Most OBD-II sockets are somewhere near the dashboard.  The OBD-II socket on the Porsche Boxster is located on the lower-left on the driver side, right above the fuse panel.  Plugging the CarChip into the socket was easy.  Just a slight push and it was firmly seated.

We plugged it in and drove the car to get a cup of coffee.  The cafe was a little less than a mile away so we were back in no time.  Removing the CarChip off was just as simple...a gentle pull on the loop was all it took.  We can't wait to check out the data.

The software installation was very straightforward.  We followed the directions on the Install Wizard and had everything up and running in less than 10 minutes.

We used the supplied USB cable to transfer the data to the laptop.  Once the data has been downloaded, the software automatically made it available in the application.

There were several options for looking at the data (numerically, visually, in summary form).  Since we had used the default parameters, only the speed, RPM, and a few other basic vehicle data were recorded. 

It was pretty amazing how easy it was to get all of this information.  The DriveRight folks really did a super job making this tool easy to use.

In the next few weeks, we'll track a different set of four parameters each week and take a more comprehensive look at what all the information tells us about our car! 

Also, we will be giving this CarChip to some of our equally intelligent, but less automotively inclined colleagues at RainyDayMagazine to use with their cars.  We want to see if this sophisticated tool is really simple enough for everybody.

Our cars are getting ever more sophisticated, especially in their ability to detect, record, and signal when something may be amiss.

However, most car manufacturers won't give the consumers the means to access the information on the status of their vehicles other than the "idiot lights" on the dash.  When a "check engine" light comes on, it usually means a trip to the dealer and a $50-$80 fee to plug in a cable and have them tell you what the problem iss.  This is not only annoying, it's a rip-off. 

Apparently, the good folks at DriveRight thought the same thing.  DriveRight is the maker of a product called the CarChip.  This device is like a "flight recorder" for your car.

It will record up to 300 hours of driving information (car speed, engine performance, trouble codes, etc...) so you can finally get a better idea of WHAT is going on under the hood! 

Review:

1. FirstLook

2. FirstUse

3. InTheWild

Review Summary:

Initial Impression- Plug&Play

Usability- Windows ONLY

Durability- Test in progress

Price- $140-$200

Other Boxster Projects:

- Mac mini Carputer installation

- PVC Rear Speakers installation

- Aluminum Pedals installation

- Radar Detector installation

- iPod installation