This is 2014. Isn't it time your car was as smart as your phone? Actually, it is. Your vehicle generates a ton of data and most of us don't realize it. With the right hardware and apps, you can use that data to save gas, find where you parked, and even diagnose those pesky check engine lights.
What You'll Get
Most cars since the early 80s have some form of on board diagnostics (OBD). Any vehicle made or imported into the US after January 1st, 1996 was legally required to have an OBD-II-compliant computer. Before the age of smartphones, there really wasn't much you could do with that information without expensive equipment, but fortunately you live in the future.
Thanks to all the data your car generates, you can track just about anything with an app on your phone, to make you a better driver (and even save some money). Here are just a few of the things you can do:
Track gas efficiency: A lot of us brake too hard, accelerate too quickly, or speed too much and our fuel efficiency suffers for it. Apps like Dash and Automatic will let you know when you need to ease up. They can also tell you exactly how much each trip costs, placing an (estimated) dollar amount directly next to each trip.
Locate where you parked: Both Dash and Automatic save where you were when you turned your car off. You can even use Dash to get Google Maps directions back to where you parked. It's probably overkill for finding your car at the mall, but anyone who's ever tried to navigate a college campus for the first time at night will appreciate the option.
Decode the check engine light: The check engine light can mean about a hundred different things. While it's no substitute for a proper mechanic, finding out what codes it's throwing off can be extremely helpful. Many apps that plug in to your OBD can tell you exactly what's gone wrong and help you figure out what you need to do to fix it.
These are just a few examples, but you get the idea—it's like tracking your exercise with a Fitbit, but for your car.
Step One: Install Your OBD Adapter
To get started, you'll need a Bluetooth adapter for your car. These range in price and there are a variety of different hardware features that you may or may not care about. During my own tests, I used this model for a moderate $24 (at the time of this writing), but some reviewers found that leaving the device plugged in would drain the battery.
Other, more expensive models like this one ($69) promise not to drain your vehicle's battery, in addition to extras like a faster refresh rate—which means live data will be more up-to-date—and extra security measures. It's also worth noting that one of the apps we'll discuss later, Automatic, requires its own special OBD adapter.
Once you've chosen which adapter you'll use, it's simple to install. Somewhere underneath your dashboard, you'll find an OBD plug like the one above. Its location differs on various car models, so check your manual for more information. Once you've found it, you can plug the adapter in. Most adapters will have some form of light or sound to indicate that it's been connected properly. If you bought your adapter in conjunction with an app like Automatic, read the instructions to make sure you install the adapter at the proper time during the app's setup.
Step Two: Choose Your Tracking App
There are a number of apps that can track data using your OBD. While we can't go over all of them here, we'll highlight a few that are worth trying out, depending on your use case.
Dash (Free, Android; iOS coming soon)
Dash stands out as one of the most useful apps as it's not only well-designed, but it supports a wide range of OBD adapters. At the moment, it's Android-only, but iOS users can sign up for a beta that's due for a full release this year.
Advantages
Shows real-time data. You can see everything from how fast you're traveling, how hot your engine is, the voltage of your battery, and a bunch of other information that most people don't really care about as you drive.
Maintains trip history. You can see a history of your trips and all the accompanying data, including how long the trip was, average mile per gallon, and how much each individual trip cost in gas.
Notes where your car is parked. When you get out of your car, Dash will make a note of where you parked. If you need help finding your car later (hello amusement parks), you can tap the location in Dash to get Google Maps directions to your vehicle.
Disadvantages
Still mostly Android-only. While you can sign up for an invite to the iOS beta, you won't get in immediately and there's no timeline beyond sometime this year for a full release if you're not on Google's platform.
Hardware may be wonky. Because Dash doesn't come with its own adapter (unlike Automatic), you're on your own to find one that works. This is true for most apps we'll feature, but Dash is designed to be used consistently. Depending on your vehicle, you might need to spend extra to get one that won't drain your car's battery, which could be an inconvenience.
