Make sure you are signed in, using the account name you have set up the car in.

Enter your destination.

Get directions.

Click on the "link" icon. Looks like 2 pieces of chain link.

That brings up "Paste link in email or IM" dialog box.

Click on "send" in that dialog box.

That brings up up "send to:" dialog box.

Select "car"

 

Also see http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?11834-Invalid-Destination-Name-OnStar

Note that even if you have only 5 maps sent to OnStar, you will not be able to use Virtual Assistant to download them unless you have OnStar minutes in your account. No minutes = no download, you'll get an error that says there was a problem try again later (not even an informative message). If this happens, you can use the OnStar button instead and have the person who answers download the maps. In sum: using the automated Virtual Assistant is apparently not free, but having a person do it is. Make no sense to me, especially when OnStar can be very busy some evenings/days. Sounds like a make work project to me, and frankly I'd rather not have to go through the hello, how are you, I'm Fine, How do you pronounce your name, yadda yadda yadda chat when all I want is to download a map I have already sent to the car.

Marc, thanks for the new steps. That worked great.

Steverino thanks for the link as it answered the NEXT question I was going to post, which was, "why the *&%$## do I keep getting an invalid destination name message." I deleted the 5 destinations that were already in there and it worked fine.

 

Also see http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?11834-Invalid-Destination-Name-OnStar

Note that even if you have only 5 maps sent to OnStar, you will not be able to use Virtual Assistant to download them unless you have OnStar minutes in your account. No minutes = no download, you'll get an error that says there was a problem try again later (not even an informative message). If this happens, you can use the OnStar button instead and have the person who answers download the maps. In sum: using the automated Virtual Assistant is apparently not free, but having a person do it is. Make no sense to me, especially when OnStar can be very busy some evenings/days. Sounds like a make work project to me, and frankly I'd rather not have to go through the hello, how are you, I'm Fine, How do you pronounce your name, yadda yadda yadda chat when all I want is to download a map I have already sent to the car.

 

Note that even if you have only 5 maps sent to OnStar, you will not be able to use Virtual Assistant to download them unless you have OnStar minutes in your account. No minutes = no download, you'll get an error that says there was a problem try again later (not even an informative message).

Perhaps I'm confused about your point but I don't have OnStar/phone minutes and I can use Virt Asst to download sent maps via google/mapquest.

 

I'm currently waiting for Onstar to tell me what is going on with my virtual assistant. I kept getting the message "I'm sorry but I am currently unable to provide you with turn-by-turn directions..." After several calls and being transferred to tech support the last time they said they were transferring the issue to "senior tech support" and they would resolve it in 7 - 10 days. I'm going to give the "delete all destinations" a try though, after reading the above posts. Anybody know how to get to the "stored destinations" in the Onstar website? The only way I've been able to find it was to send a map to the car using mapquest - it takes you there automatically. By the way, I was able to use Virtual assistant to get google maps when I first bought the car. It only stopped working in the last month.

 

Anybody know how to get to the "stored destinations" in the Onstar website? The only way I've been able to find it was to send a map to the car using mapquest - it takes you there automatically.

Hi HOUSTONVOLTAGE - My name is Lisa, I'm a moderator for OnStar. I saw your message and wanted to see if I could help!
Unfortunately, your OnStar.com account does not store your eNav destinations. To access them, the next time you are in your vehicle, press the Hands-Free Calling button, say "Virtual Advisor", and then you can use any of the following voice commands
• “Route Destination Directory” – to hear all of the stored route destination name tags.
• “Delete Route Destination” - to delete a specific stored route.
• “Delete All Name Tags” - to delete every name tag stored, including Hands-Free Calling name tags.

I also saw that you mentioned you were having some issues with your VA. If the problem still persists, I would love to try to help. We have an issue form at this link http://bit.ly/saPpIb. You can fill it out and we'll send the issue onto our Customer Care team.

Let me know if I can help with anything else.

Lisa

 

same problem here

After finally getting Google Maps to send the map to my car, I couldn't get it to download via virtual advisor, either today. The elevated the problem to tech support and they are supposedly working on the problem. It has worked in past attempts over the past several months.

 

After finally getting Google Maps to send the map to my car, I couldn't get it to download via virtual advisor, either today. The elevated the problem to tech support and they are supposedly working on the problem. It has worked in past attempts over the past several months.

Above link points out current solution is to delete 5 saved destinations. There is a link there to do that via the onstar web page.

FYI that there is an FAQ on sending maps to your cars. https://www.onstar.com/web/portal/enavoverview

 

I guess I should just try this, but does it go to the nav system as a destination or is it something that you have to push the button and On-star gives you voice commands?

