Benefits of the ScanGauge II

With a Scan Gauge you simply program the PIDs you want to monitor and you are up and running. Torque requires a display device, Torque, Custom PID list and manually programming the display device. I personally think a Smart Phone is WAY too small. I went the 7" tablet route. That beats the hell out of the Scan Gauge, but it is a investment in the tablet!. I run 2 Scan Gauges, and a Tablet.I just got it all up and running, gotta fabricate tablet holder. So far all commercial units I have seen are cheap plastic junk! I will have to custom mill some Aluminum and make a nice small mount! When it happens I will post a thread about it!

So in answer to your question, both are useful. It depends on what data YOU want to see, and then how you want to see it displayed!

 

Thanks, I got "all" pids loaded in phone so I got what I need, but you are right it is small.
How do you get 3 gizmos connected to one obd?

 

I am also an electrical engineer, and only semi retired and living at Umina Beach 70km north of Sydney. I have had a S/H 2003 NWH20 for about 9 years and love it, most reliable car I have ever owned, although,for trips down to Pearl Beach it has been eclipsed by a recently acquired 2001 Golf Cabriolet 5sp manual. I monitor coolant temperature, RPM, 12V battery and traction battery voltage - couldn't get the traction battery charge/discharge current to work

I fitted a Scangauge2 8 years ago and it has been excellent although the Toyota dealer gave it the blame for disabling the central locking soon after I fitted it. I suspect this was on the basis that after he unplugged it to ft his OBD-2 tool, the central locking started working again. It did the same thing a few months later and this time I unplugged the Scangauge and again central locking was restored.

Other problems which might be related to the interface between the Scangauge and the CANbus:

1. the cruise control stops working - was after every few trips when I use the cruise control but getting more frequent. Normally fixed with a car restart but someti\mes needs a restart with the Scangauge disconnected
2. won't go into Drive but will go into reverse - not a problem with an obstruction in the gear selector gate, has happened twice in the last few months but fixed itself after a delayed restart - didn't think to disconnect the Scangauge
3. false alarms when the car was operating otherwise normally - happened 2 or three times in the last couple of years and fixed with restart

I think a few components in the Scangauge might be on the way out as it now doesn't shut down properly, was waking up every few minutes but now less than a minute. After 8 very useful years, only too happy to buy another as I cannot drive peacefully with only a fuel gauge and a lot of warning lights. Yes they are expensive but probably less than an oil and filter change which takes me 15 minutes.

AB-S

 

The benefits of a Scanguage can be huge when you have the same commute every day. You learn what techniques work and what doesn't, and what really affects your fuel economy. I average 55-60 mpg, and I think without I would get 45-50 (part of this is the Scanguage helped me perfect fuel saving techniques). Over the lifetime of the Scanguage it has paid for itself in fuel savings multiple times over (I used mine in a 2004 Ford Focus for 7 years prior, doing a quick calc I estimate over $500 savings). In the Prius it's really useful as well because it's hard to tell if the engine is running or not above 30mph, and knowing the coolant temperature will tell you if engine-off gliding is available or not, based on the warm-up state of the engine. My must displays are:

Engine RPM
Water Coolant Temp
Trip Average MPG

The fourth setting changes somewhat.

 

I know this was a long time ago, but can you provide a link to the google docs spreadsheet please