Scanguage Users
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Scanguage Users
Does anyone here have a scanguage in thier 04 or 05 F150? Tell me some details on it. Is it worth the $130.00? How did you mount it? Anything else you can tell me about it would be great.
Thanks
jrbhc8
Thanks
jrbhc8
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Do a search on Scangauge in this forum.
I have one, I bought it back when they were 99. I use it every day, and I pay more attention to it than any other gauge. I keep the instant mileage setting going, as well as any other thing that I want that day.
You can use it to clear/read codes.
It will track your gas mileage.
It ain't pretty.
They don't want to put it in a nicer case, which sucks.
I have mine mounted low, facing up. In the tray would work, but you would want to get a better looking case to put over it.
As a sometimes tool it is great, as a constant gauge it is very useful.
Find a better place to put it, and make a lot of new friends.
Chris
I have one, I bought it back when they were 99. I use it every day, and I pay more attention to it than any other gauge. I keep the instant mileage setting going, as well as any other thing that I want that day.
You can use it to clear/read codes.
It will track your gas mileage.
It ain't pretty.
They don't want to put it in a nicer case, which sucks.
I have mine mounted low, facing up. In the tray would work, but you would want to get a better looking case to put over it.
As a sometimes tool it is great, as a constant gauge it is very useful.
Find a better place to put it, and make a lot of new friends.
Chris
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Joined: Nov 2003
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From: Yucaipa, California
Great product
So far I use mine more than anything else. Got mine too when it was $99. I agree its not the prettiest thing in the cab but it goes ok along with my radio gear. As I have my PCM tuned I like to keep an eye on my temps and loop conditions. Also find the MPH to be very accurate. Its also a great scan tool but I have not thrown any codes so far. I think once you get over the poor looks it will grow on you.
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From: ???.....depends on the day
Here is where I have my ScanGauge temporarily mounted...it provides me with a viewing angle that still allows my peripheral vision to stay focused on the road while driving (since I look at this thing VERY often).
I also painted it so as to tone down the crappy aesthetics of the original box. I used spray paint that provided a "cracked" finish similar to the dash and added a rubber base so I did not have to use any adhesive to keep it in place.
I know it is not the best looking setup in the world, but it will do until I find someone that can build me a custom housing that does not look tacky.
Here are some photos:
I also painted it so as to tone down the crappy aesthetics of the original box. I used spray paint that provided a "cracked" finish similar to the dash and added a rubber base so I did not have to use any adhesive to keep it in place.
I know it is not the best looking setup in the world, but it will do until I find someone that can build me a custom housing that does not look tacky.
Here are some photos:
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From: ???.....depends on the day
Chris:
I used the Black Rust-Oleum "Hammered Enamal" Brand Spray Paint. I picked it up at Lowes for less than $5 and just used a normal spray paint method (short bursts at a distance of at least 6"-8").
As you are well aware, the ScanGauge is an extremely useful piece of electronics...it is just packaged in a very unattractive casing. I just wanted a quick cheap way to make it look acceptable until I make a custom housing that will make it look more "stock."
Hope this helps.
- Bill
P.S. You MUST take the electronics out of the casing PRIOR to painting (for obvious reasons). The LCD cable that attaches to the circuit board is a pain to reattach, but with some persistance and patience, it goes back on fairly easy.
I used the Black Rust-Oleum "Hammered Enamal" Brand Spray Paint. I picked it up at Lowes for less than $5 and just used a normal spray paint method (short bursts at a distance of at least 6"-8").
As you are well aware, the ScanGauge is an extremely useful piece of electronics...it is just packaged in a very unattractive casing. I just wanted a quick cheap way to make it look acceptable until I make a custom housing that will make it look more "stock."
Hope this helps.
- Bill
P.S. You MUST take the electronics out of the casing PRIOR to painting (for obvious reasons). The LCD cable that attaches to the circuit board is a pain to reattach, but with some persistance and patience, it goes back on fairly easy.
Last edited by wstahlm80; Jun 28, 2005 at 12:50 PM.
