SCANGUAGE OR ULTRAGUAGE MPG BENEFITS?

Anyone who has bought the Scanguage 2 or Ultraguage, have you had any significant gains in mpg?

 

its just a gauge... it doesn't give you mpg?


if you use it to monitor driving habits you can improve, but driving like an egg is under your pedal does the same..

 

I'm aware it's just a gauge , but I was curious to see if people who bought and used the gauge were able to use it to increase their mpg by monitoring their driving habits. I'm light on the pedal myself, but I am getting bad mpg. So you wouldn't recommend it then, huh?

 

I have the Scangauge II and I always keep one of my four display fields on the instantaneous mpg. It's nice to be able to see how a little less pedal can positively impact the MPGs. I haven't seen any significant gains due to it but following the instantaneous MPGs has probably impacted my overall mileage a little bit (maybe 1 MPG?). My favorite feature on it is the ability to add the x-codes and monitor my transmission temps (pan temp and converter temp) when towing.

 

I don't drive a ton of highway right now, which might be the problem. I agree it would be a cool feature to have, especially like you said to monitor the trans temp, but I'm sure there can be an improvement, even if it's small.

 

When I first got mine, I played around trying to get the best mpg by driving very conservative. I was able to get an even 2 mpg better. I've since gone back to driving like I used to. 2 mpg calculated to saving 3.50 bucks per tank. I went back to driving my old style because that wasn't enough savings to get worked up about.

Now the other features, thats a different story...got the scan gauge, learned about clearing codes...now I need to learn about what causes the codes to get thrown...found out my Android phone can do the same thing as the SCII...Did that for a while...Found out I could get the entire Toyota diagnostic software for my computer...had to do that. When does it end!?

 

I ordered a ScanGauge II to help monitor my MPGs and other things on the truck when I drive to Alaska this winter. I'm going home for a month in about a week and that's when I'll install it and use it as a test run while I drive around Atlanta. I'll let you know if my MPGs improve. Before I left for Korea I was averaging about 17 MPG around town in my truck, so that's my baseline for comparisons.

 

Went from 14.5 mpg to 17.5 mpg overall

 

True. But an extra 2 mpg adds up over time, but I hear what you are saying. Where it ends, that is the question!

That would be cool, thanks!

+3 mpg, that's good! Thanks for your imput!

 

Sure it doesn't add up immediately, you'd need a Prius, Tesla or such to get radical savings immediately. However, for me I go through a tank of fuel a week. $3.50 a week adds up to about $175 annually.

Using the ultra gauge to monitor driving habits I've been averaging 22mpg per tank and occasionally hit 24mpg tank average with a mix of city/ highway and even towing. Those numbers are for my 2013 DCSB 2WD bone stock, minus the factory mud flaps. Sure being in the right lane and doing the speed limit isn't fun, but you be surprised how many times you see that guy swerving in and out of lanes passing people like he is filming Fast and Furious X right next to you on the off ramp or next traffic light.

 

I do very little highway, sometimes zero per week.

2010 5 lugger, 4 banger, auth.

Bought the UG and I get 1 to 1.5 mpg extra. Before I was getting 20 and 22 in winter and summer. Those are now around 22 and 24-25. Saving $5 a week at the pump paid for it in 3 months.

 

People here do that all the time, it's pretty annoying really. You'd think people would learn from it, but nope.

I'd be curious to see if I can improve much since I'm 6 cyl, double cab, 4x4. As long as I can get even a small enough improvement to offset the cost of it, and then save over the life of the truck I'd be happy. But still, these trucks could have done so much better if Toyota was motivated to do so.

 

Even if you save $1 a week, that's roughly a year to make the investment back..and if you use it just once to read-wipe an engine code that's money in the bank.

 

I bought mine used and sold it a few months later. Cool gadget, but you already know how to drive for good mpg. Knowledge is money in the bank

 

You didn't ever use the code clearing feature or any of the other features?

 

Does the scanguage II read oil pressure info?

 

I used some of the other monitoring features, but I was doing some deliveries with a 12' box trailer and really wanted to figure out different MPG loaded, unloaded, and at different speeds. Turned out that the difference between 75mph and 68 mph was something ridiculous like 4 mpg. I was actually making more money by driving slower...

 

I found the difference between 60 and 70 got me 13% better on my 15 mile commute, 13 miles freeway, 2 surface. During the summer I see 25mpg on the gauge when I get to work. I've had as high as 27mpg making all the lights and a tail wind. During the winter mileage goes down to 20mpg. One thing I found was getting up to speed quicker as opposed the creeping up to speed got better mileage.

I programmed in the Toyota code to monitor the auto trans temperature for towing and use the volt gauge since the dealer told me my battery was weak. On trips I use the miles to empty trip gauge.

 

I have the ultragauge. I bought it so that I could see where I was losing mpg as I have been doing a lot of trans-Pennsylvania trips, loaded one way.
As an engineer, I could not resist making small changes to see the effects and my overall mileage is around 20mpg.
I can tell you a few observations that I have noted.
1) Tire pressure is critical for mpg, just a few psi can make a big difference.
2) Maintaining pedal position in a drive-by-wire system has a much bigger impact than maintaining velocity (which is why the cruise control sucks on anything other than flat terrain).
3) Running the A/C has much less impact than expected, and it is more efficient to run on recirculate, than running with the windows open at 65-70mph.
4) Letting up on the throttle as you crest a rise or hill has a surprisingly positive effect.
5) The numbers in front of you definitely cause me to get off the gas much longer before a stop light or stop sign than before.
6) Jury is still out on getting up to speed fast or slow, so many hills here in PA it is tough to see clean data.

 

Makes sense I guess. Less drag, less strain on the motor. I normally stay in the 60 mph range in my truck if I'm on the highway and I'd hate to see it above 75.

Trans temp, instant mpg, and DTE would definitely be my top three of the gauges to monitor for sure.

I think a lot of people don't know about #3, or their a/c is just busted. Driving with your windows down takes on a ton of drag on the highway. I'm not expecting anything ridiculous, 2-3 mpg gain would be awesome for me.