Scangauge2 or ultra gauge?

Want to get a real time vehicle info display. Does anyone here use the scangauge or ultragauge? If so what do you use it for? I mostly want mpg, coolant temp, and tranny temp. Does anyone know if the above 3 are available on either or for our 1st gens? Thanks. Ultragauge is way cheaper and it seems way too good to be true if they do the same thing

 

Sorry for my crap ton of posts too lol

 

I've been using UltraGauge on all my cars and trucks and very happy with it. I have the old version 1.2 which doesn't show Transmission temp but the new version 1.4 supposedly does which would be useful for towing. I monitor the typical OBD2 stuff like mpg, engine temp, air temp, air flow, torque.

 

I have the ScanGuage II in my 2018, monitor transmission pan, Torque Converter output, voltage and Engine Temperature. The ScanGuage can monitor many other parameters as well as retrieve OBD II codes.

 

Another option, the route I took, get an Android HU and a BT OBDII scanner ($20) and you can view it on your HU on Torque Pro ($5)....or even cheaper just get a used 7+ inch tablet instead of the HU, mount it with a RAM mount and connect it to a BT OBDII scanner and again view with Torque Pro....

 

I have both, a Scangauge2 and an Ultra. Either one will give you what you want with fairly accurate detail. I prefer the SG2.

I think you can do more with the Ultra, but it is much more work. Every function you want requires calibration first. Also the screen on the Ultra is weak, it can't handle much heat. If you leave it on your dash in the Summer it will fade out badly. Lastly I don't like how the screens are set up. You have to set several pages of screens up to show a few data points per screen, then flip through pages. That makes it tedious to check a value for say coolant temp because it takes time for pages to change.

Scangauge2 doesn't require much calibration, only to your gas tank fillup and tire size. I've yet to have a screen problem in 10 years. On the SG2 you only see 4 values at a time, on on each corner, but can flip through the value options at each corner independently.

I haven't messed with the Torque app or any others, I hear good things but I like my phone to be my phone and not want it delegated to an app whenever I drive.

 

Hmmm, I'll allow it. Its pertinent to the conversation.

 

PERFECT! This is what I was thinking of, which is better the Ultra and Scan Gauge or the apps on your phone/tablet. It appears to me the apps are a better choice and easier to configure.

Thoughts???

 

@azTony they are not better cause u have to illegally pull out your phone while driving each time u want to check it. And its kinda dangerous too, also having the scan gauge or ultra is just cool to look at lolol

 

Picking up my scan gauge from autozone after i get my truck from its timing belt change today )))))

 

I do not illegally ever pull my phone out, it sits in its holder on my dash at all times and BT calls to the HU...

 

@azTony what does bt calls to the hu mean?

 

Bluetooth calls to the Head Unit of the truck

 

No you don't...that screenshot I posted above is on this unit... but it works on any Android HU or Android tablet that has BT connectivity.

 

@speedtre whoops. I shouldnt comment on something i dont know about, my bad. Nice setup btw , I'm too hesitant to replace my oem one though, i want to keep it the oldschool toyota look, especially since its the last of a dying breed.

 

No worries, it's just another option. The second option I gave achieves the same thing for less than $100 and no changes to the truck itself.

 

Or just use an old phone. Don't we all have at least a couple of those sitting in a drawer somewhere around the house?

 

Good call, that's even cheaper...but for my aging eyes I would want something bigger like a small tablet....

 

Scangauge is slightly disappointing. No trans temp code, but i found one after hours of searching on a forum. Thats jank as hell. Why the heck did i have to find the tranny code on a forum and not on their website. Btw our tranny run cool as hell. 111 degrees cruising around town on a 40 degree f morning. Nice

 

At this point I can't see any reason to spend big bucks on a scangauge or ultra gauge when I can get most of that info from a $5 app. I just don't see the value.

 

@FirstGenVol its cooler and its an obd2 reader aswell

 

@FirstGenVol also doesnt take up another usb cable space, especially for ones with dashcams already, but i see your point, lil pricey

 

When you get your Scangauge make sure it has the latest software version, i got mine last year and had to return it because it was outdated and wouldn't read the tranny temp, AND they wanted me to send it to Scangauge in Arizona to get it updated, so i returned the one from autozone and ordered it directly from scangauge, came wit the latest version and i also ordered an extra OBD cable so I can use it on both my Sequioa and Tundra, easy to swap that way without having to move the wire. My 0.02

 

SG2 has trans temp, it just isn't built in because it isn't universal. The code is available for the 4 speed auto trucks, I haven't seen it for the 5 speed auto.

 

@Cartour2020 thanks for the tip. Mine is updated. It wouldnt show me the tranny temp for my 01 tundra, so i had to luckily find a code for my truck on a forum. Kinda bs. Hopefully this is actually the tran temp and not some random thing, but it seems to be the tran temp

 

Yes, it is the tranny temp, pretty accurate also, I had installed an in-line tranny temperature before getting the gauge and it matches the gauge's reading almost perfectly. Scangauge is a great product. You can also find the right code or double check the code for your vehicle at the Scangauge's website. Mine works like a champ!

 

I've considered getting one for my truck but don't know if it's really 'worth it.'

For those of you that do have them, how did you mount them?

 

I have an Ultra Gauge. I bought it 4 or so years ago when I had an F150. The main reason I bought it was that it has an audible alarm when it detects something is not within the normal operating range. I had an alternator die on me 30 miles from the nearest town. I had no clue my alternator was going bad and don't really check my gauges while driving. I like to think if I had the Ultra Gauge at the time. The audible alarm would have let me know that the alternator was not putting out proper voltage and could have replaced the alternator prior to be stranded in the middle of no where.