Seeing your car's "check engine" light turn on while driving is never a comforting feeling, and sometimes the light comes on for easily remedied reasons that may result in unnecessarily spent time and money by taking your car to a mechanic.
Enter Automatic -- a new iPhone app and hardware combo that can sync with your car's on-board diagnostic system to not only to let you know why the check engine light is on, but also keep you up-to-date on your car's fuel economy and remind you where you parked.
The system is an automotive equivalent to those wearable fitness devices like Nike FuelBand and FitBit. By plugging the Automatic dongle into the car's diagnostics port, the Automatic software picks up data from the dongle transmitted by Bluetooth.
Drivers can find out how much fuel was spend on a trip across town, what their average speed and the system uses a series of audio queues to prompt drivers when they are driving inefficiently.
"Most people don't realize just how big an impact their driving style can have on fuel efficiency," the promotional Automatic video said. "You can save up to a third on gas with only a few adjustments to how you drive."
In the example used on the Automatic website, a driver's Mini Cooper's check engine light is on because of a small fuel vapor leak, a problem that can be resolved by taking the gas cap off then putting it back on more securely. The app gives details on what is wrong with the car and offers solutions or the option to find a nearby mechanic. The app also lets you turn off the check engine light from your phone.
The Automatic dongle also notes where you park your car and puts a GPS pin on your iPhone's map to make it easier to find your parked car; because the system supports multiple users, the app can also be used for car-sharing.
The Automatic system works with almost any car sold in the U.S. since 1996.
Pre-orders for Automatic began Tuesday for $69.95.
An Android-compatable app is still in development.
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