GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

Hey djb383,From what I read, you own a scangauge.You indicate driving speed is important.Can you help me by telling me how the scangauge has helped you realize the importance of driving style?Convince me why buying one makes sense....I pretty much have not gotten better than a consistent 29-30 mpg in my auto basic Vibe. Without going crazy, what do you realistically think I can achieve for mpg if I change my driving habits....without turning off the engine or inflate my tires to 40psi etc, in other words being realistic without going to the extreme.Your opinion appreciated.Thanks

FWIW, I have a scangauge and I've seen about a 3-5 MPG increase in 90% city driving. It definitely wasn't totally owing to the scangauge though. I also increased the pressure in my tires to 40PSI and started 'pulse & gliding'. Having the scangauge isn't really necessary if you know how to drive a particular car. It's important to know what speeds are most efficient. In the pre-'09 autos, I know (thanks to the scangauge) the best speed is actually about 28MPH (lowest speed it'll shift to fourth), next about 40MPH (locks up torque converter) is pretty good. The biggest improvement I've seen is when I started P&G. You get the most benefit from this when you also have high tire pressure, because you can glide for much longer before you pulse again. For example on my way to work, there's a good stretch of 45MPH road, so I accelerate moderately quickly to 50ish then shift to neutral and glide down to about 38, then pop it back in gear and pulse back up to 50ish, and so on. I think it's generally recommended to pulse 10 over your target speed and glide down to 10 under, but where I live, drivers are very aggressive, and I'd get myself killed in short order doing it that way.Other things to keep in mind are that cold engines burn a lot more gas. It takes a couple miles to warm up in moderate climates (watch for the temp needle to be horizontal). Once the car is warmed up the engine uses less fuel idling in neutral than it does in gear (glide in gear until it's warm). Use neutral when stopped at a light. The engine burns twice as much gas running the AC if you're just idling. If you see you have to stop while at good speed, you can cut fuel flow completely if you downshift to third then second (not sure if this may stress the transmission).I guess that's about the sum of what I've learned from the SG so far (in about two months). Keep in mind though, the scangauge does a lot more than just teach you those things. It can also keep track of miles/mileage/fuel cost/time for each of the trip/day/tank. It can also read and reset trouble codes. If you have or can borrow a GPS, you can calibrate the SG to show you the true vehicle speed. It's up to you, I've shared what I can about what it's taught me, but there's still value to be had from actually purchasing one yourself. Hope this was helpful.

altimar pretty much summed it up... I've increased my city MPG by about 4-5 MPG just by watching the gauge and changing my habits (P&G is the single most important thing I have done) I still have 35 psi in my tires.I pretty much bought my scangauge for teaching me the habits that I already knew how to do, but now can do it better, and for the code scanning / reset, I've already cleared about 3-4 codes, 1 on the wife's car, 1 on my neighbor's car, and 1 on my bro's car... not sure if any others... that stuff alone makes it worth it to me.

Thank you gents,much appreciated.I will not be able to do Pulse and Glide , cause I live in a metropolitan area and it would be dangerous.However, I can glide to a stop or a red light without the tranny engaged.I can slightly increase my tire pressures and also time my travel to the red lights.I will try this in a month when I get my car backThanks you guys

I don't really use the Scan Gauge for mpg.......but rather to monitor coolant temp, intake air temp, voltage and engine load. I'm old school when it comes to mpg......just divide gallons pumped into miles traveled. To get better mpg & use less fuel, I've slowed down, eliminated using 'drive-thru' lines and ride the Burgman whenever possible. Sorry.

ThanksLooks like , as you indicated previously, driving style makes the most difference.

I use the scangauge as a nag. I leave the scangauge in trip meter mode, displaying the average MPG since I started the car. Then it is like a very boring video game, trying to get the number as high as possible. It is a reminder to accelerate gently. The scangauge will give you that instant feedback, instead of waiting to get the accurate mpg number when you fill up the tank by dividing # miles by # gallons since the last fillup. For me it's more important to leave early enough, so that I am not in a hurry, and to overcome my natural competitive inclination. When I'm running late, or if I start to compete with other drivers, then I drive faster and accelerate harder. The scangauge will show you the effect of that, give you that feedback as you are driving, so it can help some. It is really hard for me to just plod along in the slow lane and be passed by a lot of cars, even if I know I am saving gas.

Quote, originally posted by joatmon »I use the scangauge as a nag. For me it's more important to leave early enough, so that I am not in a hurry, and to overcome my natural competitive inclination. When I'm running late, or if I start to compete with other drivers, then I drive faster and accelerate harder. The scangauge will show you the effect of that, give you that feedback as you are driving, so it can help some. It is really hard for me to just plod along in the slow lane and be passed by a lot of cars, even if I know I am saving gas. A VERY BIG x2

Quote, originally posted by lexicon »ThanksLooks like , as you indicated previously, driving style makes the most difference.Don't know if 'driving style' makes the most difference but it is one thing all of us can try/do and it's free and it works. Remember, the only thing constant is change........just look at the '09 Vibe. I'm an old fart now and just laugh when someone passes me...........$4.50/gal, hammer down.....Dude.