Ultra-Gauge beats ScanGauge at ~1/3 the price
 

I bought an Ultra-gauge at an introductory price of $39.95 after shipping, and after a $9 rebate.

I drove my test loop in my xB with the UltraGauge and ScanGauge II, back-to-back. The UG is a fully-capable drop-in replacement for the SG. It behaves nearly identically to the SG, reporting the same distance and mpg as the SG, both under cruise control, and under full-FAS P&G conditions. At the end of my loop, under cruise control, the UG and SG displayed 9.6 and 9.7 miles. I adjusted calibration on the UG, based on the same fuel consumption, and it came out the same 13.5% calibration factor as the SG.

One quirk of the UG is its trip mpg average display is the impg display for the first minute after you do a trip gauge reset. At first, I thought it was a distance issue, but it turns out to be a time issue. Instead of an average value, the display jumps all over the range, from 15 mpg climbing hills, to 200+ mpg descending them, until that first minute passes. Another quirk is the UG keeps accumulating trip mpg, miles, and fuel consumed until you reset them manually from the gauge menu. Following photos show the main and gauge menus.
https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...49740fc2a5.jpg
https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...4302260d98.jpg

The only visible difference with P&G is the UG displays 000 mpg during a FAS, and the SG displays 9999 mpg. Both UG and SG displayed 9.3 miles driven under P&G. I got about 53 mpg in cruise control with both SG and UG on the 9.6 mile test drive, and 62.0 mpg P&Ging the same route. Next two photos show UG FAS and pulse displays. Note the open and closed loop displays, respectively, in the upper right portion of the UG.
https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...74f9101c3d.jpg
https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...e0fb7e6689.jpg

I love the quick interchangeability of the UG. I plugged it into my wife's Hyundai, and it scanned the KWP2000 protocol and found 33 gauges within a minute. I plugged it into my Scion, and it found an 11 bit CAN protocol and 44 gauges, including barometric pressure, again within a minute. In order to get barometric pressure shown for the Scion with the SG, I had to experiment with the xgauge coding for all the listed protocols, a process that probably took an hour. Plus I spent more time testing the SG for my SE-R and my wife's Hyundai, only to find they don't display barometric pressure. With the SG, you have to program every possibility, knowing that if LF4 works, LF1-3 probably won't work.

After the UG does its quick scan, it displays its software revision # (mine is ver. 1.0 dated 8/13/10, just a week before I ordered mine), # gauges, whether or not the car has a fuel sensor, its type of mpg sensor (MAF or MAP), and its OBDII communication protocol. Following photo shows completed scanning display, and has a size comparison of the SG and UG. The display shows 43 gauges, but the initial scan said 44 were found. The missing gauge is open/closed loop.
https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...05dc644251.jpg

You go to the main menu's Vehicle Setup choice to set engine size, fuel tank size, and calibration. Calibration is a breeze, because you can enter fuel in .001 gallon increments. So after my 9.6 mile drive, I was able to enter .181 gallons of gas, and get a 13.5% calibration factor long before I could do it with the SG. As I mentioned, the calibration value is the same for both the SG and UG in my Scion, probably indicating they use the same method of calculating mpg for MAF systems.
https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...5eeeb39f83.jpg

Another improvement of the UG over the SG is it warns you of pending trouble codes. My xB routinely gives a nonsense P0000 TC. The UG started showing me a pending trouble code 25 miles ago, and gave me the option of disabling the alarm. I'm letting it run to see how it handles it.

The UG is a better hypermiling tool than the SG, at roughly 1/3 the price.

Re: Ultra-Gauge beats ScanGauge at ~1/3 the price
 

Since my SG died I decided to try this esp. at the price (it's on the way). I will add my own review to supplement this one if the OP doesn't mind. this certainly looks better than the SG. we'll see how it handles the southern heat.

Re: Ultra-Gauge beats ScanGauge at ~1/3 the price
 

Looks cool, but my SG is already paid for. If it broke I'd consider getting one of these.

Re: Ultra-Gauge beats ScanGauge at ~1/3 the price
 

That looks great! It looks like there's finally some real competition for the SG, maybe even beating it at its own game. If I could grab one for $40 now I'd jump in it.

