Scan gauge II problems

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Slair @ Sep 17 2007, 08:02 AM) [snapback]513626[/snapback]</div>

20 seconds.

Longer after powering off is clearly an indication of a problem.

 

Quirky behavior has been reported in the past, though I believe this is the first time anyone has reported it killing a battery. (How much current does it draw? I'm surprised it's enough.) Some have hypothesized that smart key activity on the CAN wakes up the ScanGauge, which sits there trying to read information. You could try switching out of hybrid mode but then it would be pretty useless since it whould shut off every time the engine shut down.

Does Ron browse these forums? Has anybody talked to him directly about this?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(brick @ Sep 17 2007, 09:55 AM) [snapback]513651[/snapback]</div>

It draws very little current. Mine likes to turn itself back on periodically. I noticed yesterday afternoon that it was on (car in dark garage). The car started fine this AM after 14+ hours with the scanguage on.

- Tom

 

I think your battery dieing is something else. SG II doesn't draw enough to kill it, even after several days.

Changing the fuel type will not fix the problem. The SG II will then not work properly at all.

You can get the firmware upgraded, but I'd wait until they have the CAN message part finished. They do have a current update that is supposed to fix the quirky turn-on/off problem. Note that mine also "locks up" periodically, usually when the car is off. I have a display with one line of garbage characters, and no response to button presses. Just unplug the RG45, and plug it back in. This is also fixed in the current firmware upgrade, I'm told. The problems are supposedly caused by power "bumps" on the OBDII CAN port, where the SG II gets its' power.

To get the firmware upgrade, you have to send the unit back to them.

 

Agreed on the SG not killing the battery. My son left the rear dome light on once and it stayed lit for just over 30 hours, it didn't kill the battery and that amazed the heck out of me! The car was only a few days old when that happened. Since then, we had a long talk with the 7 year old about touching that dome light! I think that was a bad place to put a dome light, right near a potential child.