DriveWise
Plug in an OBD2 scanner, get a confidence-scored diagnosis — not just a code
A mobile app that reads your car's trouble codes over Bluetooth and explains them in plain English — with AI-powered diagnoses ranked by confidence and built from real-world repair data.
- 1,605
- Trouble codes in the database
- 5,000+
- Year/make/model combinations
- 0–100
- Confidence score on every diagnosis
- 5
- Retailers in price comparison
2019 Honda Civic
84,210 mi · Scan complete
Catalyst System Efficiency Below Threshold (Bank 1)
Likely causes for your vehicle
Based on 23 verified fixes reported for this vehicle
Illustrative mockup — representative of the product interface, with placeholder data.
Overview
A check-engine light gives you a code like P0420 — and no idea whether it's a $20 sensor or a $2,000 catalytic converter. DriveWise connects to an inexpensive Bluetooth scanner, reads and clears codes, and translates them into plain-English diagnoses ranked by confidence, with estimated repair costs.
Beyond code scanning, the app includes a symptom-based troubleshooter for problems that don't throw codes (noises, vibrations, smells), parts price comparison across five major retailers, curated repair tutorials, manufacturer service-interval reminders, and safety recall alerts.
Tech Stack
AI Angle
AI-powered data refinement at scale: messy forum knowledge in, structured and confidence-scored diagnostic answers out.
The Challenge
Generic trouble-code definitions are nearly useless on their own — the same code can mean very different things on different vehicles. The hard problem is building a knowledge base that knows what actually fixed each code on each make and model.
The Approach
DriveWise pairs a database of 1,605 standard trouble codes with an AI pipeline that reads real-world repair discussions and turns them into structured answers per vehicle. Each suggested fix carries a 0–100 confidence score based on how many sources agree, how recent they are, whether they match your exact vehicle, and whether real owners confirmed the fix worked.
Under the hood, one codebase serves both the mobile app and the backend, with shared building blocks for the scanner protocol, the code database, and a vehicle catalog built from federal NHTSA data. The app works offline in the garage and syncs when you're back online, and revenue combines free and paid tiers with retail affiliate links.
From Code to Fix
- 01Bluetooth ScanAn inexpensive adapter, works offline
- 02Code ReadingThe app translates raw scanner data
- 03Knowledge BaseAI-mined real-world repair data
- 04Ranked DiagnosisConfidence scores + cost estimates
- 05Fix ItParts prices, tutorials, nearby shops
Highlights
- An AI pipeline reads real-world repair discussions and turns them into vehicle-specific answers
- Speaks the scanner's language directly — tested against real responses from real adapters
- Live dashboard gauges — RPM, coolant temperature, throttle — updating twice a second
- Symptom-based troubleshooter covering 10 vehicle systems, for problems that don't throw codes
- Works offline in the garage — scans save locally and sync when you're back online
- Community feedback loop — owners report whether a suggested fix worked, sharpening future answers
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