Entered CNET Catalog: 01/19/2006
SKU: 8225
Manufacturer: Victory
Product summary
The good: CarChip E/X with Alarm is very easy to use, seamlessly collecting data on engine performance. Plus, its small form factor won't interfere with vehicle operation.
The bad: CarChip E/X with Alarm can monitor only eight power train parameters at a time, and four of those can't be changed. It can't distinguish between different cars in which it's used.
The bottom line: CarChip E/X with Alarm offers basic OBD-II scanning for home mechanics, and its alarm feature lets the kids know when they are driving unsafely.
Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 02/14/2006
The CarChip E/X with Alarm is a chunky block (1.4 by 1.8 by 1 inches) of translucent plastic with one side taken up by its OBD-II plug. It's small enough that it should fit into the OBD-II connector on any car without being hampered by tight cabin spaces. Davis, the manufacturer of the CarChip, does state that there are a few vehicles in which the device doesn't work properly, so you should consult the company's Web site before purchase. We put it in a BMW Z3, and it fit fine in the car's passenger-side center-stack connector, although it looked a bit unsightly sticking out of the smooth plastic covering. A proprietary cable connects CarChip to a PC's USB slot. The software for CarChip is functional but basic; it uses a spreadsheet format to display car data. It also lets you enter multiple vehicles, but CarChip has no way of identifying the vehicle it's monitoring. You have to remember which car it was logging when you download the data.
With CarChip E/X with Alarm connected to a PC, logged data can be viewed in the CarChip software, and CarChip can be set to monitor up to 4 specific engine parameters and reset the Check Engine light; plus, alarm thresholds can be specified. CarChip is a bit limited in that it reads only power train OBD-II codes, and it can be set for only 4 parameters beyond its standard 4 (it always logs time, distance, speed, and acceleration). There are a total of 23 user-selectable engine parameters, including fuel pressure, battery voltage, and coolant temperature. By default, the alarm is set to go off at speeds more than 70mph and hard braking. The alarm can be disabled, or the speed and deceleration thresholds can be changed. Unfortunately, the alarm can't be set to monitor other parameters, such as engine temperatures, which might prove useful.
CarChip E/X with Alarm performs exactly as it's intended, monitoring and recording all preset parameters. You can set the interval at which it grabs data, and at a wide interval, it can record 300 hours of drive-time data. Downloading the data to a PC is very fast.
Davis maintains all documentation on its support Web site, with complete PDF manuals. The support section also includes a useful FAQ with a link to an online database of locations for OBD-II connectors in different cars. E-mail support is available, as is a toll-free telephone number, which is available Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Pacific time.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2out of 2 user reviews
only has a little memory space,and little parameters
Pros: has many versions on the same protocol, offers varieties for users.
Cons: it has a limited space, and doesn't support much car models in Asia, Latin America. etc
we don't like it like other tools like Actron CP9125 has code eraser. or it doesn't like Viper791, has LCD remote two way responser. it 's a data logger just recording the data stream from the Car 's Computer. wow , for this job, shall it cost more than 100usd? no!
As investigation by an international market research organization, There is a lot other similar tools can implementation this job, like SCrecorder from Car Professional box team, it stands E/X.
....
out of 2 user reviews
Useful, but poorly written sofftware
Pros: Easy to use, provides nice log of data
Cons: buggly, non-intuitive software