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Originally Posted by wstahlm80
Chris:
I used the Black Rust-Oleum "Hammered Enamal" Brand Spray Paint. I picked it up at Lowes for less than $5 and just used a normal spray paint method (short bursts at a distance of at least 6"-8").
As you are well aware, the ScanGauge is an extremely useful piece of electronics...it is just packaged in a very unattractive casing. I just wanted a quick cheap way to make it look acceptable until I make a custom housing that will make it look more "stock."
Hope this helps.
- Bill
P.S. You MUST take the electronics out of the casing PRIOR to painting (for obvious reasons). The LCD cable that attaches to the circuit board is a pain to reattach, but with some persistance and patience, it goes back on fairly easy.
I used the Black Rust-Oleum "Hammered Enamal" Brand Spray Paint. I picked it up at Lowes for less than $5 and just used a normal spray paint method (short bursts at a distance of at least 6"-8").
As you are well aware, the ScanGauge is an extremely useful piece of electronics...it is just packaged in a very unattractive casing. I just wanted a quick cheap way to make it look acceptable until I make a custom housing that will make it look more "stock."
Hope this helps.
- Bill
P.S. You MUST take the electronics out of the casing PRIOR to painting (for obvious reasons). The LCD cable that attaches to the circuit board is a pain to reattach, but with some persistance and patience, it goes back on fairly easy.
I don't know much about painting plastic. I'm probably the only guy in the country who never made a model or painted one as a kid.
That ribbon is a pain. I took my Scangauge apart the first week, thinking about finding a way to hook it to my in-dash monitor (that would be fantastic, pipeing the info to my big 7+ inch monitor). Nobody seems to make an adaptor, and I just don't want to study LCD stuff that much... I also thought of just putting a tiny frame around the LCD mounting it on the dash, and put the five buttons, remote wired' to another location.
But just painting it might be good. Thanks again
Chris
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From: ???.....depends on the day
Chris:
Actually, I am pretty sure I used the 7215 (don't have the can in front of me, but I know I was looking for "Black"). I know the can did not specifically mention plastic as an acceptable material to paint, but I have not had much trouble in the past and it is not like the box I painted is gonna get abused much on top of my dash.
I did the same as you; as soon as my ScanGauge came in the mail, I disected it to see if I could place its guts elsewhere in my truck. I only know enough about electronics to be dangerous, so I would not know enough to be able to do any of the Mods you are talking about (as awesome as that would be since the stock display is very small). All I hope for is a better way to mount the gauge so that it looks more appealing.
Can any of you other ScanGauge users post photos of how you have yours mounted?
And for those of you who do not have one, I must say that this is the best $130 I have spent on my truck to date...well worth it.
Actually, I am pretty sure I used the 7215 (don't have the can in front of me, but I know I was looking for "Black"). I know the can did not specifically mention plastic as an acceptable material to paint, but I have not had much trouble in the past and it is not like the box I painted is gonna get abused much on top of my dash.
I did the same as you; as soon as my ScanGauge came in the mail, I disected it to see if I could place its guts elsewhere in my truck. I only know enough about electronics to be dangerous, so I would not know enough to be able to do any of the Mods you are talking about (as awesome as that would be since the stock display is very small). All I hope for is a better way to mount the gauge so that it looks more appealing.
Can any of you other ScanGauge users post photos of how you have yours mounted?
And for those of you who do not have one, I must say that this is the best $130 I have spent on my truck to date...well worth it.
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Joined: Mar 2005
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From: Florida
After reading the raves of the scangauge I bought one and it came in today.
(another vehicle I had threw the check engine light last week so I needed a scanner anyhow)
This thing is great with all the info it shows in real time. And yeah it's pretty ugly.
I was thinking the cable might have been a bit longer so I could mount it over the rear-view mirror but it's not.
The spray paint looks pretty good as well as the placement for wstahlm80.
I'm not sure what I'm doing with it yet.
(another vehicle I had threw the check engine light last week so I needed a scanner anyhow)
This thing is great with all the info it shows in real time. And yeah it's pretty ugly.
I was thinking the cable might have been a bit longer so I could mount it over the rear-view mirror but it's not.
