Chevy Silverado Pickup to Debut GM’s New Service Alert System

General Motors Co. will introduce its new Proactive Alerts technology on the 2016 Chevrolet Silverado fullsize pickup truck. The system also is expected to be available in several other 2016 Chevy models, including the Corvette sports car and Equinox, Tahoe and Suburban SUVs.

GM says Proactive Alerts can predict and notify drivers about potential problems for certain components before they fail. The initial system will monitor a vehicle's battery, starter motor and fuel pump. Other vehicle systems will be added later.

The system taps into GM's OnStar 4G telematics platform to monitor information from various in-vehicle sensors. OnStar's remote servers use advanced algorithms to analyze data and determine if any conditions exist that could affect vehicle performance, then notify drivers accordingly via in-vehicle alerts, e-mails and/or text messages.

Chevy also is expanding its OnStar RemoteLink functionality to allow users to check a vehicle's tire pressure, oil life and other service-related information at any time. This type of diagnostic information currently is sent to them via e-mail on a monthly basis.

GM says Silverado drivers are the biggest users of OnStar RemoteLink mobile applications. Remote start and vehicle diagnostics are the most commonly used functions. The Silverado also is the top GM model for which owners send driving directions from a phone to their vehicle.