ScanGauge

[Lowfront]

Alright I know at least one of you have this sweet thing. Wondering if you could save all of us some time and money by giving us some results you have found with it.

Like:

When do you get the best mpg?

Should we use cruise control?

When you fill up the tank how many miles left does it say on it?

How much of a diffrence is racing the engine to driving it grandpa style?

I drive a lot of highway miles with cruise control going 65 is this best?

Thank you....

[ketel0ne]

Originally Posted by Lowfront

Alright I know at least one of you have this sweet thing. Wondering if you could save all of us some time and money by giving us some results you have found with it.

Like:

When do you get the best mpg?

Should we use cruise control?

When you fill up the tank how many miles left does it say on it?

How much of a diffrence is racing the engine to driving it grandpa style?

I drive a lot of highway miles with cruise control going 65 is this best?

Thank you....

The point of the scanguage is that you see the MPG in realtime, so it affects your driving mile by mile. As for driving technique head for gassavers.org, or cleanmpg.com

For your questions in regards to the Yaris

Best gas mileage comes when coasting or using a pulse and glide type of style.

Cruise Control does produce better more consistent results overall, my Yaris does not have it. If you listen or feel the motor/gas being used at inappropiate times during a routine commute or route you may need to manually override those.

I try to squeeze every bit out of the tank but I have not filled up with less than 50 miles showing.

Racing and short stopping, left lane driving that keeps up or ahead of traffic. I get 29-32mpg. Grandpa, almost like driving with the spare on 55-60 max speed. Rolling stops, and long no brake coasting. 42-46mpg.

If the speed limit is 65 and you really want economy 60 in the right lane. If the speed limit is 55 then do 55 or 60. Everyone on the road will pass you. I also will never subscribe to the dumb fact where people say going the speed limit or 5 under only gets you there 5 minutes later. My commute is 50+ miles, if I go 55 and my neighbor does 70+, he shaves 15-20 minutes off the same commute, if he hits some lights in a better different sequence than me it goes up even more. Lastly, the fastest cars on the road are SUV's and 18 wheelers, it sometimes almost feels dangerous to do the speed limit.

[AlexK]

I love my scangauge! I just got it 3 days ago but it's awesome. I now have a speedometer, temp gauge, tachometer, and lots of other options right in front of me while driving.

I have found that, like ketelone said, if you accelerate for a while, then coast for a while (in nuetral, not engine brake) the mpg is amazing, I've averaged over 50mpg on a few trips IN THE CITY! This is difficult to do though and will likely piss off the people behind you. I don't think it's practical for highway driving. Just about all you can do for the highway is slow down.

One thing you should realize is in city driving or stop-and-go freeway driving the thing that hurts your mpg the most is the brake pedal, not the gas pedal. Try to leave space in front of you so you can coast at a constant speed while others are stopping and going. From my experience though, if you leave space in front, someone will just switch lanes and occupy that space, slowing you down even more.

The Scangauge has shown me that engine braking uses more fuel than idling. Crazy, I know, but it does. Typical idling fuel usage is 0.1 to 0.2 gph. While engine braking it's 0.3 to 0.4 gph. Also you are scrubbing off speed which you could be using to coast a long distance. While coasting I'm getting 500+ mpg! I used to keep the transmission engaged at all times while driving, never coasting in neutral. I've done this for years in all my vehicles. I assumed the fuel injection computer shuts off the fuel when engine braking but it does not. This Scangauge is going to save me a lot of money over my lifetime.

[tomjasz]

Originally Posted by AlexK

I have found that, like ketelone said, if you accelerate for a while, then coast for a while (in nuetral, not engine brake) the mpg is amazing, I've averaged over 50mpg on a few trips IN THE CITY! This is difficult to do though and will likely piss off the people behind you. I don't think it's practical for highway driving. Just about all you can do for the highway is slow down.

Interesting observation. In that late early 70’s I had a Saab 96 wagon, manual 4 on the column, V4 Ford engine (one half 289 that meant 289 jugs and bearings and 200K between rebuilds, very quick with 4 barrel Webber carb), it had a "free wheel” setting. When you took your foot off the gas it disengaged the clutch ever so smoothly. It got a better mileage average than most anything available then. 30MPG with cheap gas was great!!!

