ScanGauge II

Hi,

Well, I finally bought it. I was hopping to get the transmission temperature on the scangauge but so far i was not able to find the code. I was wondering if other owner of the scangauge (with T1N) would share their experiences, advices, codes and anything else that would help to get the most out of the scangauge.

Pascal.

Hi Pascal,
Awesome that you now have a ScanGage!
Unfortunately, DC/MB engineering didn't put any sort of transmission temp sensor on the Sprinter.
Upscale Automotive has a trans temp gage kit (as well as oversize trans cooler kit and a second fan kit) to keep your
trans and engine nice and cool on the hottest days.
I saw their installation on a long haul Sprinter (itransport4U) with a good sized cargo trailer on the back
and as soon as I can get out to Oregon, I'll have the same setup installed on my Sprinter.
Bob is on his 3rd Sprinter and puts about as many miles/year as anyone.
He suggested running at around 60-62 mph in 4th gear to keep the LOD down and the trans temp nice
and cool.
I ran into Bob at a Flying J in central PA last summer and he was a wealth of info on getting the most out
of a Sprinter. His current Sprinter has about every "trick" thing in the book (and a few unpublished ones as well).
I tried the ScanGage where you have it installed, but I needed to look down more than I like so I put mine
up on the top of the dash by the LH door pillar.
Interesting that your photos show a different LOD in each photo.
Try turning on the AC..... turn on the headlights.... run the cabin fan on high.
It's amazing that at idle, sitting still, you can gain/lose more than 10% LOD just by shutting things
off and shifting the trans to neutral to minimize the load.
Check out my long post on the ScanGage in the thread on Turbo Resonators.
Have you tried the new ScanGage with your dump trailer yet. That's where you will see the
huge difference being able to monitor parameters like LOD will make.
Roger

Just realized from those pictures that you T1N guys have a factory analog water temp guage.
My ScanGuage II was worth the price just for the water temp info alone that is missing from the new models.
Watching LOD and MPG while climbing the 3 mile long slight incline leaving my neighborhood has sure altered my departure technique.
The tailgaters must think a Sprinter is underpowered, but who cares, I'm saving money while arriving a minute later.

Hi Roger,

Thank you for all the good info. I am waiting for the trailing and i should have it by the end of the month. The transmission cooler kit is a great idea, this will come next. If you like, I can make a little block like mine so you can install your scangauge behind the steering. I took a picture to show you. I started with the first big block. This one has a small angle so the scangauge is facing you . I did like that position until i drove at night and the light was reflecting into the windshield. Then I made en extra piece with a 22.5 angle on to sides so it is tilted at 45 degree. The gauge is more vertical if you look sideway and now the light from the gauge is not reflecting in the windshield. It it why i have two pieces on the picture. I did it last night and was too tired to take the top plastic apart and screw a new block (one piece).
About the load , I noticed that too. Some time the load will be at 30 while at idle and i am not using the ac. I do drive with the fog light on and the fan speed on 1-2
I was hoping for the trans temp code so i would save $$ and not have to buy the trans.
temp kit from upscale.
I like the gauge with the Load, it is very helpful .

Pascal said:

I was hoping for the trans temp code so i would save $$ and not have to buy the trans.
temp kit from upscale.

Click to expand...

Maybe the scangauge can't read it, but there is a tranny temp sensor and it can be read with a voltmeter if you tap into the correct wire under the driver's seat. If interested, go to the yahoo sprintervan forum and look in links\diy and scroll down to the Ts (alphabetically arranged). Seek published the voltage vs temp graph on this forum not long ago.

PS - the instructions recommend soldering the tap wire; I didn't feel comfortable with that, so I used a cold tap which has worked well for me

Hi talkinghorse,
I stand corrected on the T1N tranny temp sensor.....good info, thx!
If I bought a voltmeter and redid the voltage scale into a temp scale I'd have a good idea
what the tranny temp is doing, right?
thx again!

Hi Boardster....
Yep, a 3 mile uphill incline is exactly what the ScanGage II is all about in terms of LOD.
I'll bet you used to push down the accellerator enough to get going pretty quickly and
leave it there.....right?
First time you did that with the ScanGage II I'll bet the LOD went to 99% and stayed there
all the way up the hill.
You were using 100% of the engine's power and pushing fuel in as fast as the ECU will allow.
And, the shift points were up in the 2600-3000 rpm range due to the drive train
(engine/tranny/rear end being at full load.
Then when you got to the top, it backed off as the road leveled out.
Without the ScanGage you would never have known that you had the accellerator pedal
depressed far more than it takes to get up that same hill at < 90% LOD.
And, since you are not at full load, the tranny shifts up at about 2200-2400 rpm, using only as
much power and fuel as it takes to get up the hill efficiently.
Without the ScanGage you are completely "clueless" as to what the drive train is doing.
Add the ScanGage and you have lots of choices... the least efficient and hardest on your
Sprinter being what you used to do before you had the information to make the choices.

sailquik said:

Add the ScanGage and you have lots of choices... the least efficient and hardest on your
Sprinter being what you used to do before you had the information to make the choices.

