Mobile App for Car Servicing...

I gave my Hyundai car for the first paid servicing last Friday, the 21st of November. One difference I noticed was that the service advisor took me to computer screen and looked up details of my car servicing. Using that he provided me the list of the work to be done and the approximate costs. He told what all needs to be done, including scheduled changes of consumables (oil, coolant) and parts (spark plugs). In the past they would give a list, and would confirm over a call later, after looking up the info in their computers. At times a spark plug change would be needed as per schedule, but it could have been done in an earlier visit.

In the evening when I went to collect my car, I found a small card in the lounge, which advertized an App! It said that one can get their car service info using this app. I remembered that in the past, I could see the details of my car serving online, by logging into the dealer website. I happened to do so accidentally trying to look for a car accessory and it's availability.

I made note and decided to give it a try. I installed this app just now, had to register giving my phone number and a crazy 17 digit alphanumeric code, called VIN, which it helpfully told me is available in the RC book.

Location of service stations		Options of the App

And lo behold, I had the app and all details of my car service history. There are quite a few other options - including labor estimates, reminders, locations of service station with directions and time. It also has a trip utility etc, which I am still to explore. It's a bit too much, but that's where we are headed to.

A word of caution, the App seeks far too many permissions, which I accepted, need to review and see if I am OK with it.

Beat the traffic using narrow roads and mobile navigation

I was working in my office in Jayanagar 1st block and planned to pick up my wife from Prof CNR Circle on the way back home. I wanted to start by 4:30 pm to beat the traffic.

As usual doing last minute mails, wrap up, set the clock to just past 5 pm. My regular route is through Double Road and Sankey Road, broad divided roads, but chock o block with traffic. At times it has taken close to two hours for this stretch, if the start time was after 5 pm.

I decided to try out navigation using my mobile. The maps seem to have latest traffic data, see my old post. I got two options:
- via Sankey Road, estimated 45 min in current traffic
- via Sampige Road, estimated 38 min in current traffic.

I decided to take the latter and it was truly amazing. I went on roads that I have never traveled before in my thirty years stay at Bangalore. There were quite a few turns, which I could not have figured out, without the navigation app.

The route took me past Ashoka Pillar (which to me seems opposite of where I wanted to go), on to KR Road, to Chamrajpet, in front of the City Railway station, through Srirampuram, behind Mantri mall and the road joined the familar 4th Main of Malleshwaram.

I am familiar with Malleshwaram, but have never driven staight on 4th Main crossing the 5th Cross into the area where I was emerging from now!

If someone had suggested that I take the route which touches City Railway station, I would surely have rejected that. Fortunately, I did not study the route before starting.

At times I was wondering, if the directions were to another unit of the PSU I was headed too. Some of the roads, specially in Sriramapuram were narrow, with BMTC buses plying. What took the cake was a cow, peacfully chewing the cud, blocking at least one fourth of the road.

It did take slightly longer than the estimated 38 minutes, but definitely it took less time.

I prefer to study maps, chart out the route by myself, and not rely on technology so much. But on this ride, it finally dawned on me that one has to rely on technology. There is no way one can be aware of the live traffic and alternate routes to beat that..

I had checked this route the other way before, the Sankey Road option comes up with lesser estimated time, which is what I always use. One difference is that I take this route mostly early in the morning, where this broad road with dividers has plenty of space to clip.