Mileage Computer Poll
 

Please select all that apply

The idea is to understand which of these are worth paying for and which are just nice to have.

For a total of $50 I want it all!

My Scangauge cost me 3 times as much!

Speed, engine temp, and RPM are unnecessary unless they can be used for the user's custom programming.

Engine codes would make it a hit among those who don't already have code scanners, even with half the features you list in the poll it's cheaper than code scanners that don't do the other stuff.

Distance to empty is nice but I wouldn't pay additional money for it if I already had estimated gallons remaining.

Live sensor readings would be very useful. Automatic transmission temp, IAT, etc.

Fuel rate would be very useful, but difficult to provide.

Also missing is multiple average readings -- lifetime average, average since last fuel fillup (automatically detected), average for this trip, and a few separate averages to be reset by the user.

i chose the first 2, most cars have rpm , engine temp, and speed...

fuel guage takes care of most of those

never understood the purpose of inside temp... if its hot roll down the windows, if your comfy with them up leave em up!

i'm gunnu go out and guess that the 'inside temp' aka 'inside air temp' was IAT, but someone didnt know what IAT actually meant, but they've seen 'IAT' being thrown around alot and is therefore important.

IAT is the incoming air temp for the engine. it doesn't have anything to do with temp inside the cab of the vehicle.

IAT reads the temperature of the air at the throttle body or within about a foot or so in front of it.

*edit* sorry, it's getting late, had a long day. most of the people that use that reading use it for the WAI (warm air intake) to make sure that temps don't get too out of hand. I personally have ran up to 179 degrees on my intake. most of the time I run around 150 but those numbers have dropped because of cooler weather. now I struggle to get into the triple digits

i know :P i mean the person who put inside temp in the servey... cars w/o auto hvac arent going to have any sensors for inside temp anyway

like I said, long day. I need some sleep.

*edit* what's up with this survey anyway. this is this guys first and second post. is he doing research for a new product to see what people will buy? I don't think he can do it cheaper than a scangauge and if he could, would the quality be there?

I gotta stop thinking so hard and get in bed

Quality? What issues are have you had?

My poll is an attempt to possibly understand what is really important in such a device. We all like gadgets to some degree, but when asked to pay for certain features, they lose their appeal.

I picked instant mpg, average mpg, and intake air temp.

regards
gary

I paid $1500 for a unit which does all those things and more, and even came with an '83 Cad wrapped around it!

$50 wouldn't be a bad price to pay for a similar unit for my '91 Geo, but I'll probably have to figure out how to adapt something from another car...

features listed for the price just dont make alot of sense. the difference between the base $10 unit and all options for $50 would only require the addition of at least 1 button and some software. 3 more buttons, and more software and you have an sg2

on the surface most who would pay $160 fora sg2 would have rather pay $50 for this generic unit. but the difference would be in other features.

size, shape, appearance of the unit. size, quality, lighting of display. user interface. ease of installation.

if you had a sg2 type of unit, but it looked like a 'zack morris phone' big, bulky, retro lookin, had a single line of display that was impossible to read in less than optimal lighting, no back lighting, the user interface of the average 80s vcr clock display, and had to be custom hard wired to the pcm...... ppl would demand thier money back at $10

but if you had a sg2 type unit that had a high def, color lcd, touch screen display the size of a credit card that could be mounted anywhere, powered by a calculator sized solar cell, receiving data via bluetooth connection from something that looks like no more than a dust cover over your dlc and so intuitive to use it wouldnt even come with a manual.... i imagine alot of ppl would pay $300 or more

my coment about quality was because I paid $160 for my scangauge and the quality is EXCELENT!!!!!!!!!

if another product that only had those features you describe were on the market and it was only $50, I would wonder about the quality. linear logic put a lot of time and effort into making the scangauge and the scangauge II and quite a bit of effort in keeping their quality high. if there were an add on scanner that could do the same for a third the cost, I would really wonder about how well built it was.

I think the scangauge is great and it is a wonderful tool. I actually considered getting a second one. I questioned if someone was doing research to make their own and try to market it.

engine codes and instantaneous mpg..... all else could be figured out by casual monitoring of basic gauges or simple mathematics.

