I finally decided to cough up enough money for my Scanguage II, and I am wondering which xguages people keep up on their SG. Here is my current setup


1. Instant MPG. I use this to determine when my MPG is above the average MPG - so long as it is above, my MPG will be increasing.

2. TPS (Throttle Position). I use this to remind me to keep a light foot on the throttle.

3. SOC (Traction Battery State of Charge). I have found this useful, and one thing I have discovered is that it is best to leave a fairly good SOC in the battery when I park for the night. In the morning, my TPS stays at 17 even though I am accelerating; the battery is actually providing more propulsion until I make my first stop, which for me is about 1/2 mile. By that time my SOC has lost 4 to 5 %, and when the ICE kicks in it really reduces my MPG. If I have a good SOC at engine start it is not so bad.

4. Engine Water Temp. I use this at stop lights. If the temperature is above 150, I don't shut off the engine at a red light. If the temp is still low, I shut the engine down manually and allow the water to continue to heat - but not burn gas. Above 150 it won't be long before EV mode kicks in.

So - what do you have your SG set for?

BTW, I have my SG sitting in the instrument cluster, on the right side. I can just barely see the BRAKE warning light, and it only cuts off a little of my center display (on the 2008 there is just one display; I believe earlier models have two) I find it simple to watch my average MPG right next to the other four guages. I would have preferred to have it on the left side, but that would cover up the master warning light (wrench) on the lower left, so that was out as an option.

It also obscures the speedometer below 8 miles per hour and above 105 miles per hour, but I don't find that to be a problem.

One reason I chose this location is because it is illegal to place items in front of the windshield in CA, although the law is seldom enforced - I see people with GPS devices stuck on the windshield all the time. It would have looked good below the center stack, but I thought that would be too low to be safe, since I refer to the SG all the time.

 

Basicly the same, I use instant & Avg MPG's, so I can still try to get the wife into the who's better game (she quit after I beat her by 10mpg's on avg for a year) Soc to see when ICE will kick in at ~41%, and flip flop Amp & Water temp, amp so I can see how hard I can press before ICE kicks in (<50Amps you should be safe, but I have a hard time passing 30A @ 30MPH, if I exceed 30A ICE kicks in, but once I pass 30MPH I can exceed 30A, maybe it's me???) And FWT to see when EV ready, and when to cold to stay in EV in winter.

 

I think it all depends on what year FEH/MMH and the OEM gauges you have. Also, you may want to monitor certain gauges for problems or to see just how the weather (hot and cold) is affecting operation. This is why I monitor two SGII X-gauges in my '09 FEHL. This gives me up to 8 gauges to view without switching around and causing an accident. The '09 has agressive fuel-cut, but other models don't. I keep open/closed loop and instant MPG as two gauges I monitor on my '09, but only Instant MPG on my '05. SoC is also important to monitor all the time if you do a lot of EV driving. I like to monitor Today's MPG average so I know how I'm doing after the day is finished. This is good also for round trips where wind is a factor. In my '05 FEH, the OEM RPM gauge is crap, so I monitor RPM on the SGII in that vehicle. The RPM and Speed O is much more accurate in my '09, so no need for it on the SGII. The Speed O on the '09 is right on with radar numbers also. Not true in my '05 where it reads faster.

I switch around with the other gauges that are not a priority for mileage for me.

GaryG

 

I just wanted to say that I am getting ready to order my scanguage II and I have really appreciated all the posts here on this topic. Thanks!

 

For the best price, I recommend joining Cleanmpg.com. Members there can get the SGII X gauge for $140 in a group buy. You can't view the offer unless you are a member. This is the best purchase and I will testify that myself as a friend of Wayne Gerdes and the owner of Cleanmpg.com will come through! No BS or gimmicks, you get more than you pay for. After all, you get my opinions free also here as a member.

GaryG

 

Thanks Gary...I did join cleanmgp.com a couple of weeks ago and have been reading as much as I can there. Not sure if I bought it the right way there or not but followed the link and ordered on for $149. I have the scangauge manual and am reading that as well. Thanks for all the great info here and elsewhere. We may not agree on that other point but I really appreciate all your hypermiling techniques/suggestions. Mucho Gracias amigo!

 

I really agreed with you on the issues, I just wanted VP to start posting information on tracking again. Until that is resumed, I see no need to post on blueoval.com anymore or recommend it for information.

GaryG

 

Gary, are you using one or two SGII's in your 09 FEH? Where are you mounting it/them? Do you have any pics of your SG's in the 09? While I am reading and waiting I am aso thinking of how I want to mount the one I am going to use. Any insight as to how you have found to best utilize them is appreciated.

 

I have two SGII's in my '09 and I mounted them temporarily to see how they work out on the dash. They are mounted on top of each other and can be viewed over the top of the steering wheel straight in front of the driver. There is no room in the instrument cluster and I don't like to turn my head to the left or right to see the gauges. They only block the view of my hood, so I still can see the road and the road ahead. You must shade the face of the gauges so the sun does not turn the LED screen dark. I use 1/16" aluminum sheet metal to make a bracket to shade the face about 3/4" so the sunlight does not hit the face. I need to make another bracket so the bottom gauge is 1/2" higher than the dash to be seen without looking over the steering wheel. I'll post a picture when I finish the new bracket.

GaryG

 

I have two mounted on the dash on sticky pads above the radio location:

339lftonmainstat30mph.jpg?t=1223216266

I do not feel this setup causes my vision to be "taken" off the road. This is for a 2005 vehicle.