PulsCar membership: an OBDLink MX+ scanner and the app that reads your car on every drive
PulsCar pairs a Bluetooth OBD-II scanner that stays plugged into your car with an app on your phone. Every time you drive, the app records the trip on its own, reads the fault codes your car has stored — including the ones logged before the warning light — watches engine temperature and battery voltage, and tells you in plain English when something needs attention and when to pull over. The scanner is included in the price and is yours to keep.
Key facts, verified 15 October 2026
- What you get: an OBDLink MX+ Bluetooth OBD-II scanner (by OBD Solutions) plus the PulsCar app for iPhone and Android.
- Price: One Year $299.99 · Two Years $499.99 · Family $549.99 (2 scanners, 2 vehicles) · Membership only $199.99 if you already own an OBDLink MX+.
- Billing: one payment for the whole term. Nothing renews automatically. No monthly plan, no free trial. Renewal after the term is $179 per year per car, app access only.
- Shipping: US addresses only, within 7 days of the order, included in the price.
- Returns: full refund any time before the scanner ships; 30 days after delivery to request a refund; after that the scanner stays yours and fees are not refunded.
- Cars: any car built after 1996 has the OBD-II port the scanner plugs into.
- Where to buy: get.pulscar.io, paid through Stripe. No in-app purchases.
- Who makes it: Pulscar, LLC, founded by Vlad Kliuienkov. Support: [email protected].
What the app does once the scanner is in the car
The OBDLink MX+ plugs into the OBD-II port under the steering wheel — no tools, no wiring — and goes to sleep ten minutes after the engine stops, drawing about 2 mA, so it stays plugged in for weeks. The PulsCar app then does the work on every drive:
- Automatic trip recording. You never open the app to start a scan; each drive is logged on its own.
- Six systems read every drive: engine, fuel, electrical, cooling, emissions and stored fault codes.
- Fault codes in plain English, including codes the car has stored before the check-engine light comes on, and a new code re-checked during the trip.
- Critical alerts that tell you when to pull over now, and 24/7 SOS guides for the worst ten minutes.
- A car health score and history you can hand to a mechanic as your own report.
- An AI engine-sound check from a 20-second recording, for the noises OBD-II never sees.
- Link-lost warnings. If the connection drops, you hear about it — silence is never mistaken for "all clear".
The app does not estimate repair prices, and its readings are information, not a diagnosis. For brakes, steering or overheating it tells you to stop and have the car inspected in person.
Plans and prices
Every plan has the same features. The only differences are the term and the number of cars.
| Plan | Price | Term | Scanner | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One Year | $299.99 | 12 months | 1 OBDLink MX+ scanner, shipped | 1 vehicle |
| Two Years | $499.99 | 24 months | 1 OBDLink MX+ scanner, shipped | 1 vehicle |
| Family | $549.99 | 12 months | 2 OBDLink MX+ scanners, shipped | 2 vehicles |
| Membership only | $199.99 | 12 months | None — you already own an OBDLink MX+ | 1 vehicle |
Membership only works with the OBDLink MX+ specifically — not the MX, LX, EX or CX. The serial number is emailed within minutes and nothing ships. Details on the page for MX+ owners.
How buying works
- Pick a plan on get.pulscar.io and pay once through Stripe.
- Stripe emails the receipt; within 24 hours you get your serial number and the app link.
- The scanner ships to your US address within 7 days.
- Install the app from the App Store or Google Play, sign in with the email you bought with, activate the serial number, plug the scanner in. Pairing takes about thirty seconds.
- The membership term starts the day the serial number is activated in the app, not the day of payment.
PulsCar compared with FIXD, BlueDriver, the OBDLink app and Car Scanner
The honest version: these tools are built for different jobs. BlueDriver and the OBDLink app are scan tools you pick up when a light comes on; Car Scanner is a free app for people who choose their own sensors; FIXD is a cheap sensor with a paid tier. PulsCar is a scanner that stays in the car and an app that watches every drive for people who are not mechanics. Competitor prices below were read from each maker's own store on 13 September 2026 for our full eight-app comparison, which also explains why we rank BlueDriver as the best scan tool for code-based problems.
