A Montreal startup called Vehicle Mind just launched a smart device that identifies your car problems without requiring a trip to the mechanic — all through an app on your smartphone.
You can be alerted when your car is getting towed in real-time, find out how many potholes you've hit, check the status of your car battery, and figure out what the heck that blinking light actually means.
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Can't remember which street you parked on? You can use the device to find your car using GPS tracking.
Or you can use the GPS data for trip-logging to see exactly where you've driven.
The app automatically tells car-owners what mechanical issues it finds with their cars and when their cars are due for maintenance.
Roberto Cialdella, director of marketing for Vehicle Mind, told MTL Blog that the device plugs into a car's OBD-II port under the dashboard — the same port that mechanics use to diagnose a car's health.
The motion-sensing device transmits data through its own 4G wireless connection.
According to Cialdella, the device can help mitigate battery and engine issues caused by leaving your car parked for long periods of time — a widely-experienced phenomenon right now due to COVID-19 lockdowns and curfew periods.
The device usually costs $149 with a $10 monthly subscription — however, discounts are available on the Vehicle Mind website.