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I have seen a lot of questions and comments about correctly calibrating a Scangauge II. In this how-to, I would like to demonstrate a simple step by step process on how to setup and calibrate a ScanGauge II that is hopefully less confusing than the manual. I would also like to address what I think are the reasons that many have difficulty setting up their Scangauge II to more accurately reflect their MPG.
There are 2 parts to the process of configuring your Scangauge II. The first part is setting up constant vehicle parameters like fuel tank size, engine displacment and fuel type. These should not change from Xterra to Xterra. The second part is calibrating fuel rate and speed. I believe that in many cases if someone is having a problem getting the right MPG, it is because speed is calibrated incorrectly. This is especially true if the calibration was done based on dash speed or even GPS speed.
Part 1: SETUP
1) Engine Displacement
MORE>SETUP>ENGINE
Set the displacement to 4.0 Liters and hit SAVE button.
2) Fuel
MORE>SETUP>FUEL>TYPE
Make sure this option is set for GAS and hit SAVE button.
3) Fuel Tank Size
MORE>SETUP>FUEL>TANK SIZE
Set the tank size to 21 gallons and hit SAVE button.
You may also want to adjust the UNITS based on your preferences or location.
Part 2: Calibration
1) Speed
MORE>SETUP>SPEED
This is where I think many of the problems are that people are having. This setting is important for the Scangauge II to determine how many miles (or km) you have traveled based on your speed. The reason why I am stressing distance is because that is this number that the ScanGauge II uses to calculate your MPG, not your speed. Having the ScanGauge II speed calibrated for my dash speed or GPS speed yielded very different distances traveled. They were off between 10-20 miles per 100 miles traveled. This drastically offset what my ScanGauge II was reporting for my MPG
The first thing you should do is decide how you want to calibrate the distance you have traveled. I chose the mile markers on the highway. You can also use a portable GPS device that records distance if you feel that is more accurate. What you will need to do is adjust the speed % in MORE>SETUP>SPEED so that the distance traveled on your reference distance matches that of the ScanGauge II. This easiest way to do this is by using the "CURRENT" trip function.
1) From the main screen hit the trip button until the screen shows "CURRENT". Then hit the top left or right buttons until Miles (or km) is displayed on the screen.
2) Hit the reset button that is on the CURRENT screen when you get to a mile marker or when you reset the distance on your GPS.
3) Drive a few miles or until you start seeing a discrepancy. If you are above or below your best speed percentage, you should start seeing a noticeable discrepancy after about 5 or 10 miles.
4) If the distance reported on the ScanGauge II is farther than your distance reference, move the speed percentage down a percent.
5) If the distance reported on the ScanGauge II is not far enough, adjust the speed percentage up a percent.
5) Repeat this until distance is relatively accurate.
I know the process above sounds long and tedious, but it will really not take that long to do. Right now, my distance is only off by maybe 0.1 or 0.2 miles per 100 miles traveled. As far as speed goes, when my dash is 70 mph, my scan gauge reads 69 mph and my GPS reads 68 MPH. Who knows which one is really correct.
2) Fuel Rate
MORE>FILLUP
This part is more fun.
1) The first time you fill up when using the Scangauge II DO NOT adjust the fuel percentage. Just hit the done button indicating to it that you have filled your tank.
2) The next time you fill up your vehicle, make sure you go to the same pump. Before you leave your car, it is a good idea to go to the MORE>FILLUP page to see about how much fuel you need to put in. That way you accidently hit the auto-shutoff too early, you know you can put more fuel in.
3) Fill up your tank but don't try to squeeze in more fuel after the the pump hits the auto-shutoff. This will allow you to get a more accurate calculation. It is hard to top it off in the exact same way each time.
4) Repeat until the Scangauge II can accurate predict how much fuel needs to be added to your car when you go to the MORE>FILLUP page.
I hope this makes the process a little more clearer for someone having problems calibrating their ScanGauge II. I also hope this is good for someone that has not used one and does not like to read manuals like me.
