More time with the UltraGage

[Tom Schindler]

I have been playing with my UltraGage for the past few days discovering more and more things this thing has that I consider "awesome".



I am coming up on my smog check that the Nazi's have for NE Ohio. I decided to remove my good DPFE sensor and reinstall a known bad DPFE sensor. I started the engine and within 15 seconds, I got a "pending trouble code" alarm. This was with no Check Engine Light on. This was the UltraGage seeing the computer seen something wrong before it was bad enough to set the light.



I drove it around for a day or two and finally the CEL came back on. I cleared the code, but the pending alarm came back on. I shut the engine off, replaced the DPFE sensor with my working one and started it back up. After the engine went into closed loop, I ghecked the pending codes. P1400 was gone.



That is pretty fricking sweet!



The more I use this thing, the more I like it.





Tom

 

[Kevin Lang]

This was with no Check Engine Light on. This was the UltraGage seeing the computer seen something wrong before it was bad enough to set the light.



I drove it around for a day or two and finally the CEL came back on.

So your test shows that the UltraGauge will inform you of a problem 2 days before anything else? Well, that's not 70 dollars useful.



Also, you say the CEL did not come on when you first did the swap, but later said (quoted above) that the CEL came "back on".



If it never came on before, it can't come back on. :banghead:

 

[mookie]

If it never came on before, it can't come back on.

It came on at one point to indicate a bad DPFE sensor. After putting the bad sensor back in, it came back on.



The UltraGauge does more than sense potential problems. I like mine for the instant mpg reading, engine temp and the code reader/clearing to name a few.

 

[Tom Schindler]

Well, that's not 70 dollars useful.

A pending issue is very valuable. Just because the light hasn't come on, doesn't mean that something could be looked at. I paid $40.00 for the ultra gage... :banana:



Mookie gets it. The more I use the UltraGage, the more I like it and the less I like the ScanGage.





Tom

 

[Kevin Lang]

I paid $40.00 for the ultra gage...

Are not you leaving out the rebate and shipping costs? For 40 bucks I would have gotten one just because, but other members said that with the aforementioned hidden costs, the sucker was almost 60, and now it is 70 (pre-shipping, iirc), which was not worth it when I already have a scangauge which does everything I need.

(and everything Mookie said his does)

The more I use the UltraGage, the more I like it and the less I like the ScanGage.

Time will tell. Did you ever upgrade your ScanGauge II software? That would make a more fair comparison.

 

[mookie]

Yeah, if you have the ScanGauge then you may not need/want an UltraGauge...

 

[Steve McKellop]

I wish I'd have jumped on one at the introductory price.



If you don't like it, don't need it ......... move on. Geez!!

 

[Tom Schindler]

I got the rebate already. I stand corrected. The actual cost is $45.88 after the speedy rebate and shipping charges. (I got two of them)



This is a discount of over $110.00 over the cost of a ScanGageII. Plus I have 6 gages to monitor at one time. Not only that, but a larger and easier to read display. To top it off, I can switch between 3 screens, for a total of 18 possible gages with a touch of the button.



Pretty slick.



Sure I can send my ScanGageII into the factory and pay the shipping costs, plus any additional charges, and get some fancy extra's, or I can pay $50.00 and get a pretty display, more gages at one time, pending MIL's, all in a compact (about the size of a business card) unit for 1/3 the price of a ScanGageII.



I am sold on the UltraGage. For the price, it is awesome. I don't like the cheap feel of it, but it still is pretty sweet!





Tom

 

[gary s]

"The more I use this thing, the more I like it."



in everyday life, how necessary is this item???

are you driving a vehicle so different from others?

 

[Mrlunchbox]

Where does one get an ultraguage?

 

[Tom Schindler]

in everyday life, how necessary is this item???

Gary, as a Toyota owner, this item is life or death. You never know when to expect TSDS. (Toyota Sudden Death Syndrome):bwahaha:



Seriously, I am a gadget freak and I like gages. For the average driver, it is useless. For some people, like myself, it is really cool.

are you driving a vehicle so different from others?

Actually, I am. I am driving a limited edition Explorer Sport Trac. Nobody has the one I have, so that makes it special. I have the only Sport Trac owned by me, therefore I can stick any gadget into it that I want.





Tom

 

[Richard L]

KL,

The OEM computer may have detected the error at the same time as the Ultra Gauge, but the OEM computer often needs to see that error code for a number of restart cycles or for a certain periond of time before it says there is a problem and triggers the CEL. The OEM computer want's to be sure that it was not just a momentary hic-up before it turns on the CEL.



The Ultra Gauge does not wait for X-number of cycles or time to pass. It sees the error and notifies you immediately. One could argue about the value of that early warning or that it may produce a lot more false alarms or premature alarms since it signals the alarm as soon as it sees any error instead of monitoring that error to insure it is not just a momentary fault.



...Rich

 

[gary s]

"Gary, as a Toyota owner, this item is life or death. You never know when to expect TSDS. (Toyota Sudden Death Syndrome)"



currently i am not a toyota owner. ( i guess you can count the scion made by toyota ).

but if this a life or death thing, i should run out a grab one of these important items.



"I am a gadget freak and I like gages"



i bet you also have those fancy little gauges that run up the drivers side pillar to monitor all the important functions of that unique trac :bwahaha:

 

[Mrlunchbox]

:worthless: :bwahaha:

 

[Christopher Comeaux]

i know i enjoy the heck out of mine it is an nice toy to have in the truck and i like my toys

 

[LaRue Medlin]

Finally got mine all set up. I set it on a 30 second rotation,,, man,, I like this thing...