Trip computer help

Hi Olcoolone

Thanks for the reply.


Will a GPS do the various fuel calculations that the Scanguage will do?

The best way to do fuel calculations is with a calculator, a piece of paper and a fuel station.

Fill your tank right up and drive for 500 kilometers, refuel and calculate the fuel used, convert to what ever you want....try this in different scenarios, off road, traffic, towing etc.

This is the most accurate way and a good way of ensuring you don't run out of fuel.

We know we get 13.6 to 15 Lts per 100k taveling at 100Kph with no trailer, this goes up to 15 to 17 when towing, in extreme 4wd low stuff we get between 25 to 30 and with the trailer on in the same conditions about 30 to 35.

We use this information when planing trips as it gives us a maximum for the amount of we need under extreme conditions to take and where to fill up.

We don't worry about what the display says as different driving and terrain conditions vary so much we would always be watching the fuel reading.

a calculator is good but not as accurate as a scanguage (and not as useful).
A scanguage gives you almost instantaneous fuel usage results as well as average trip statistics. I use mine to save fuel by observing changes in economy by altering driving style, its amazing how much diffrence you can see just by taking a few revs off. it also gives me how many kilometres to empty, which is vey accurate, as this takes into consideration your average fuel economy being used at that point in time. Each road is differnt, each tank of fuel will give you different results, winds change, loads change- no use using last trips figures for this trip unless you only want an estimate. I much prefer knowing exactly how many km's ive got to go and how many litres ive used. A calculator wont give you that info!!!
long live the scanguage!!!!!

I forgot most 4x4ers like to know every thing that's going on even if they don't need to know and some need gadgets to play with that has no use to anyone except the company selling them.

So before the days of the Scangauge what did you do?

People complain that new 4x4s have this and don't have that but one thing people forget is if the built a 4x4 with more switches and gauger's and atleast three computer screen complete with Doppler radar they would sell a bucket load......could see it know Nissan Navara $96,000 drive away...."who cares look at all those switches and gauger's"...

Me I'll just stick to my old way...or perhaps I might grab our Scantool from the workshop and use that ......seriously I would sooner sit and watch and enjoy the environment that I'm driving through then have to look at 20 gauger's all the time and see nothing.


On last thing does a Scangauge tell you when your about to run out of fuel......my calculator does!

i love a good dramatisation!!!!
i have plenty of uses for my scangauge, already justified the measly $200 i paid for it!
Before scanguage i played russian roulette with my factory fuel gauge and put up with previous fuel averages to give me a "near enough is good enough" figure for me to work with. Its not all that time consuming to glance at the screen to check fuel economy on the scanguage as i check my speed and temperature- i dont reckon i miss that much scenery!
i guess you either love em or hate em! no point arguing on this forum about what we like and why.

and YES, my scanguage tells me when im going to run out of fuel. I bet your calculator cant! how would your calculator know the conditions of the road, the weight of anything you are towing and the fuel quality? your figures like i said before would only be averages of previous trips\tanks of fuel etc. not actual point-in-time figures which are much more useful.

"A scangauge was never suitable for my essential requirement which is to know if I will make it to my destination and when"

A Scangauge won't tell you when you will get somewhere (need to do some mental arithmetic for that), but will give a pretty good indication if you will get there. It 'knows' how much fuel is left much more accurately than looking at a dash gauge (often uneven in their display of just what fuel has been used). Filled mine yesterday... bowser said 150.3 litres, Scangauge reckoned 150.9 had been used. One more click-off on the pump would have just about got them to match!

You can use the 'current' trip memory (it has seperate tank/yesterday/today & current memories) to get a quick idea of average fuel being used when you change road conditions (eg if drop down into low range) as you can reset it at any time without affecting the other memories where most in-car trip computers will take a long time to work out your range has dropped significantly.

Your 'solution' might be more useful but a Scangauge can still be a handy device (assuming your car can drive it of course!)

Cheers, Nige