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Can someone please list the steps I need to take to setup my tank for Scangauge? I looked in the manual but I want to make sure I'm doing it right.

I am getting ready to fill my tank in the next day or two - so once it's filled, I set my tank size before I leave the gas station...and then how do I calibrate through the next tanks (and how many tanks?)

Thanks!

Boy are you going to enjoy this!! :D

Be sure to set the engine displacement, tank size, and fuel type to "hybrid." You can do all of that immediately. Once you fill your tank, use the "fillup" menu item to reset all accumulated readings to zero and then just drive.

There are two variables you'll need to pay attention to when adjusting the SG. One is the speed -- but since the clock used to calculate the speed (distance/time) is constant, changing the speed directly changes the distance measured by the same percentage. I used google maps and mapmyrun.com to compare my distance readings for trips to actual distance. Using the percentage distance I calibrated the speed setting on the SG to match. Longer trips are better for comparison because they will magnify the actual distance differences and allow a more precise measurement of the percentage difference. The speed offset can be found under settings, more.

The other variable is the fuel consumption rate -- gph if you want to think of it that way. You should adjust this when you fill the tank and you do this under the fillup menu. It will display the number of gallons it thinks you used, then you can adjust a percentage until it matches what you actually filled the tank with.

For this adjustment you want to be cautious. As much as possible, use the same gas station and ideally the same pump so that you can help the consistency of your fills. Also, unless the difference is very large indeed, don't adjust this until you've gone through a few tanks -- this will let you do an average across tanks to identify a trend while smoothing out statistical fluctuations due to tank fill, temperature, etc. It isn't unusual to have some fluctuation -- you want to cut through that as much as possible.

I know you'll want to know your actual numbers RIGHT AWAY (I know I did!!!) but try to think of this as more of just a guide to help you fine tune your techniques until you can get the calibrated, actual results. Even if the gauge isn't giving the right numbers, it is giving the right trends -- and that is really what we are after, right? Higher numbers are better, period. The absolute numbers will be discovered with the correct calibration.

I hope that helps! I know it was a bit wordy, but it should take you through the concept decently.

Also, you can do the fillup procedure, exit out, then come back in for finer adjustments. In the normal fillup procedure, you're adjusting actual gallons, which means big % adjustments. The second time (and I think it works until you've used 1 gallon, so for a couple days), you actually adjust the % 0.1 at a time.

I agree about averaging over several tanks. Some are up, some are down, but in the long run it evens out. I keep a running average of actual gallons vs Scangauge "native" gallons - I back-calculate out the offset, which has changed a bit in the process.

I hope that makes some sense. :confused: