"Smart" Dipstick Monitors Oil On-The Go

"Smart" Dipstick Monitors Oil On-The Go ENGINES Engines 32-4-36 Replace your dipstick with IntelliStick, and keep a constant check on oil quality and condition. IntelliStick detects intrusions of water, coolant or fuel, warns if oil is low, and if viscosity is too high. It tracks additive depletion and helps the customer decide when to change oil and/or filters. The technology behind the smart dipstick was developed for the U.S. military. The company has modified it for civilian vehicles and is working on non-oil liquid sensing. Information gathered is displayed on smartphones, PDAs, laptop computer screens, or other devices using wireless (Bluetooth) technology. Starting this fall, IntelliStick will be available with an in-dash gauge. However, Rhonda Williams, IntelliStick, Inc., says customers aren't waiting for the gauge. "People who understand the importance of quality oil and its contribution to engine longevity see the value of IntelliStick," she says. "It pays for itself quickly with truckers, who pay hundreds of dollars per oil change, just by eliminating a couple of oil changes a year." Williams points out that driving conditions, engines and drivers are all different. Each factor affects how long oil will remain effective. Simply changing oil at regular intervals may waste money if the change isn't needed or if the oil deteriorates faster than expected and damages the engine. Using IntelliStick, you can also easily compare different brands of oil and filters. "We have folks who swore by expensive synthetic oil brands," says Williams. "Using IntelliStick, they found out they were actually worse off with it than if they used off-the-shelf brands for the conditions they were driving in." IntelliStick can be ordered directly from the company or from the company's growing line of distributors and dealers. It's not cheap at a list price of $499. But Williams says the street price depends on the number ordered and retailer pricing. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, IntelliStick, Inc., 4340 Von Karman Ave., Suite 200, Newport Beach, Calif. 92660 (ph toll free 888 812-5988; fax 949 812-5910; www.intellistick.com).

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