Scangauge II vs Torque Pro/OBDLink MX via Nexus 7
 

Hey Folks, I know you guys are smitten with the Scangauge II, but I was looking over its specs and outputs @ Amazon.com: ScanGauge II Ultra Compact 3-in-1 Automotive Computer with Customizable Real-Time Fuel Economy Digital Gauges: Automotive, and it seems to me that my setup with OBDLink MX and Torque Pro displayed on a Nexus 7 is equal to the job if not maybe even better for instant feed back. As an example here is a Scangauge II display side by side with my current display for my Taurus.

Thoughts, comments?

Joe in the Blue Whale

Uh, what's the CO$T difference between (a) paying for a SGII and (b) paying for a dedicated *smart* cell-phone?

You can find an android device from $10 - $700. Anyone can run torque.
The dongle thing is about $10.
The app is $5
Also many many other OBD2 apps for free.

Torque is nice and all but then you have to worry about heat from the sun melting the phone.
If you power the device on and off you have to wait for a GPS lock.
If you have wifi or 3G its no big deal but if you are out in the sticks overnight and turn it on it takes a long long time to lock GPS and it is needed for many gauges.
Torque never liked me turning the engine off. even at a red light and back on it wouldn't reconnect properly and stop working. only good if the engine is on
Like most people I have android devices already and it works really well.

What it does that a scangauge doesn't do

GPS speed
pitch and roll of vehicle
compass
dash cam with obd2 info over video
live traffic
route planning
you can set a max value on any gauge and have an alarm sound when it happens.
set shift lights
make custom themes
export massive data to google earth, to excell files
with graphs ect.
many many gauges at once with many pages. you can see everything the car is doing with a few swipes left or right.

What a scangauge does torque doesn't do

Works without user input when you get in and drive the car.

Torque needs bluetooth reset or something. every time something..........

That is worth the $160 for the SG2

Like dirtydave said, Torque can do more, but its generally more of a pain to use everyday. Ultragauge is another option that is priced in between the two. Scangauge and Torque are handy with their x-gauges/custom PIDs that can get you a lot more info in some cars like hybrids. I've used all 3 and currently use an Ultragauge in my Prius.

I'm guessing you don't own a smartphone or tablet. And just to be clear, my Nexus is not a phone but a 7" display tablet.:thumbup:

>I find it a little ironic that folks who will spend hours and days fabricating, and testing grille blocks, kamm backs, boat tails, smooth wheel covers, air dams, fairings, or fender skirts, engine mods, engine/tranny swaps, et al, find it a hassle to turn an app on on a device that you carry with you anyway when you get in the car.

>Yes I sometimes have to reset the bluetooth, its a sad part of the tech.

>I don't know where you live, but melting my phone or tablet is not an issue here in Wisconsin. I have never seen a melted phone or tablet from sun damage personally

>True, Torque disconnects when you turn of the car, your OBD2 is off when the car is not running afaik... This is less an issue with me as I cannot EOC with an Automatic Tranny, so EOC is not an option in my case. Either way the bluetooth general picks right back up for me if I turn of at a long light.

>OBDLink MX is not a $10 ELM327 device, more like $70, you get what you pay for from China. I needed it specifically for Ford specific OBD codes, Dodge/Chysler as well.

Lastly, and this is just my opinion, SCII for the information it provides and and is capable of displaying, looks to be worth maybe $50. With My adapter and torque I can track every sensor in my car connected to the ECU.

But I think the best advantage is the 7" screen that can display any multitude of gauges/status blocks, where I want with varying sizes of my choosing. And I can take the tablet with me to use as a connected device where there is free wifi. So it is simply a repurposing of a device I already use anyway.

It just seems that there is a rather defensive almost aggressive bias here at EC to use the SCII. Idk maybe they are an official sponsor for the site or someone here has a vested interest. I am only putting out there an alternative that may be useful to some.

Community with a common goal, whether it be the environment, or just saving $$, that common goal is using the tools available to each of us to use less gasoline/diesel, or your fuel of choice.

^^That's a valid point to make, but bear in mind that in certain respects we're just like everybody else in that when we get in the car to go somewhere, we want to go. The fiddling and modifying and tweaking and tuning, those things happen in off time when we aren't trying to go somewhere.

My girl had torque in her car and half the time it was off. she got 19MPG.
Next tank with the scangauge 33MPG.

You cant not not use the scangauge. It is watching all the time.

I accidentally crushed my UG in the doorjam as I was working to secure the UG better so that it wouldn't get crushed in the doorjam.

Since then, I use a Kyocera Hydro phone that I bought new for $10, a $7 ELM237 OBDII bluetooth adapter, and a free download of Torque.

I'll likely never buy a dedicated MPG gauge again.

+ you have access to many many other free apps as well.

Im going to try this one soon.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...otrx.pro&hl=en

ecoTRX Pro Personalized MPG
FREE / $2.99

heh free today.....