Monitoring Devices

[PhileasFogg]

My van is equipped with a feature that shows me my avg MPG over a given time period. Does anyone know of an aftermarket device that can be installed that would will give you "real time" fuel usage data?

[theholycow]

I had to look it up in your owners manual myself to believe it. GM used to include instant fuel economy in their display. I guess they removed it after spending too much time having to explain to people why it varies so much.

The venerable ScanGauge II will do the job and costs $170. I have one and am happy with it.

Recently some decent competition for it came out in the form of the $60 UltraGauge which got a good review from a member here on gassavers.org. I wish I had two OBDII vehicles so I had an excuse to get an UltraGauge.

[FrugalFloyd]

I own both SG & UG. The SG is nearly 3X as expensive, difficult to program, limited in its information display, and it looks antiquated. On the good side, it supports some functions that the UG doesn't, IF you're techno-savvy and patient enough to spend the necessary hours to program it.

The UG is plug and play. It will scan your OBD-II communications protocol & recognize your vehicle's display capabilities within a minute of plugging it in.

Both will show instantaneous mpg, trip and tank average mpg, & other useful information like coolant and air intake temperatures, battery voltage, speed, and they'll both scan and clear CEL trouble codes.

If I were buying another such device tomorrow, or recommending one for a new purchaser, I recommend the UG - unless it will be plugged into a Prius. The Prius community has developed a wealth of programming codes for Prius functions that only the SG supports.

[PhileasFogg]

holycow ..... Thanks again. This site is wonderful because of people like you.

[PhileasFogg]

sentra-ser .... Thanks! Now that was helpful advise.

[theholycow]

Originally Posted by SentraSE-R

The UG is plug and play. It will scan your OBD-II communications protocol & recognize your vehicle's display capabilities within a minute of plugging it in.

The SG also is plug-and-play, at least for most of what it does. I'm guessing you mean that the UG displays some things automatically that SG requires programming for?

[i-DSi]

I'm willing to buy also some scan-tool. I was thinking into the direction of software for android phones, connected via bluetooth on the OBD-connector. Does nobody has experience with this kind of applications?

[trollbait]

On the good side, it supports some functions that the UG doesn't, IF you're techno-savvy and patient enough to spend the necessary hours to program it.

Are you referring to the Xgauge function? I got my sg before its release. If I still drove the Ranger, I might have shipped it back and paid for the firmware update. I believe I would have been able to monitor the transmission temps with it.

I'm guessing you mean that the UG displays some things automatically that SG requires programming for?

What I remember from a peek at the UG site, both gauges can show the same info. The xgauge can let you program in displays for other info. Average mpg on the gauge screen is a common one, or data streams from other sensors. It depends on what other data is going the OBD for the car model, and whether you can program it or if there is a community that already did the hard work, on what else you can have displayed.

For the majority, the SG is hard to justify over the UG.

[FrugalFloyd]

Originally Posted by theholycow

The SG also is plug-and-play, at least for most of what it does. I'm guessing you mean that the UG displays some things automatically that SG requires programming for?

Yes

[FrugalFloyd]

Originally Posted by trollbait

Are you referring to the Xgauge function?

Yes.

What I remember from a peek at the UG site, both gauges can show the same info. The xgauge can let you program in displays for other info. Average mpg on the gauge screen is a common one, or data streams from other sensors. It depends on what other data is going the OBD for the car model, and whether you can program it or if there is a community that already did the hard work, on what else you can have displayed.

For the majority, the SG is hard to justify over the UG.

Yes.

The UG can cycle through three screens with six gauges on each screen, by pushing a single button three times. You can view any of 18 gauges almost instantly with the UG.

The SG has only one screen, showing only four gauges. To cycle in a different gauge, you have to cycle through perhaps 20 standard preprogrammed gauges and up to 24 xgauges by repeatedly pushing the same button. Changing all four gauges requires ~100 button pushes on the SG, and a proportionately longer set-up time.