[pennystocks]

0.1 GPH, hmm. You sure you set the tank to 10 gallons and input the proper gallons when filling up everytime? I'v never seen 0.1 GPH. I doubt 50mpg city. With shuting my engine off and coasting i bearly see 40 mpg city. Also keep in mind it takes a full tank or two to get the scangauge to properly adjust itself to your car.

Any who, for no stop driving (i call it EXPWY )
MPH - MPG
45-50 - 50 <---- if you do this on the expressway i will kick you in the teeth
55-60 - 47
60-65 - 44
70 - 40
85 - 33

City, if you take the backroads to work and hit a stop sign every 200 feet and take off at these RPM's this is roughly what you'll get
>2k RPM Grandma - 37 MPG
>3k RPM Normal - 34
>4k RPM In a rush - 31
<5k RPM Beat the shit out of it - 27

I'd put my average to around 40 MPG combined city/hwy


--------------------------------------------------------
The other day:
going about 25 miles
normal speed 45-50
15 stops or so
Shutting the engine off and coasting for stops
49 MPG

Scangauge data used below
--------------------------------------------------------
46.8 - Avg miles per gallon
9.2 - miles drove
3004 - RPM max
55 - MPH max
37 MPH average (real average was 40-55 not counting stop lights)

Thats w/ like 3 full stop/starts at lights, and about 6 or so slow downs to like 20 mph (turns and wat not)
--------------------------------------------------------
Did this one when i first got it, not much of a real world test

3.3 Mile drive
2228 Max RPM - Was Grandma'in it
37 MPH Max
24 MPH Avg - Was really 33 ish w/ the cruse on, but got caught a light, and amazingly enough, got caught at a turtle crossing the street LMAO
0.1 Gal. Fuel Used
190 Degrees F Max
53.1 MPG AVG oh yea, i love it
--------------------------------------------------------
All highway, no slow downs at all except one toll booth.
I still cant get this again, must have had good wind direction

30.9 miles drove
3400 max RPM
61 MPH avg
51.2 MPG avg

[ketel0ne]

I set the tank to 11 gallons. After 2 tanks it was dead on.

[Lowfront]

This is very interesting thanks a lot....but still question of the day is...

cruise control or no?

thanks a lot for taking the time on this info great stuff.

[pennystocks]

Yea, cruise control is the best option for cruising, hence its name :)


When do you get the best mpg?
45mph w/ cruise on

Should we use cruise control?
hell yea

When you fill up the tank how many miles left does it say on it?
I think you mean the fuel range part?
It just does your MPG X Gallons left, so 40MPG will be like 400 or so miles left

[argylesocks]

Originally Posted by AlexK

I used to keep the transmission engaged at all times while driving, never coasting in neutral. I've done this for years in all my vehicles. I assumed the fuel injection computer shuts off the fuel when engine braking but it does not. This Scangauge is going to save me a lot of money over my lifetime.

so now when coasting do you put it in nuetral or keep it in gear??

[sam07yaris]

Originally Posted by pennystocks

0.1 GPH, hmm. You sure you set the tank to 10 gallons and input the proper gallons when filling up everytime? I'v never seen 0.1 GPH. I doubt 50mpg city. With shuting my engine off and coasting i bearly see 40 mpg city. Also keep in mind it takes a full tank or two to get the scangauge to properly adjust itself to your car.

Any who, for no stop driving (i call it EXPWY )
MPH - MPG
45-50 - 50 <---- if you do this on the expressway i will kick you in the teeth
55-60 - 47
60-65 - 44
70 - 40
85 - 33

City, if you take the backroads to work and hit a stop sign every 200 feet and take off at these RPM's this is roughly what you'll get
>2k RPM Grandma - 37 MPG
>3k RPM Normal - 34
>4k RPM In a rush - 31
<5k RPM Beat the shit out of it - 27

I'd put my average to around 40 MPG combined city/hwy


--------------------------------------------------------
The other day:
going about 25 miles
normal speed 45-50
15 stops or so
Shutting the engine off and coasting for stops
49 MPG

Scangauge data used below
--------------------------------------------------------
46.8 - Avg miles per gallon
9.2 - miles drove
3004 - RPM max
55 - MPH max
37 MPH average (real average was 40-55 not counting stop lights)

