No wonder they jokingly say that the car becomes the second, and sometimes the first wife of every motorist. A lot is being done for him, and he, in turn, rewards his owner with uninterrupted work and willingness to travel. In order to better collect information about your iron horse, in addition to the main sensors, it is recommended to use an on-board computer. This device can always tell you what problems arise during the operation of the car, and also help to eliminate them. In addition, fuel consumption is recorded and other important indicators are collected. All this can be done on-board computer Multitronics MPC-800. Let's take a look at its advantages and disadvantages in order.
A little bit about the on-board computer as a whole
The on-board computer of the car is a device that allows in real time to control all the main indicators of the systems. For example, among the most popular are the engine speed counter (tachometer), a fuel flow meter, and also a reader of error codes from the "brains" of the machine.
The possibility of expanding the functionality of the on-board computer is also important. So, if you wish, you can supplement it with a parking assistant, which helps a lot during parking during the winter season, with difficult visibility or at night. In addition, the on-board computer (VAZ, by the way, more than other cars needs such a device) is able to analyze data obtained over a certain period of time and draw conclusions based on such an analysis regarding the stability of the engine and other systems. If serious deviations are detected, even if there is no error signal, it can warn about the need for a complete diagnosis of a particular node.
Due to such versatility, on-board computers are recommended for installation in each car, and regardless of its age, cost and technical characteristics. They make life easier for the motorist, combining all the necessary information that otherwise would have to be collected bit by bit from several different devices.
The main plus is the possibility of battery life
The central unit of the on-board computer can independently collect and analyze data, despite the fact that the main display device will be turned off. When such a device appears in the coverage area, it will immediately transmit relevant information and history collected during the disconnection.
Any gadget controlled by the Android 2.1 operating system and above and having the ability to connect to other devices via Bluetooth can act as a control and indication device. For work, a proprietary utility is provided that allows you to display on the screen, as well as speak through the speaker, all the information necessary during movement or diagnostics. So, it can be the indications of the parking sensors or signaling any node about an error. It is the on-board computer for Android that is the most relevant in our time, since gadgets with this operating system on board are widespread and relatively cheap.
What devices can I use to connect
As mentioned above, all modern smartphones and tablets can be used to work with the on-board computer. However, in some cases, it becomes possible to use another device - a standard radio. The fact is that an increasing number of car manufacturers are using the practice of installing radio tape recorders in their brainchildren that operate under the control of the most popular mobile system. This allows you to expand their functionality, for example, as in our case, using its screen to display information received from sensors. For comparison, for example, you can take another board computer - Multitronics VC731, whose screen is installed separately and immediately takes up extra space on the panel.
In addition, such a radio can be installed separately, even if your car is not equipped with it from the factory. After all, using just such a solution will be much more convenient than fixing the tablet on a suction cup to the windshield and watching the screen shaking from driving on our roads, which also partially obscures the view. This option seems the most reasonable when installing Multitronics. The on-board computer does not require an extra monitor and, as a result, extra costs.
Necessary functions that the on-board computer can perform
This device is designed to make life as easy as possible for a car enthusiast. The following is a list of some of the features that appear after the car computer is installed:
- Ability to connect external sensors. Information from additional tracking devices can be displayed on the screen, starting with the banal measurement of the current speed of movement and temperature outside the window, and ending with the temperature of the oil in one or another node.
- The ability to automatically turn on the dipped headlights or daytime running lights. In order to avoid unnecessary fines, you can configure the automatic inclusion of light through a standard on-board computer (VAZ - no exception) at the start of movement and turn off after some time after stopping.
- Ability to connect a parking radar. You can not underestimate such a simple, but at the same time important thing, as parking sensors. The on-board computer allows you to display the results of measuring the distance of the sensors on the screen in the form of graphical information, which simplifies parking in tight city parking lots.
- Possibility of automatic switching between gas and gasoline in the presence of gas cylinder equipment based on the motion parameters set before the trip.
- Reading error codes and decrypting them in real time.
- Keeping a log of events and the ability to view these records, as well as comparing them for similar periods of time for diagnostic purposes.
These are just some of the positive aspects of the Multitronics MPC-800, but they already say a lot in favor of acquiring and installing an on-board computer. Let's look at a few more key features of this model.
Versatility
Perhaps this moment is important for those who are worried that the purchased device will not be compatible specifically with his car. It is worth noting that at the moment a large number of auto mechanics speak positively about this particular model of the on-board computer, since it has an enviable versatility.
It was possible to achieve it due to the fact that some of the sensors, which may not be on a particular car, can be purchased and mounted separately. At the same time, a large number of varieties of these sensors are supported, which is another plus of the Multitronics MPC-800. Their price is often low and significantly less than the cost of the computer itself.
The second item that increased the versatility of the gadget was a large database regarding error transfer protocols from the computer. As a result, you just need to specify when setting up the protocol that is used specifically by your car. It is not difficult to find it; it must be indicated in the vehicle specifications. The developers took care of this in advance and entered into the memory of the on-board computer more than 10,000 different error codes and their decoding.
Variety of displayed and processed parameters
To list them all simply does not make sense, because their number, depending on the brand of the car and its protocol, can exceed 200 units. You can only say in general that among them there are such parameters that you might not have suspected about when buying your car.
