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I've seen a lot of posts complaining that the SGII is too expensive. In answer to that I've dug through my bookmarks. There was a time in my life where cheap was better than easy. Now I'm not so picky.

So what you need:

A i386 laptop or better with serial and LPT port (0 - $10) - Should take 8 - 40 hours depending on your ebay skills. If someone charges you more than $10 for a 12 year old laptop... punch them in the nose.
A Linux kernel capable of running on #1 ($0.00) - This will take between 4 - 4000 hours depending on how good you are at assembling Linux Kernels.
http://www.planetfall.com/~jeff/obdii/ ($5 - $10) - Should take 16 - 200 hours depending on your digital logic skills. You'll need the proper project boards a hot iron, a laser printer (library) and a good amount of etching acid. Add the proper parts and a soldering iron and you have a (car) OBDII - RS232 (serial) adapter. Make sure not to melt any skin in the process ;). You don't have to use these plans, just one of the ones supported in the the software in #4
http://freediag.sourceforge.net/index.html ($0.00) - Should take 8 - 400 hours depending on if bugs arise. Checkout the source and compile it targeting #2. This is the software that will talk to your car using #1 through the adapter you made in #3. Please take care to do step #3 properly so as not to fry out your serial port or your cars OBDII port.


So between $5 - $20 cash and between 36 - 4640 hours (0.9 - 116 work weeks) of time.

I made it through step #2 two years ago before giving up and buying the ScanGauge. Cost me $0.00 and about 200 hours of effort.

Don't think this stuff works on CAN cars but feel free to update the freediag software or Jeffs OBDII schematic.

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I think getting the laptop might be more than $10 just due to shipping charges, but craigslist is always a good place to look too.

If you live in a metro area, pawn shops always have cheap laptops.

Technically, you don't need a laptop. Could be a desktop strapped into the front seat ;).

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That'd require a pretty big power inverter to run the desktop & monitor... ;) :D

-soD

That'd require a pretty big power inverter to run the desktop & monitor... ;) :D

-soDMy old 486 (still in the attic) ran on less than 100W. I just so happen to own a 100W inverter for my Prius.

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Here are three laptop candidates, all under $10. The shipping does put you in the hole, but perhaps if they are close enough you could drive to pick them up.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Gateway-2000-Handbook-486-Micro-Mini-Laptop_W0QQitemZ370045238554QQihZ024QQcategoryZ177QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/Antique-Zenith-Laptop-Computer_W0QQitemZ280219504526QQihZ018QQcategoryZ177QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/Compaq-LTE-lite-4-25C-Laptop-AS-IS_W0QQitemZ140227023914QQihZ004QQcategoryZ177QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I still think pawn shops and flee markets should yield something though.

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I still think pawn shops and flee markets should yield something though.


Also try posting on your local freecycle group. Someone there may have a free old laptop.

You know, in a way, even if you could do this for absolutely free it will still take a long TIME.

...precious time that could be spent saving money NOW with a scangauge with zero work. You'd probably waste more money attempting to deveolp your own mpg gauge due to the fact that all the while you're building your gas mileage is taking a big hit.

OR, if you absolutely have to tinker, you could
1. buy a scangauge to save money on gas now
2. build your free mpg gauge over however much time you need
3. when homemade mpg gauge is done, sell scangauge for $150 on ebay and use your inferior homemade one.

...somehow that still doesn't appeal to me though.

...somehow that still doesn't appeal to me though.Ahh, but the point of the exercise is to wear the tinker'ers resolve down to the point that the SGII no longer looks that expensive.

Never underestimate the appeal of Free. Linux is a great example of that. EARLY linux releases were little more than a kernel and scheduler. Hardware support basically meant that you wrote the driver. Now it has something like a 20% share of the market (more if you include Mac OS). All that started with the power of free (as in speech) and free (as in beer).

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Looks like things are progressing on this path over at EcoModder.

http://forum.ecomodder.com/forumdisplay.php/opengauge-mpguino-fe-computer-26.html

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