Edit: They need to update their ads...their sponsored result on eBay says $39.95 but when you click on it it takes you to their website which says $59.95...

Edit 2: I guess it wouldn't really make sense for me to get it now, my next DD won't be OBDII.

Re: Ultra-Gauge beats ScanGauge at ~1/3 the price
 

Interesting. I didn't know about the UG until now. I think my SG was $160 or so. Now I am thinking of possibly getting an UG for the other car.

Thanks for the link and your comparison write-up Sentra.

Re: Ultra-Gauge beats ScanGauge at ~1/3 the price
 

Feel free to share your experience with the UG in this thread, Philip1. The UG automatically dims under extreme high temperatures, as a cooling safety measure. Hopefully that will be enough for your southern heat.

Re: Ultra-Gauge beats ScanGauge at ~1/3 the price
 

I forgot, and left my UG in my xB's window in full sunlight in 100 degree weather for hours today. The internal temp display showed 173 degrees when its alarm temperature is 145 degrees. The UG worked fine as the Scion'x AC cooled it down. The alarm went off when its internal temperature dropped below 145 degrees.

Re: Ultra-Gauge beats ScanGauge at ~1/3 the price
 

good to know

the lack of feedback has hurt my milage a LOT I'm almost embarassed to post the latest fillup.


22mpg ugh

Re: Ultra-Gauge beats ScanGauge at ~1/3 the price
 

I had the opportunity to find out what happens to the UG display under DFCO today, as I drove the xB to lunch, and had some long downhill coasting. The UG simply ignores DFCO, and continues to display (for instance) 168 or 233 impg down the hill. When you think about it, there really isn't much difference over a 500 mile tank, between idling down a 1 mile hill at .2 gph or 0 gph.

Re: Ultra-Gauge beats ScanGauge at ~1/3 the price
 

The difference between DFCOing down the hill and neutral coasting + braking down the hill is the same as that of EOC.

Can it measure EOC properly?

Re: Ultra-Gauge beats ScanGauge at ~1/3 the price
 

Yes, it measures EOC properly. There's no fuel consumed, and the miles keep being counted. At the end of my 9.6 mile test loop, P&G mpg results are the same with the UG as they are with the SG. Distance results are the same, too, with only 9.3 miles measured. The UG loses miles duing the key-off time, just like the SG.

Re: Ultra-Gauge beats ScanGauge at ~1/3 the price
 

Does the ultra gauge cover more protocols than the scanguage?

Re: Ultra-Gauge beats ScanGauge at ~1/3 the price
 

I'd also like to know if it can communicate with JDM cars' ECUs, specifically Toyota J-OBD as I think it's called.

Shame there isn't a metric option though.

Re: Ultra-Gauge beats ScanGauge at ~1/3 the price
 

Is there anyplace other than Ultra-gauge.com that sells these?

Re: Ultra-Gauge beats ScanGauge at ~1/3 the price
 

AFAIK, they both cover the same protocols - all the variants of OBDII communications - KWP2000, 11 bit CAN, CANSF, etc.

They're both designed to gather and display OBDII data, so unless that Japanese standard shares some OBDII items, I can't imagine the UG working with the Japanese standard.

The Ultragauge FAQ says you can only buy the UG from the linked website.

Re: Ultra-Gauge beats ScanGauge at ~1/3 the price
 

I took delivery of my Ultragauge Saturday. so far it apears to do exactly the same stuff the Scangauge did but at a price that is much more palatable to the average consumer. The main things I like are the size (it's tiny) and the display (for it's tiny size the display is huge and well laid out). I have only put a few miles on it and I like it better than the scangauge. The main reason is it blends with the interior better than the scangauge second is it's easier to read.

Re: Ultra-Gauge beats ScanGauge at ~1/3 the price
 

I mailed in my rebate paperwork today, and noted that exceeding 170 degrees internal temperature on the UG voids the warranty. When I left it in my xB's window on a 100 degree day, the internal temp went up to at least 173 degrees, so be forewarned. Rather than unplug the UG, I remove it from its mounting stalk, and stow it out of sight under the dash and out of the sun, now. It looks a lot like a small GPS, so you wouldn't want to leave it in plain sight anyway. Someone is sure to break your window and try to steal it.