Automatic ($99, Android/iOS)
If you don't want to do much thinking or research and you have plenty of spare cash around, Automatic is the OBD solution you need. When you first open it up, the app will guide you through the setup process every step of the way. It then tracks all of your trips and even beeps at you when you do something wrong. There aren't many settings to fiddle with and it doesn't even bother showing you real-time data (which is probably a good thing while you're driving). As a bonus, some Apple stores sell them, which makes it one of the rare OBD adapters you can buy without ordering them online.
Advantages
Dead simplicity: Automatic couldn't be much easier to use. When you first fire up the app, it will show you all of the places on your dashboard that the OBD port could be, it will tell you exactly when to install it, and there's only one screen that shows a summary of your travels, as well as a scrolling, reverse-chronological list of your trips. No fluff.
No compatibility problems: Automatic is an end-to-end solution, so you don't need to worry about making sure you buy the right OBD adapter or get one that supports your OS. If Automatic has an app for your phone, you know which adapter to get (sorry Windows Phone users).
Distraction-free driving: While all of these apps will tell you how to improve your driving, Automatic is one of the the few that won't distract you while you do it. Dash, Torque, and many others provide you with live, updating statistics of things you probably don't even need to know. Automatic, on the other hand, simply notes that you're currently driving and it updates with the information you need once you've parked.
Disadvantages:
Price: At $99, this is easily one of the most expensive solutions we've looked at. And, while simplicity may be a benefit, it cuts both ways. You'll pay more for an app that does less. Unfortunately, you also can't bring your own adapter. The Automatic app only works with the Automatic adapter. And vice versa. If you wanted to use Automatic and Torque, you'd still need a second adapter.
Less information: You may not need to see a live feed of your car's engine temperature or battery voltage, but it's nice to know you could. Automatic doesn't provide much in the way of extra data from your vehicle, so if you care about that sort of thing, you should probably look elsewhere.
Torque (Free/$4.95 Pro, Android)
Torque is the app for the professional who needs to get down and dirty with his data. The app spits out more information about your engine than you can possibly keep up with. Curiously, the free and paid versions have considerably different UIs (the paid one naturally looks nicer), but both have tons of functionality.
Advantages
Professional-level information: Neither Dash nor Automatic will show you, for example, what the fuel trim bank sensor is reporting. If that means more to you than it does to me, then Torque is what you need.
Wide hardware support: Torque works with a wide variety of OBDII sensors, as well as some original OBD connections from pre-1996. If you have an older car or an exceptional support case, Torque might be your best bet.
Disadvantages
Difficult UI: The app has a particularly unintuitive interface and individual widgets must be added by scrolling through menus populated by obtuse-sounding items. For raw data, it can't be beat, but you'll work to find it.
Pro version costs money: It's difficult to call this "expensive" when it costs less than your average fast food meal, but the clunky interface is made even worse when you realize that a nicer one is only $5 away. Even that one, though, isn't as easy to use as some of the other apps featured here.
There are plenty more apps out there for both iOS and Android with a variety of features, but these cover most major needs. With the exception of the Automatic adapter, most OBD devices can pair with multiple apps, so try them out to see which ones work for you.
Step Three: Start Driving
Once you've got your adapter installed and your app set up, it's time to start driving. Both Dash and Automatic will track your trips in the background and rate your driving on a similar scale. You'll receive individual scores for trips as well as an overall score for your driving as a whole. Accelerating too quickly, braking too hard, driving too fast, or idling for too long will take points off.
As an example, I performed a test drive with Dash down to my local geek bar (yes, that's a real thing and yes, you should be jealous). As you can see above, the app will log where you go, how far you traveled, how long it took, and how much gas you spent on this trip. The estimated price per trip seems to be estimated based on the current prices of gas nearby and the estimated average miles per gallon on your trip.
Dash allows you to add additional information or notes if you so choose, like photos, who was in the car with you, and notes on where you went. Assuming you leave Bluetooth on, however, you should not need to take any action to log the basic driving information.
Between the various apps available, your car can become a treasure trove of information and guidance to help you save a ton of money over the long run. Besides, who among us doesn't want to gamify another aspect of our lives?