had a hidden Spireon KAHU tracking device wired in underneath the steering wheel. I'm still fighting to get that removed, because I wasn't told about it, nor did I consent to having it installed. I found out a week after buying the vehicle that it was installed when KAHU started sending me texts and emails.

Do you use gmail or twitter or fakebook? Did you know Google scans every single email you send and looks for key words? Did you know there are services that scan email and posts for words that may indicate copyright violations for major corporations? Welcome to the internet.
But that is NOT UCONNECT nor is is associated with them or siriusxm.
What you are looking at isn't related to this topic - it's a totally different animal, installed by the DEALER.

Anyway, simply go under there and remove that device. End of story. That is ZERO, nothing to do with uconnect or anything else. What was dealer installed. Check my long thread on that device.
It's normally plugged into the obd port - just go under there and remove it - unless it's a LEASED truck, that is.
It's really not a big deal. Old news. Likely the "stolen vehicle recovery service" the dealer sells on vehicles, but could be their own use on the lot.
At least 2 or 3 threads on it - and I started one of them and showed how to remove it (unplug it, end of story)

 

[ShadowsPapa]

There's at least one long thread on the tracking devices. Mine has one, and included instructions on how to setup an account to access it, and is prepaid for three years.

But that is dealer installed and not uconnect or Sirius related.

 

[brianinca]

I did get a little frustrated and just said phooey and got the music and push button emergency assistance for a year, forget about the trial package. I don't care about the minimal cost. Works well enough and my wife likes it.

I maintained OnStar for the H2 my ex drives even a year after we split, it's a good safety feature and in comparison the UConnect seems like a good deal.

Everything I read says the new Ford Sync is the best on the market, with UConnect the best of the rest. I remember when Sync was powered by WinCE, that was just wrong.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I did get a little frustrated and just said phooey and got the music and push button emergency assistance for a year, forget about the trial package. I don't care about the minimal cost. Works well enough and my wife likes it.

I maintained OnStar for the H2 my ex drives even a year after we split, it's a good safety feature and in comparison the UConnect seems like a good deal.

Everything I read says the new Ford Sync is the best on the market, with UConnect the best of the rest. I remember when Sync was powered by WinCE, that was just wrong.

I had a lot of trouble with UConnect the first 2 or 3 months. I think I figured out that it was due to the horrible AT&T reception around this part of the country. I mean they stink. When I worked for the state AT&T wasn't even considered as a cellular service as the reception was so horrible. No one with AT&T could use their phones around me - and my JT was no exception.
But after all of the updates the system got, things finally settled down.
Being in IT I figured in the end these systems (radios) are made with defaults and they sit for a short time before being installed. So they hit the road and have to do updates and upgrades. If you are in my area - that means you have to drive a few miles to get any cell service from AT&T so things are stuck in limbo for a while until it can connect enough to do the upgrades and updates.
I've not had any disappearing icons or that sort of thing for months now.
The text services part of this system SUCK. I get phone calls just fine, the bluetooth part works great, but don't count on seeing any alerts of new texts and if finally you do see an alert, you see you have 5 new texts as it's so far behind texts from last week show up.
That's my only complaint - they haven't got that part working right.

My son, being a professional in the area of web services, interface design, advertising and marketing likens the UConnect interface to something from the 1990s - he says "it's so last century", looks old and amateurish. Not sleek and modern. Otherwise, it works for him, he just thinks they need to hire some new, younger staff with new ideas - he believes they are stuck in the past.
Maybe, maybe not - if they get the text part working, I'd be fine with it, really. My primary purpose for the truck was that it's a JEEP TRUCK.
But I drive the thing so much, and have trips planned for it in the future, my wife, who must have Scottish in that German blood, even said "maybe it would be worth it" on that truck. And she loves the remote lock and start and such using a PHONE.

 

[Tapped_Out]

But that is dealer installed and not uconnect or Sirius related.

