Security
OBD port connected car car tracker buying guide & Why CarLock is a great choice
Installing an advanced GPS car tracking system in your vehicle is essential if you want to keep your vehicle safe and get notified in case of a car break-in. However, there are a number of different types and models of GPS car tracking devices on the market today, and not every type is as effective as you might expect. Since a GPS car tracker is not just another tech toy, but rather a long-term investment in car security, you will want to make sure you choose a high-quality device. Let’s take a look at some of the details you should pay attention to.
1. Refresh rate
The auto-refresh map and the shortest possible GPS update rate are considered to be two of the most important features of GPS car tracking. Many GPS car tracking solutions include updates that take longer than one minute as a standard feature and offer GPS update rates of 15- and 30-second only as an upgrade available at an additional cost. CarLock, on the other hand, offers the auto-refresh feature as a standard feature, available to every customer. It updates the vehicle position every 30 seconds when the car is moving and every 30 minutes when it’s stationary.
2. Device disconnected notification
When thieves are about to steal a vehicle, the first thing they might look for is whether a car has a GPS car tracking unit connected to the OBDII port. To remain unnoticed, they may want to unplug it and throw the unit out of the window. A worrying fact is that some GPS car tracking solutions will not alert the user if the device is disconnected from the OBDII port. Fortunately, CarLock offers an advanced security notification system and allows users to be notified via the app on their mobile phones when the CarLock device is disconnected from the on-board computer.
3. Activation fee and hidden charges
The product price and the monthly/annual fee have a significant influence on the purchase decision when choosing a car tracking system. It’s therefore strongly recommended to always pay attention to the small print, especially if the price looks too good to be true, to avoid unnecessary headaches once the purchase has been made. Some car tracking solutions, for instance, might look affordable if their service does not include a monthly fee. However, some of them do require an activation fee, and the fee for each additional year could even be twice the amount of the initial activation fee. The CarLock car tracking product offers advanced features at no additional cost and has no hidden costs.
4. Car security notifications
Most car tracking solutions are primarily specialized in GPS car tracking and vehicle diagnostics and therefore only offer basic security features. However, CarLock is a unique security product that offers the most advanced security features on the car tracking market. It allows users to be notified if the vehicle has been started by an unauthorized person, if any unusual vibrations have been detected, if the device has been disconnected from the OBD port, and if the vehicle has been moved or towed away. It combines a GPS car tracking system and the alarm feature that automatically activates if someone is trying to break into the car or tow it away.
5. Car diagnostic data and vulnerability to hacking
Many car owners are looking for an easy way to track their car’s diagnostics. Most car tracking solutions monitor the car’s diagnostic data and help to check the engine code, the interior of the engine as well as the engine lights, which is undoubtedly a great feature. However, devices connected to the car computer via the OBDII port are highly vulnerable to hacking and remote control. Because of these security concerns, CarLock was designed in a way it actually does not connect to the car computer. It uses only 2 pins from the OBD port (pins 4 and 16) to power the device and allow users to monitor changes in car battery voltage.
6. Car battery drain
A car battery drain can be a major problem for all products that are directly connected to a car computer. Since CarLock uses the OBDII connector only for charging, this has no effect on car computer. In fact, the CarLock device has different power saving modes, so when the car is idle, it will consume only around 2mA. Even if the car is idle for several weeks, there should be no problems.
As you can see, CarLock is a reliable system that is much more than just a simple GPS car tracking system. It offers the advanced car security functionalities most other car tracking systems don’t include, and even prevents others from remotely controlling your vehicle. The more car tracking and car security features you get, the better you’ll sleep and the safer your vehicle will be. Consider all of the advantages CarLock provides and get yourself one HERE.