UltraGauge....neat stuff!

I went and dredged up the old thread and saw I did indeed miss the fact that LL has new firmware for SC2. Very cool. I submitted my request for the free upgrade offer. Hope I am not too late....

 

Actually, about the whole smash-and-grab thieves thing, something I was worried about-

There's a way to put it up about where the stock compass would be (if you don't have one) in a way that it just can't be seen from outside the truck at all, provided you want a near-permanent installation. Use a garmin dash pad on the windshield on those black dots and then stick the UG suction cup arm to it. The cable just barely reaches. If you go this way, run the cable FIRST and then pick where the mounting arm needs to go.

 

I"m getting used to the multi commands of the ULTRAGAUGE and really enjoying monitoring sensors in my truck. I've 'calibrated' it a few times, traveling farther each time.....13.83 miles today at the last calibrating. I think that should do it until tires wear or loose air for whatever reason. I will check air pressure and use the tire inflation calibration [Taco's, not the UG].
I did not even know I had that until I was hunkered down looking for the OBD II port!
Sure is amazing to learn how grades/hills/ and speed influences fuel usage.
I have yet to do a 3 hour drive to my MIL's house, a route that is all interstate and level [I-16 from Macon, GA]. That is one type of cruising I'm interested in seeing what happens with different speeds on mostly straight and level road.
Anyone else using their UG or Scangauge and 'learning' what fuel usage is all about?

PS-finally printed off the 49 pages of instructions and now keep them in the truck..LOL!

 

Just ordered my UG today can't wait! Any tips to setting it up?

 

just got my utragauge today,there is not instruction in the box

 

http://www.ultra-gauge.com/ultragauge/support/support.htm

There seems to be some support on their site, the video section says coming soon but the user manual has the expected installation guide included.

installation guide

this looks really cool, definitely the way I'm going to go. I love seeing the differences too and like seeing mileage on long trips get better and such.

 

I love the Ultragauge because I can display 6 gauges on one page. SG doesn't come close. What I don't like is there's no way to update the firmware. I would have preferred a thicker case in exchange for inclusion of a USB port for upgrades via computer. And a detachable cable would be nice too. If they added those two features, I think they could get away with charging double what they do and dominate the market.

 

I have had mine for a couple of days now. Cool things I have noticed...Engine temp drops 2-3 degrees when you turn the heat on, air intake temp is only 2 degree's higher than ambient air temp, and that my speedometer is off a bit, but my tripometer is correct(stock tires). The mount that came with it works perfect to mount it over the rearview mirror, and the cable that it has is the perfect length to run through the headliner, down the apiller, and into the port.I am real happy with it!

 

Does the UG have a settting to calibrate tire size? what all need to be done to make it most accurate reading Fuel usage. Thanks

 

it doesn't have specifically a 'tire size' calabration, but mileage calibration will 'correct' for whatever tire is on the vehicle regardless of size.

 

I ordered one....$87 bux shipped......cant beat it

 

I love my UG too! The first thing you should do is calibrate the distance using a GPS. Then you should do the fuel calibration. Just be sure to use the same pump at the same station. My AVG MPG are dead on.

the only thing I dont fully trust still is the DTE (Distance to empty). The UG shows 50 miles left, but the needle is below or on E. I know we have a reserve of 3 gallons, but thats too close for me ... reminds me of that Seinfeld episode

 

The manual mentions 1 mile for calibration, or slightly longer. I'm not sure HOW long you can drive and still calibrate, but I drove about 8 miles if I remember correctly. I don't know how many miles the calibration page will register, but the longer you drive the more accurate the calibration should be. I am enjoying my UG very much.....watch it daily. Sure shows the difference between city and highway milage!!!

 

I quit using DTE and started using trip fuel used, since I already reset all trip for the avg mpg. Gives an idea of how much fuel it needs to fill up and knowing it's a 21 gallon tank anytime it goes north of 16 gallons I start looking for a station. Still need to hold the top button for tank fill to keep the alarm off though.

Plus for a little added safety measure I have it calibrated a little on the "thirsty" side. It always estimates about 0.2-0.4 gallons more than actually used by the end of the tank; that way it's never telling me I have more gas than I really do.

 

If you setup and calibrate your UG correctly, the DTE should be pretty accurate. the AVG MPG is dead on, and the fuel used is within 0.1 gallon. I dont see why you cant use the DTE as a fairly accurate indicator.

 

Just installed my scangaugeII this week on my 2011 in prep for towing a tt a few hundred miles camping in a few weeks. Coming from an Audi to the Tacoma, I miss not having a trip computer with mpg data, glad to have it now. I'm running water temp, trans pan temp, trans torque converter outlet temp, and instant mpg on my sg at the moment. Figure these will be most useful to monitor when towing.

 

is the ultra gauge easily removable from it's mount. I have an alarm on my truck, but was thinking it would be nice to remove it when it sits outside at work.

 

Yes and no. It is very easily removed, however the cable that connects to the port isnt detachable from the unit. So if you run your wire nice and neat behind trim, you are pretty much stuck

 

This is why you calibrate the miles, and the fuel used. Im not saying you can drive until the DTE says 0.01 left, but when it says you can still drive 50 miles, I am pretty sure I can get 35-40 miles more (if I wanted to push it).

 

The DTE is thrown off by changes is driving habits. If I drive real nice, it says I've used 0.2-0.4 gal more than I really did. If I drive more aggressively, those numbers get a whole lot closer and once it actually underestimated. It also seemed to have a mild change in calibration error when it got switched to winter fuel.