3 Great Car Apps. for your Phone

With so many new uses and new applications created for the Blackberry, iPhone and G-phone, not much attention is given to those providing utility within the automotive segment.

Here’s three different and interesting ways for you to get the most out of your new handheld gadgets.

Zapatag.com

Bad drivers are everywhere. Did you ever wish you had the ability to somehow “report” a driver who is simply a bad driver? Now you can send a tweet to @zapatag with the driver’s state abbreviation and short description of the poor driver’s action. IE: @zapatag FL: 987cba just ran a red light and knocked over a mailbox.

The result? The Florida license plate# 987cba will be “zapped” to Zapatag.com and posted to their twitter stream. Will it help? Not sure if it’ll have an immediate effect. One potential solution: Local police units can follow incoming tweets to @zaptag and designate #zaptag as another source of information.  Could be useful for spotting a suspected drunk driver.

Zapatag raises an interesting point. Be sure you aren’t tweeting your complaint while driving or you may be the next driver zapped.

RepairPal

This is a great iPhone application that provides extensive repair information for your used car.  Its a free, quick and simple online tool that helps  save you money by providing fair repair price estimates.

You can also locate local mechanics within their auto shop directory and identify common problems happening with your car. The interface is extremely quick and easy to use; finding the year, make and model of your vehicle is a snap. A search for an air filter replacement, for a 2005 Infinity G35 at my current location, gave me a price range of $54 – $94 and over 20 locations within 5 miles who can help me. It also included a breakdown of the cost for parts and an estimate for labor.

Added information such as recommended service tips (Be sure to replace the air filter every 12-15k miles) and why this happens (Oil may have contaminated the filter – which could also indicate problems with the PCV system if leakage occurs) is a nice touch. Visit RepairPal.com

Mobile Used Car Shopping

You don’t need to be in front of your computer to shop for used cars anymore. For example, send a text message to 48696, with the mobile code 399NY. You’ll receive a text message, with a link, directing you back to the Auction Direct USA New York used car mobile website.

Browse vehicle pictures, watch walk-around videos and get the complete vehicle history report – all from your phone. View inventory for Raleigh used cars and Jacksonville used cars by using the 399NC and 399FL mobile codes.

Remember to be safe while using your mobile phones. Talking while driving is illegal here in NY; texting has been banned in some parts of NY and NC as well.

What type of automotive applications and services are on your phone?