Clarification on the introductory $39.95 price. I should have said that's plus ~$8 shipping, and after a $9 rebate. So I was billed about $56, and will pay about $47. Now that regular pricing applies, an UltraGauge will cost about $68 - about $100 less than a ScanGauge.

Re: Ultra-Gauge beats ScanGauge at ~1/3 the price
 

This may be a dumb question, but I'm just getting started here. Bought a 94 Civic VX a few weeks ago. Does the UG only work on OBDII cars? What about the SG?
Also, are you getting that 46mpg average simply through driving habits, or have you done any mods to your Scion?

Re: Ultra-Gauge beats ScanGauge at ~1/3 the price
 

both scangauge and ultra gauge are obd2 only.

there is the mpguino that you can use on older cars though I know very little about it since I have obd2. several people have used it and it seems to be fairly nicely done but I think it is a kit you have to build yourslef.

Re: Ultra-Gauge beats ScanGauge at ~1/3 the price
 

Just pulled the trigger on one...maybe the wife's car will the the SGII now... ;)

Re: Ultra-Gauge beats ScanGauge at ~1/3 the price
 

mcc6,

Sorry for the late reply. I'm in a national park, with limited Internet access. The SG and UG are OBDII only. You'll need to build yourself an MPGuino to get the same real-time impg displays.

I'm getting my 46.1 mpg lifetime avg mpg by changing driving habits only. I air the tires up to sidewall maximum, and get all the mpg improvements by driving slower than the PSL, P&Ging, coasting as much as possible, and shutting the engine off at stoplights. If I'm in a 65 mph PSL, I'll typically P&G between 50 and 60 mph. In a 55 PSL, my P&G is ~45-55 mph. If it's a 40 PSL, I'll P&G 25-40 mph, if there's no traffic around. If there's traffic, I'll try to average the PSL (maybe 40-50 mph P&G in a 45 mph PSL zone).

Re: Ultra-Gauge beats ScanGauge at ~1/3 the price
 

I took the xB on an 800+ mile drive to Utah, and got more familiar with the UG. Calibration varied from 1.08 to 1.21, so my initial 1.135 seems pretty close. I'm leaving it at the 1.21 because I'd rather be pleasantly surprised with better mpg at fill-up, than disappointed by optimistic predictions from the UG.

You can tell when the car is in DFCO because the UG displays the open loop indicator in DFCO.

I forgot and left the UG in full sun again, but in 80 degree temperatures with the windows slightly cracked. Its internal temps didn't reach the alarm temperature.

Re: Ultra-Gauge beats ScanGauge at ~1/3 the price
 

I could always tell when I hit DFCO on the SGII because the MPG readout hit 9999 mpg. But I just ordered a UG for grins. I like the bigger readout...

Re: Ultra-Gauge beats ScanGauge at ~1/3 the price
 

Got mine on Tuesday...haven't hooked it up yet. Strange they didn't include a paper copy of the manual in the box. I guess that's part of the cost savings... ;)

Re: Ultra-Gauge beats ScanGauge at ~1/3 the price
 

That seems to be the way things are going in regards to manuals. The full manual for my garmin is on its flash drive.

Re: Ultra-Gauge beats ScanGauge at ~1/3 the price
 

This is a nice product i might buy it for my camry. My wife cant seem to get better then 22mpg. So maybe this will help her lol.

Re: Ultra-Gauge beats ScanGauge at ~1/3 the price
 

Looks good...another incentive to find an engine for the dead '98 Windstar...

Re: Ultra-Gauge beats ScanGauge at ~1/3 the price
 

Maybe there is a setting for this? But as far as I know, on the UG you have to manually reset for trips. The SF does this by itself. No biggie, the UG has way more flexibility and bigger readout. So I really love my shiny new UG...

Re: Ultra-Gauge beats ScanGauge at ~1/3 the price
 

I prefer setting my own trip starts and stops with the UG, v. the SG starting a new trip every time I turn the engine off for a minute and a half.

I've convinced three people associated with Bryce Canyon NP to buy UGs. Two are interested in improving their mpg. The third will use hers to replace a broken speedometer, and to read and clear trouble codes.

