why a scan gauge?

http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...angauge-best-threads-mileage-improvement.html is a good starting point. http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-.../74368-scangauge-newbie-suggested-gauges.html sorta answers your question.

FWIW, I've tried to use it for SHM but never was really patient enough nor had a long enough, clear stretch to do it much w/o putting myself in danger. I mainly use it more out of curiosity, to gauge how hard to brake to not throw away energy (as heat and brake dust) and to know when to turn the HVAC to off (when temp is above lo) so that the ICE doesn't fire up (boundary is at 145 FWT [Fahrenheit Water Temp]).

Some use it to be able to tell what "stage" they're in (see 1st link).

Don't get too distracted by the Prius' displays and ScanGauge at first! I was overwhelmed by the amount of Prius related ScanGauge knowledge, posts, etc. when I first got mine.

 

I have mine set to display RPM, fWT (water temp), bta (battery amps +/-) and SOC.

This tells me if I'm pushing the engine too hard (rpm) or if it's off; whether the engine is warm enough to go into S4 (fWT); how much I'm regenning or using the HV battery (bta); and how much HV battery is left (SOC).

 

I use the above too for most of my current driving. If I'm at highway speeds or might be in situation to do SHM, I'll tend to switchover to show IGN and gps (gas pedal position sensor) and leave RPM up.

 

+1. Wise men think the same.

I used to use IGN for SHM but then I found it much easier just to look at the instantaneous MPG bar graph from the MFD - there is a quantum jump up in instantaneous MPG when entering SHM.

Hope this helps and enjoy the new car!

 

I use a ScanGauge to turn off the backup beeper on my friends 2010s.

 

I use mine for battery voltage, both with car running and engine(s) off. Also for RPM. Wish there was a way to get oil pressure!

 

I'm going to definitely purchase one. Will the unit have instructions on what functions can be monitored on the Prius? Is it user friendly? Thanks

 

The best way to find out the functions is just to search on the web. There are some posts about it right here in priuschat.

It is somewhat user friendly once you get used to it. The most painful part is to manually enter the codes for X-Gauges (additional functions that is not built in) but you only need to do it once. Hope this helps.

 

Not for ones that aren't built in. As for the latter, sorta.

This is probably the best list I know of so far:
http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...77-updated-list-gen-ii-xgauges-scangauge.html

Agreed. Putting in the X gauges is a pain. For each XGauge you want, you have to enter all hex values for that row + a name (NAM) using the couple buttons that are on the unit.

 

I'd like to get a scangauge eventually. I think I'd run RPM, Coolant temperature, SOC and charge current.

I've taken to turning the MFD off when I leave for work (I leave the house after 9:30pm), and having a ScanGauge could help me monitor things I'd like to see relevant to how the car is performing without having to use the MFD.

 

What are the values you see with the BTA and SOC? I just hooked my scan gauge up and would like to know the common values that would or should be seen.

 

They depend on your driving conditions, though you should not see SOC above 80% or below 40% very often at all. Here is a graph of the data that I collected some time ago: