You can already reduce your motoring costs by having your smartphone double up as a GPS or improve the efficiency of your driving style, but a new app will predict breakdowns and even help you repair your car at the roadside.
The Automatic Link makes a wireless connection between your phone and your car engine’s ‘brain’, via something called the on-board diagnostics port.
When something goes wrong with your car, your phone can suggest a quick fix or in the event of a complete car breakdown, call for assistance. Most car breakdowns are caused by relatively minor faults such as a flat battery and a car’s diagnostics port can be used to deal with faults before they risk leaving you stranded at the roadside.
Modern cars will alert the drivers if there is fault. When a ‘check engine’ fault light comes on, Automatic Link lets you know precisely what’s wrong.
If the fault is something you are unable to fix yourself, it can call your car breakdown provider or in the event of a crash, the emergency services. The Automatic Link works with most petrol-engined cars sold since 1996. It’s available for sale in America for $69, but it’s unlikely to be long before it makes its way to Europe.
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