Mobile Apps to Help You Unlock Your Car or Buy a New One – Houston Locksmith Experts
Smartphones can be terribly dangerous for motorists use while driving, but they can be handy if you need to take your car in for repairs, if you want to buy a new car, or if you get locked out of your vehicle.
More and more motorists are researching cars on their computers, then using their smartphones to access the information they found as they head to the showroom. That boost in traffic from mobile devices is something that webmasters have seen happening on weekends quite frequently. Chip Perry, CEO of AutoTrader.com notes that they get a lot of mobile visitors on a weekend and that this inspired them to set up a special site to handle mobile users.
There are a number of auto apps for mobiles, with several having been developed by GM, to help owners with their vehicles. Others come from independent providers and help people who are looking for a car or a repair garage.
Find Your Car
The My Chevrolet app (there are other versions for the Cadillac, GMC, and Buick) can let you save your parking location to a map that connects to your GPS, and set a timer to remind you when you need to top up the meter. The app is free to download for Android and Apple users. It has everything you’re likely to want, except the ability to remote control your car!
Check The Manual
Use this to get a searchable manual for your specific vehicle. Scan the VIN With your smartphone’s camera, and the GM app will let you find any information you need about the vehicle, whether that’s what the warning lights mean, or how to program the radio.
OnStar MyLink
Lock or unlock your car and access other functions remotely with the OnStar service. This app requires a subscription, which costs $199 a year, but that gives you access to a safety and security service. The features include live operators who will call 911 if they detect that your car has been involved in a crash, and the ability to unlock your car using your phone or lock it remotely too. The app is free, but there is a subscription fee for the service itself.
Get Estimates
The AutoMD app will give you AutoMD.com’s estimates of a reasonable cost for certain repair jobs, so you can figure out whether you’re being ripped off by the garage down the road. The app is available to download using the iTunes store.
Get Prices
Edmunds.com and Kelley Blue Book both provide iPhone apps that will let you check vehicle prices, and use information about target prices based on average sales in the locality to help you figure out what a car is worth. The apps are available to download via the iTunes store.
The AutoTrader mobile website is also useful for browsing and doing comparison shopping. Who knows, it may help you to get a great deal on a car by getting local dealers to play off against each other. Information is power.
You can find dealers more easily if you use the AutoTrader or Edmunds inventory functions to find similar cars nearby, and you can then get a map and directions to the dealer, as well as contact info for the dealer in question. This is a great way to get dealers to bid for your business and could save you a lot of money on your car purchase if you know what you are looking for.
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