Has anybody ever used a "Scangauge II"?

[Grumbletron 4000]

I decided to post this here because it really doesn't apply to any of the engine specific forums. Actually, it applies to anything with an OBDII port.

ThinkGeek :: ScanGauge II Automotive Computer



EDIT: Rehosted that last image. Why can't I host with waffleimages.com? It's a free public image host!

It looks like an awesome little gadget. It's a code reader as well a monitor for all sorts of stuff. I'm seriously thinking about picking up one of these babies. Especially because my GTP doesn't have the 5 button message computer. I feel like I'm missing out on important things!

Besides the code reader part it's not much more than eye candy, but I'm wondering if it's actually any good. Has anyone had one of these?

[flynn]

Think Geek is one of my favorite sites.
I've been eyeing this for a while, but haven't gotten a chance to play with it.

[Andrew_99GTP]

I would suggest saving up for some sort of a scanner to scan the pcm. Do you have any mods, what are you plans for you car? I guess if you don't plan on modding your car a scan really isn't a good investment either.

[Grumbletron 4000]

Think Geek is one of my favorite sites.
I've been eyeing this for a while, but haven't gotten a chance to play with it.

Thinkgeek is an awesome way to waste money on stuff that nobody really needs. I bought myself, and a bunch of other people, Titanium Sporks for christmas. Best $10 I ever spent.

ThinkGeek :: Titanium Spork

I would suggest saving up for some sort of a scanner to scan the pcm. Do you have any mods, what are you plans for you car? I guess if you don't plan on modding your car a scan really isn't a good investment either.

As of now I have no mods. It's a bone stock '04 GTP. It's my daily driver and is still under warranty. I'm going to ride out the warranty before I do anything serious to it. If anything, I'll be getting lighter wheels, better tires and whatever suspension components (retaining decent ride quality) I can afford that'll help me in auto-x. Maybe after that, some brake upgrades. Hell, the damn thing has WAY too much power for my abilities on the track as it is, so I'll be leaving the engine as is for the foreseeable future.

I'm interested in the scanguage merely for my own amusement, if it comes in handy as a code reader that's an added bonus. My GeeTeePee has been solid as granite thus far, so I hope I wont be needing the code reader part anytime soon (fingers crossed). I'm just a huge nerd and I want to know the EXACT engine temperature at any given time. That sort of thing.

What, exactly, is a "pcm scanner"? And why would I be interested in this only if I were doing serious mods? I'd like to know because power gaining mods are definitely in my future, just not the immediate future.

[flynn]

Thinkgeek is an awesome way to waste money on stuff that nobody really needs. I bought myself, and a bunch of other people, Titanium Sporks for christmas. Best $10 I ever spent.

ThinkGeek :: Titanium Spork

I got the USB guitar last christmas, and I bought many of my christmas gifts for friends this year on there.

[Andrew_99GTP]

Well then I am gonna say that you don't need a scanner yet then. I have never used or seen a scangauge so I guess I can't help you there.

[Grumbletron 4000]

I got the USB guitar last christmas, and I bought many of my christmas gifts for friends this year on there.

You're a saint. I wish I would have gotten thinkgeek presents. All I got this year was T-shirts that didn't fit. It sucks, because they were awesome t-shirts. I had to re-gift them.

Well then I am gonna say that you don't need a scanner yet then. I have never used or seen a scangauge so I guess I can't help you there.

What sort of scanner are you referring to? Is it just a stand alone OBD port scanner? I'm not doing any power mods anytime soon, but I still want to know what the big boys are using.

[UR LOSN]

it really doesnt look any different from the scanmaster....

I picked up HPtuners for a good price.

[SyntheticShield]

I actually post on a forum that a vendor for that product sells on and it is a good product overall. Now I dont have one personally, I will get one eventually and I do have a scanner and tuner. However, I love to document and track fuel mileage, pretty anal about it actually. This tool does that really well and can be customized some.

So from that perspective, its a good tool and to me would be personally worth it. From our perspective (from a 3800 owner) in the light of the tools we have available to us, it may not seem like a good thing. But, consider that fuel mileage is usually the first place trouble with your car shows up at. Any change in operating conditions (like temperatures, fueling, intake, friction) are going to show up quickly in fuel economy if you track it closely enough to know what your car normally does. The D.I.C. isnt quick enough.

It is an all around good tool for daily use when you dont want to hook up a laptop, dont want to buy an Aeroforce gauge, etc. Its there, can check and clear SES lights and track your mileage pretty accurately.