The spray paint looks pretty good as well as the placement for wstahlm80.
I'm not sure what I'm doing with it yet.
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 2,597
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[QUOTE=goslow]After reading the raves of the scangauge I bought one and it came in today.
(another vehicle I had threw the check engine light last week so I needed a scanner anyhow)
This thing is great with all the info it shows in real time. And yeah it's pretty ugly.
I was thinking the cable might have been a bit longer so I could mount it over the rear-view mirror but it's not.
The spray paint looks pretty good as well as the placement for wstahlm80.
Yeah, where I have it sucks, :o but works. You could cut the wires, and add longer, but I chickened out on that, at least for a few more months..
Some features for new users.
The four positions of lighting works well, I wasn't sure I could use it on the dash, as I had if for the brightest, but playing around with it, yeah, you can dim it nicely.
While I primarily use it to follow mileage, I also like the fact that it tells you the fastest you went, the hottest the motor got, average speed highest RPM, etc. for Current trip, Today, and Yesterday.
Good example, yesterday I drove 93 miles, and got 21.5 MPG. Maximum speed was 80 (passing a couple trucks) and I used 4.3 gallons of premium. Ouch.
Using the trip function I was able to see that on the return leg, driving easy, across the first (non-town) 39 miles I got 23.8.
When I make a comment about hitting 80 in a passing situation, I know it's accurate.
Other expamples of info; with premium Superchips tune, at default, I shift to fourth at 78 mph, 4895 RPM.
On comparing miles per gallon with actual fill-up and calculator, I find the Scangauge is slightly more optimistic than the calculator. But over 1000 miles it is well within 1 mpg. The reason for the difference seems to be that on numerous days I start the truck and move it, or start it and idle it while messing with something, getting of course 0 mpg.
Then it sits a day or so, and I do it again.
Then when I drive it, I just run it a couple miles, then back, and don’t look at the results. Which would suck.
I am only tracking the miles behind the wheel. If I wanted to I could log the gallons (if I used a whole tenth) every time I lit it up, and make it come out even. On a trip it gets remarkably close to the calculator, closer the more you drive on the trip.
Chris
(another vehicle I had threw the check engine light last week so I needed a scanner anyhow)
This thing is great with all the info it shows in real time. And yeah it's pretty ugly.
I was thinking the cable might have been a bit longer so I could mount it over the rear-view mirror but it's not.
The spray paint looks pretty good as well as the placement for wstahlm80.
Yeah, where I have it sucks, :o but works. You could cut the wires, and add longer, but I chickened out on that, at least for a few more months..
Some features for new users.
The four positions of lighting works well, I wasn't sure I could use it on the dash, as I had if for the brightest, but playing around with it, yeah, you can dim it nicely.
While I primarily use it to follow mileage, I also like the fact that it tells you the fastest you went, the hottest the motor got, average speed highest RPM, etc. for Current trip, Today, and Yesterday.
Good example, yesterday I drove 93 miles, and got 21.5 MPG. Maximum speed was 80 (passing a couple trucks) and I used 4.3 gallons of premium. Ouch.
Using the trip function I was able to see that on the return leg, driving easy, across the first (non-town) 39 miles I got 23.8.
When I make a comment about hitting 80 in a passing situation, I know it's accurate.
Other expamples of info; with premium Superchips tune, at default, I shift to fourth at 78 mph, 4895 RPM.
On comparing miles per gallon with actual fill-up and calculator, I find the Scangauge is slightly more optimistic than the calculator. But over 1000 miles it is well within 1 mpg. The reason for the difference seems to be that on numerous days I start the truck and move it, or start it and idle it while messing with something, getting of course 0 mpg.
Then it sits a day or so, and I do it again.
Then when I drive it, I just run it a couple miles, then back, and don’t look at the results. Which would suck.
I am only tracking the miles behind the wheel. If I wanted to I could log the gallons (if I used a whole tenth) every time I lit it up, and make it come out even. On a trip it gets remarkably close to the calculator, closer the more you drive on the trip.
Chris
