ScanGauge?

[woutvc]

Do you really want to look at instant MPG all the time with a Raptor?
On My Ultragauge I have 6 screens with several things like
- battery voltage
- Boost PSI
- MAF PSI
- Engine Load
- ...
I just played with it and adjusted it as well.

 

[Ruger]

I get peculiar Engine Load readings - way high. I can be tooling down the road at 55 mph making an indicated 150 ft-lbs and 60 horses, and the indicated Engine Load will be over 50%. Give it some gas and it readily goes to 100% with a LOT of throttle left. Woutvc, have I missed something in the set-up?

Also, what's the fuel calibration thing? I can't figure that out.

 

[badm0t0rfinger]

Also, what's the fuel calibration thing? I can't figure that out.

Are you talking about MPG cal or about the "to empty" calibration?

 

[Ruger]

Both, I think.

 

[Ruger]

Okay, I've learned something about how the UltraGauge interfaces with my 2011 Raptor, and it's not positive. The UG has three "Power On Detect Modes," meaning that one of three different ways may be chosen for it to detect when to turn on:
- Mode 0 continually queries the ECM to determine if it is powered and active. If a response is received from the ECM, the UG assumes that the ignition is in RUN position and turns itself on. However, this mode may cause battery drain for GM vehicles and those which use the CAN protocol. (Late model Fords use the CAN 11 bit protocol.)
- Mode 1 is not the default mode, but is "typically preferred." This mode actively monitors the communication bus for activity, and if found the UG will then attempt communication with the ECM. If the ECM responds, the ignition is assumed to be in the RUN position and the UG turns itself on. "In very rare cases, certain vehicles may exhibit battery drain in Mode 1." Among those, according to the user manual, are 2011 Fords. Well son of a gun, my 2011 Raptor exhibited battery drain because of the UG.
- Mode 2 is the default mode, and the manual says that it can be used for all vehicles and protocols. In Mode 2 the UG detects that the engine is running (this is different than the ignition being in the RUN position) by detecting elevated battery voltage because the alternator is running. "The weakness of Mode 2 is that simply turning the ignition to the RUN position will not wake the UltraGauge. For this reason, Mode 1 is preferred."

One of the principal reasons I bought the UG was because I wanted a voltage gauge, one of the most useful gauges you can put in any vehicle. When the ignition is first turned to RUN but before you turn it to START, a volt gauge will read the battery voltage. When the ignition is turned to START and the starter is cranking, the volt gauge will give you a relative idea of how much electrical power the starter is drawing. And when the engine is running, the volt gauge will read alternator output. One gauge gives you the health of all three principal electrical components of the vehicle. And the UltraGauge will NOT DO THIS for my Raptor because Modes 0 and 1 will cause battery drain, and Mode 2 doesn't turn on the UG until the engine is running. I am very disappointed. I wanted a gauge that will monitor the electrical health of the Raptor, and instead what I have is a gauge that won't do that and will actually cause electrical problems in 2 of 3 modes.

So now I have the UG set to Mode 2 and have the battery charging. If I experience battery drain in Mode 2 it's going back to the manufacturer for a refund. Whether it does or doesn't, I still need a voltage gauge.

 

[Humvee21]

Is your MPG gauge accurate? I get weird readings with my bluetooth OBD2 adapter

 

[Ruger]

Is your MPG gauge accurate? I get weird readings with my bluetooth OBD2 adapter

There are two calibrations that need to be done with the UltraGauge:
- You have to use those mileage/speedometer markers to calibrate distance.
- You have to fill the tank, zero the UG, run the truck until it needs gas again, fill the tank again (same gas station, same pump), and then calibrate the gauge.
I haven't done either yet. I'm waiting to see if it draws the battery down in Mode 3. If it does, I won't need to bother with calibration.