 

It goes to the Nav system as a destination. There is a demonstration video you can view at the OnStar site by going to the eNav page.

 

I have minutes left, but i get the same error when trying to use the virtual assistant.

 

Wow. Missed that thread, and have never seen this link before. Must have been under a rock all this time. Thanks for the link!

 

The poster of that link got it from an OnStar rep. I logged in and went to "my account," and then to "navigation" and "manage," and I still couldn't find the "odm" page. I guess it's a hidden "OnStar Destination Management" page.

 

Thanks for the link to the destinations page. I deleted all my destinations and was able to store a destination from google maps - previously I was getting "invalid destination". But when I tried to use the virtual advisor I still had a problem. It said "It looks like there has been a temporary problem..." I don't understand how something that used to work fine can now be broken. Bummer. (don't fix it if it ain't broke!)

UPDATE, I got a call from someone at OnStar asking if my problem with Virtual Advisor was still there. While on the phone I went out to the car and tried it. It was still not working properly, and they promised to continue working on the issue. Haven't heard anymore - its been a couple of days since the call. I hope they get this feature working again.

 

UPDATE, I got a call from someone at OnStar asking if my problem with Virtual Advisor was still there. While on the phone I went out to the car and tried it. It was still not working properly, and they promised to continue working on the issue. Haven't heard anymore - its been a couple of days since the call. I hope they get this feature working again.

Hi there - Did someone call you again after you updated this post? I just want to be sure that your issue has been handled.

Lisa

 

Yes, two weeks ago I got a call, but since I was out of the country I didn't get the message until I got back. But its working again!

 

After having received a phone call from Onstar I tried it again. I put a route in Google maps and modified the route on the computer before sending it to the car. It downloaded to the car but it was kind of messed up as it added some waypoints to the route for some reason. I haven't had time to play with it since.

 

It was difficult to find, but I found the link buried deep in the onstar help system while signed into their web page.
sign into https://www.onstar.com, go to support > help topics, choose category enav, then click "troubleshooting enav." Within that help topic, there is a link to:

https://www.onstar.com/web/portal/odm

This is where you can delete your 5 saved destinations.
I have tried this and will soon check to see if I still have the problem everybody else is having loading a destination using virtual advisor.

 

I have found and used Mapquest's ability to send the route to my OnStar account.

When I try to do the same with Google Maps, I enter my destination and click on the link icon (two chain links). When I click the Send button, the only option that appears in the popup dialog is "email". I don't see a "car" option. I am logged into my Google account as well.

When I do the same thing with Mapquest, click send, I do get a pulldown and select "Car" and then get presented with a screen asking for either OnStar or Sync.

I am happy using Mapquest but was wondering how to do it with Google Maps.

 

I am happy using Mapquest but was wondering how to do it with Google Maps.

The way I do it is to search for a place in Google Maps. Then click on the correct place in the left search results bar. When you get the pop-up on the map view, click on the "more" button on the bottom right, select send, and then pick car from the options.

I just verified these steps and got the message that the destination was sent to the car. The problem I have is that I still can't access the virtual advisor in my car. I called OnStar months ago to report the problem and never heard back from them. I try to use the virtual advisor every couple of weeks (most recently last week) only to get the message that "unfortunately I am unable to provide you with turn by turn directions at this time." I need to call OnStar again but was preoccupied with other car troubles of late

 

It is embarrassing that this doesn't work better (or at all in many cases). The only reliable method I have found is using the OnStar iPhone app. It works perfectly every time.

When I called OnStar, I was told that the Google functionality was broken and that I should try MapQuest. Odd if true, since the Google integration is featured on the MyVolt home page...

This and the situation with the SMS/email alerts really makes OnStar appear to be the weak link in the Volt's attempt to be a cutting edge car for gadget/techy folks (e.g., no simultaneous voice/data with OnStar. Really? Really? How about optionally use my cell phone for voice and use car's crappy CDMA module for data). I hope they do better with the new LTE OnStar stuff.

 

Leela

Thx. I just may have figured it out on my own. In Google Maps, I was clicking the "Get Directions", entering the address in the "A" box and then clicked the Link icon, then Send which did not bring up the "Car" option.

If I enter the address in the big search box at the top of the screen, then I am seeing the Send to Car.

I am sorry to hear about your OnStar and other car troubles

 

Note for Canadian users: as I just discovered, maps.google.ca only offers a choice of 5 cars to send maps to (BMW, Infinity, MINI, Nissan, and Rolls Royce).
You have to use maps.google.com to see OnStar or Chevrolet in the list. :-(

 

It as the destination of the navigation system, or is it something you have to press the button on the star to your voice commands?