Vehicle Diagnostics by Delphi is a dream come true for parents (and a nightmare for teenagers) [REVIEW]

I’ve always known that cars have a goldmine of information stored inside of them but I’ve never known how to access it. Well, guess what? Now I do. Thanks to the Vehicle Diagnostics by Delphi device that Verizon Wireless recently let me demo, I can monitor not only the location of my car, but also when it is turned on or off, when it is in motion, when it exceeds certain speeds, when the engine is revved and even why the check engine light came on.

There are dozens of good uses for all of this information but, from where I’m sitting, there’s a glaringly obvious one that sticks out way above the others. I’m referring to you parents out there with kids just starting (or getting ready) to drive. For you, this little device is a dream come true.

Multiple uses

But before I get to that, let me also point out that the Vehicle Diagnostics by Delhi device is not just for parents with kids who are driving. It’s for anyone. Wouldn’t it be great if you could know why your check engine light came on before you took your car to the dealer? Or heck, even where you last parked your car (c’mon admit it, we’ve all lost track of our car at the mall at one time or another).

The Vehicle Diagnostics by Delphi does all of this and more. But let’s go back and concentrate on that whole parents with kids who drive situation because that’s what I feel is truly the best use of this device.

Stress relief for worried parents

Think of all of the things that make you nervous when a teenager first starts driving. Are they driving too fast? Are they driving unsafe? Are they really going to the place they said they were going? Or even just wondering where they are at any given time.

The Vehicle Diagnostics by Delphi keeps you informed on all of this. After a quick 5-minute setup which involves plugging the small device into the OBD-II port in your car and registering your device, you are up and running. If you don’t know what or where your OBD-II port is in your car, never fear. I didn’t either but I found it within seconds after reading a description of where it is. And if that doesn’t work, there’s specific instructions and videos you can watch based on the exact make and model of your car.

With the device correctly in place, you can then start monitoring the car’s information either through a free Delphi Connect Car app (iOS / Android) or right from the mycar.delphi.com website.

Alerts keep you aware of what’s going on

Even better, you can set alerts for things like when the car exceeds a certain speed or when the engine exceeds a certain RPM. You can even set up a geo-fence which is a fancy term for defining a geographic area that the car is allowed to be in. If the car goes outside the geo-fence, it triggers an alert. The alerts can be sent to you via text message or email. Or you can at any time use the app or the website to view the alerts.

And of course, you can see the car’s current location at any time. You can also view recent trips that tell you the starting and ending location anytime the car was in motion. You did see in the title of this blog post that I also mentioned this is a nightmare for teenagers, right?

What do you do with all of this information?

As a parent, I don’t condone spying on your children. That’s not what this device is all about. But I do believe the data from the Vehicle Diagnostics by Delphi can be and should be used when a conversation is appropriate or necessary with your children or if they are putting themselves in danger.

In fact, I believe that the awareness of the installed device alone will serve as an inhibitor for teenage drivers. Can they get around the device? Of course. They could always unplug it and deny doing so or they could park their car in one place and then hop in another’s car. But again, this device is not about violating your kids’ privacy. It’s about coming to an agreement with them on what is safe and allowed driving behavior and what is not.

What does it cost?

The Vehicle Diagnostics by Delphi device has an initial price tag of $249.99. Because it is considered a connected device and thus has cellular and GPS communications built-in, the device also carries a monthly data fee. If you are on Verizon’s Share Everything plan, the extra fee will only set you back a minimal $5/month.

Now it’s your turn, would you use it?

I’ve let you know my thoughts on parenting on how I would use this device but now it’s your turn. Would you buy this device? How would you use it? Leave a comment below and let me know what you think.

Note: The Vehicle Diagnostics by Delphi in this review was provided to me by Verizon Wireless and can be purchased at your local Verizon Wireless store or at www.verizonwireless.com.