Scangauge settings
 

Okay, so I got my scangauge today and I am curious what are the four stats people prefer to monitor and why. Right now I am running with current MPG, average MPG, Engine Load, and Throttle positioning sensor.

...here's what I'm using on my '09 Vibe:

[MPH][MPG]
[RPM][AVG]

For maximizing mpg:
instant mpg, average mpg, lod

For diagnostics:
fwt for grille block monitoring
vlt for battery charge during extensive eoc

LOD
AVG (used as trip average - instant and tank average are on the OBC)
WT (coolant temp)
AI (intake air temp - shows DPF regeneration)

For some reason I hate the average MPG. I rely on the instant MPG and check my average MPG only at the end of the trip.

FWT (grille blocks)
MPG
LOD
IGN

AVG is my most useful tool. Every stop, light, hill, pulse&glide cycle, etc I focus on finishing with the average higher than before. Just keep ratcheting it higher and higher.

In the Prius I use:

SOC - for the PHEV use
WT - for warm up stages and engine off
GPS - (gas pedal position) for engine off and EV usage
RPM -for acceleration

I wish I had more. I'd love to have the amp gauge up all the time to see what the PHEV is doing and for braking. I'd also like to have AVG on display all the time to use like Andrew does. As it is, I have a few points along my commute that I check it and know generally if I'm doing good or bad.

rpm....

not on your chart.
Since I'm on the hway alot, I use the digital rpm (there is a factory tach)

I realize we all are different in uor sensory input.....but If I never saw Instant MPG, I would be just fine.
Gotta have the AVG MPG or I die!!!!!
like PALMALE said.... keep trying to bump it up.....like a long video game....and I'm going to WIN!!!!.

I never noticed, but is the AVG MPG gauge the "current" average or is it for the "tank" average ?

yeah, thats the only rub.
It is 'current' since the car was turned on. sometimes on a short stop it will continue the exisiting avg. I just don't know what that time limit is....
When I am doing my 11-14hr trips, I will leave the car running and go thru the drive thru for a bite so It doesnt reset in the middle of my trip.
I do know that at the 'next level' of gauges, that you can do trip or day totals. I haven't really gotten there .............

Oh..I thought it was tank average all this time which is why I didn't like it.

Perhaps I should have read the scangaugeII manual.. :o

I guess I will give AVG MPG a try, it might help !

that was halariuos!!!!!!:D

saddly, my gf said the exact same thing
"Guess you should have read the XXXXXXX manual.."
to me just about a week ago(abeit on a slightly different topic.......):o

...another acronym, courteousy of the military (USN):

Read the Frackin(*) Manual (RTFM)!







(*) for those who watch "Battlestar Galactica" on TV

I will use the AVG alot.
if I'm on a flat stretch of hway I'll hit reset and set the cruise at 60 or 65 to see w'hat my 'HIGHWAY Mileage" is at. I may run 10-15 miles to get a good feel.

Thanks for all your input! Question about LOD: what is it actually monitoring? I know it's for engine loading, just not sure what it is for...

basicly it's relative. my load at 60mph on a flat road is different from your load same conditions.
bASICLY IT'S how much of its `'ability' is it using.

For more info check the manual.

If I remember correctly, LOD is the percentage of power being used at a given RPM.

You can reset the AVG by clicking over the the Trip screen.

I do:

AVE.............Tank
Inst MPG...... Whatever

I do a lot of target driving, NICE-ON. Sometimes I'm watching IAT (WAI in the Metro, intercooler block in the Dodge), just depends.

I think that is correct for most engines. For some its the % of total power being used which is much less useful to us.

LOAD & IGN
can be used if you are running a different octane and what to see the result or effect.

Thanks for the input guys. Is my scangauge just not calibrated then? I see 99 LOD very often, so right now when I'm in my pulse phase I try for low 90's. I was reading up on BSFC last night and now I want to try to find the chart for my truck but have had no luck so far.

For some reason LOD never goes over 84-85 on my car.

If you can't find a specific BSFC chart for your car (likely - most of us can't), just use the general ones to get a close approximation. Working from that is something like 95% as good as one specific to your car.

Where is the general BSFC map?

You can find some here : Brake Specific Fuel Consumption (BSFC) Maps - EcoModder

OK, another stupid question: the islands are labeled with numbers in the hundreds like 370, but my LOD rating only goes to 99, so how do I convert the BSFC number to loading?

Also: If loading is percent of work the engine is presently capable of, how does my scangauge figure out how much work my engine can do?

LOD is roughly tied to the vertical axis on the charts. Find the LOD and RPM combination that's on the top island and try to use that. It's usually somewhere around 2000 rpm and 75% load.

LOD is calculated from the quantity of air flowing through the engine. Only a certain amount of air can pump through a specific engine size, so you can compare what IS going through to what COULD go through. There's a specific ideal ratio of air to fuel for a good burn, so from that you can calculate how much fuel is going through.

The numbers along the lines indicate fuel consumption - grams per kWh produced - so lower numbers are better.

The vertical line is engine Torque, which relates to engine loading.

Note this BSFC map is used for acceleration only.


Good BSFC doesn't mean best fuel consumption, it just means you're producing the most HP for the fuel being used.
Usually (during constant speed driving) you don't need as much HP, the BSFC is worse, but as you only need very few HP, your fuel consumption is good.

So I just need to eyeball the engine loading then?

Also, if I hit 99 LOD with the accelerator half depressed, what happens when I continue to press the pedal?

I'm still not convinced on what LOD is or how it helps.

It means you've removed the throttle as the biggest restriction in the system. The intake, air filter, valves and/or something else are holding it back.

It also means you need to back off the throttle. Most fuel-injected cars enrich the mix at full throttle, putting in extra fuel that doesn't burn. That extra fuel is wasted.

LOD can be equated to (or calculated from) manifold vacuum. It points you to where on the bsfc chart you are, so you can run the engine at its most efficient point.

It burns more fuel, but won't help much.

On my diesel car, acceleration isn't faster beyond 98-99 LOD.
Climbing, 99 LOD is the end.
Pushing further doesn't increase speed any more.