Maxitrip for $100

[Ricketts]

Both my Maxitrip units act the same as Taredog's. Leave them in the sun and they lock up. If I unplug the RJ45 connector and plug it back in (reboot, I guess) they will start working again. I had to reset the one in my Saturn 3 times today.

Actually, they aren't even in the sun, the cars are in the sun, so its only the ambient temperature that is causing the lockup.

Today, it was only 70 degrees outside, maybe 80 inside my Saturn and the gauge still locked up.

Chinese junk and no comparison to the Scan Gauge. If you can afford the extra 50 bucks or so, go for the Scan Gauge.

Rick

[taredog]

Something else I noticed this week, in the Current Trip mode, the average MPG is always the same as Total MPG. I would like an average of the Current trip, defined as since the engine was started.

An example is driving home today, Under the Trip function Current shows 16.9 MPG average, the same as Total. Today shows 19.8 MPG average, which I don't doubt as my trip in to work and back had very little stop and go.

I haven't had a repeat of the heat related shutdown but I have covered parking at work and a garage at home so the unit hasn't gotten all that hot this week.

More later.

[gone-ot]

...from what I'm hearing from you (taredog) and Ricketts, it's sounding like a case of "GOOD, BAD & UGLY"...meaning, yes it works (sometimes), but not easily (compared with SGII) and has problems.

...a blunt question: do you think it was 'worth' $100? The Auto Meter 9100 ecometer cost me about $75 (cost+s/h), but I'd say (to me) it's probably really only WORTH about $50 because of the short-comings I've encountered. What's your take on the Maxi-Trip?

[taredog]

Once again I have lost a reply on this MB by going to another window for other issues. Mods, WTF?

I cannot comment on what is worth how much to who. Look at other threads under instrumentation. There are options. I am leaning toward paying $50 more for SGII or going mpguino or carchippro.

Perhaps if some of the experts on this MB would stop being so cryptic, we could all know

[cfg83]

taredog -

Originally Posted by taredog

Once again I have lost a reply on this MB by going to another window for other issues. Mods, WTF?

I cannot comment on what is worth how much to who. Look at other threads under instrumentation. There are options. I am leaning toward paying $50 more for SGII or going mpguino or carchippro.

Perhaps if some of the experts on this MB would stop being so cryptic, we could all know

I am not sure what you mean. Do you check the "Remember" box when you log in? If you don't check this option, your login will be timed-out by design.

I would say that only the SGI/II and MPGuino are well-tested staples of this forum. The SGI/II is plug-and-play but only works for 1996 and up. The MPGuino is cheaper and better and works with pre-1996, but requires more fiddlin'.

CarloSW2

[Ricketts]

If I didn't already have one SGII I may have overlooked the Maxitrips shortcomings for $100.00. I have an SGII and three cables, so I can move the SG between vehicles without much fuss, but saw the price on the Maxitrips and got lazy

The unit's issues were more along the lines of "its not the same as the SG" which I like in the way I can personalize it, plus the X Gauge feature. That was until the Maxitrips started locking up in the heat...then it was game over. I live in northern Ontario, so I don't think my interiors are super hot...especially this summer. It hasn't stopped raining for it feels like a month

I'm at the point where I wish I could buy more North American stuff...pretty tired of the Chinese knock-off crap.

Rick

[cfg83]

Ricketts -

Thanks for taking the plunge. You got your feet wet and we'll be able to warn others of the quality problems in the future.

CarloSW2

[Ricketts]

Glad to be of help.

I'm really glad I found this website - I have just finished going over the hypermiling tips and am surprised how many of these I can use (or already do use) on a regular basis.

I'm on mostly quiet rural roads so coasting down slowly to a stop sign doesn't aggravate anyone on the road...except my wife.

I'm still trying to break her habit of keeping her foot mashed on the throttle until the very moment it is time to hit the brakes - hard!

Rick

[taredog]

Originally Posted by cfg83

taredog -



I am not sure what you mean. Do you check the "Remember" box when you log in? If you don't check this option, your login will be timed-out by design.

I would say that only the SGI/II and MPGuino are well-tested staples of this forum. The SGI/II is plug-and-play but only works for 1996 and up. The MPGuino is cheaper and better and works with pre-1996, but requires more fiddlin'.

CarloSW2

Sorry, mixing subjects on the thread, just frustrated.

Yes I have checked the "remember me" box. It does not remember me and windows doesn't offer to remember the password. Maybe it"s a local problem with my browser. I just have to give ecomodder my undivided attention when posting.

As far as my "cryptic" comment, a lot of replies here make assumptions that everyone knows what the author is talking about. It can take a lot of time and searching to get the answer for those of us who don't know. Sometimes the answer can't be found. On the other hand, I hate to ask questions that have been answered before.

[taredog]

Originally Posted by Old Tele man

...from what I'm hearing from you (taredog) and Ricketts, it's sounding like a case of "GOOD, BAD & UGLY"...meaning, yes it works (sometimes), but not easily (compared with SGII) and has problems.

...a blunt question: do you think it was 'worth' $100? The Auto Meter 9100 ecometer cost me about $75 (cost+s/h), but I'd say (to me) it's probably really only WORTH about $50 because of the short-comings I've encountered. What's your take on the Maxi-Trip?

Now that I am over my whining about losing yet another reply, time to get back on topic.

I have only owned the maxitrip for a little over a week. Based on what I have found out about the SGII it sounds like they are not really the same animal. Close but SG appears to have a lot more features. If I had never heard of the scanguage I probably would be satisfied with maxitrip for $100.

It is plug and play except for a few calibrations. It would be nice to be able to customize the displays more. I am disappointed in the fact it will not do “current trip MPG average” (average since the vehicle was last started) as I think for me that would be valuable. In the “trip today” (since the clock registered mid night) mode it will not display current MPG but does display average MPG since mid night.

In the “gauge” function area you cannot display any FE info which I would like to see along with TPS and LOD.

I have not tried the USB function other than to plug it in and seeing if the software that comes with it will recognize it is there. I have yet to plug it in to a lap top while it is hooked up to the OBD port. Maybe Ricketts has done more with that?

I have not experienced the heat problem again, but it's only been a week and I have only used it to/from work. In the cool of the morning it's only in the low 90s in the garage and the sun isn't even up yet. In the afternoon the truck has been parked under a canopy all day with the windows down about ½ inch so it isn't all that hot inside, probably not over 120/125.. Nice to have the covered parking perk and a secured parking area!

If I were experiencing Rickett's problems with the lock up I would definitely say no way on the maxitrip. I am inclined to say to spend $30 US more and buy a scan gauge through JC Whitney. A lot more is known about it.

As far as the “current MPG” reading not going to max when coasting in drive, I am not sure my truck's fuel injectors do shut off. That needs more research. Maybe a 60 mile road trip to Sunset Point. Coming back down Black Canyon with it's 10 mile 1500 foot elevation change oughta tell me if the maxitrip will ever read 9999.