ScanGauge?

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Ruger

Ruger

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What I've learned about the UltraGauge:
- It identifies the ECM protocol and data available all by itself.
- You have to tell it the engine displacement, fuel tank capacity, peak torque, and whether the injectors shut down when decelerating. You also have to choose which gauges will appear on each of 7 pages. It'll draw down your battery while you program it.
- HP1, Torque1, and Engine Load % provide the most accurate readings for normal engines according to the manual, and HP2, Torque2, and Absolute Load % work better for modified engines. It must be the 6.2L's high compression ratio, but the first group of gauges (HP1, etc.) gives crazy numbers for the Raptor and the second group (HP2, etc.) gives numbers that make sense.
- ECU Battery Volts is what the ECU reports, but UG Battery Volts is a precision measurement and is more accurate.
- 2011 Fords and a few other models have been a particular problem for the UltraGauge, and the company had to come out with a new model to prevent the unit from draining the battery. The solution (the company calls it Mode 2) is to have the UltraGauge come on only after the engine is running. This prevents you from checking the battery voltage without the alternator running, and prevents you from getting an idea of how much the starter is drawing.
- The UltraGauge enables you to compare the temperatures of the two catalytic converters in real time, and also enables you to compare the health of the two banks of fuel injectors in real time.
- The company is peculiar to work with. To get your $9 rebate you have to send them a long string of numbers that the unit will provide upon initial activation. If you return the unit you have to send them EVERYTHING that came with the unit - internal packaging, the plastic bag the unit came in, a small yellow warning notice, even the twist tie for the cord. Failure to do so means they'll keep your unit and not refund your money. They will not extend the 30 day return period. They will correspond with you back and forth if you file a help ticket, but the answers to your questions will be strangely perfunctory.
 
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If you paid for the unit by credit card then call your card and explain the whole mess to them. My CC company has credited a few items that should have been refunded but the seller refused to.
 
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Ruger

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UPDATE: I was out of town for a week last week, and left the Raptor home. When I came back I thought it prudent to put the Raptor's new battery on the smart charger since the truck hadn't been driven for a week. The battery was on the charger for the better part of two days and the green light never came on. I unplugged the UltraGauge and the green light started blinking within a couple hours. By the next morning I had a constant green light on the charger indicating that the battery was fully charged.

The OBD port on the vehicle is powered at all times, and the UltraGauge never shuts off. It goes into a low power mode when the vehicle is not in use, and that means that the display screen goes dark, but it always draws power. From now on I'm going to unplug the UltraGauge when I park the truck at the house, and plug it back in each time I drive it. UltraGauge has NOT solved their battery drain problem.
 
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