Click to expand...

Cheeze, Roger, are you sponsored by them ? Sounds like something I need now instead of just wanted.

Pasc,

Whre did you get your SCII...Direct or from JC Whitney?

Thanks!

sailquik said:

Hi talkinghorse,
I stand corrected on the T1N tranny temp sensor.....good info, thx!
If I bought a voltmeter and redid the voltage scale into a temp scale I'd have a good idea
what the tranny temp is doing, right?
thx again!

Click to expand...

Right, it's the same temp the TCM uses to adjust the tranny as the fluid temp changes.

I bought it from their web site . http://www.scangauge.com/

I did not like my little bracket so i did another one lol .

Crossing my finger, maybe the code for the trans temp is well hidden. The computer still need those info from the transmission

Pascal said:

Crossing my finger, maybe the code for the trans temp is well hidden. The computer still need those info from the transmission

Click to expand...

Maybe, but the control of the tranny is done by the TCM. Maybe the temp isn't transmitted to the ECM by the TCM?

Windsprinter:
"Cheeze, Roger, are you sponsored by them ? Sounds like something I need now instead of just wanted."

As I said in another post on Turbo Resonators... if they sell 1 million ScanGage IIs or if they never sell another one my cost is still around $160 and
my profit is limited to how much I'll save on fuel and wear and tear on my Sprinter.
I got my ScanGage from Euro Campers out in San Diego ($159.00) + shipping I think.

Suffice to say I was really amazed and impressed.... right after I got over the shock of seeing my mileage go from 20+ down to 12.5 mpg
when I put the trailer on the back and headed off on my summer tour to Texas and the Midwest.
With the ScanGage I was able to bring the 12.5 mpg up to 15-16 mpg in a few days.

I can assure you that if you get the ScanGage II and learn to use it, you will begin to wonder how you ever managed to drive a Sprinter
without "the rest of the story" info you get from the ScanGage.
Yes, you really do NEED one if you want to get the best economy and have your Sprinter last a long time.
And, I'm happy to report that just driving up and down Hatteras Island and to Norfolk, with the ScanGage and cruise control my mileage
(with 27k on the Odo) is up over 23 mpg running with the cruise set a 55 mph. I'll have to weigh the next time I'm at FJ and see what my
gross is.
Roger

sailquik said:

And, I'm happy to report ..........with the ScanGage and cruise control my mileage
..... is up over 23 mpg running with the cruise set a 55 mph.
Roger

Click to expand...

I've always been a big cruise control user, but was thinking that it is not a fuel efficient way of driving.
Wouldn't driving 55 manually and speeding up on the downhills while slowing to as low as 45 on the uphills give you even greater fuel economy?
I used to haul my trailer as well as a few boards and bikes on the roof of my E-150 and set the cruise control, not worrying about the burn. That was when $2.00/gallon reg. unleaded seemed high.
I kept it up even at $3.00 per, just letting get-there-itis rule the day.
I'm surprised while watching the ScanGuage LOD that you still use it.

I've only taken one road trip in the Sprinter so far, and that was only slightly over 400 miles to Sportsmobile to have some stuff installed.
First real trip will be in December, around 4000 miles. It'll be interesting watching the consumption in the varying conditions.

I posted this a while back but it got relocated for some reason. Check it out, tho it may have expired. Normal price but get a $50 instore card.


