The Auto Writer

CarChip Pro is your personal automotive diagnostic device, easy to use and providing a wealth of instructive feedback about your car.

From time to time I’m able to get my hands on a cutting edge automotive product and use that item just as any consumer would. Recently, I was given the opportunity to sample CarChip Pro, a diagnostic tool that plugs right into my car’s OBDII port, reading and storing data from my car’s on-board computers — logging driving and engine performance continuously. I’ve decided to share these findings with my readers; my report follows.

I’m not a complete gadget freak but I do like electronic tools that help to make life a bit more simple. CarChip Pro, is a product of Davis Instruments located in Hayward, CA (made in the USA!), that was developed as a convenient way for drivers to perform a diagnosis of their car without having to automatically go to the mechanic. This doesn’t mean you won’t need to have someone service your car, rather it alerts you to potential problems while leaving the remedy to you.

Easy to use, the device plugs directly into your car’s OBDII port and returns a wealth of information that can be downloaded to your computer and saved. I used it on one car and plan on using it on our other one to make sure that our vehicles are always running at peak performance.

Open the box up and all of the instructions and capabilities of CarChip Pro are right in front of you. Inside, you can find the device, a CD and a USB cable.

Once plugged in and working, CarChip Pro flashes a green light to tell you that it is ready to go. As soon as you start driving, the chip collects data which can downloaded to any personal computer to be analyzed, graphed and charted. A CD with pertinent software as well as a USB cable to connect the chip with your computer are provided, so there is no need to fumble around looking for other parts or downloading a separate program from the internet – everything needed can be found in the provided box.

My initial trip was a short one and would have been even shorter had I not thought to drive a few extra miles out of my way. My first stop was at my bank’s ATM where I left the car running so that it could record information, before I drove another half mile to a second bank to drop off some funds. I went through the drive through so that my car could keep running and then decided to hit the highway for a quick jaunt. In all, my 6.4 mile trip lasted 23 minutes with two stops included.

CarChip Pro returned plenty of information for me via several graphs provided. I like to read reports – okay, I’m a business geek – especially output that is detailed and easy to read. You can track time, speed, distance plus any four of twenty three engine parameters at a time. I also plan on using it for an upcoming business trip to make sure that I’m able to deduct the right amount of miles for income tax purposes – yes, there is a report that separates business, personal and commuting miles.

I took special note of the handful of jack rabbit starts and extreme braking that the chip said I was doing, wondering where and how I did these things. Beyond that I plan on finding out how well the chip records battery voltage, coolant temperature, air flow rate and oxygen sensor output among other features.

Heck, if I can figure out what is wrong with my car before taking it to a mechanic I’ll have the information needed to tell them what to look for. That’ll save me time and money. Yes, you can clear the check engine light yourself without paying a mechanic $75 to $125 to do the same.

Though I don’t have a teen driver in the house (yet) I can see its usefulness with young drivers too. You can set CarChip Pro to beep whenever certain thresholds are reached, specifically have warning alarms go off when the driver speeds, accelerates too quickly or slams on the brake. Best of all, if your teen tries to circumvent the device, CarChip Pro will report to you when it was disconnected.

CarChip Pro is available through select outlets; I found the product featured online and priced from $79 which is a bargain considering all that it does.