Is it me or is it the scanguage

I just got a scan guage for Christmas also. My wife got it here and I just plugged it in and it works perfect. Also hooked it up to our 04 Chevy Venture and it works great on that also.

 

I hope that you copied down the codes and can post them here. No scan gauge is supposed to be able to do anything like what happened to you. I had a similar problem once but it did not shut down my engine.

 

Here's some related links:

http://priuschat.com/forums/prius-m...uge-ii-immediately-got-these-error-codes.html

MX-5 Miata Forum - ScanGauge II Connection Problems

I'd bet there are Can bus communication errors maybe from some kind of glitching when hooking up the ScanGuage. The manual says hook it up with the engine running. I assume that's what you did. You're not the only one ever to see this. Did clearing the codes fix the Prius?

Keep us posted on what you get back from the folks at ScanGuage.

 

My Scangage works fine, except that it turns itself on randomly whan the car has been sitting, like over a weekend. I know it is off, and when I return to the garage, it is lit up, and stays until I start the car next time. Is this wierd, or do they all do that?

 

subarutoo,

It may have to do with whether or not you lock the doors. I do not park in a
garage and so always lock up. At times the SG stays on, even after I've
exited the car, but it always shuts down immediately I lock up.

I believe that when the SKS fob is within signal range and the car is not
locked, -- locking signals that you are finished with the car --even though
you haven't used the fob, the car detects its presence, and does some sort
of beginning-to-get, or staying-ready-just in-case routine, and there are
signals running around on the bus that triggers the SG and it lights up.

So, try locking up and see what happens.

I'd find it interesting to know if my suspicions are correct.

 

Thanks for the suggestion. I do not lock the car in the garage, and the key is usually in the bedroom at least 50 feet away from the car. I could almost understand if I walked around all day at home with the key in my pocket. I first noticed it a year or so ago, when exiting a wedding party late at night, I could see the scangage lit up in the parking lot, and the car was difinitely locked at that time. I will try locking it in the garage and see if that works, but like I said, it is a random thing, coming on or off when parked. I never heard anybody else mention this before.

 

My scanguage did the same thing the first time I connected it. I threw a bunch of error codes and after about 3-4 stops and restarts of the car it went away and was fine.

Then.... One day while driving to a dinner party I noticed that my MPG wa 1/2 what it was supposed to be according to the Scangauge so I did what any idiot would do and did a "reset to defaults" on the scangauge. What did it do? It threw error codes and completely powered down the engine and drivetrain while driving. I pulled off to the side of the road without any power and the wife cursing. Reset it about 4-5 times and then I was off and going again (with a good MPG reading mind you).

Lesson? The Scangauge can do dangerous things to your Prius and it's unpredictable.