Reddit reviews Davis Instruments 8226 CarChip Pro (New Model)

We found 2 Reddit comments about Davis Instruments 8226 CarChip Pro (New Model). Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.

Great driver training tool: Parents of teens can set audible alarms for speed and accelerationEasy-to-read tripgraphs allow you to see what driver and car did every second of every tripKeep your car in peak running condition and pre-empt repairs by tracking over 20 engine performance parametersEmissions readiness feature allows you to see how your car will perform before annual vehicle registrationAssign trips as personal, commute or business use

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2 Reddit comments about Davis Instruments 8226 CarChip Pro (New Model):

u/MangyCanine · 2 pointsr/iphone

Not quite what you're looking for, but, if your daughter's car has an ODB-II port (many cars made in the past 15+ years do, although I'm not sure if the latest models still have them), a Davis Carchip might be ideal. This is like a user-accessible black box for cars:

While it's intended for car monitoring and diagnostics (e.g., coolant temp, battery voltage, etc.), it'll also keep track of max speed, as well as a summary of how long the car spent (for a given trip) in each of four speed bands, plus idle, like (this is configurable):

Duration: 0:08:33
Idle 0:01:23
0 to 45 MPH 0:07:10
46 to 60 MPH 0:00:00
61 to 70 MPH 0:00:00
Over 71 MPH 0:00:00
It also keeps track of "hard braking/acceleration", although I think its idea of a hard brake is rather wimpy.
It keeps track of when it's inserted into the ODB-II port, as well as when it's disconnected. (For keeping those family members and employees honest -- you can't disconnect the device without it keeping a record of that.)
It does not keep track of location (GPS), though.
However, it doesn't work with all cars. I believe it can't be used with Audis w/tiptronic. And, of course, it does need an ODB-II port to plug into. See the Compatibility & Safety Information info.

Amazon has it for a decent price: http://www.amazon.com/Davis-Instruments-8226B-CarChip-Model/dp/B001A0C7F0

EDIT: Eeek, the software appears to be windows-only, sorry.

Edit 2: it's also not the easiest thing to use, as you have to disconnect it and bring it to your pc to download the data.

u/darksim905 · 1 pointr/jetta

A few people recommend VCDS or going to a shop for fault codes, but I've always found CarChip works wonders for this sort of thing. Just don't leave it plugged it when you aren't driving. I'll upgrade to a VCDS eventually when my car either dies & becomes a project car, or if I get some extra cash flow. It's an excellent tool for a beginner. Will pull information about your driving habits if you want, will also help you get into some good driving habits as it will beep if you brake too hard or accelerate too fast (lol). It can pull the codes & you can look it up on your computer if it doesn't give you enough information. By comparison, VCDS & getting it read by a shop is still more expensive. Diagnosis for even electrical problems at STS start at like, ~$50.