If you are trying to find better security for your car, and you want the capability to track your vehicle, choosing an OBD GPS tracking device as a car locator is an excellent idea. The tracking device can be a good option to consider for a host of reasons. However, you will also want to have a better understanding of what these trackers can do, how they can be installed, and how to use them properly.
Below, we will take a deeper look at OBD2 car trackers, so you can see why they might be right for your personal vehicle, or even for a fleet. The more you know about the OBD2 tracking devices the easier it will be to see why they can work for your needs.
1. What Types of Devices Are Available for Car Tracking
Today, several different types of devices can be used to track car locationg using GPS. As mentioned, there are the generic GPS car trackers, which can provide you with real-time information on the car location. These are often battery-powered or connected to your vehicle through a cable connection, such as USB, or the cigarette lighter in some of the older vehicles. Whenever you are choosing any GPS tracker, check to be sure it will work with your make and model of vehicle.
There are also hardwired options that can be found for your vehicle. CarLock makes hardwired devices that you could consider, as well. These will need to be installed by a mechanic, but it shouldn’t take long if that’s the route you want to go.
Another one of the types of devices that can be used for tracking cars is a battery-powered device from CarLock. These devices have the advantage of being able to be placed nearly anywhere in the vehicle. This can help to keep them out of sight, while still acting as a car locator and providing the ability to track your vehicle.
The OBD-II tracker has a substantial number of benefits, which help to make it the top choice for many buyers who want to keep their vehicles safer and tracked. In the next sections, we will look at some of the biggest of these advantages.
2. What is an OBD-II Car Tracker?
On-board diagnostics (OBD) trackers differ from traditional GPS tracking units that only track the car location, in that they access current information relating to the vehicle’s operating-systems via the CANBUS network that is connected to the OBD port.
While the port is presently mostly intended for use by technicians to scan the current status of the vehicle’s complex electronics for fault codes, fitting a tracking device to this port opens up a whole new world for information-driven GPS car location. For instance; A GPS car tracker fitted to a vehicle’s diagnostic port is also capable of intelligently monitoring the current state of charge of the car’s battery. This information can proactively alert the owner of an impending battery problem.
3. Is It Easy to Install an OBD-II Tracker?
One of the first questions that people ask when they are considering getting an OBD2 tracking device is how difficult the installation will be. It tends to be simple, fortunately. With these types of devices fitment directions are simple: After you park the car it just requires you to plug the tracker into the port. You will not need to have any special tools or knowledge to connect the device to the port. Once you have it plugged into the OBD-II port, it simply requires you to then connect it to your phone, so you can receive current information and alerts, as well as track your vehicle.
It’s nice and easy to use, so you can get the protection and tracking capabilities needed for your vehicle or vehicles. Because you can do it on your own, it also means that you will not have to deal with any installation costs. If you have an entire fleet of vehicles that you want to track, the ability to install the system on your own will help to keep your costs down substantially.
4. Top Benefits of Choosing an OBD-II Car Tracker
As we have mentioned, the OBD GPS car tracker has the advantage of being simple to install and use. We will touch more on the ease of use of the device in the following section.
4.1. NO CHARGING REQUIRED
One of the other big benefits of using OBD tracker GPS devices is that you don’t have to worry about charging them. They are already connected to the vehicle, which means they will be pulling power from the battery. When you choose a quality option like CarLock, you can be sure that the amount of power pulled from the battery is minimal when you park the car. In addition, the system can provide you with a current alert if your car battery is low. This helps to ensure you do not have any unwelcome surprises with your vehicle.
Consider some of the other types of GPS trackers that are on the market. Such a unit requires a separate battery. This means that if you have a device with a battery that is no longer working and providing the charge needed, you will not be able to use the GPS to track the car location.
Different makes and models may have a different battery life expectancy. It’s often hard for people to remember to change out their batteries since they already have so many other things going on in their lives. It’s easy to forget. Additionally, since the OBD GPS tracking devices utilize power from your car’s battery, it means you aren’t spending a fortune on battery replacements for the devices. If you had a fleet, it could be costly just to ensure that all of the devices regularly have fresh batteries.