Besides, I do not think the manual that came with the Scangauge II was very well written or clear anyway.
Let me know if you have any questions or comments.
There are 2 parts to the process of configuring your Scangauge II. The first part is setting up constant vehicle parameters like fuel tank size, engine displacment and fuel type. These should not change from Xterra to Xterra. The second part is calibrating fuel rate and speed. I believe that in many cases if someone is having a problem getting the right MPG, it is because speed is calibrated incorrectly. This is especially true if the calibration was done based on dash speed or even GPS speed.
Part 1: SETUP
1) Engine Displacement
MORE>SETUP>ENGINE
Set the displacement to 4.0 Liters and hit SAVE button.
2) Fuel
MORE>SETUP>FUEL>TYPE
Make sure this option is set for GAS and hit SAVE button.
3) Fuel Tank Size
MORE>SETUP>FUEL>TANK SIZE
Set the tank size to 21 gallons and hit SAVE button.
You may also want to adjust the UNITS based on your preferences or location.
Part 2: Calibration
1) Speed
MORE>SETUP>SPEED
This is where I think many of the problems are that people are having. This setting is important for the Scangauge II to determine how many miles (or km) you have traveled based on your speed. The reason why I am stressing distance is because that is this number that the ScanGauge II uses to calculate your MPG, not your speed. Having the ScanGauge II speed calibrated for my dash speed or GPS speed yielded very different distances traveled. They were off between 10-20 miles per 100 miles traveled. This drastically offset what my ScanGauge II was reporting for my MPG
The first thing you should do is decide how you want to calibrate the distance you have traveled. I chose the mile markers on the highway. You can also use a portable GPS device that records distance if you feel that is more accurate. What you will need to do is adjust the speed % in MORE>SETUP>SPEED so that the distance traveled on your reference distance matches that of the ScanGauge II. This easiest way to do this is by using the "CURRENT" trip function.
1) From the main screen hit the trip button until the screen shows "CURRENT". Then hit the top left or right buttons until Miles (or km) is displayed on the screen.
2) Hit the reset button that is on the CURRENT screen when you get to a mile marker or when you reset the distance on your GPS.
3) Drive a few miles or until you start seeing a discrepancy. If you are above or below your best speed percentage, you should start seeing a noticeable discrepancy after about 5 or 10 miles.
4) If the distance reported on the ScanGauge II is farther than your distance reference, move the speed percentage down a percent.
5) If the distance reported on the ScanGauge II is not far enough, adjust the speed percentage up a percent.
5) Repeat this until distance is relatively accurate.
I know the process above sounds long and tedious, but it will really not take that long to do. Right now, my distance is only off by maybe 0.1 or 0.2 miles per 100 miles traveled. As far as speed goes, when my dash is 70 mph, my scan gauge reads 69 mph and my GPS reads 68 MPH. Who knows which one is really correct.
2) Fuel Rate
MORE>FILLUP
This part is more fun.
1) The first time you fill up when using the Scangauge II DO NOT adjust the fuel percentage. Just hit the done button indicating to it that you have filled your tank.
2) The next time you fill up your vehicle, make sure you go to the same pump. Before you leave your car, it is a good idea to go to the MORE>FILLUP page to see about how much fuel you need to put in. That way you accidently hit the auto-shutoff too early, you know you can put more fuel in.
3) Fill up your tank but don't try to squeeze in more fuel after the the pump hits the auto-shutoff. This will allow you to get a more accurate calculation. It is hard to top it off in the exact same way each time.
4) Repeat until the Scangauge II can accurate predict how much fuel needs to be added to your car when you go to the MORE>FILLUP page.
I hope this makes the process a little more clearer for someone having problems calibrating their ScanGauge II. I also hope this is good for someone that has not used one and does not like to read manuals like me.
Besides, I do not think the manual that came with the Scangauge II was very well written or clear anyway. Let me know if you have any questions or comments.
