Just ordered ultra-gauge

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Finally got my rebate done. That was not fun. There was one section when you click on all the numbers after the factory test.
I had missed one and I couln't got to the next page until I got it corrected. Took about 20 minutes to figure it out, then the web site timed me out, so I had to start over... Anway got the rebate done, now I can play with it. Only other issue I had was trying to disconnect it from the obd2 terminal. It was really on tight and I wasn't sure if there was a clip or something preventing it from detaching.
 
I too had the timeout whiling doing the rebate. On top of it, I was told later that they had wrong address in the rebate form.

There is a clip. And it is unfortunately needed. Usually, I remove that clip from all my scanners but doing that makes it difficult for the scanner to stay connected when you are driving. Ultra-gauge has to have that clip. Besides, it was designed to stay with the car.

- Vikas
 
The worst experience with Ultra-gauge so far is the lousy $9 rebate. It took a good 10-15 minutes to fill out all the form online and print/copy receipt then mail.

Many rebates forms from oil companies and auto parts chains are much easier/quicker to fill out, and it can be as much as $25 or more per rebate.

I tried the gauge in E430 and S2000, neither car supports oil temperature nor oil pressure nor transmission temperature. The one gauge I like to have is oil temp, I may have to buy a separate gauge for it.
 
Hope I used the correct address. It was a CA address on the form, while the Ultra-Gauge company has a OR address.

I will check for the clip. On my Outlook, the connector is in a box, so there is no room on top or bottom of the connector to insert your finger to release a clip. A screwdriver or dental tool might work.

I ended up removing the trim panel that surounds the termenal, so I could grasp and pull it off.
 
Did it have "P.O.Box 123456" in it? I thought that box number looked little bit fishy when I mailed the paperwork. Later I was told that it was the wrong address.

Do not remove the clip. As I said, I removed it from my other scanners but when I try to get live data during driving, sometimes, it loses the connection.

If you grab the connector, you can pull it off. The design of the clip is such that it makes it difficult to pull the connector but it is positive locking like some other connector where the clip *has* to be pushed in before releasing. All OBD connectors are like that.

- Vikas
 
Kinda odd...

I bought the UG by paypal. Went through the horrible rebate process (including the number entry part over and over)

They just sent me my $9...by paypal. Beats a check I suppose.
 
Quick review:

Haven't played with it too much. On 09 Ranger XL 2.3

Likes (so far)
Easy to read
Played a little with some of the gauges like Evap %. Worked well
Clears codes (did it for someone's vehicle)

Dislikes (so far)
Buttons on back
Hard to get buttons to flip through the screens sometime.
If you hold "up" too long, you do a tank fill which throws off the trip gauges
Stupid thermal alarm (it's summer, duh). Can't help the cab getting hot.

Happy Vikas?
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Just came back from a trip to Vegas with the E430 and the gauge was used in the car with engine size programmed to match the car.

According to the trip computer in the car, the U-G shows about 1% longer trip distance and faster MPH, the MPG is about 10% optimistic, coolant temperature is about the same.
 
You need to calibrate distance and mileage. I never bothered to calibrate the distance though. I would have thought the odometer distance should have matched the Ultra-Gauge perfectly as they are getting the same data. I suspect Ultra-Gauge loses some samples periodically.
 
Originally Posted By: Vikas
You need to calibrate distance and mileage. I never bothered to calibrate the distance though. I would have thought the odometer distance should have matched the Ultra-Gauge perfectly as they are getting the same data. I suspect Ultra-Gauge loses some samples periodically.
You really need a GPS or measured distance (mile posts) to calibrate it as your odo is probably off. My Taurus is about 3% high and my Bronco is about 6% high (big tires and PO never changed it back when he took them off). Some makes are probably better than others.
 
I know my ODO (and speedo) is off as compared to GPS but all my calculations over the years are based on that ODO. I was expecting Ultra-Gauge to match the odometer because in theory it should get the same data.

- Vikas
 
Originally Posted By: Vikas
I know my ODO (and speedo) is off as compared to GPS but all my calculations over the years are based on that ODO. I was expecting Ultra-Gauge to match the odometer because in theory it should get the same data.

- Vikas
OK, sorry I misunderstood you. Yeah, no idea why it wouldn't match.

I never paid close enough attention to my SG2 before I calibrated it to see if it matched the odo exactly. Even if it dropped samples it should still be okay because the calibration should take care of that, assuming of course that it drops samples at a constant rate.
 
Originally Posted By: calvin1
Originally Posted By: Vikas
I know my ODO (and speedo) is off as compared to GPS but all my calculations over the years are based on that ODO. I was expecting Ultra-Gauge to match the odometer because in theory it should get the same data.

- Vikas
OK, sorry I misunderstood you. Yeah, no idea why it wouldn't match.

I never paid close enough attention to my SG2 before I calibrated it to see if it matched the odo exactly. Even if it dropped samples it should still be okay because the calibration should take care of that, assuming of course that it drops samples at a constant rate.
Sorry about replying to myself but after thinking about this a little more I think I might have a reason why they wouldn't match. The odo module gets a pulse for every turn of the tone ring and from that can increment its counter with a high degree of precision. This direct distance information isn't going to be available to anything plugged into the OBD2 port. Things plugged into the OBD2 port only get a periodic speed update and have to integrate that over time to work back to the distance traveled. The difference between tone-ring pulses and speed integration is only going to get further apart before the scanner's estimation is reset back to zero to begin again.
 
You are absolutely right, the scanner has to integrate the speed samples. On my car, I know scanner loses the communication periodically. That is fault of the car (2000 ISO protocol, quite slow by current standard).

Do you ever wonder if the car ECM would get "tired" of replying to the scanner "all the time"? Joking aside, the OBD-II system was not really designed to be queried all the time. Thank God electrons don't wear out :-)

- Vikas
 
Mine paid for itself today. For the first time in 35 years of owning cars, I had a CEL come one. Used the device to tell me what it was and turn it off..

In a couple of weeks I will be going on a trip and will use it then and report back.
 
Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
Just came back from a trip to Vegas with the E430 and the gauge was used in the car with engine size programmed to match the car.

According to the trip computer in the car, the U-G shows about 1% longer trip distance and faster MPH, the MPG is about 10% optimistic, coolant temperature is about the same.

I tried the UG in the Honda S2000, the U-G shows 1% shorter trip distance and slower MPH. The MPG is about 10-12% optimistic. The S2000 has +0 tires, the OEM size are 215/45-17 Front and 245/40-17 Rear, the current sizes are 225/45-17 Front and 255/45-17 Rear, the diameter is about 1.5% larger than OEM.

The difference of 1-2% is okay for distance and MPH, but 10% difference in MPG is too much.
 
You need to calibrate it! I believe it is under vehicle setup menu item. You fill the tank and start calibration. Next time you refuel it, you tell the scangauge exact amount that you filled in. Scangauge will tell you the correction factor and will remember it. Subsequent tank mpg calculation should be quite good.
 
Originally Posted By: Vikas
You need to calibrate it! I believe it is under vehicle setup menu item. You fill the tank and start calibration. Next time you refuel it, you tell the scangauge exact amount that you filled in. Scangauge will tell you the correction factor and will remember it. Subsequent tank mpg calculation should be quite good.

I'll try to calibrate on the next fill up.
 
I dunno how I missed this. I wanna order one for the Tig. Such a good deal. I've been waiting for a SG II knock-off. Too bad I missed the promo special.
 
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