[COcyclist]

I recently purchased an Ultra-Gauge after owning and using a ScanGauge II for six years. I put it in a recently acquired Grand Cherokee 3.0 diesel. I bought the Ultra-Gauge because seemed much cheaper when looking at the on-line site. I ended up adding a mounting bracket (not included) and shipping which bumped the price up to close to $90. I must say I have been disappointed in the Ultra-Gauge. It was cost more the price shown on the website, the website shows a U.S. address but it is made in China and I found it very difficult to set up and to calibrate (I still haven't gotten the mpg to read accurately) The manual is online, sixty pages. (I suggest you look it over before you buy) I spent a couple of hours in my driveway with the key on and my laptop on my lap trying to understand the manual and configure the four gauges I really wanted (instant mpg, average mpg, coolant temp, and intake temp). The ECM voltage alarm on the default setting kept going off while I was driving. I spent more time in the driveway figuring out how to disable the alarm. To me the display looks cheap and is only black and white (pale green numbers at night). The Scangauge II display looks pale yellow with black lettering in daylight the blue display at night to matches the gauges in my Golf. The Ultra-Gauge is controlled by three buttons on the back of the unit. The Scangauge has five buttons visible on the front. I do not recommend fiddling with the Ultra-Gauge when you are driving. OTOH I routinely change gauges on the Scangauge while on the fly. The latest letdown was when I discovered that the Ultra-Gauge will NOT display fuel cutoff during DFCO or figure it into average mpg on a diesel (Deceleration Fuel Cut Off- many modern engines inject NO fuel during engine braking). I like seeing the instant mpg go to 9,999 mpg on the ScanGauge during engine braking in in the Golf. I have a seven mile grade not far from my home.

To be fair the Ultra-Gauge has up to seven pages of gauges that can be configured to show four, six, or even eight gauges per page. There is much more info that you can access with the Ultra-Gauge (see page 19 in the online manual). There are audible alarms and lots of trip data and maintenance reminders that can be programmed. If you are a technology geek and enjoy programming and data the Ultra-Gauge may be for you. If you want user friendly and easy access while driving, save up and buy the ScanGauge II.