Re: Ultra-Gauge beats ScanGauge at ~1/3 the price
 

I'm just lazy, and don't touch the thing for months. Its definately not a deal breaker. Good deal on getting others to use the UG, maybe with the lower price point, more will see the benefits of watching their driving habits...

Re: Ultra-Gauge beats ScanGauge at ~1/3 the price
 

Oh yes the bigger display is a big plus for my slowly fading vision...

Re: Ultra-Gauge beats ScanGauge at ~1/3 the price
 

Does anyone know when the reduced $59 pricing ends? The site claims the special prices and the end dates should be posted but I don't see the date and I'm trying to stick to a budget.
????? Thanks

Re: Ultra-Gauge beats ScanGauge at ~1/3 the price
 

The best person to ask is the merchant! ;)

Re: Ultra-Gauge beats ScanGauge at ~1/3 the price
 

Can you clarify this a little more please? The ug calibrated itself between 1.08 and 1.21 on your trip? Or you re-calibrated it yourself manually?

Thanks!

Re: Ultra-Gauge beats ScanGauge at ~1/3 the price
 

I recalibrated it myself for a couple of tanks based on UG's estimates before settling on 1.21. UG has no self-calibration feature.

Re: Ultra-Gauge beats ScanGauge at ~1/3 the price
 

FWIW I put an Ultra Gauge on my 99 4runner in October. Seemed to work well on a recent long trip to Vegas via the Grand Canyon, however, I need to adjust the calibration a bit as it is overstating my MPG by a fair amount (UG gave my trip average MPG as 20 but my calculations based on miles driven / gallons used came out closer to 17.)

One problem I have is calibrating distance. My 4runner has oversized tires on it so the factory speedo/odo are inaccurate. Up to this point I've used a GPS to calculate distance but the million dollar question is - how do I know the GPS is accurate?

Using the GPS as a baseline, I multiply my miles driven by 1.032 to get my "actual" miles. I got the 1.032 number by zeroing both the tripmeter on the dashboard and the tripmeter on my GPS and then driving about 300 miles. At the end of it I divided the smaller number by the larger and got a 3.2% difference in miles.

I plugged the same 3.2% error into the UG but for some reason it's still over-reporting my MPG. As I said, I'll mess with the calibration a bit to get it more accurate.

One nice thing about the UG is that it's got a "DTE" or Distance To Empty display, based on average MPG and fuel tank size. Since the 96-02 4runners are notorious for having inaccurate fuel gauges, the DTE feature is a real help to me.

Re: Ultra-Gauge beats ScanGauge at ~1/3 the price
 

Other possible ways to calibrate:
- Use a known-good second vehicle
- Rollout test of original size and new size tires
- Tire size calculator
- Maps or mile markers

Re: Ultra-Gauge beats ScanGauge at ~1/3 the price
 

Bah! Amazing what happens when you read the manual. :P

I just got to plug my unit in last night after getting it back a few days ago from an update. Seems quite a few Nissans (my 01 Altima being one of them) were not fully OBD-II compliant and the unit wouldn't work as it kept giving the "comm lost, restarting" message. So I hadn't read the manual until after I read your post. My apologies.

So those calibration values are what the ug gave you after you filled up, correct? I.e. the below procedure from the manual.

1. Fill up the fuel tank. Once filled, press and hold the UP key to cause UltraGauge to recognize the fill-up
2.Zero the Average MPG. MENU->Gauges-> Zero Ave MPG.
3.At the next fuel fill-up, note the number of gallons used (pumped). Select MENU->Vehicle Setup.. ->Calibration.. ->Calibrate MPG/Fuel and enter the fuel used. Press MENU when complete to set and save the calibration. Use the same Gas station and pump for best results.
4.The Calibration factor will be displayed at the bottom of the screen.

Re: Ultra-Gauge beats ScanGauge at ~1/3 the price
 

Thanks for this. I was thinking of breaking down and getting a SG soon, but I've been holding out in hopes I could one day come up with the 300+ for a dash dyno. This price point make it a simple choice.
But then I was looking at UG's site. They have a list of a few non compatible '96+ cars, and mines on it!?! I guess I need to look into that some more before buying any scan tool.

Re: Ultra-Gauge beats ScanGauge at ~1/3 the price
 

Ultra-Gauge has a 30 day money back guarantee... ;)