LOL, ever read about Uconnect's tie in to Sirius Guardian on these vehicles? This was enabled by default when I installed the app:

"Family Drive Alerts is a notification system that helps promote safer driving and helps give you peace of mind when your loved ones are out on the road. You can receive alerts to inform you when your vehicle enters or leaves a specified area, when it exceeds a specified speed and when it is driven outside of a specified time range. You can't always be there, but you can always be aware."

https://www.driveuconnect.com/faq.html#family-drive-alerts

You might be okay with this "big brother" crap, but I'm not.

So being that you're so smart on this topic: How can you guarantee this information about everywhere you go, how you drive, and everything else about the vehicle isn't being sold to insurance companies, or on the darkweb by hackers?

 

[ShadowsPapa]

LOL, ever read about Uconnect's tie in to Sirius Guardian on these vehicles? This was enabled by default when I installed the app:

"Family Drive Alerts is a notification system that helps promote safer driving and helps give you peace of mind when your loved ones are out on the road. You can receive alerts to inform you when your vehicle enters or leaves a specified area, when it exceeds a specified speed and when it is driven outside of a specified time range. You can't always be there, but you can always be aware."

https://www.driveuconnect.com/faq.html#family-drive-alerts

You might be okay with this "big brother" crap, but I'm not.

So being that you're so smart on this topic: How can you guarantee this information about everywhere you go, how you drive, and everything else about the vehicle isn't being sold to insurance companies, or on the darkweb by hackers?

You mentioned a different device - not UConnect or Sirius. UConnect GPS is BUILT INTO THE RADIO. It's not a device under the dash.

You can rip that Kahu out yourself! You don't need permission, and it's not even tied to UConnect and has zip to do with Sirius.
So which is it you are concerned about?
You are mixing apps and services.
First post you mention Kahu and Spireon - now you toss in UConnect? Not even RELATED.
Which is it you are complaining about?
The Kahu device your DEALER installed?
or
UConnect?

Don't have to explain that Sirius and UConnect are tied together in certain respects (the Guardian services for example)

I know about this stuff - hell, I was an IT specialist, Network Security Administrator was my official business card title, and I managed our 35 remote office networks and connectivity, firewalls, ASAs, switches, etc.

No use even discussing it with you as you are mixing things up as if they are tied together. You have your mind made up.
"darkweb by hackers" - give me a break.
You may want to join the fellow who believes the push-button start is a horrible risk, too.

Final question -
>> This was enabled by default when I installed the app:<<

Why the hell did you even install this app??? if you are so dead set against anything like it?

 

[Tapped_Out]

You mentioned a different device - not UConnect or Sirius. UConnect GPS is BUILT INTO THE RADIO. It's not a device under the dash.

You can rip that Kahu out yourself! You don't need permission, and it's not even tied to UConnect and has zip to do with Sirius.
So which is it you are concerned about?
You are mixing apps and services.
First post you mention Kahu and Spireon - now you toss in UConnect? Not even RELATED.
Which is it you are complaining about?
The Kahu device your DEALER installed?
or
UConnect?

Don't have to explain that Sirius and UConnect are tied together in certain respects (the Guardian services for example)

I know about this stuff - hell, I was an IT specialist, Network Security Administrator was my official business card title, and I managed our 35 remote office networks and connectivity, firewalls, ASAs, switches, etc.

No use even discussing it with you as you are mixing things up as if they are tied together. You have your mind made up.
"darkweb by hackers" - give me a break.
You may want to join the fellow who believes the push-button start is a horrible risk, too.

Final question -
>> This was enabled by default when I installed the app:<<

Why the hell did you even install this app??? if you are so dead set against anything like it?

After I installed the Uconnect app, thinking it was harmless stuff like unlocking the doors, I started going through the menus and found the family drive thing. Had to Google it to understand what it does.

We can both throw around IT credentials, bro. I was an information systems security officer for the Army. The "darkweb" is a real thing. Scary too!

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