But we don’t always understand what our cars are trying to tell us, do we? In that case, the variety of on-board diagnostics systems to choose from are a good solution. Most OBD apps are available to provide drivers with diagnostic trouble codes that indicate exactly where the problem is. This way you’re saving time and instead of investigating yourself the app simply tells what to do.
There are several such applications starting with the oldest ones that don’t make it very clear what problem you’re confronted with and moving close to the present, when apps became extremely comprehensive. However, it can be difficult to choose the right one, unless you know what to look at. This is why we gathered some of the most impressive OBD apps for you in the following article. However, don’t forget that you would need to buy and attach an OBD device for these apps to work. We shall be listing out the best ones in an upcoming article.
Torque Pro
The Torque Pro app is helping drivers get better by allowing them to see what their car is doing in real time. The app also has OBD color codes showing where the problem is, gives information on the car’s performance and temperature. The latest version of the application has been updated in February 2014 and is available for devices running on Android, requiring version 2.0 or newer of the operating system. The fully customizable and user-friendly dashboard screens give drivers the option of designing their own layout or theme. Users can also record their journey via the Track Recorder plugin. The application featuring Dynomometer and Horsepower also offers information on the car’s CO2 emission for those worried about the environment. To start taking advantage of all the available features simply connect the Android device to a computer and download Torque Pro directly from Google Play.
OBD Car Tracker
Also known as UUAID GSM, this is a cloud application allowing drivers to track and diagnostic their car directly on the smartphone. Being suitable for devices running on both Android and iOS, the latest version of the OBD Car Tracker for iOS has been updated in August 2013, while the one for Android in October 2013. The app offers information about the general health of the vehicle, as well as cooler temperature, speed, emission and so on. Functioning with alarms, every time something goes wrong with the car, there is a special time off alarm that indicates whether the speed is too high, there’s a problem with the temperature, you’re experiencing low voltage, high RPM or any other different problem. Apart from this, the OBD Car Tracker also offers trip records giving information such as mileage, fuel consumption and cost, driving time and emission. Another one of the interesting features drivers have is the driving behavior analysis that basically shows how safely you’re driving, but also how much money you’re spending and how to improve your situation. Simply download the app on iTunes of Google Play to start your journey to becoming a better driver.
OBD Fusion
The OBD Fusion application is available for all devices running on iOS and can be easily downloaded for $9.99 on iTunes. The latest version – 2.1.0 – has been updated in January 2014 and is available in English. Thanks to this app you can clear and check the car’s engine light, the diagnostic trouble codes and the fuel economy. To enjoy the new graphics and features added to the 2.1.0 version simply visit the iTunes store online and install the app. Then the user-friendly dashboard helps you customize and monitor all necessary details, while you also have access to maps.
OBD Car Doctor
The OBD Car Doctor app is suited for devices running on Android or iOS and enables drivers to easily communicate with their car. Featuring on-board diagnostics that allow users to identify where the problem is, solve it and adapt their driving behavior, the application is available in both the iTunes store and on Google Play. The latest version of the app is 1.2 for iOS, updated in July 2013 and 2.29 for Android, updated in February 2014. As opposed to previous versions of the same applications, the new ones have improved the way users read trouble codes so that now it’s even easier to understand what your car is trying to tell you. In case your device uses Android you will need the version 2.2 or later and can easily download the application here using a Wi-Fi connection. The same is true for iPhones and other iOS devices that can have the app installed here for free.
OBDLink
Being specially designed for the Android operating system, OBDLink is a high quality application available on Google Play. Its 2.0.1 version has been updated in March 2014, enabling the app to be more user-friendly than before. Part of the new features available are real-time graphing, boost pressure and the option to reset fuel economy , while the entire style of OBDLink has been changed. The ad-free application enables drivers to check trouble codes, verify their emission and fuel consumption, while the dashboards are very easy to customize by each user. To check additional details about OBDLink and download the application, visit the Google Play website and follow the instructions on-screen.
OBD eZWay
Another one of the OBD applications entirely designed for the Android OS is OBD eZWay, which has been recently updated. Its newest version, 2.17 – premium GPS tracking – was made available to the public in March 2014 and comes with an indicator of the air fuel ratio. Once installing the app, you will be asked to create an account that will automatically generate a profile and web-page for the car. OBD eZWay enables drivers to check the entire family’s fuel and trip statistics, which makes it perfect for cars driven by multiple users. Some of the features you’ll become familiar with are the safety factor expressed in points from 0 to 100, the average speed, driving time and maximal speed. To start using the application visit the Play section from Google and download it online.
