General Articles - Product Reviews

Jeep "Heart Monitor" Article written by Tom Dube Date Added: 09/09/2006 How do you really know if your vehicle is operating at its peak?

The gauges on the dash only show you some of the information about the engine and electrical systems. Knowing more of what the computer in your vehicle is reading can give you a better understanding of gas mileage, gas left to empty, and true Rpm?s to list just a few. If you are like many Jeep owners, you may have lifted your Jeep, added larger tires, and regeared. These changes can influence the speedometer, and you may have noticed the loss of gas mileage. There is a device that may help you get a handle on the changes. It is called ?ScanGauge?. This little box is a magical devise.
The ScanGauge is a 3 in 1 automobile computer.
1. The ScanGauge will scan for trouble codes (check engine light) and can also turn off the check engine light after you figure out what the error is. If you have the technical manual for your vehicle, you will find the code reference and explanations there. Code references can also be looked up on the internet.
2. The Digital Gauge Display is a real time display of the current conditions of your vehicle. It will show four different read-outs at the same time, and you can change any of the read-outs to display different information. Here are a few that it will read: Intake Air Temp, Manifold Absolute Pressure, Mpg, Throttle Position Sensor, Mph, and Coolant temp.
3. The Trip computer will show miles traveled, gallons to empty, average MPG, max speed, and many more.
The ScanGauge plugs into the OBD II outlet. It was designed for most 1996 and newer vehicles, but some 1994 and 1995 vehicles may be combatable. Check the emissions sticker on your vehicle. If it states OBD2 or OBDII, it should operate fine. The OBD II outlet location on the Wrangler is on the left side lower dash right by the door.
The ScanGauge installation is an easy task. Plug into the OBDII outlet, route the wire to the location of the ScanGauge, and you are read to start.
The ScaneGauge needs to be placed so that it can be clearly viewed without taking your eyes off the road. In my 97 TJ I mounted mine on top of the dash right above the stock gauges. It is in full view at all times and does not block the view of road ahead.
Once the ScanGauge is plugged in, just start your engine and give it about 30 seconds. The instructions state at this point to set it up for the engine size and gas type that you have in your vehicle.
So how can all this benefit recreational Jeepers? For one thing, gas mileage. The ScanGauge gives you real time mile per gallon. As you are driving, you can monitor the MPG and the RPM/MPH and compare to get the best miles per gallon. Awareness of the mileage you are getting for your style of driving may help you to adjust the right foot for better gas mileage. If you are on a trail ride in the back country you will be able to monitor the gallons remaining in your gas tank till empty.
When off-roading, water temp can be monitored closely in digital readout. Say your Jeep has larger tires than stock and you know the speedometer is off. You can use a GPS to calibrate the ScanGauge to show you the correct speed. Many of us Jeepers have lots of electrical accessories. The ScanGauge can monitor the voltage that your system is maintaining. The load that is placed on the alternator may be too high. Monitoring your electric system may help you to decide if you need a higher output alternator or a dual battery system.
I have just touched on a few of the many functions of the ScanGauge. I have the original model; the updated version (the ScanGaugeII) has been out since May of 2006. The newer model has a larger screen, and the back lighting color can be changed. It also has a more modern look, and the body of the ScanGauge in not as deep.
Final Thoughts I have been testing the ScanGauge for about 10 months. It has helped me to monitor my driving habits and also helps to diagnose any trouble codes. With this information I can try to get the best performance out of my Jeep. This is NOT just a glitzy gadget. This is a tool that reads the information from your vehicle?s computer. This is the same real-time information used to control the engine. I feel this tool is as important as having a first aid kit in the vehicle. This is like a heart monitor for your Jeep???
Purchase / Vendor Info Vendor Name: Linear-Logic Inc. Address: 222 S. Dobson Rd Mesa, AZ 85202 Phone: 480-656-4089 E-Mail Address: Website: www.linear-logic.com/
Our Thank You's! MoabJeeper Magazine would like to thank Tom Dube for submitting this article.

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