Scangauge II - Questions for Newbie

yi5hedr3 · #1 01-22-2008, 07:52 PM

I'm new to this, and will be getting a Scangauge II shortly for my 08' Yaris HB AT.
I know you can customize them with four gauges at any given time, and I am trying
to figure out which four to start with. From reading several posts, I am thinking MPG, TPS, and since my car does not have a Tach, probably Tach, so I can learn my automatics’ shift points and better match engine speed when shifting in/out of Neutral, maybe GPH as the 4th??? I'm sure everyone has their own preference, but as a newbie, I'd like to hear what YOU use, and why? Thanx for any assistance!!!

Skwyre7 · #2 01-23-2008, 06:41 AM

When I first got mine, I had MPG and RPM and varied the other two. I started using the SG in my Prius, which doesn't have a tach. Now that I'm in the 'rolla, I keep MPG and GPH and vary the other two. When my grill is blocked (all winter long), I'll keep ºFWT, which only leaves one to be varied. Currently, I have it set up as an XGauge for average trip MPG.

My advice is to play around with them. Switch them around every week or so until you find 4 that help you the most.

CptanPanic · #3 01-23-2008, 08:08 AM

In my Fit, I have MPG and Trip MPG (Using XGauge). The other ones I swap in an out is Distance Till Empty(Xgauge), Trip Average Speed (XGuage), and Trip Time(Xguage).

Right Lane Cruiser · #4 01-23-2008, 08:38 AM

In my Elantra the SG has Current Trip MPG (XGauge), Instantaneous MPG, Water Temp, and Voltage. I haven't hooked the other SG up in the Insight but I'd mostly need the Water Temp and Voltage (for the 12V).

PaleMelanesian · #5 01-23-2008, 08:46 AM

I don't have the Xgauge, so I can't have trip average with the other gauges. I actually spend most of the time on the trip mpg screen now, but earlier, i was on the gauges more.

i-mpg - of course
GPH - helps me moderate my pulses
Fwt - complete grill block, so I keep an eye on the temperature, as well as gathering data for temp vs mpg calculations
Vlt - the engine's running less than 1/2 of the time, and so is the alternator. battery power is precious, especially this time of year with headlights required.

Sean - looks like we're on the same page with this!

Right Lane Cruiser · #6 01-23-2008, 09:08 AM

Before XGauge I was mostly on the Current Trip screen -- it is REALLY helpful to watch the iFCD in the Elantra because it helps me fine tune the point at which I should cut the engine out when I'm FASing. Not to mention, I also use it when attacking a steep hill when I want to maintain a minimum mpg going up.

Is there a possible upgrade in your future? It makes life a lot easier when you don't have to go punching buttons while you are driving...

PaleMelanesian · #7 01-23-2008, 09:38 AM

I don't know if I will. What I have works well enough.

Like you, on long uphills, I'll go click-click and use the instantaneous mpg, and then at the crest, click-click back to average.

SlowHands · #8 01-23-2008, 11:06 AM

I currently run impg, LOD, ampg, TPS. Using LOD to moderate my pulses, aiming for usually 70-80 when I know I have a good glide coming up. For gentle hills, 60-65. This FSP idles at 32 for LOD... well at least in winter time. I did use GPH for pulsing, but find that LOD seems to be more effective in general and less scary than watching the GPH.

2TonJellyBean · #9 01-23-2008, 12:06 PM

SlowHands, I'm a certified LOD junkie. That's the gauge that I use the most and not having it for a few days and risking withdrawal symptoms is the reason why I haven't upgraded to x-gauge. That said, is HP on the x-gauge more or less a direct correlation to LOD?

yi5hedr3, I typically set mine up as follows:

XXX MPG
GPH LOD

Where XXX is FWT for short drives and to see where the block heater is starting me off each morning but it gets switched to MPH on long drives. On long drives GPH gets played with as well and would probably be switched to Avg MPG if I could just part with this thing long enough o get upgraded.

I really like the digital speedometer function for figuring out shift points and that's even with having a tach. With an auto, it's nice knowing the early speeds at which you can lift to shift while watching the LOD. The SG-speedo function is quite accurate where the "real" speedo tends to be optimistic. My MPG, GPH and FWT are actually LHK, LPH and CWT living in the metric world but switching to miles and using the SG-speedo is infinitely better when driving in the "Homeland" than using the sparesly marked little MPG ring inside my speedometer.

It's funny how the same tool serves so many in such different ways. With ATs, FASing might not be something you want to do, so voltage won't be a key concern. Likewise, with your car being drive-by-wire the TPS might not be that meaningful.

Wonderful tool!

yi5hedr3 · #10 01-23-2008, 04:41 PM

Thanx all for the great information. I can see I have much learning to do!! Need to figure out which stuff applies just to hybrids, and which applies to us non-hybrids. I'd like to see more on LOD vs. TPS, to decide which works best for me. I got my Scangauge today, and promptly hooked it up. I then drove it 15 miles across town to the only non-ethanol gas this time of year, and did a fill up to top it off. I made sure not to adjust the gallons this first tank fill. Mostly freeway there, and took side streets home. When I come to a stop, MPG goes to 0.0 as it should, and GPH is at .17 while in "Drive". If I put it in neutral, GPH drops to .14 to .15, so it appears shifting to neutral when stopped will save gas!