Maxitrip for $100

[gone-ot]

FWIW...your number of posts haven't incremented over the past couple of postings either!

[Dust]

Got my SG2 for a good deal, but still interested in how this works out.

[tasdrouille]

Originally Posted by taredog

It works.

I lost the reply That had a lot of info in it.

Its about the third time it has happened on this MB.

If you really wnat to know about this thing, please enlighten me as to why my post keep disappearing when I try to preview them.

Whenever I type a long post, I always hit ctrl+a followed by ctrl+c before previewing or posting, so I always have a copy stored in in memory. Should something go bad, I just start over and paste my saved post.

[taredog]

My log in may be timing out, I found that in the bug thread. If it's a long post I'll just type it in a word processor and cut and paste.

I left the Maxitrip sitting on the dash in the direct sun for about 30 minutes. When I started the truck it didn't come on. I cooled it off in front of the A/C vent for a short time and it powered back up. I don't know what the temperature in the cab was, my wife "borrowed" my thermometer a couple years ago and I haven't replaced it. The outside temperature was 110F+. My Nuvi 370 was sitting right next to it and was working fine.

Never a good idea to leave electronic devices in the sun or where people can see them.

It does do instantaneous MPG and GPH when stopped.

No x-guage functions.

It seems to work as expected. The USB interface seems to be only for downloading firmware updates.

[Ricketts]

Hi Everyone;

New guy here...found this website while trying to find information about the Maxitrip units.

I bought two of them from Princess Auto in Winnipeg (good return policy) at the sale price of $99.95cdn each. I also own a Scan Gauge 2 which I had been moving between my three vehicles (I bought a couple of extra OBDII cables when I bought the SG2).

These are my findings (sorry for the long post):

- Maxitrip will not work with existing SG2 cables, pinouts of the RJ45 connector are different. I had to re-route new cables (no biggie).

- Display colour cannot be changed like the SG2 (no biggie).

- After shutting off the vehicle and then restarting afterwards, the display does not return to the screen I was on when I shut it off. I have to press the "Trip" or "Gauge" button again.

- I cannot customize the display to show all the parameters I want. I want RPM, Coolant temp, Speed, and fuel consumption (litres per 100 kilometers, LHK) On the "Gauge" display, I can get everything I want, except LHK. The only place I can get the LHK readings are under the "Current" display for "Trip", so I have to keep switching between the two displays. (Biggie)

- While in the "Trip"/"Current" display to watch my fuel consumption, I have noticed that the LHK reading will not revert to 0 when my injectors shut off while coasting in gear. My Scan Gauge indicates 0LHK when coasting in gear in my Miata and my Saturn as my injectors have shut off. The Maxitrip always shows around 1.7 to 2.2 LHK. Having driven the vehicles so much and knowing them well, I can tell the injectors have been shut off when I press the throttle (by the way the cars react). So I know the injectors have shut off, but the Maxitrip does not indicate it. If I put the SG2 back in, it shows 0LHK again.

This is a big issue, as I regularily use this feature to alter my driving habits to maximize the amount of time the injectors stay off, so this may be a deal breaker for me.

Has anyone else seen this issue? Is there any way to alter this with fuel calibration on the Maxitrip? I did not have to do this with the Scan Gauge, when the injectors shut off, it tells you so.

Made in China knockoff of the Scan Gauge, but not as good functionality-wise.

Glad I found this site, there is an amazing amount of info here!!

Regards,

Rick

[taredog]

Originally Posted by Ricketts

Hi Everyone;

New guy here...found this website while trying to find information about the Maxitrip units.

I bought two of them from Princess Auto in Winnipeg (good return policy) at the sale price of $99.95cdn each. I also own a Scan Gauge 2 which I had been moving between my three vehicles (I bought a couple of extra OBDII cables when I bought the SG2).

These are my findings (sorry for the long post):

- Maxitrip will not work with existing SG2 cables, pinouts of the RJ45 connector are different. I had to re-route new cables (no biggie).

- Display colour cannot be changed like the SG2 (no biggie).

- After shutting off the vehicle and then restarting afterwards, the display does not return to the screen I was on when I shut it off. I have to press the "Trip" or "Gauge" button again.

You can set the display but your choices are limited to "menu " or "current trip"

I cannot customize the display to show all the parameters I want. I want RPM, Coolant temp, Speed, and fuel consumption (litres per 100 kilometers, LHK) On the "Gauge" display, I can get everything I want, except LHK. The only place I can get the LHK readings are under the "Current" display for "Trip", so I have to keep switching between the two displays. (Biggie)

- While in the "Trip"/"Current" display to watch my fuel consumption, I have noticed that the LHK reading will not revert to 0 when my injectors shut off while coasting in gear. My Scan Gauge indicates 0LHK when coasting in gear in my Miata and my Saturn as my injectors have shut off. The Maxitrip always shows around 1.7 to 2.2 LHK. Having driven the vehicles so much and knowing them well, I can tell the injectors have been shut off when I press the throttle (by the way the cars react). So I know the injectors have shut off, but the Maxitrip does not indicate it. If I put the SG2 back in, it shows 0LHK again.

Noticed that also, though using the MPG readout. Never have seen 9999. Do not have any big high speed hills here. The question here is who's shuckin who? If you are going 62MPH and take your foot off the throttle, do your injectors immediately shut off or is SGII making you feel good?