Thats w/ like 3 full stop/starts at lights, and about 6 or so slow downs to like 20 mph (turns and wat not)
--------------------------------------------------------
Did this one when i first got it, not much of a real world test

3.3 Mile drive
2228 Max RPM - Was Grandma'in it
37 MPH Max
24 MPH Avg - Was really 33 ish w/ the cruse on, but got caught a light, and amazingly enough, got caught at a turtle crossing the street LMAO
0.1 Gal. Fuel Used
190 Degrees F Max
53.1 MPG AVG oh yea, i love it
--------------------------------------------------------
All highway, no slow downs at all except one toll booth.
I still cant get this again, must have had good wind direction

30.9 miles drove
3400 max RPM
61 MPH avg
51.2 MPG avg

I got the same MPG also!!!!! 51.2 to 52.9 hell ya!!!!! Well now that my g/f always puts the AC on this past weekend along with rushing me to point A to B, I am 3 bars down before halfway mark...... Next week's episode.... 53 MPG.. hehe

[AlexK]

0.1 GPH, hmm. You sure you set the tank to 10 gallons and input the proper gallons when filling up everytime? I'v never seen 0.1 GPH.

I have not calibrated my Scangauge yet (need to drive e few hundred more miles) but I get 0.1 GPH when idling if the AC us off (about 0.3 to 0.4 if the AC is on). Check out the pic below. Even if it was off by 10%, that would still be 0.1 GPH so I'm pretty sure it's right. Do you have an auto or manual? I have the manual, that might be the difference.

so now when coasting do you put it in nuetral or keep it in gear??

You could put it in neautral or just put in the clutch, same effect. I put it in neutral. Some people shut the engine off while coasting for even better mileage. Not me (that's a little extreme).

[argylesocks]

Originally Posted by AlexK

You could put it in neautral or just put in the clutch, same effect. I put it in neutral. Some people shut the engine off while coasting for even better mileage. Not me (that's a little extreme).

this may be obvious...but i dont want people to forget that when you shut the engine off, you also loose your power steering & power brakes!

Additionally, coasting in neutral WITH AN AUTO TRANNY can have negative effects on the tranny.

[pennystocks]

Originally Posted by argylesocks

this may be obvious...but i dont want people to forget that when you shut the engine off, you also loose your power steering & power brakes!

Additionally, coasting in neutral WITH AN AUTO TRANNY can have negative effects on the tranny.

Well the brakes hold enough vacuum to stop from 60 mph no problem. I'v only lost brakes when pumping em w/ the engine off to test how much they hold. Also note that when at full throttle you lose your breaks too .

And the power steering is electric. So you can fully control the car w/ the engine off.

I averaged 42 MPG today btw over 100 miles city drivng with coastin w/ the engine off for long coasts (200+feet)

I dont see why coasting in neutral on an automatic is bad for it.


For the 0.1 gph post, i have an auto. I reset my scangauge a couple of times (unpluging it) and once it said i was at like 0.5 gph idle and my MPG were like 15. Trust me, i'v had mine for like 6k miles so far, it'll adjust itself.

[OK Yaris]

Originally Posted by pennystocks

I dont see why coasting in neutral on an automatic is bad for it.

Because the fluid pump for most automatic transmissions runs off the input shaft/torque converter. This is also the reason why a car with an automatic transmission cannot be towed very far with the driven wheels on the ground. - Mike

[pennystocks]

hmm, well shit, way to ruin my day

[argylesocks]

Originally Posted by pennystocks

hmm, well shit, way to ruin my day

better to find out now, then after you have been doing it for 30k miles.


additionally, i know the power steering is electric, but it doesnt work on mine when the engine is shut off, and turned back to ACC (as it would when you are driving & shut it off).

[pennystocks]

Its wierd, it tries to emulate normal power steering for some reason. To get it to work, shut the enigne off at like 30, then turn the key back to on, it should work then even if you come to a stop.

[argylesocks]

Originally Posted by pennystocks

Its wierd, it tries to emulate normal power steering for some reason. To get it to work, shut the enigne off at like 30, then turn the key back to on, it should work then even if you come to a stop.

for me, no power steering in both the ON and the ACC position...