4.2. MONITORING DRIVING SKILLS
The use of a quality OBD GPS tracking device can also help to improve driving. Devices like CarLock can keep track of and provide notifications for things like harsh braking or acceleration, speeds, and more. This information can monitor how a person is driving, which can be helpful. You might find that you are driving faster than you should be or that you are cornering too hard, for example. This can be of benefit to someone who requires a means to track behavior behind the wheel or the behavior of their teen drivers. It can also provide fleet managers with more information on how their drivers are doing when they are out on the road: Showing whether the operator has chosen to park the vehicle instead of carrying out deliveries, or even allowing the fleet manager to give the driver directions
4.3. FLEET MANAGEMENT
Another benefit for fleet managers will be the capability to know where the vehicles are at any given time. This will make it easier for you to let customers or clients know when your employees should be arriving if they are running late, for example.
4.4. EASY TO SWITCH BETWEEN VEHICLES
You can also use the OBD tracker for the car with different vehicles. You can use the same one with your car that you take to work each day so that when you park your car you can remove the device and add it to the car that your teen will be taking out to visit friends on the weekend. Of course, it might just be better to have several of these devices that you can use. It’s still nice to be able to switch them out between vehicles as needed, though.
4.5. AFFORDABLE
Another one of the reasons to consider an OBD GPS tracker device is the cost. You will find that these devices are quite affordable, even when you add in the cost of the monthly service. They will typically have a monthly fee, which ensures that you will have a connection through the mobile network and the cloud. Systems like CarLock are available for only $9.60 per month per device. It’s cheaper than what you will find with many streaming services like Netflix or Hulu. Wouldn’t you want to have that added functionality and security for your vehicle for such a low cost?
As you can see, there are plenty of reasons to consider using an OBD2 GPS car tracker. However, you always want to be sure that you are choosing one of the best options on the market. CarLock is a quality device and the app provides you with all of the features you will need.
5. How Difficult is the OBD GPS Tracking Device to Use?
One of the best things about the OBD GPS tracking device is just how simple it is to use, even for those who have no experience. Once it has been plugged in and connected to the app through your phone or the company’s website, you can log in and get started – no complicated directions for you to follow. The controls are simple to use and the information you need is easy to find when you choose CarLock, as well. You should be up and running with the system in a matter of minutes.
What Makes an OBD-II Car Tracking Device Better than Just an Alarm?
As you have seen, there are plenty of reasons to consider using an OBD-II car tracking device rather than just having a traditional GPS that merely functions as a car locator. However, it can also be a benefit for those who want to have some added protection for their vehicle. Having an alarm in your vehicle is great, but it’s not providing you with the same level of protection that it once did. People will often ignore these alarms when they hear them, which means that a thief could make off with your vehicle even though the alarm might have sounded.
After all, when was the last time you rushed out to look at what was happening when you heard a car alarm go off on your street or in a parking lot? Most people today simply ignore them. This is where the OBD2 tracking device will help with your overall vehicle security, as it requires no outside intervention.
Not only can you track the location of the vehicle if it is stolen, but it can also provide you with more information about what’s happening with your vehicle before a theft takes place. For example, if the device detects any strange vibrations, such as someone trying to pry their way into your vehicle, you will receive an alert. You will also receive an alert when the engine is started, when the vehicle moves, and more.
These additional pieces of information can help to keep your vehicle safer. Best of all, you can receive the notifications no matter where you might be. Whether you are at work, at home, in a store, or elsewhere, you will receive the notifications needed to help ensure protection for your car or truck.
It doesn’t mean that you should get rid of your alarm or stop using it, of course. Having multiple layers of security like this will be a huge benefit for your vehicle. Take the time to learn more about what CarLock can offer and see why it might just be the best choice for your vehicle.