ScanGaugeII surprise

syrjohn

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 30, 2004
Location
Marcellus NY (west of Syracuse)
TDI
2002 silver Golf
I recently had my clutch and turbocharger replaced on my 2002 Golf TDI with 235,000 miles on it. I disconnected the SG before the work and reconnected after. Then soon after I noticed something strange about its operation.

I was driving along and noticed my Today MPG was just above 50 as I approached a 1/2-3/4 mi downhill so I did my usual downshift to avoid using the brake and let it coast in gear. When I got to the end I noticed I had lost about 1 1/2 mpg. This has never happened before. I decided to do a test on another long downhill by getting up to speed and putting it in 5th. I then switched to Gauge setting so I could get an instantaneous mpg reading. Then as I coasted down the hill I switched back and forth between in gear and out of gear. The mpg reading was roughly twice as high out of gear than in. This makes absolutely no sense. The reading should be much higher in gear since the rolling of the car is turning the engine over with no fuel. In fact, my older SG used to read 9999.9 when I coasted in gear.

Could they have set something wrong on my engine when they did the work?
 

jettawreck

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 2, 2004
Location
Northern Minnesota-55744
TDI
2001 Jetta and 2003 Jetta
My older SG installed in the '01 reads 9999 when coasting in gear, the slightly "newer" version SG in the '03 reads a variable number in the hundreds when coasting in gear. Never figured out why, but both are quite accurate.
 

Honeydew

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Nov 28, 2006
Location
Florida
TDI
13 Passat DSG
My older SG installed in the '01 reads 9999 when coasting in gear, the slightly "newer" version SG in the '03 reads a variable number in the hundreds when coasting in gear. Never figured out why, but both are quite accurate.
Firmware change, I think. Our older one used to read 9999 then I sent it in for a firmware update to get the x-gauge functionality. After the update it reads like yours does.
 

jettawreck

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 2, 2004
Location
Northern Minnesota-55744
TDI
2001 Jetta and 2003 Jetta
Firmware change, I think. Our older one used to read 9999 then I sent it in for a firmware update to get the x-gauge functionality. After the update it reads like yours does.
That's what I suspect(ed).
Kind of odd that the older version is closer to correct since no fuel is being used when coasting in gear. I bought the "newer version" one used and the previous owner has already added some xgauge features, although I really don't have a use for them.
 

Cogen Man

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 4, 2011
Location
Kingston, Ontario, Canada
TDI
2011 Golf TDI DSG.
My SGII, bought in 2008 shows 0.00 LPH(liters per hundred kilometers) when coasting in gear. When I come to a stop, foot on the break and in gear it shows 0.07 LPH the same as the cluster readout. When I had it on my previous rig a gasser it always went to 9999.9 when at a stop in gear foot on brake.
 
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syrjohn

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 30, 2004
Location
Marcellus NY (west of Syracuse)
TDI
2002 silver Golf
Thank you all for your comments but I'm sorry I included the distraction about 9999.9.

The real issue I have is with the mpg being less while coasting in gear than it is out of gear. Years ago on this site I got the impression there was a fuel cut off if you put it in gear while coasting. Can anyone tell me if this is true or that I'm mistaken? The theory was that you should stay in gear going down a hill to save fuel.
 

jettawreck

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 2, 2004
Location
Northern Minnesota-55744
TDI
2001 Jetta and 2003 Jetta
Thank you all for your comments but I'm sorry I included the distraction about 9999.9.

The real issue I have is with the mpg being less while coasting in gear than it is out of gear. Years ago on this site I got the impression there was a fuel cut off if you put it in gear while coasting. Can anyone tell me if this is true or that I'm mistaken? The theory was that you should stay in gear going down a hill to save fuel.
I do know for a fact they (maual tranny at least) shut the fuel OFF when coasting in gear. That's why the 9999 mpg is displayed. Its as close to infinite it can display.
I have no idea why your SG reads higher in gear than when in nuetral coast, but it may be a software "estimate". I do know there is a difference between my two SG in the way they report/display this info.
 

syrjohn

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 30, 2004
Location
Marcellus NY (west of Syracuse)
TDI
2002 silver Golf
I do know for a fact they (manual tranny at least) shut the fuel OFF when coasting in gear. That's why the 9999 mpg is displayed. Its as close to infinite it can display.
Thanks for validating that point about "cut off".

Now since my SG was performing normally before the turbo replacement (in that it would indicate a few hundred mpg on an in gear coast but much fewer on a neutral coast), but now behaves just the opposite I am left to wonder if something was done during the repair to alter the automatic "cut off" feature. If any of you are experienced mechanics and know of something like that happening I'd appreciate knowing about it.
 

jettawreck

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 2, 2004
Location
Northern Minnesota-55744
TDI
2001 Jetta and 2003 Jetta
Thanks for validating that point about "cut off".

Now since my SG was performing normally before the turbo replacement (in that it would indicate a few hundred mpg on an in gear coast but much fewer on a neutral coast), but now behaves just the opposite I am left to wonder if something was done during the repair to alter the automatic "cut off" feature. If any of you are experienced mechanics and know of something like that happening I'd appreciate knowing about it.
The fuel shut off soleniod is on the top of the IP (single wire attatches to it). If I recall, power to the switch/soleniod opens it. So I don't think they could have damaged it or the engine wouldn't start/run.
Know anybody that you could swap SG with for a test?
 

syrjohn

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 30, 2004
Location
Marcellus NY (west of Syracuse)
TDI
2002 silver Golf
The fuel shut off soleniod is on the top of the IP (single wire attatches to it). If I recall, power to the switch/soleniod opens it. So I don't think they could have damaged it or the engine wouldn't start/run.
Know anybody that you could swap SG with for a test?

Thanks for the feedback. I'll give it a try.
 

syrjohn

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 30, 2004
Location
Marcellus NY (west of Syracuse)
TDI
2002 silver Golf
Reset the SGII and start over. Diesel A? and 1.9 engine size.

Bill
I've tried the last 2 suggestions and think the resetting made the most sense. After the reset I tried it down the hill and actually got a 9999 in gear. Later on it settled down to hundreds or low thousands but reading much better than when out of gear. Now I'll have to go thru the fill up recalibration. So, thanks to you all I guess my cut off must still be working.
 

steffen707

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2005
Location
Central Wisconsin
TDI
01 Jetta GLS TDI
I've tried the last 2 suggestions and think the resetting made the most sense. After the reset I tried it down the hill and actually got a 9999 in gear. Later on it settled down to hundreds or low thousands but reading much better than when out of gear. Now I'll have to go thru the fill up recalibration. So, thanks to you all I guess my cut off must still be working.
What fuel cut off value are you using? The manual says 24 is the default. I've read some use 6. What have you guys been using?
 
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