ScanGauge Tips and Tricks?

[Harpo]

The ScanGauge arrives any day now. I've read the manual cover to cover and most of the threads. For you guys that have been using it for while, what do you find the most useful to monitor for your specific driving situation?

I plan on spending the first several days monitoring the right foot and auto trans operation with (TPS - Fuel Flow - MPH - RPM) then moving on to trip dynamics for my common route. Once I have that locked, I'll investigate two new primary routes for the 25-26 mile commute. I've already had good sense enough to trade 12 miles of I-75 for 10.5 miles of 55mph backroads with the addition of only one potential stop.

[MetroMPG]

I don't get fancy - I simply monitor instant & average MPG (using the add-a-gauge feature to view both on the "Gauges" screen).

[Who]

L O D

[Harpo]

Originally Posted by Who

L O D

Lower Orbit Debris?

[MetroMPG]

Live in Over Drive.

No...

LOD is engine load. I'm not sure how the SG calculates it.

I also don't know what formula it uses to calculate MPG, but since the end goal is maximizing those numbers, they're what I tend to look at.

[Who]

As stated LOD is the load monitoring feature. It will be quite unique to each vehicle but it gives you a gauge of how hard your engine is working. It is useful for optimizing acceleration and for helping determine how much speed to bleed on ascents and how to regain speed on descents. You try and keep the LOD flat. Most people use the throttle position sensor but I find on a drive by wire vehicle that the the ECM will vary throttle to load anyways, so a steady foot won't help. I tend to be unique in my experience, so it may just be me missing the boat completely, but LOD is the one box in the ScanGauge that doesn't get changed.

[Harpo]

Super guys. Thanks for the start! I can build my first Custom Gauge.

[dremd]

From TDI Club (i'm having SGII issues )

Scangauge is reading:
0C - RPM
04 - Load
05 - Engine coolant temp
0B - MAP
0F - Intake air temp

Then using the engine displacement, the "Diesel A" formula, and the correction factor, SG calculates fuel consumption.

There are no other codes being read, so (after this and other testing) I'm forced to come to the conclusion that there is no way to read any directly related fuel info (like inector pulse width, or VAG monitor group 15, zone 3) through the OBDII protocol on Diesel VWs.

There is one other possibility...I'm monitoring the ISO K/L lines only. It's possible Scangauge is using the CAN lines to gather additional data, but I doubt it. If so, there would be no need to read these OBDII values. An easy test would be to remove these lines from SG and see if it can still display FE data.

This calculation will, and does, work well - as many Scangauge owners can attest. It does not, however, take into account certain factors like EGR activity, injector timing to control emissions, and changes in fuel quantity based on fuel temp. That's partly what the correction factor is for. But I see now why there is such variability beween the highway and city driving.

Latter discovered that the CAn bus is NOT being used.

[jwxr7]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

I don't get fancy - I simply monitor instant & average MPG (using the add-a-gauge feature to view both on the "Gauges" screen).

Is that one of the new firmware features? I don't think mine can do add-a-gauge . I bought mine new last june I think.

[MetroMPG]

It is, yes. If you have the SG2, I believe you can have it re-flashed to incorporate the new code (I think that's what Daox is doing right now). Check with Ron @ Linear Logic.

What car are you using your SG on?