The Beast has its new ScanGauge installed! PICS ENCLOSED
 

Well, the scangauge arrived yesterday. I ended up taking a late lunch and camping out at the mailbox at home to get it... :) Anyway the installation was easy. I used the velcro provided to attach it to the top of the steering column. I ran the wire from the back , behind the dash, and underneath to the connector. Looks pretty good for a 2 minute installation.

https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...5a0d8bec5c.jpg

Now comes the fun part - learning how driving style effects this particular vehicle. In first and second gear if you touch the accelerator at all, even a feather touch the MPG goes down to 2 or 3 MPG. Because of this I have decided that its best just to give it about 1/8 to 1/4 throttle and get into a higher gear quicker. Going about 40 - 45 mph if I take my foot off the accelerator MPG jumps to 38-40 for coasting in gear. If I shift to Neutral it jumps to 50 - 60 MPG. A lot better than I had thought considering it only drops 200 RPM by shifting into Neutral.

Another thing I noticed was that it was in closed loop all the way to work this morning, even though the water temp read 188F when I arrived at work. Certainly that should have been hot enough to enter open loop. It only had another 7 degrees before the thermostat opened to start cooling off. Maybe I need a partial grille block to warm it up faster? I'm thinking I need to do some computer hacking here, and lower the thresh hold for open loop?

I know I've got a ways to go here, and I haven't gone over 40 - 45 MPH since the SG was installed, but I am excited that I have this incredible tool to help me.

-Jay

There's no reason to guess 1/2 or 1/8 throttle... use the TPS gauge and learn exactly how far you can press it while still making MPG you like.

I find that w/ my car, however different it is from you truck.... it's generally best to accellerate briskly (25% throttle or less) when the car is warmed up, to make it to the highest gear ASAP. Lugging around in 2nd or 3rd to keep the RPM's low isn't always best.

I monitor TPS, *FIA, *Fwt, and MPG. Sometimes I'll watch GPH instead of *Fwt as well. Depends on the situation I'm driving in.

Clean install, I wrapped the cord around the steering column and plug mine in from the side, but I remove mine each time I get out of the car. I'm not risking any theives!

I think you got flipped on what is best, closed loop is when it's adjusting fuelling according to O2 sensor, with everything warm etc, using no more fuel than it "needs", open loop is where it's in hit and hope mode.

I can just take it out quick, as its just velcro, and just leave the 2 inches of wire sticking out from the dash. Right now I'm looking at Tach, MPG, Open/closed loop, and H20 Temp. I'm thinking after I have some time to play that I will set it up to do Avg MPG, Instant MPG, Open/Closed Loop, and ? (I haven't decided on the last one yet)

-Jay

Oh, I did have it backwards then... :) Thanks for correcting me.

you can also do air/fuel ratio. that requires a code from the web site. also you can look at your IAT sensor (fIA on the gauge) this is helpful if you want to do a WAI.

also you can set up your trip as a gauge so you can see trip MPG. I have it set up so that the one that resets after 3 minutes off is the one that is displayed. this way, you can see how you are doing over long distances and not just the instantaneous MPG.

also remember to go through the calibration procedure. input the engine size and tank size but also input the err reading. this is important, mine was 10% off when I first got it. now my scangauge reads pretty much what I calculate with the tank, give or take a little

I think my calibration was off by 4.3%. Now I usually get readings accurate to within less than 0.5 mile off.

I input the tank size, engine size, etc. I just bought fuel a few days before I installed the SG, so it will probably be at least a week, if not 2 before I buy fuel again, unless I take a trip to visit my parents. I figure it will probably take close to a month for me to get the calibration set just right.

One thing I noticed on my way back from my last errand a few minutes ago. I had removed the tach reading as I already have a tach on the dash and replaced it with the intake air temp. I'm thinking this truck somehow has WAI from the factory, but I don't see where it is plumbed in, and how it works. Those who have been reading my other posts know that I took an indoor/outdoor wireless thermometer and dropped the transmitter inside the fan shroud behind the radiator. Here are the temps I was reading (all at the same time) 91.7 F behind the radiator. 92.8 F inside the cab. ScanGauge was reporting 188 F water temp, and 108 F Intake Air Temp. This was all while I was going about 40 mph, RPM about 1100.

I didn't see anything coming from either the coolant lines or anything leading to the manifold to heat the intake air, where does everyone think this 15 - 20 F temp rise came from?

Also, I noticed that if I start the vehicle with SG plugged in my dashboard clock resets to 1:00. I've reset my clock 3 times today, but my radio presets are still intact.

-Jay

just to let you know, my air temps run from 130 to 150 and I have seen as high as 179.

I remember that post about the intake from the fan shroud. you were talking about a makeshift ram air. I think you would be better to just make a WAI. before I put mine on, I was running a few degrees(about 5) over the outside or ambient temp for the day.

the clock thing is wierd. they do say that the scangauge can cause some funkey things with your vehicle sometimes. is it an aftermarket radio or is it factory?

Its a factory radio, but when the SG is connected when I start the clock resets to 1:00

-Jay