Best Auto Repair Apps

Posted on May 1, 2017 by Abraham Chavez

In today’s fast-paced, gotta-have-it now world, everything’s going high-tech and that includes our vehicles. More than just bells and whistles on your dashboard, mobile phone and other portable gadgets are helping you get the most of your car, truck or SUV.

It used to be you had to listen to grinding or screeching sounds to determine whether or not your vehicle needed auto repair. A squealing sound when you apply the brakes could signal brake repair, but it could also mean something else. That whirring sound you hear when you try to accelerate or shift gears could signal transmission repair or engine repair.

You could also make use of your other senses such as smell to try to guess where that musty odor from your vehicle was coming from. (BTW, this particular smell likely means auto air conditioning repair is needed.) Before the use of these new gadgets and apps, the only way to know what was wrong with your vehicle was to bring it to an auto repair shop for an inspection.

Skip the Auto Repair Guess Work and Go Straight to the Diagnosis

Now you no longer have to rely on guessing funny sounds and odors to learn about what is wrong with your vehicle. There’s an app for that, as they say, or several apps depending on your level of interest and expertise. Here’s an overview of some of the more popular auto repair and driving apps on the market today.

Openbay

This mobile repair app allows drivers to find the best auto repair shop for them based on the type of car, truck or SUV they drive, type of car repair needed, and location. It also offers an online auto repair diagnosis tool so you can get an idea of the type auto repair you need. It does this by connecting to your vehicle’s diagnostics port on your dashboard and reading and interpreting error codes. This app can also be used to help compare auto repair costs.

CarMD

This app relies on the same On-Board Diagnostics generation two (OBD-II) system to properly read and interpret error messages on the dashboard. So let’s say you’re driving along on the highway and your “check engine” light unexpectedly illuminates. Could be serious, right? Once you pull over, you can use the app on your phone to learn about what a check engine light could mean. For instance, it could mean a loose gas cap and not engine repair.

>> Use Your Phone to Find Priced-Right San Diego Auto Repair

Repair Pal

This phone app is perfect for drivers who view car repair with about as much enthusiasm as visiting the dentist’s office. Repair Pal lets you search nearby auto repair shops and compare reviews, quotes and more. Just enter in the make and model of your vehicle, what you think is wrong with it, and how far you’re willing to drive for car repair and the app will do the rest. It beats having to call around town for quotes that’s for sure.

Car Minder

This handy auto repair app Most of us have a hard time remembering when our vehicle needs an < ahref="https://www.griffinsautorepair.com/oil-change/">oil change, a 45,000-mile inspection, tune-up or regular system maintenance for the transmission, brakes, cooling system and more. The app can send your friendly reminders of when scheduled maintenance is due for your vehicle so you can keep your car in top shape and stay ahead of maintenance and auto repair work.

Find Specialized Apps for More than Car Repair

More than helping you find quality auto repair, these apps can actually help you drive better. One app called DevToaster Rev can tell you how your car is performing and how you are driving over a particular route. Made for the driving enthusiast in all of us, this app can help drivers know if they are speeding, turning too fast and more. As such drivers can improve their driving habits by paying better attention to how they actually drive.

Drive Green is another popular app that helps motorists drive in a more fuel efficient manner. There are in fact several apps on the market that can help drivers get better MPG from their vehicles.

On the other hand, if you drive a sports car and are more concerned with power and performance, the aptly named Torque app shows real-time car-performance and calculates horsepower and torque measurement. Now how did we ever get by without that!

Hate getting stuck in traffic? The free app Waze can help you better navigate the roads by letting you know in real time how to avoid or get around traffic congestion. It can help navigate ordinary traffic delays and let you know an alternative route as a result of an accident. It can also alert you to law enforcement.

So whether you are a car enthusiast looking for the coolest performance ranking app or an ordinary motorist just looking to save on and find quality auto repair, there’s an app for every driver.