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erkme73 · 05-10-2008, 12:40 AM

I have the ScanGauge II. Got one for my wife's 07 Rav4 that didn't have the MPG calculator. Was so impressed with it, that I bought a second one for my 07 Tundy - even though it has the MPG calc.

Just bought a third for a gift for my brother (he has an '02 Tundy). The best part of the ScanGauge is its ability to calculate based on CURRENT gas prices. When you fill up, you tell it how much you paid per gallon. Then, as you drive, it will tell you your current fuel burn rate (i.e. 5.34 gallons per hour) and the corresponding cost.

It's really eye-opening. At 70 MPH, and gas at $3.70 a gallon, you burn a penny about every 2-3 seconds. It's like watching the fare meter in a taxi cab. I calculated about $16-20 per hour of driving at current gas rates.

Another thing is if you sit at a red light with it in gear, you burn at a rate of about 0.73 gallons per hour (with AC on). AC off, around 0.65 GPH. Foot off the brake in neutral (with AC on) is right around 0.5 GPH. Having her sit in gear at a light costs about $0.15 to $0.25... depending on the light cycle. Sure makes you coast to lights, and keep in in neutral until it turns green.

I was able to get my average MPG to 20 - 21 MPG using little tricks like this.

One other thing... When the engine is cold (i.e. 80°F or less), fuel consumption at idle is a whopping 2.7 GPH until engine temp hits about 180°F (ScanGauge shows engine temp in degrees too!). That means, no matter how gentle you drive, for the first 5 minutes or so, you're getting about 7 MPG. I can't believe that this is considered acceptable on a new vehicle - but I suppose there's a reason for it.

Other stuff you see in real time: Distance to empty, gallons burned, engine timing (in degrees advanced/retarded), air intake temperature, $ spent on gas, MPG, and much much more.

Each of the trip gauges (MPG, gallons burned, hours driven, miles driven, etc) will display current trip, total for the day, previous day, and total since last fill up.

I LOVE IT. I'm so impressed with how it changed my driving style, that I'm considering contacting my local news channels (who always report on how to save gas by repeating the same garbage - i.e. check tire pressure, open windows, etc).

Finally, for those that think MPG calculators are not accurate, consider this: When you fill up, you press the "FILLUP" button. It then "guesses" at how much gas you had to add since your last fill up. I have yet to have the thing be off by more than 0.1 gallons! Pretty accurate...

05-10-2008, 12:40 AM	#8 (permalink)
erkme73 Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 13	I have the ScanGauge II. Got one for my wife's 07 Rav4 that didn't have the MPG calculator. Was so impressed with it, that I bought a second one for my 07 Tundy - even though it has the MPG calc. Just bought a third for a gift for my brother (he has an '02 Tundy). The best part of the ScanGauge is its ability to calculate based on CURRENT gas prices. When you fill up, you tell it how much you paid per gallon. Then, as you drive, it will tell you your current fuel burn rate (i.e. 5.34 gallons per hour) and the corresponding cost. It's really eye-opening. At 70 MPH, and gas at $3.70 a gallon, you burn a penny about every 2-3 seconds. It's like watching the fare meter in a taxi cab. I calculated about $16-20 per hour of driving at current gas rates. Another thing is if you sit at a red light with it in gear, you burn at a rate of about 0.73 gallons per hour (with AC on). AC off, around 0.65 GPH. Foot off the brake in neutral (with AC on) is right around 0.5 GPH. Having her sit in gear at a light costs about $0.15 to $0.25... depending on the light cycle. Sure makes you coast to lights, and keep in in neutral until it turns green. I was able to get my average MPG to 20 - 21 MPG using little tricks like this. One other thing... When the engine is cold (i.e. 80°F or less), fuel consumption at idle is a whopping 2.7 GPH until engine temp hits about 180°F (ScanGauge shows engine temp in degrees too!). That means, no matter how gentle you drive, for the first 5 minutes or so, you're getting about 7 MPG. I can't believe that this is considered acceptable on a new vehicle - but I suppose there's a reason for it. Other stuff you see in real time: Distance to empty, gallons burned, engine timing (in degrees advanced/retarded), air intake temperature, $ spent on gas, MPG, and much much more. Each of the trip gauges (MPG, gallons burned, hours driven, miles driven, etc) will display current trip, total for the day, previous day, and total since last fill up. I LOVE IT. I'm so impressed with how it changed my driving style, that I'm considering contacting my local news channels (who always report on how to save gas by repeating the same garbage - i.e. check tire pressure, open windows, etc). Finally, for those that think MPG calculators are not accurate, consider this: When you fill up, you press the "FILLUP" button. It then "guesses" at how much gas you had to add since your last fill up. I have yet to have the thing be off by more than 0.1 gallons! Pretty accurate...