Autobrain - Connected Car Assistant Adapter - Black

I drive an older vehicle and I was looking for an OBD II scanner. I was fortunate enough to find this device that not only allows me to check the health of my vehicle, but also offers me roadside assistance. In addition, it has a feature that alerts me if my vehicle’s battery is running low on power. Furthermore, it has sort of a built in GPS that tells me where my vehicle is and also records my driving history. I still can’t believe that there was such a thing available at this price with all these nice features compared to other OBD II devices that only offer diagnostic features that are priced over a $100.

The real time GPS mapping is not reliable and neither is the trip information. Based on a conversation I had with customer service I was told this device relies on cell phone towers, if the signal strength is weak it’ll give false route information. Basically inaccurate trip mileage. I have AAA so there was no need for the road side service, if you don’t have roadside service and feel the monthly membership is worth the price then go for it. I have an ELM OBDII code reader which gives me a wealth of engine diagnostic information so the Autobrain didn’t offer that much more to make it worthwhile keeping.

I have not used it as much as I had hoped to yet in order to give my full seal of approval but no major complaints so far. Actually one small one. Be sure to read the fine print in the user agreement. There seems to be a fine charged back to you if you discontinue service and do not subsequently return YOUR autobrain device that YOU purchased to the manufacturer for disposal. maybe not exactly but worth checking first. It does have potential.

Ok, so I got the Autobrain installed and the app finally downloaded (the app is written terribly and has multiple glitches). You must pay a monthly fee to get car data, while most others are bluetooth. I constantly kick the module off the OBD2 connection as the module is too large, If you don't like it and return to best buy, they have a deactivation fee if you don't return it to Autobrain(didn't I already pay for it?). The data isn't always consistent either, as my low tire warning was on for days and the module never picked it up, check engine light on, and it took around 4 days to tell me it was an O2 sensor. I do not recommend this device.

You probably have better options. This device works with a subscription service and plugs into your cars ODB II port. It has a built-in cellular connection which sends your car information to auto brain for real-time data sharing. In theory, this will let parents keep track of their children and their children's driving habits. In reality, this only works half the time at best. Whether that's because of cellular coverage, a poor connection, or bad website remains to be seen. I've tried three different adapters in the same car and had poor results with all of them. The company tried to be helpful and sent a replacement adapter, but my luck did not change. There was a company called Automatic which made a great adapter and provide an excellent service. Unfortunately, they went out of business as they did not think to charge subscription fees. Auto brain has a better business model, but much poorer execution. I hope to one day see Automatic's technology resurrected to provide modern telematics to older cars. Unfortunately, auto brain did not do it.

Tracking is studdery, tracking stops often and doesn't update , car will be showing 1 mile away and then pops up somewhere else. Also the promo was for 6 months free and then $8 a month but when you connect to service its $18.00 a month.

Overall it was good experience, I used it to track my second vehicle and although it was off sometimes due to satellites and remote locations, overall it gave me a very good idea of where the vehicle was and when speeds were over the posted limits. I would highly recommend for a teenager or young driver who needs supervision. Also customer service was very helpful

Great for $8 a month on the cheapest plan but not very accurate, I let my son take my car to work and when he got off work I try to track it it showed me he was like 10 minutes away from home and then I look at the window at the same moment and he was already pulling into the driveway.