Keeping your car healthy can help keep it on the road. But you don’t have to log your service visits in a paper notebook anymore, because smartphone apps can replace treeware for that chore now, too.
When you do some searching in your phone’s app emporium, you can probably find one, two of 50 apps that help you keep track of things like oil changes and other regular service reminders, inspection dates, gas fill-ups, miles driven and all those automotive details that come in handy for maintaining a well-running machine.
For starters, consider the free aCar app for Android or the $3 Car Minder Plus for iOS as a general maintenance minder for your vehicle. If your car does need service, the free RepairPal app for Android and iOS helps you find a mechanic in the area, get estimates and roadside assistance and keep track of your car’s service history.
Many automakers re now making their own free apps that offer maintenance and manual information for your particular model. The companies listed below are just some of the many that have their own apps. Check your particular manufacturer’s Web site for online guides, apps and more.
- Ford
- Chevrolet (for iOS and Android)
- General Motors (for iOS and Android)
- Honda
- Nissan LEAF (for iOS and Android)
- Cadillac
- Mercedes Benz
- Volkswagen
- Toyota
With cars comes…car insurance (and let’s face it, annoying car-insurance commercials). But with a good insurance app, you can do things like check your policy, get ID cards and consult an emergency checklist of things to do if you do have an accident. It’s much easier than trying to find all this information on a wad of papers shoved in the back of the glove compartment. These companies are among those who have apps available for download:
There’s also an app called iWrecked for Android and iOS that lets you log an accident, file an accident report and store important phone numbers.
But hopefully, your driving experience is a smooth one and locating a parking spot is your only challenge. If that’s the case, check out the free Best Parking app for Android to find the cheapest spots around in 55 different cities. There’s also the equally free Parking Mate for iOS, which does a number of nifty things like set a timer for when your parking meter expires or pinpoint where you left the car on a map so you can find it again — which is always helpful.