First off, really was not sure which forum this would be most appropriate in. If I picked the wrong one, I'm sorry.

I've tried searching the Internet but didn't find what i was looking for. Does this allow you to calibrate the mph shown on the scangauge? Also, if so, will that mean the mpg reading and the odometer reading on the scangauge will be pretty spot on? My tires are almost 2 inches larger than stock, so my current mph, mpg and odometer are off.

What are some real life pros and cons you guys have experienced with this thing? Is it worth the money? And what are the features you like best about it? Thanks.

 

I have a ScanGauge on the wifes Fusion and I have an Ultragauge on the F150. The units all read what the vehicles computer sees as it plugs into the OBD port under the steering column. If your truck has an instant mileage readout, it won't read anything different. If you don't have instant fuel mileage, it will tell it to you in real time. You can program it to display several gauges at once, the SG is 4 each and the Ultra is up to 8. It can tell you the HP produced, load, transmission temp, head temp, intake temp, voltage, rpms, coolant temp, just a bunch of data that the truck uses to make it run efficiently. The two gauges are a lot alike in the readouts. The SG is not easy to set up but it's intuitive to use. The Ultra comes with a manual that's absolutely worthless. You'll eventually figure it out by playing with it. Once you figure it out it's a breeze. The Ultra is made in China and is about half the price of the SG. There is NO person of contact and getting the warranty is an absolute wreck so just assume that if it works-great. If it dies, it's trash. Apparently the guy selling them does it out of his mobile home at Canyon Lake Texas. There's nothing but a PO Box, no phone, no pool, no pets, and most likely, no real warranty. If you buy the Ultra, you have to also buy the mount. I have the windshield mount. The instructions says not to touch the silicone pad that goes against the glass. Mine came with lots of finger prints all over it in the package, it would not stick to the windshield. I cleaned it off and used Superglue to attach it. The cord is supposed to be 6 foot, I didn't measure it but mine is at the door pillar and it was almost short of reaching the OBD port. The SG in the wifes Fusion was a breeze to install and there were no issues with it.

If you learn to drive with one, you'll have a hard time driving anything without one. Both units have alarms that you can set to give you a heads up if any of the data gets out of spec. I use mine for fuel mileage and my truck does not have a gauge for the alternator. I can assume Ford thinks that when the truck won't start because the battery is dead you're supposed to know the battery is dead because it didn't start. I never wait for a battery to have issues or an alternator. Like my last F150 was giving me surging voltage. The alternator was dying and a new one fixed the issue. For me and now the wife, we think these units are worth every penny paid. The SG is usually $169.00. Beware of cheaper units. They have some units that has limited abilities and limited gauges. Read about all of them and decide which gauges are important to you so you have a clue what you are going to do with it when you get it. Look at your truck and decide where you are going to put it before buying it. I'm not game for the velcro glue on crap but it works. Figure where you are going to run the cord too. Then buy the gauge. Try it, I think you'll learn to use it and the extra fuel mileage will equate to it costing you nothing in the long run. The SG unit has a detachable cord and is linkable. The Ultra is hard wired. THe Ultra has a bigger display a little smaller than a normal business card. The SG is smaller in height and about the same in length.

 

It will not correct the speedometer/odometer, you need a programmer for that.

 

Thanks a bunch for all the detailed info. Certainly helps a lot! I'm pretty sure I know where I'll mount it and now I'm 99% sure it'll be the scangauge II. I did some more research, and is it true you have an option to + or - the persentage to make up for s larger tire size? As in, if I did that with the scangauge and it was showing my true mpg, would that also be showing my true mpg? It seems that if I was to just use it as is, the scangauge would give me a faulty mpg reading as my tires are two inches larger than stock and my speedometer is not calibrated for that.

That last part is my main concern. I just want to know how true the mpg readings would be since my tire size is off and the trucks computer does not know that.

Thanks again!

 

I know, I didn't mean to trucks speedometer / odometer. I meant, the scangauges speedometer / odometer. Because as I said in the very last post, scangauge seems to state you can "the speed indicated on scangauge can be changed to compensate for larger tire size."

I just want to know how true the mpgs would be knowing that mine is off.

 

I bought my ScanGageII in 2010, I have bought extra cords and use Velcro to swap it between several vehicles ('95 T-bird, '01 M-GM, a '03 Forester, a '07 FX4, and a '08 Mustang). I have a tuner also, but I can't use it on all those vehicles.
The only "hard" part in set up is deciding which X-gage codes to load in those 24 slots (not so hard, just takes time to pick which to use and program in). I have some loaded in two formats so I can use them with the '95 vs '01 and up. Others work in all years. The Xgage codes are available on line.

Most of the time I have it set for MPG average, MPG instant, MPH, and Eng Temp .... but I have all 24 slots filled so I may scroll to trans temp or volts of ambient air temp or output shaft speed or TC slip .... etc. Driving it with the idea of maximizing the immediate MPG reading will show you any bad (for mileage) habits you have and will, in time, allow you to save some there .... it becomes like a game and you'll soon see the average MPG reading creep up. You'll also be alerted to possible issues with the engine systems when mileage suffers before you take notice otherwise.

I need to send mine in for updates for "datalogging" I think.

 

I say just buy a programmer from mpt. Too many benefits to list. Just my .02

Ryan.

 

A programmer and ScanGauge are two different things.

 

Yes yes it is. However if he reprograms his computer to his new tire size it should make his dash readout the appropriate gas mileage and speed.

Ryan.