I bought a scangauge, which pretty much does this and more and I paid more. So for $50 I would get them all.

Engine temp is valuable. Sure, all cars have one built in, but they are USELESS. If the built-in gauges were actually informative, this would be redundant.

Trip average mpg is critical, too. If you only had instant, you would never think to try P&G.

Tank average, gallons / distance to empty are not so important, or can be roughly estimated from the standard gauges.

I'd worry about quality too, while waiting for my order to be processed and shipped.

I've heard this a lot, but I don't understand where people get this idea. Perhaps some manufacturers provide better temperature gauges than others? I've never had reason to doubt the ones in my GMC and my VW, they've always indicated slight or extreme changes in temperature quite effectively, or at least seemed like they did.

Gallons to empty is far more difficult to estimate from the terrible gas gauges I've had (and which most people report having).

I find that after 12,000 miles I can estimate remaining fuel to within .5 gallon.

The survey does not consider that my car is OBD1 which does not work with a scan guage, so that is not an option.

What would really be useful for me is a method of direct comparison of instantaneous consumption to be used in refining gear choices under specific pulse and glide scenarios, as well as determining my ideal cruising speeds, and effectiveness of my drafting techniques.

regards
gary

The fuel rate meter in my sig is exactly what you're describing. Total cost: <$40 and having to have a big ugly meter hanging from my dash (which totally doesn't bother me one bit, but I say it because it's important to other people).

If a factory temp gauge would show me the difference between 190 and 200, I'd be fine with only that. The ones I've seen show "something somewhere between H and C", and not much more. They also tend to stay at the middle for a wide range of temperatures.

That depends on the vehicle. The gauge on my truck gives a pretty detailed reading, but I know what you're talking about with the plain H & C readings.

-Jay

Me too. I know that I usually have about 1.2 gallons above the F mark, 4.9 gallons between F and 1/2, and 3.7 gal from 1/2 to the low fuel light. I've been recording miles at those points and calculating from the tank fill mpg for some time.

I think mine says 100, 195, and 260. there is a red bit before 260. I guess that is the OH CRAP!!! SHE'S GOING TO BLOW part of the scale.

my analog gauge will stay around 195 all the way to about 205 according to the scangauge.

The Cobalt gives you a number but you have to choose if you want that or one of the other many things the on board computer will show you through the single line display.

Just voted for instantaneous mpg and estimated gallons remaining. Inside temperature will be most useful if it means the ambiance temperature in the car (I say so in case it does not mean that) and if the device can be made to automate the AC's on and off through some easy electrical connections (asking for too much?:) ).

Its roughly 2:1, Instantaneous and Ave MPG is all that most want.
Very interesting.

well if you think about it id say most cars have gauges for alot of those measurements already, or if their new enough the cars computer can tell you those things. thinks most cars dont have (well up until recent) is a mpg calculator/display

Sorry... got it all already
 

MPG - instantanous: Added to Camel, standard on Chimera

MPG - average: Added to Camel, standard on Chimera

RPM: Tachometer standard on both

Speed: Speedometer standard on both

Engine Temp: Analog gauge standard on both

Inside Temp: Built in. My hypothalamus tells me when I'm cold or hot. Self adjusting for solar gain, too.

Engine codes: Camel is not OBDII, requires VW specific reader. Chimera is OBDII can use generic for engine only, but requires diesel specific text description of generic number.
Other control modules (Climate control, ABS control, Traction control, Air bag control, Central lock and alarm control, Convienience control for windows and locks and interior lighting, Radio/cassette/CD on Chimera, Automatic transmission control on Chimera), require VW specific reader. $100 for full license version, cheaper on bay-e for mere reader only.

Estimated Gallons remaining: Fuel gauge marked in gallons standard on both.

Distance to Empty: Added to Camel, standard on Chimera.

Bolens tractor is fully mechanical, and post-apocalypse EMP ready. Electrics consist of alternator, starter motor, battery and key to start. All that can be eliminated and it'll still run after being pull started.