So if you compare it strictly to what we have available to us, it sucks, if you think of it in terms of it daily benefit and for the purpose it was designed for, its a pretty handy tool.

[Andrew_99GTP]

I am talking about a scanner that you would use to "monitor" the PCM. Something like an aerforce, ls1m something like that.

[Mr. Pig]

I've had a ScanGuageII for about half a year now. I use it to monitor gas mileage in my daily driver, as I was seeing how good of gas mileage I could squeeze out of it. It is a handy thing to have in that respect. I maxed out at 35mpg before cold weather hit, so I have to wait and resume my chase of 40mpg next spring. I say get it!

[SyntheticShield]

I've had a ScanGuageII for about half a year now. I use it to monitor gas mileage in my daily driver, as I was seeing how good of gas mileage I could squeeze out of it. It is a handy thing to have in that respect. I maxed out at 35mpg before cold weather hit, so I have to wait and resume my chase of 40mpg next spring. I say get it!

You and I will be good friends. I am an absolute nut in trying to squeeze every mpg I can out of my vehicles. I don't take to some of the methods used by 'Hypermilers', but I do pay attention to them and try to implement what I can where I can.

[Mr. Pig]

Well, I did go a bit nutty with this project, taking out seats, spare, jack, etc. It is only me commuting in it every day though, so no big deal. Techniques like coasting as much as possible, rather than slamming on the brakes at stops really helps, along with keeping speed around 55-65 on the freeways. In the spring I am going to try and do some aero mods, blocking off the grill, lowering the car, and see how much that changes things. It's been a fun experiment.

[SyntheticShield]

Well I dont know how much you planned on documenting what all you're going to do (pictures and how to's) if not its no big deal. I would love someone to collaborate with on getting the most mileage out of these things. Ive got a few projects in the works but no particular time frame and is kinda money dependent.

At any rate, I am most definitely interested in what all you are doing or have planned. Id love someone to bounce ideas off of and so forth.

My commute to work is 36 miles one way, 8 - 10 or so of which are city driving. My wife has been driving the car the most lately and all in town stuff. So its gotten some good exposure to both types of driving conditions. Ive done the coasting before. The highway speed to work is 70mph so I'll set the cruise around 68 typically. I havent tried any aero mods though, so you definitely got my interest there.

[Mr. Pig]

Your commute sounds about like mine, only my total is 25 miles one way with 6-8 of it being city. I'm actually doing this experiment on a 2.2 liter 3 speed auto cavalier, but the principles are the same no matter what you drive. I wish it was a five speed because I would have already pushed past the 40pmg mark, but I aquired the car through a trade, so it's what I had to work with. Here are some simple things from GasSavers.org to try, and a few not so simple or attractive. I don't condone shutting the car off while coasting, that is just plain unsafe.

Just in case you are interested, here is my car's gas log: Gaslog data for SavvyCavy

1. inflate tires (to at least the maximum recommended on the tire walls)
2. throw out extra weight: clean out the beer (root beer of course, officer) cans and bottles, etc
3. change your driving habits: drive slower, accelerate more slowly, try to do acceleration on downhill slopes and avoid accelerating on uphill, coast up to stop lights, shut engine off when stopped.
4. change to lighter weight oil
5. install a gas mileage indicator (to help with #3)
6. Maintenance: Keep engine tuned. pay special attention to the O2 sensors
7. Limit power use: no A/C, no loud radio, drive in daytime so won't have to use headlights. change incandescent bulbs to LEDs.
8. upgrade to low rolling resistance tires.
9. More radical changes in driving technique: Shut engine off while coasting (not always legal, is that?) and master technique of restarting engine with clutch rather than starter, make high G turns rather than touch those brakes,
10. more serious weight reduction: dump the spare tire and jack and carry a cell phone and an emergency number instead, trade out steel rims for lightweight aluminum, replace steel hood and fenders with carbon fiber (if available for your vehicle), maybe trade out glass side and rear windows for some sort of plastic, toss out the passenger and back seats
11. trade up to a more efficient car (if what you have is nothing special)
12. aftermarket engine upgrades: headers instead of stock exhaust manifold, camshafts specially tuned for FE . Hotter thermostat, electric fan for radiator (well, most cars do that nowadays), chips.
13. do it yourself aerodynamics: make skirts for the wheel wells, spoilers, build up back so it's more like a teardrop shape, do something about the side mirrors, and do what you can to smooth the underside.