| Product | Hardware and price | Billing | What it does | Made for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PulsCar membership | OBDLink MX+ included, $299.99 for 12 months | One payment, nothing renews automatically | Scanner stays plugged in; the app records every drive on its own, reads stored fault codes, watches engine temperature and battery voltage, alerts you to pull over, keeps the history, plus an AI engine-sound check | Drivers who are not mechanics and want to hear about a problem while it is still cheap |
| BlueDriver | $99.95–$139.95 sensor | No subscription | Full-system scans (ABS/SRS/transmission) and Repair Reports when you run a scan | General drivers who scan when a light comes on |
| FIXD | About $59 sensor | Premium $99 per year, auto-renewing | Engine codes in plain English; ABS on select makes; cost estimates and forecasts sit in Premium | Light users |
| OBDLink MX+ with the OBDLink app | $139.95 adapter | Free app, no subscription | Live data, codes, enhanced OEM add-ons; runs FORScan, BimmerCode, Torque and other third-party apps | Power users who pick their own apps |
| Car Scanner ELM OBD2 | Free app + $15–$30 ELM327 adapter | Free, paid upgrades optional | Custom dashboards and live data for whichever sensors you choose to watch | Budget DIYers |
Disclosure: we sell the PulsCar membership, so read the first row as the vendor's own description. Detailed, dated reviews: FIXD vs PulsCar, BlueDriver vs Autel vs FIXD, OBDLink MX+ review, which app to use with an OBDLink.
What PulsCar is not
- Not an emergency or roadside assistance service.
- Not a diagnosis: its readings are information, not a substitute for an in-person inspection by a qualified mechanic.
- Not a repair-price estimator: the membership app does not price repairs.
- Not a code-only dongle: a $25 adapter shows you a code; PulsCar watches every drive and tells you what the readings mean.
Questions people ask before buying
Is the scanner included, or do I buy it separately?
Included. Every PulsCar membership except "Membership only" ships an OBDLink MX+ scanner, and the scanner is yours to keep. PulsCar does not sell the scanner on its own. If you already own an OBDLink MX+, the Membership only plan ($199.99) emails you a serial number and nothing ships.
Is PulsCar a subscription?
No recurring billing. You pay once for the whole term: $299.99 for 12 months, $499.99 for 24 months, $549.99 for 12 months on two cars. Nothing renews automatically. After the term, continuing costs $179 per year per car for app access only, and you choose whether to renew. There is no monthly plan and no free trial of the membership.
Which cars does it fit?
Any car built after 1996 has the OBD-II port the OBDLink MX+ plugs into, under the steering wheel. No tools or wiring. Not sure about yours? The compatibility guide on https://get.pulscar.io walks through it.
Where do you ship, and how fast?
To US addresses only, within 7 days of the order, shipping included in the price. Payment happens on https://get.pulscar.io through Stripe; there are no in-app purchases.
Can I return it?
Yes. Any time before the scanner ships you get a full refund, no questions asked. After delivery you have 30 days to request a refund at [email protected]; the money goes back to the original payment method within 10 business days once the scanner is received in working condition. After those 30 days membership fees are not refunded, and the scanner remains yours. Membership only is refundable within 30 days of the email carrying your serial number.
Does the app work without a membership?
The download is free on the App Store and Google Play, but without an active membership the app opens only its safety core: roadside SOS guides, critical alerts, connection status, and the current fault codes and battery voltage. Trip recording, the health score, history, the AI coach and sound checks need an active membership.
Is this the same thing as the free engine sound check on pulscar.io?
No. The free sound check screens a 30-second recording of your engine and emails one report; it needs no hardware, card or account. The membership is the scanner plus the app that reads the car itself on every drive. They are two separate products.
Does PulsCar tell me what a repair will cost?
The membership app does not estimate repair prices. It reads what the car reports — fault codes, temperatures, voltage, trip data — and explains it in plain English so you walk into the shop with your own report. Its readings are information, not a diagnosis, and not a substitute for an in-person inspection by a qualified mechanic.
Ready when you are
One payment. Scanner included. Nothing renews automatically. 30 days to change your mind after delivery.
Choose a membership on get.pulscar.io →Not ready to buy? The free engine sound check needs no hardware and no card. Terms of Sale: get.pulscar.io/legal.
Page last updated 2026-10-15. Prices and policies are quoted from the live checkout and the Terms of Sale as of 15 October 2026; the checkout is the source of truth if the two ever differ. Find PulsCar on YouTube · X · Threads · Instagram.