It’s summer time, and you might be thinking about taking a road trip. Maybe it’s a one-tank trip or a full-blown cross-country holiday–either way, this month’s blog is for you. Whether you’re a dyed-in-the-wool gear head, a shade-tree mechanic, or just need your car to be there when you need it, these apps will help you save time and money with your car. These apps are in no particular order and are free for the basic app from your apps store, and are available for both Apple and Android devices.
1. GasBuddy
Why pay more for gas when you don’t have to? Driving around comparing pump prices certainly doesn’t make much sense, so that’s where gasbuddy.com comes in. The app takes the website posts on local gas prices in an easy-to-use format and in the different grades, including diesel. As an added bonus, you can even get driving directions.
2. Repair Pal
Auto mechanics don’t have the best reputation for trustworthiness and calling different mechanics around town for repair quotes can be a real pain. With Repair Pal, that legwork is done for you. Just select your car and the type of repair needed, and it’ll spit out what you might expect to pay in your area. It’s based on the repairpal.com Web site and functions exactly the same.
3. Waze
Need directions to someplace? Want to find the quickest way to work? Then you need Waze. How good is Waze? Good enough for Google to shell out more than a billion dollars to buy it. And that’s because Waze is more than a navigation app. It’s community driven, using user data to pinpoint traffic jams, accidents and gas prices in real time. When heavy delays are shown, Waze will also route you around it as best it can. Traffic isn’t limited to highways and major arteries, either. Side streets can be included, too. Waze the best free navigation app.
Are you constantly thinking about the health of your car and wanting to know the real-time status of it? Car Scanner has solved your problem. You can now know the car performance, sensor data, OBD Fault codes. It uses the On-board diagnostics (OBD) adapter to connect the cars Electronic Control Unit (ECU). It consists of the layouts on the dashboard with the gauges and charts that you want to get the information of. It gives you information about all the sensors on one screen.
The app requires a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth or Bluetooth 4.0 (Bluetooth LE) OBD2 ELM327 compatible adapter (device) to work. ELM327 devices plugs into the diagnostics socket in the car and gives your phone access to car diagnostics. This is how Car Scanner interfaces with your car. The app has many features such as, it tells you when your car is ready for an emission test. It allows you to read free frames (sensors state when DTC is saved). It can read the status of all sensors in one screen. It also shows you the fuel consumption statistics, and it gives you accurate acceleration measurement.
5. GaragePro (OBD 2 & Car Diagnostics tool)
GaragePro is one of the most sophisticated and useful automotive repair apps to read and fix the faults in the vehicle. It provides you with the complete information of the defaults in the system so that you can fix it without any hassle. The app can read the codes from your vehicle’s powertrain, airbag, ABS, and EPS can easily be read and turn off or clear the code unlike other automotive repair apps. It also generates PDF and Excel reports which are sharable. The app also maintains the history of all the cars that you have scanned. It also supports service and oil reset functions. You can use the app absolutely free of cost. It is compatible with almost all cars which are compliant to OBD2 standard.
Like we stated above you will need the Wi-Fi or Bluetooth or Bluetooth 4.0 (Bluetooth LE) OBD2 ELM327 compatible adapter (device) to work.
6. Find My Car (Google Play Apple App Store)
If you’ve ever parked your car at shopping mall or concert venue only to come outside hours later and not remember where you parked? Let me see was that Row 5 Section G or Section 5 Row G? Well, you are not alone. Find My Car makes finding your parked car easy. The free app uses your phones GPS and does not require an internet connection.
But, Find My Car is more than a simple GPS car-parking app. It also allows users to remember the GPS coordinates of any other location (i.e. your car, your hotel, or a meeting point), and users can share stored locations with friends.
7. ChargePoint
This one is for those drivers who’ve decided to go green and have purchased an all-electric vehicle. Electric vehicles are becoming more popular and the technology is getting to the point where one can make a decent trip in an electric car.
ChargePoint is making electric vehicle charging simple by allowing users to view more than 50,000 charging stations within all major charging networks. You will get real-time updates on charging stations and have the ability to filter for stations that are compatible with your car.
Users are also able to save their favorite charging station and their most recently used stations. You can leave reviews and view tips from other electric vehicle drivers about stations and their locations. And you can even request to be added to a waitlist in case you need to come back and charge later.
8. ClassicCars.com (Google Play Apple App Story)
The ClassicCars.com website has become a haven for lovers of antique and classic cars. If you’re looking to buy a Studebaker or sell a Maserati this is the app for you.
Scroll through hundreds of old cars to find that perfect one you are looking for.
9. Octane (Site is down)
Do you like to drift? Want to show off your classic ride? Want to go cruising with other gear heads? Do you want to show the grandkids what a real muscle car is? Well then Octane is for you.
Find the perfect event for you and your car. Octane is the best event finder for car enthusiasts with over 1,000 events listed across the US. Discover nearby car meets, car shows, cars and coffee, cruises, and more. Find out what others will be driving to each event. Don’t see an event you like? Host your own local event! Share your ride. Add your cars to your personal Octane garage and show others what you drive. RSVP to events with the car you will be bringing to let others know. This way, you can connect with like-minded enthusiasts who share an interest your type of ride.
Track your cruise. Go on epic drives with friends just like in a video game. Octane Quickdrive provides real-time tracking of all drivers so you never have to lose your friends or get lost.
10. Edmunds
The Edmunds app provides several search tools for finding the right vehicle at the best price. Its true market pricing tool can help you establish relative price points, and its car buying calculator app is one of the best available. Along with vehicle reviews, this app allows you to search cars, text dealers, compare prices of similar vehicles, calculate your monthly payments on a vehicle loan, and save searches and research information for later.
With an inventory of millions of used and new cars, dealer reviews, in-depth photo galleries and, pricing and trade-in tools, there’s something for everyone to like.
