‘Any recommendations on a service that tracks the health and whereabouts of your car?’
The Car Doc weighs in.
Boston.com Cars is your go-to resource for coverage of local car news, events, and reviews. In the market for a car or truck? Check out our new car specials and used car specials curated by our local dealer network.Q:
We have a new teen driver in the family and I am thinking about subscribing to one of the mobile services that tracks the health and whereabouts of the car through cell service and a device in the OBD port—Verizon Hum, for example. What are your thoughts on the value of these services, what do you look for when shopping for one, and what recommendations do you have?
A: I have not tried Hum, but I have tried a device called CarLock (www.carlock.co). This device plugs into the OBD port and has a small monthly service fee and a built-in GPS. The device tracks the vehicle and lets you know location and how the car is being driven (hard acceleration, panic stops). It also generates an overall driving report. When my wife was driving my car, I got a text message that my car performed a “hard” swerve. I called her to ask if she was OK and she told me that another driver had rolled through a stop and she swerved to avoid him. Another product is the cell-phone app TruMotion (www.gotruemotion.com). This app focuses on ending distracted driving while measuring how you and your family drive. My only criticism of this free app (at least when I tried it) is that it tends to be a bit power hungry, reducing my phone’s battery life.
John Paul is AAA Northeast’s Car Doctor. He has over 40 years experience in the automotive business and is an ASE certified master technician. He answers readers’ questions each Saturday. You can tune in to his radio program Saturday morning from 8:30-10 a.m. on 950AM WROL or www.wrolradio.com. Email your car question to [email protected]. Follow John on Twitter @johnfpaul and friend him on Facebook mrjohnfpaul.
