The deal between you and us, in plain English. Nothing here takes away your rights under UK consumer law. Where those rights say otherwise, they win.
Last updated 27 October 2026 · applies to the OBD Mechanic Android app (com.obdmechanic.app) and jim.scotOBD Mechanic is made by J-I-M, in Scotland, UK. You can reach us at ask@jim.scot. By using the app or buying spanners, you agree to these terms. If you don't agree, please don't use the app.
The road comes first. You're responsible for using the app safely and within the law. Set it up before you drive. Mount your phone in a holder that doesn't block your view, and don't hold it or tap through it while you're driving. If a passenger is with you, let them do the fiddling. Follow the Highway Code, and if you're unsure, pull over somewhere safe first.
Performance timers are for the track. The 0 to 60 timer, quarter-mile, braking, g-force and lap timing are for legal use only: on a track, or on private land with the owner's permission. On public roads, stick to the speed limit and drive for the conditions. We'll never tell you to go faster, and the app is not a reason to.
Speed limits, cameras, signs and traffic come from public data that can be out of date or wrong. The signs at the roadside, and the road in front of you, always win.
The mechanic is an AI. It reads your fault codes and readings and gives you its best idea of what's going on and what to check. It gives suggestions, not an inspection. It can't see or touch your car, and it can be wrong. It is not a substitute for a qualified mechanic. Before any repair, especially anything to do with brakes, steering, tyres, airbags or fuel, have it checked by someone qualified.
If the app says a fault looks safe to drive on, that's a guide, not a promise. If the car feels wrong, smells wrong, or a red warning light comes on, stop somewhere safe and get help.
The app doesn't predict MOT results. Self-test readiness tells you what the car's own checks have finished, nothing more.
The app is read-only by design. It doesn't code, programme or change settings in your car. It can clear fault codes, but only when you ask. Clearing a code doesn't fix the fault, and it resets the car's self-tests.
Plugging anything into your car's port is your call. Use a sensible adapter, don't leave one plugged in where it gets in the way of your feet, and unplug it if your car's battery is weak or the car will be parked for a long time. What the app can read depends on your car and your adapter.
Please don't try to break into our servers, copy the app, scrape the mechanic, or game free spanners with fake accounts. If you do, we may close the account. We'll try to tell you why first.
We may change, pause or retire features as the app grows. If we ever stopped the mechanic for good, we'd refund unused spanners from purchases still within the law's time limits, or give you a way to use them first.
We build the app with care, but it's provided as it is. We can't promise it will work with every car or adapter, that it will always be available, or that every reading or answer will be right.
We aren't responsible for what happens from using the app in a way these terms tell you not to, from repairs you choose to make or skip, or for losses we couldn't reasonably have foreseen. Where we are responsible, the most we owe you is what you paid us in the 12 months before.
None of this limits what the law doesn't allow us to limit, including responsibility for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, or for fraud.
Privacy: how we handle your data is in the Privacy Policy.
Changes: if these terms change in a way that matters, we'll say so in the app's release notes and update the date at the top.
Law: these terms are governed by the law of Scotland. If you live elsewhere in the UK, you can also bring a claim in your own part of the UK, and you keep any protection your local law gives you.
Questions or complaints: ask@jim.scot. We'd rather hear about a problem than not.