Hum X for the Non Car Guy

The Hum is a device that plugs in to your cars computer port giving you the ability to decode engine lights, get vehicle health reports. The Hum is simple – just plug it in to add connected car features to your drive. Even better, you can easily access Hum features on the go using the Hum App.

The Great

• Easy setup
• Intuitive app interface
• Engine light Diagnostics
• Automatic maintenance checks
• 4g LTE with Wifi
• Emergency Assistance
• Stolen Vehicle Assistance

The Not

• Cellular coverage is needed for emergency services
• Added monthly cost

The Conclusion

The Hum can tell you whats up with the engine alert, call for help, keep you from getting bent at the mechanic, plus add a 4g LTE wifi to your car…bonus. You will want consider your needs against the cost of the service.

Whats an Alternator?

For us non car guys this is great. When my car starts acting funny or breaks down and its not out of gas, most of us are pretty clueless. Despite the fact that we spend an average of 5 years behind the wheel over our lifetime, most of us aren’t very “connected” to our cars. The hum is connected to the cloud to send and receive data for emergency and convenience purposes, as well as to keep tabs on car maintenance, mileage, and other performance aspects.

Verizon Hum consists of an ODB-II dongle, a Bluetooth-enabled speaker/control unit that clips to your car’s sun visor, a USB charging cable for the speaker with a cigarette lighter adapter, and a companion Android and iOS smartphone app. Hum costs $14.99 per month. The equipment comes at no extra cost with the service but the The HumX system is priced slightly higher, with a $150 retail equipment price , and additional vehicles cost $12.99 each per month.

Does It Work?

With 4 roadside assistance calls per month, per vehicle, not per account, check. They work, get a battery jump, tire changed or a tow. The Bluetooth speaker, Hum’s Bluetooth speaker clips directly to your visor and communicates between the OBD-II reader and your app.

The speaker also allows you to talk hands-free when driving, and provides one-button access to help in the event of an emergency. Side Note, if your car has Bluetooth you have to manually switch between both, so I’ve disregarded the speaker and just use the one built in to my car. The HumX’s silver speaker also acts as a Wi-Fi hotspot, which allows you to connect up to 10 devices at any one time and provides access to the internet in the car. 1 years ago, mind blowing, today? what doesn’t have its own internet connection these days?

The diagnostic updates when a light appears on your dashboard are great. It tells me what and why the issues is, and how to fix it. It gives me easy-to-understand alerts, then I just breakout my tool box, a.k.a wallet. In the event something serious is going on you can use Hum’s Mechanics Hotline to obtain personalized, unbiased advice and repair estimates from certified, independent mechanics.

New Drivers?

The application offers navigation, keeps track of your trips, and handles 100 percent of the tracking for the driver Safety Score. It also allows you to set up a geo-fence and get an alert if your car travels outside of any designated area. These features are a true blessing for some parents with new drivers. Track your teens trips, where and when they go, get a real sense of there driving habits and if they ever go missing you have a great tool to help.

The Final Thought

If you have an unreliable car its worth the small investment. If you have kids, get the HumX to power there devices with internet otherwise stick with the Hum+.