A couple of years ago I bought something for my car that was new on the market. You know something about me if you have read this column for any amount of time. That is that I do not like to spend money unless something is really useful or not available for free. I also like gadgets and new software. This device covered all those bases for me and I thought you may like it also.
A friend of mine got an Automatic adapter for themselves and really liked it. After these couple of years, I realized I have never mentioned this device to you, so here we go.
The developer, Automatic Labs, a subsidiary of Sirius XM Holdings Inc., developed this adapter that fits in most cars built after 1996. You can check their site at Automatic.com and see if your car can use it or not. It is approximately one-fourth the size of your cell phone and probably twice as thick.
It plugs in to the computer port (OBD-II) that your mechanic plugs their computer into to find out if your car is having any issues. Basically, you plug it in, install the application on your phone and it starts working. There are two versions the Automatic Pro and the Lite adapters. I will talk about the Pro’s capabilities here. To compare the two, visit the site.
It will provide you with the same thing your mechanic can find out; however, it not only generates a code but tells you exactly what it means to the welfare of your automobile. But then it goes beyond that service and provides much more information about your car and even some about you.
You can keep track of your fuel fill-ups, miles per gallon and your trips. You can choose to separate personal from business miles and expenses.
It is also able to track your car’s location. That includes where in the huge parking lot you left your car. Other apps do that too but not with all the extras.
It also has many other apps that could be useful like if you have a serious accident. (I guess that is determined by how hard you get hit.) Their trained responders will contact you, emergency services, and even someone else you choose if you want them to.
The thing I personally like is that it is watching my driving and gives me a report monthly. It suggests ways I could change my driving to get better mileage and longer lasting tires, etc. It also tells me how I compare to their huge database of drivers who use the Automatic devices. I found that I am a relatively conservative driver who brakes well and does not accelerate too fast. However, if shows on a map if I exceed the speed limit anywhere by any amount at any time. Of course, that rarely if ever happens, well maybe once or twice.
I moved it from one of our cars to the other and wanted all the stats reset for the current car. I had to contact the support people by email to do so. You cannot reset the device yourself. It did not take long and they were very helpful. I would have thought you would be able to do that for yourself.
Since this article was written I found out, through a savvy reader, that the Lite version is “currently out of stock.” I do not know if that is temporary or permanent but if you are interested in the less expensive model I would contact Automatic.com and check.