The Nonda ZUS Smart Vehicle Health Monitor is a small Bluetooth adapter that connects to your car's On-Board Diagnostics II (OBD-II) port.

The OBD-II is your car's on-board computer that monitors important information, such as emission, engine coolant temperature, mileage, and ignition. Its port is usually used by professional mechanics to troubleshoot vehicle issues.

And now, you can monitor your car's vital statistics at your convenience with this adapter.

Just plug it into the OBD-II port, pair it with your smartphone using the ZUS app (available on Android and iOS) and you will be able to keep track of your car's health in real time.

The most difficult part is locating the hidden OBD-II port. It is usually located behind the dashboard, above the brake pad or accelerator pad (transport regulations dictate it must be located 0.6m from the steering wheel for easy access).

Once you find it, pop in the adapter and start your car's engine. Launch the ZUS app at the same time. Note that you will need an account to use the app - either sign up for a new Nonda account or use your Facebook account.

Upon logging in, tap on Add Device at the top right corner of the Dashboard window of the app and choose the ZUS Smart Vehicle Health Monitor option. The pairing is almost immediate.

The Dashboard will show real-time data of your car's current speed, top speed, current engine revolution, top engine revolution and engine coolant temperature. It is great to know such data, so as not to "over-rev" the car's engine.

The app also has Car Finder, Mileage and Safety Centre options.

Car Finder remembers where you parked your car, while Mileage automatically logs your drives in terms of distance travelled, time taken and mileage cost. It has pre-set mileage rates for the United States, Britain, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. You can key in your mileage rate by calculating the cost of petrol, based on your car's fuel consumption.

It is a good way to keep track of your fuel expenditure. You are allowed up to 60 free mileage logs a month, but you can have unlimited mileage logs via a monthly subscription of US$2.99 (S$4.09).

The Safety Centre option is probably the highlight of the adapter. It allows you to identify potential issues by performing a number of checks, which encompass emission, ignition system, speed and idling control, computer circuit and gear box.

I am glad my three-year-old car passed all the checks. But I cannot verify how accurate the checks are as the app just shows the list of checks being done. There is no data associated with the checks - for example, the gear ratio is not shown.

• Verdict: The Nonda ZUS Smart Vehicle Health Monitor is a nifty gadget to have. It saves you trips to the mechanic by giving you real-time telemetry and allows you to perform checks any time you want.