This is a big issue, as I regularily use this feature to alter my driving habits to maximize the amount of time the injectors stay off, so this may be a deal breaker for me.

Has anyone else seen this issue? Is there any way to alter this with fuel calibration on the Maxitrip? I did not have to do this with the Scan Gauge, when the injectors shut off, it tells you so.

What fuel calibration? Have you discovered something I haven;t?

Made in China knockoff of the Scan Gauge, but not as good functionality-wise.

Glad I found this site, there is an amazing amount of info here!!

Regards,

Rick

Everything Ricketts said

[QuickLTD]

Your injectors cant shut of for long periods even on the Chryslers with the multi displacement or whatever its called they have to shoot every few cycles to cool the pistons if im not mistaken.. besides if the all the injectors shut off.. Shouldnt the engine? Or am I missing something in the termonology here

[gone-ot]

MDS = Multi Displacement System.

...non-firing cylinders shouldn't need cooling because (except for ring friction) there's no combustion heat being generated...but, there *is* compression heat however.

...and, "raw" gasoline will actually dissolve the lubricating oil film off the rings, causing metal-on-metal friction wear.

...some of the new engine computers actually do shut off all fuel injectors during deceleration (ala' diesels) because (a) saves fuel and (b) reduces exhaust emissions (zero IN = zero OUT).

...on my SIDI Toyota-made 2ZR-FE engine, there's a VERY noticable "back-off" when I lift the throttle and seemingly all injection stops (I'm not sure if it's 100%, 99%, or even 50%).

SIDI = Spark Ignition Direct Injection, diesel-like injection directly into cylinders rather than intake manifold or behind values. (similar to GM's 260 hp Turbo 2.0L engines)

[QuickLTD]

Thanks for the clarifications. I looked around for the article I was refering too regarding the cylinder cooling but I couldnt find it. I think what I meant was it switched between the pistons used to make the 4 cyl.. not always using the same 4. I dont mean to thread jack so back to the topic of the Maxitrip.
Thanks

[Ricketts]

Originally Posted by taredog

Originally Posted by Ricketts
Hi Everyone;

New guy here...found this website while trying to find information about the Maxitrip units.

I bought two of them from Princess Auto in Winnipeg (good return policy) at the sale price of $99.95cdn each. I also own a Scan Gauge 2 which I had been moving between my three vehicles (I bought a couple of extra OBDII cables when I bought the SG2).

These are my findings (sorry for the long post):

- Maxitrip will not work with existing SG2 cables, pinouts of the RJ45 connector are different. I had to re-route new cables (no biggie).

- Display colour cannot be changed like the SG2 (no biggie).

- After shutting off the vehicle and then restarting afterwards, the display does not return to the screen I was on when I shut it off. I have to press the "Trip" or "Gauge" button again.

You can set the display but your choices are limited to "menu " or "current trip"

Good to know

I cannot customize the display to show all the parameters I want. I want RPM, Coolant temp, Speed, and fuel consumption (litres per 100 kilometers, LHK) On the "Gauge" display, I can get everything I want, except LHK. The only place I can get the LHK readings are under the "Current" display for "Trip", so I have to keep switching between the two displays. (Biggie)

- While in the "Trip"/"Current" display to watch my fuel consumption, I have noticed that the LHK reading will not revert to 0 when my injectors shut off while coasting in gear. My Scan Gauge indicates 0LHK when coasting in gear in my Miata and my Saturn as my injectors have shut off. The Maxitrip always shows around 1.7 to 2.2 LHK. Having driven the vehicles so much and knowing them well, I can tell the injectors have been shut off when I press the throttle (by the way the cars react). So I know the injectors have shut off, but the Maxitrip does not indicate it. If I put the SG2 back in, it shows 0LHK again.

Noticed that also, though using the MPG readout. Never have seen 9999. Do not have any big high speed hills here. The question here is who's shuckin who? If you are going 62MPH and take your foot off the throttle, do your injectors immediately shut off or is SGII making you feel good?

I think the SG2 is correct because when it is telling me the injectors are off in the Saturn and the Miata, there is more engine braking and I feel a slight "lurch" when I press the throttle again. If the injectors do not shut off, I do not feel the lurch. It follows what the SG2 display indicates. Its harder to detect in the Miata, but easy in the Saturn as I think I need to replace an engine mount, it really lurches. From what I have read, the injectors regularily shut off in a manual tranny OBDII vehicle, not so often in an automatic

This is a big issue, as I regularily use this feature to alter my driving habits to maximize the amount of time the injectors stay off, so this may be a deal breaker for me.

Has anyone else seen this issue? Is there any way to alter this with fuel calibration on the Maxitrip? I did not have to do this with the Scan Gauge, when the injectors shut off, it tells you so.

What fuel calibration? Have you discovered something I haven;t?

No I haven't...that's why I asked if there was a menu setting or something I am missing while setting up the Maxitrip.

Made in China knockoff of the Scan Gauge, but not as good functionality-wise.

Glad I found this site, there is an amazing amount of info here!!

Regards,

Rick

Have you had any more testing time taredog? I'm still debating on keeping them or not, maybe I have just got used to the SG2 too much.

Thanks,

Rick