There is no need to immediately display all these parameters on the screen, and there will not be enough space for this, especially for the Multitronics VC731 model. There are enough key points for driving, the rest are processed automatically by the system. But if desired, for example, during diagnosis, they can be seen in the advanced menu.
This variety helps the system to monitor the condition of your vehicle as accurately as possible. In addition, at the time of the occurrence of any error, a complete log is immediately created that contains all the parameters. It can be used to more accurately diagnose the cause of an error and prevent a recurrence of the situation in the future.
If the error occurred when you are far from the service center, you can contact the master by phone and send the already-collected report, carefully compiled by the Multitronics MPC-800. Having become acquainted with him, he will be able to conclude whether it is possible to continue moving on his own, or whether this can lead to unpredictable sad consequences.
Regular software updates
The manufacturer quite often releases an update for the control program, as well as for the firmware of the on-board computer itself. With each such update, which can be up to 10 per year, new previously unavailable functions appear, and the trip computer on-board is improving before our eyes. Basically, the wishes of customers who have already purchased and installed this gadget are realized.
If you have a new generation car, and not all the functionality works on the on-board computer, then you can not worry - this problem will be fixed in the near future, since at the moment, most likely, the development team is already preparing and releasing a new update.
Offline Data Acquisition
The on-board computer to the car does not turn off even after the car has been parked, muffled and even closed, but continues to work with the alarm, while consuming less energy than it is. All this compares favorably with home-made devices that can only work if there is a stable connection with the parent gadget like a smartphone or tablet.
In addition to the continuity of data collection, a similar approach allows you to save the charge of your mobile device, because the load on the processor is minimal. The fact is that all calculations are carried out directly in the main unit of the on-board computer, and the wearable gadget serves only as a monitor on which you can display the information necessary for the user.
Voice guidance
No one will dispute the fact that the driver should concentrate on the road as much as possible and be as distracted as possible with extraneous devices. That is why at one time in the navigators the function of sounding turns and other details of the route was introduced.
The program through which Multitronics, the next-generation on-board computer, is connected according to a similar principle. All critical information is not only displayed on the screen, but also spoken through the speaker. Such information includes information transmitted by the parking radar, decryption of error codes or signaling about the overheating of any node.
Therefore, even if you did not manage to notice the notification on the screen, or if you simply do not have time to get distracted from the road due to bad weather conditions, really important information will still not be missed.
Work with automatic transmissions
Despite the fact that cars with automatic transmission are not so widespread, the manufacturer also provided for this category of users. As a result, the on-board computer supports the following functions related to automatic transmissions:
- The ability to display the temperature of the transmission fluid.
- Voice and graphic warning about overheating or exceeding the set temperature by the transmission unit.
- Reading, decoding, scoring, and resetting as necessary a trouble code.
- While driving, information about the currently used transmission is displayed on the screen.
- Based on the log data, the car computer issues a warning about the need to replace gear oil after passing a predetermined number of kilometers.
- After changing the oil, it is possible to reset the meter and set a new mileage for counting down to a warning.
Together, these parameters allow you to fully monitor the status of the transmission and make timely decisions about its service or repair.
Basic operating parameters
None of the devices can do without the parameters and specifications provided by the manufacturer. The VAZ on-board computer is no exception in this matter. We suggest that you familiarize yourself with the specifications provided by the manufacturer to determine exactly how this gadget suits you:
- The supply voltage range of the device is between 9-16 V.
- The current consumption during operation does not increase more than 0.12 A, and in standby mode does not exceed 0.017 A.
- The temperature at which the device can work stably, in the range from -20 to +45 degrees.
- The temperature at which the device can be transported ranges from -40 to +60 degrees.
- To indicate indicators, a device with installed Android 2.1 or higher is required, as well as the presence of a full-fledged Bluetooth module in it. The recommended display diagonal is at least 3.5 inches.
These are the basic specifications provided by the manufacturer. More detailed parameters, as well as requirements for sensors, can be found on the official website or at dealers.
Device Reviews
In general, the majority of users who previously spent on the purchase of this on-board computer were satisfied with their purchase and left positive reviews about the Multitronics MPC-800. Among the advantages, they note high reliability and fault tolerance. Many of the detailed information received from the sensors and processed properly helped to find and eliminate malfunctions that previously had the character of "elusive".
Despite the fact that the minimum operating temperature is declared by the manufacturer to be no lower than -20 degrees, an increasing number of drivers claim that even in harsh winters the device continues to work properly.
Among the minuses of the Multitronics MPC-800, the review of which you just read, users note a rather high cost compared to home-made implementations. Such a device will cost the car owner an average of about 4,500 rubles. But this minus more than overlaps with significantly greater functionality and stability. Another disadvantage is faced by those who use devices with a large diagonal to indicate data. The fact is that on tablets and tape recorders the image looks too large, but at the moment it is impossible to reduce it and add additional parameters to the main screen that could fit there.
However, given the fact that developers are constantly improving the software, it is possible that in the near future it will be possible to better sort the displayed information, and the appearance will become more flexible.
Output
The on-board computer Multitronics MPC-800 is quite expensive, but still the ideal solution for those who want to squeeze the most out of their iron horse, and not just speed. It allows you to understand the problems that occurred along the way literally on the fly, assigns them characteristics and helps to cope with them, spending a minimum of time.
By installing an on-board computer, you can monitor the changes in the vehicle parameters and compare them with previous values. All this will make the vehicle an excellent work of art that every motorist will envy.