 

[Ruger]

Yesterday while completing the selection of which gauges I want to show on each of the 7 UltraGauge pages, I got a Low Battery warning light on the dash WHILE I HAD THE TRUCK PLUGGED INTO A 6 AMP BATTERY CHARGER. I completed the programming, and let the 6 amp charger do its thing. Then with the supposedly no-draw Mode 2 selected, I let the battery trickle charge overnight on a Battery Tender. This morning I still had a steady red light on the Battery Tender just as I had over the past 3 days of charging in Mode 1. It appears that the UltraGauge will keep the truck's electronics active and draw battery power in all three of the Power On Detect Modes, but I have one more thing I'm doing to confirm or deny that. I have unplugged the UltraGauge and am continuing to charge the battery with the Battery Tender. When I get a steady green light on the Tender, I'll plug the UltraGauge back in and see what happens. None of this is attributable to the battery - it's a Sear Diehard Platinum that was bought on November 15th of 2014, it tested as a healthy battery just 2 days ago at O'Reily's, and would take a full charge from the Battery Tender prior to plugging in the UltraGauge a couple days ago. I have generated a Support Ticket with the UG manufacturer, and I'm sure that the response I get from them will be illuminating. I'll post my final findings when I get them.

UPDATE: Less than an hour after unplugging the UltraGauge from the UBD port on the truck, the Battery Tender showed a blinking green LED indicating that the battery was nearing full charge. This is the first green light I've seen on the Tender in the three days that I've had it charging the new battery in the truck, and it only occurred after I unplugged the UltraGauge.

UPDATE 2: The Battery Tender showed a steady green light indicating that the battery was fully charged. I plugged in the UltraGauge, started the truck, and ran it only long enough for the UltraGauge to initialize the screens - less than a minute. I turned off the truck, plugged in the Battery Tender again, and the LED showed steady red. Three hours later it was still steady red. I believe that the UltraGauge keeps the truck's electronics active, and that's why the Battery Tender can't fully charge the battery even after a brief use. I've unplugged the UltraGauge, and expect the Battery Tender to shortly show a steady green LED. When that happens, I will know for certain that the UltraGauge is incompatible with a 2011 Raptor.

 

[woutvc]

Mmm, strange, I will check if it's the same with mine. I had it unplugged because I did not have a spot to attache the Ultragauge to.

 

[Ruger]

Well, the jury is in. The Battery Tender will only show a green LED (indicating that it has fully charged the battery) with the UltraGauge unplugged. With the UltraGauge plugged in the Battery Tender will only show a steady red light no matter how long you leave it running. My conclusion: The UltraGauge keeps the truck's electronic systems active, so the Battery Tender is actually powering them and cannot charge the battery. The UltraGauge is incompatible with a 2011 Raptor and will draw down the battery if left plugged in.

The UltraGauge manual has this to say under the heading of Battery Drain:
"This discussion generally applies to newer vehicles which use the CAN protocol or vehicles with electrical issues. [The 2011 Raptor uses the CAN 11 bit protocol.] When the ignition is switched from RUN to OFF, the vehicle's electrical system modules stay active drawing battery power for several minutes. Over time various systems enter low power mode. Normally once UG has detected ignition OFF, UG will enter a low power mode and wait for the vehicle's systems to become active at the next ignition ON. However, since the vehicle's electrical systems do not shut down; UG quickly attempts to establish communication again. This communication in turn causes the vehicle's systems to remain on indefinitely and results in battery drain. Mode 2 resolves this. Vehicles known to experience battery drain and require 'Power on Detect' mode 2: Mini Cooper, 2010+ Ford Focus, 2011 Ford Fxxx (few), 2007+ BMW Series 5 2.0L."

I think the "Ford Fxxx" refers to Ford F150/F250/F350 trucks, and mine is a 2011. Use of Power on Detect Mode 2 is supposed to resolve the battery drain problem in the specifically mentioned vehicles, but battery drain occurs on my 2011 Raptor. Let the Raptor owner beware.

If the company will refund my money, the UltraGauge is going back. I've screwed with the damn thing for a week now. All I really wanted was a volt meter.