Has anybody installed a after market Fuel Flow Meter or "Scangauge 2" to monitor GPH?

[mawrazen]

Has anybody used a Fuel Flow Meter(FFM) in their truck?

Since my truck is older than 1996 I would need a retofit FFM with a sending unit to monitor my fuel flow. I would like to find a FFM with a volume of 0-5 GPH.

Has anybody tried this or found a similar piece that will work on a 1st generation Explorer? (To give real time data?)

If you have a 1996 or newer OBD-II truck you could use the Scanguage 2 $170 to get lots of data right out of the PCM.

http://www.scangauge.com/

 

[aldive]

I use FloScan meters (2) on my boat.

http://www.boatersland.com/flo5500.html

 

[Maniak]

As far as I know, you cant use those flow meters with a return style fuel system. The FPR is at the fuel rail and the extra fuel is sent back to the tank. You would need to measure the fuel used between the FPR and the fuel rail and since the FPR is connected directly to the fuel rail on a 1st gen X (1991-1994) you can't get a gauge/sending unit connected there.

~Mark

 

[seth247]

I saw mythbusters used one on there tailgate up or down myth. Worked pretty well.

Ah I didn't think about that mark. Very true.

 

[Maniak]

I saw that episode too.. I don't like how they did the tests, except the model in the water tank test.

oh yea.. Some of the newer X's have a returnless system, but as far as I know, they are all odb-II (1996+) so you could use a scangauge and get your mpg that way instead (I think the scangauge shows you mpg.)

~Mark

 

[seth247]

it does but some have said it's not entirely accurate.

And did you see when they revisited that myth. They used the flow meter and also tested one of those net tailgaits.

 

[Maniak]

it does but some have said it's not entirely accurate.

And did you see when they revisited that myth. They used the flow meter and also tested one of those net tailgaits.

Yea.. I saw the 2nd set of tests where they used the flow meter instead of just how far on a tank of gas.. It was better, but still, a single test? What I did get from it though is that it didn't really matter much..

Once they found out they are designed to do better with the bed closed they should have done the test again on an older vehicle that wasn't designed that way (some late 60/ early 70's truck) to see if the myth was true with the older trucks..

~Mark

 

[mawrazen]

I saw mythbusters used one on there tailgate up or down myth. Worked pretty well.

They also tested AC on (windows up) vs. no AC (windows down). I feel that one needs to be revisited too.

Adam and Jamie driving 2 different trucks (I think Fords) They should have done 2 tests, each driver in each truck and averaged them.

Different people have different driving styles.

Just ask aldive. :notworthy:

 

[MrWizard]

DIY fuel flow meter

Here's a link to a Do-It-Yourself MPG gauge that uses a laptop computer,
a couple of diodes and resistors. You run two wires from any one of the
fuel injectors. It needs a pretty fast computer with Java installed, a
fair amount of memory, and a Line input. I've tried it and it works,
after a bit of screwing around:

http://opengauge.org/diympggauge

Since I didn't want to drive around with an expensive laptop in my
truck all the time, and I really wanted to see my fuel flow, not just
the MPG, I wrote my own fuel flow program that runs on any PC.
Uses the same circuit as the MPG meter, except you don't
need the VSS signal. It also uses either the mic input or the line
input since not all laptops have line inputs any more.
I have it running on an old Windows 95, 100MHz Pentium laptop that
was collecting dust in the junkpile. You're more than welcome to the
program if someone can tell me how to upload a file to the forum here.

 

[mawrazen]

Thanks for the links!

I saved them onto my laptop now I guess I need to learn anout writting Java code.

"As good as you are, you can always be better." I made that up.