# FIXD: Active Car Health Monitor **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [April 17, 2017, 4:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/fixd-active-car-health-monitor/103070 "2017-04-17T16:04:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tccoco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5fc32e/32.png) [@tccoco](https://community.cartalk.com/u/tccoco)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2017, 4:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/fixd-active-car-health-monitor/103070/1 "2017-04-17T16:04:03Z")
Is the FIXD Active Car Health Monitor worth the purchase? What are the cons? Thanks, ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2017, 4:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/fixd-active-car-health-monitor/103070/2 "2017-04-17T16:24:01Z")
Why pay $59 when you can get a free (or $5) app (Torque and Torque Pro for example) for your phone with a $9 OBD dongle that will do the same for $15? [https://www.amazon.com/Bluetooth-Scanner-Adapter-Diagnostic-Android/dp/B019SURWYO/ref=sr\_1\_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1492446138&sr=8-4&keywords=elm327+obdii+bluetooth+adapter](https://www.amazon.com/Bluetooth-Scanner-Adapter-Diagnostic-Android/dp/B019SURWYO/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1492446138&sr=8-4&keywords=elm327+obdii+bluetooth+adapter) Or if a check engine light comes on, many auto parts stores will read it and tell you what the code says for free? So simple answer, No ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2017, 8:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/fixd-active-car-health-monitor/103070/3 "2017-04-17T20:39:39Z")
If I get a check engine light, I call OnStar and they tell me what it is. ---
**Author:** ![common-sense-answer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/common-sense-answer/32/716_2.png) [@common-sense-answer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/common-sense-answer)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2017, 9:20pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/fixd-active-car-health-monitor/103070/4 "2017-04-17T21:20:22Z")
> [@bing](#): > > If I get a check engine light, I call OnStar and they tell me what it is. My family doesn’t have the luxury of **_On Star_.** If anybody in my family gets a _check engine light_ (no matter where they are) they call **me,** **_Dad Star_.** They don’t care too much what it is. It’s up to **me** to tell what it is and to remedy whatever set it off in the first place. I did however, assign a code reader to my daughter away at college, so if/when she calls _ **Dad Star** ,_ he’ll know what kind of problem **he** has. 🙀 _ **CSA** _ ---
**Author:** ![simianspaceman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/simianspaceman/32/6846_2.png) [@simianspaceman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/simianspaceman)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2017, 9:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/fixd-active-car-health-monitor/103070/5 "2017-04-17T21:32:51Z")
The Mini BT Elm 327’s work very well for Android. I used a few for years with Torque. However, due to the way Apple implements their Bluetooth stack, are absolutely useless with an Iphone. Further, you do get what you pay for with these suckers… I burned through two or three of these in a two year period. At that point, You are spending almost as much as the Fixd, or Dash. @tccoco If you want to hook it up to an Iphone, or really want the service of Fixd or similar, and are not worried about your information/telemetry making their way out into the world, I would wait till one of the branded units go on sale on stacksocial/groupon/amazon flash sale. ---
**Author:** ![common-sense-answer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/common-sense-answer/32/716_2.png) [@common-sense-answer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/common-sense-answer)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2017, 10:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/fixd-active-car-health-monitor/103070/6 "2017-04-17T22:01:28Z")
I want anything car related going through my cell-phone **like I need tap-dance lessons**. I have a Smart Phone. I call it a smart phone because I’m smart enough to leave it at home most of the time. I like to relax when I’m in my car. I’m old-school and proud of it. I read OBD2 codes with stand-alone equipment. _ **CSA** _ ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2017, 12:09am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/fixd-active-car-health-monitor/103070/7 "2017-04-18T00:09:03Z")
Can’t speak to any of those products, but if they are designed to be plugged into the obd ii port all the time, best avoided. The engine computer isn’t designed to work with something plugged into the port all the time. Such a device if left plugged in can cause difficult to diagnose problems, like poor drivability, and the battery draining overnight.