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Scan Gauge questions

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Accessories & Modifications' started by Fred Wacksman, Feb 8, 2009.

  1. Fred Wacksman

    Fred Wacksman New Member

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    Mason,Ohio
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    I finally installed my S-G yesterday, after receiving it over a week ago. It warmed up here considerably, so I took the plunge. The install was very smooth and it connected quickly.
    Questions I have so far. I had it out last night and I'm reading the temp gauge, it was 52f. outside and the coolant was mostly running about 140f. But after some time (10-15minutes) it jumped to approx. 180f. and stayed there most of the rest of the trip, which totaled about 8 miles on side streets.
    Was this the thermostat kicking in, and why did it take so long, if so?
    Another question: I'm also monitoring RPM and it often is at 0 RPM. I'm assuming I'm running strictly on Battery, correct? I don't always understand the MFG screen and haven't seen a super explanation, even on P-C.
    My 4 gauges are the RPM, Volt, engine temp, and Temp at the radiator. The volt shows 13.9 to 14,OK?
    Do you have any other suggestions for a gauge that's better to observe for my '08 base?
    Right now I'm using a low Green screen, but might play with that.
    BTW, I took some very heavy duty black "duct tape" and put a width of it on the dash, just above the tilt column, where the dash is it really stuck good and then attached the velco to that and it seems to be very secure now. I don't know what he summer heat will do, but it's in a great line of sight. Some of you suggested running the cable down beside the column, I did that, then punched out the extra slot down below the column and snaked the cable to the connector. It's nice and clean, so far. And, no codes, I guess that's good?
    Do most of you leave the S-G in place when you leave the car? I always lock up.
    Any other thought would be appracited. I think I've read all there is on the S-G on P-C and by Googling it.
    But, I'm always looking for more info. Too bad Toyota didn't do a better job with gauges for this Hi-Tech vehicle, but I still love it. I think the ergonomics of the '10 will be better, with the dash pics I've seen.
    Thanks,
    Fred

     
    #1 Fred Wacksman, Feb 8, 2009
  2. maseace

    maseace Prius enthusiast

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    2004 Prius
    I find the heater (when set to A/C auto) kicks in at about 110°F, but never noticed a jump like you say. Mine seems to smoothly increase up to the 180's-190's range (I have a blocked grille).

    If it's at 0 RPM, the engine is not spinning at all, and you are in EV mode. At higher speends (>42 mph) when coasting the engine will spin (~1000 RPM) without using gas (you will see 9999 inst. MPG). You can use the RPM gauge to help you get into electric-only glides, by keeping the throttle input light enough to avoid starting the engine.

    I find the water temperature gauge (°FWT) is most useful, especially in winter. The 4 gauges is usually display are RPM, Water Temp, Instantaneous MPG, and Battery State of Charge. The battery state of charge had to be programmed using the add-a-gauge feature. There are lots codes for additional gauges. If you have an EV switch there's a gauge to tell if EV mode is on/off.

    I would get rid of the duct tape right away. Duct tape has adhesive that breaks down in sunlight/heat and is really hard to remove and looks terrible. Just stick the velcro pads on the dash wherever you want. You can buy extra velcro strips in many stores if you use them up.

    I leave my SG on the dash all the time, but I guess it depends where you live.

    I played around with the colors and found some harder to read the text than others. I have settled on a pale blue color with the custom color picker.
     
    #2 maseace, Feb 8, 2009
  3. JimboK

    JimboK One owner, low mileage

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    Here is a nice concise gathering of links and other info that you might take a peek at. Chasing those links should keep you occupied for awhile.
     
    #3 JimboK, Feb 8, 2009
  4. nerfer

    nerfer A young senior member

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    Just to clarify, when the RPM's show 0, it just means the ICE is off. It doesn't mean you are drawing any battery power, you're probably gliding at that point.

    There are more options you can program in if you want, you can look at battery current and some other things.

    I'm not surprised your engine temperature leveled off at 180'F, but I'm not sure why it jumped to that level, I would expect a visible climb (with some fluctuations along the way).

    I also added the XGauge so I could see the average MPG for the trip from the gauges menu. I found the 12V battery voltage gauge to be kind of boring, unless I suspect something is happening, I don't look at it. Engine load (LOD) is more interesting, so I know when I'm truly gliding as compared to coasting (similar to RPM in that respect).

    I also made a manual that's a little easier to read (IMHO), you can find a link to it in the thread JimboK pointed to (look for my post).
     
    #4 nerfer, Feb 8, 2009
  5. dapastaguy

    dapastaguy Junior Member

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    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Outside of the 3 Prius specific settings for the X Guage (SOC, BV & BC) what other X Guage settings are available for the Prius? :confused:
     
    #5 dapastaguy, Feb 8, 2009
  6. JimboK

    JimboK One owner, low mileage

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    Follow the link I provided above, then #3 on the list in the first post in that thread.
     
    #6 JimboK, Feb 8, 2009
  7. Fred Wacksman

    Fred Wacksman New Member

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    Mason,Ohio
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    Thank you all for the info.
    yesterday (Sunday) and this morning, I noticed it was a smoother reading on the temp, so it could have been an oddity.
    I'll keep an eye on the tape and know the glue will get "ugly", but didn't think the velcro would hold on the stipled surface. Usually, I've used "GOOF-OFF" to clean it up. This particular tape isn't quite as bad as the regular duct tape.
    I haven't ventured into X gauges yet.
    I'm going to visit those sites you posted, I'n not sure if I has been there before.
    Fred
     
    #7 Fred Wacksman, Feb 9, 2009
  8. dapastaguy

    dapastaguy Junior Member

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    thanks!:)
     
    #8 dapastaguy, Feb 9, 2009
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