http://jcwhitney.rsys1.net/servlet/c...IiNxoNJQjjQJhu

Bob

Boardster,
Maybe my Sprinter Tech set up my cruise control differently than factory installed CC, but running around the Mid Atlantic (very flat, minor elevation changes)
I find that the cruise and the ECM work together better than my right foot using my big toe only.
I can drive my van barefoot and try to be as sensitive as I can, but I don't seem to be able to "settle down" my accelerator inputs to anything near the steady
lowest possible LOD that the cruise and ECM seem to be able to achieve.
Most of my recent runs are on 55 mph highways with very few stops.
I set the cruise at 45 mph through all the villages on Hatteras Island, accellerate up to 55 mph (Scangage II and GPS speed.... my speedo reads around 58 mph)
as I come out of the villages on Hiway 12, and then flip my cruise lever down on the way into the next village until the speed drops to 45 mph on the Scangage.
I never even put my foot on the pedal unless someone/something slows me down.
I can easily see the results of wind direction and windspeed on the Scangage II. If the road bends a little the LOD will change maybe 5% and then settle down
again.
I'm able to travel at 55 mph in light winds with a LOD of > 60%.
With headwinds (closer that 45 deg in front of the vehicle) the load will stay in the 60-68% range if the winds blowing at =< 20 knots.
On the return trip I've seen 55 mph=< 55% LOD with the wind pushing at < 45 deg. behind the van.
I'll have to begin to write down the LOD vs MPG readings from the ScanGage and correlate the LOD vs MPG readings, but last evening I was
getting LOD of 50-55% and over 21 mpg with the cruise just rolling along downwind.
I guess this is one of those cases where the ECM/Throttle module/Cruise control work better together than the ECM/Throttle module/ with a
human in control.
Didn't think I'd ever say something like this, but that's what's happening.
Adding the trailer it may be a different story, but I doubt it.
I'm going to try "downshifting manually" to 4th gear this afternoon and see how my very sensitive Mr. Cruise control likes that?
Roger

sailquik said:

I can drive my van barefoot ......

Click to expand...

There's another way?

sailquik said:

Most of my recent runs are on 55 mph highways with very few stops.
I set the cruise at 45 mph through all the villages on Hatteras Island,
Roger

Click to expand...

Last time I was in OBX with the trailer and E-150 I thought I was in trailer towing heaven.
Sure, the winds and surf were both great, but I couldn't believe how everything from the Brew-Thru on up were all pull-through.
Low clearance at Skim City, but aside from that the most big-rig (for a civillian) friendly set up I've ever seen.

TH43

I've tried to join the yahoo group but no avail...could you pass on the "pick up points" for the tranny temp please

Thanks

Jimmy

Aircraft Wrench said:

TH43

I've tried to join the yahoo group but no avail...could you pass on the "pick up points" for the tranny temp please

Thanks

Jimmy

Click to expand...

Exceedingly strange you couldn't join - maybe the Doktor (he moderates there) doesn't like you? (lol) Anyway, here's the scoop:

"Sprinter technicians at your local Freightliner and Dodge dealership
can easily check transmission fluid level. They have factory scanning
software that gives them a "on-board" reading of fluid temp. and the
MBenz service dipstick tool. The tool can be purchased from various
sources but it cannot provide accurate info without the all important
fluid temp. reading. YOU can access that same fluid temp. sensor
reading. The on-board sensor is located in the valve-solenoid body of
the transmission. It is sends temp. data to the trans. control module
when the shift lever is in D or Rev. You need to gain access to the
central electrical area under the drivers seat. If you have the
optional-all "bells and whistles" seat simply remove the bottom
cushion. If you have the std. seat, remove the entire seat from base(6
allen bolts). Remove the cardboard protection panel and the first
thing you see on top of all those relays and wire bundles is a black
box suspended by 2 flat metal brackets. Remove the retaining screws
and flip the entire bracket and its box, over. This is the TCM (Trans.
control module). It has "Siemens" on the label. There are 2 wide plugs
at its base. One has more wires than the other(this is the one you
want) and its very loosely bound so you can see the wires and their
colors easily. Your looking for a grey wire with a blue stripe. There
are 2 wires(identical 20 gage) which look VERY similar. The one you
DON"T want is blue with a grey stripe. Very subtle differance! Strip
back a short section of insulation and soldier a lenght of wire that
you can run out of seat base through an exsisting hole near the hand
brake. Carefully insulate the splice and bolt everything back in.
Attach a ground wire (of a differant color)under anyone of the screws
contacting the seat support base. Run this wire out the same hole and
use a grommet to protect them from metal. Soldier or high quality
crimp, insulated ends onto wires. Pick a hardware type that can
tightly accomodate the probes on your VOM(volt ohm meter). Use a
digital meter with high impedence. With vehicle running you can now
measure the voltage reading the TCM uses to determine temp. In "park"
or "neutral" you'll see the 5 Volt reference voltage and in D or Rev.
you will read "THE" Voltage that can be easily converted to temp. with
help of chart (fig. 223) on page 21-142 of the workshop manual. Fig.
137 on page 21-103 of the workshop manual is used to determine the
temp. correct dipstick marking to be used when measuring fluid level.
It's all easier than it sounds and if you make good soldier
connections and well insulate everything, there is little risk of
disaster or inaccuracies. After one afternoon of driving with my VOM
on the console I can now interpret the temps without the chart. Get
creative and you could make this a permanent addition to your
dash/console. Useful when towing in Death Valley. Andy"

I felt uncomfortable stripping & soldering in that mass of wires, so I used a cold tap (like is used to tap in for trailer wiring) to make the connection.

Thanks for the info!!!

I'm off to yank a seat!