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Updated: 5:51 PM Aug 5, 2007
Tracking Your Teen
Have you ever wondered what your kids drive like when you're not in the car? Or maybe you manage a fleet of vehicles, and you need to track your drivers. Either way, one little computer chip might be just what you need.
Posted: 4:58 AM Nov 17, 2006 |
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Have you ever wondered what
your kids drive like when you're not in the car? Or maybe you manage a
fleet of vehicles, and you need to track your drivers. Either way, one
little computer chip might be just what you need.
This product is called the "CarChip", and here's how it works. Cars built since 1996 have a diagnostic connector located under the dash. Mechanics use this connector to access information from your car's computer, and the "CarChip" hooks right up to it. The “CarChip” is only about one inch tall and three inches wide. When you plug the "CarChip" into that connector, it reads and stores lots of information from the car like speed and engine temperature, among other things. It can store up to about 72 hours of drive time information, so you can usually make it about a month before you need to download the information off of the chip. But you also have the option of unplugging it at any time to see the information that’s stored on it. After you unplug the "CarChip", you can download the information to your home PC. The kit comes with all of the necessary software and cable to allow you to transfer the information from the “CarChip” to your home PC. After you hook up the “CarChip”, you can view charts that show how fast the car was driven, what time the car was driven, and whether the car accelerated fast or was braking really hard. And if the driver of the car thinks that they can just unplug it to avoid being tracked, the “CarChip” will report that as well. So whether you are a concerned parent or a fleet manager, the "CarChip" can give you important information to let you know how they're driving, even if you're NOT with them. I sure am glad that the “CarChip” wasn't around when I was 16...or I would STILL be grounded! The Auto Guy – Jim Champion Helpful Car Links: http://www.theautochannel.com/news/ http://www.trustmymechanic.com/index.html
http://www.autosafety.org/index.html
http://www.doityourself.com/auto/
http://www.carcarecouncil.org/index.shtml
http://www.kidsandcars.org/frameset.html
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or questions about cars jim@charliegraham.com |
