My Ultra Gauge OBDII Code Reader.
Custom Install mod:
This is a code reader, scanner you plug into the OBD 2 port of your vehicle which is typically under the driver side dash so a mechanic or you with a scanner can plug into the port and read error codes.
The Ultra Gauge when plugged into the port is capable of showing more than the error codes for diagnostics, because the vehicles ECM computer module collects data from all the sensors and all that typically unseen data is made accessible with something like this Ultra Gauge. The useful information it displays which is all optional to select includes everything on your dash, air fuel mixtures, ratios, fuel use, trip data, warning settings, etc... it is a very long list of very useful information.
You can select each page of gauges (7 of them) to have either 4 or 8 gauges displayed. When selecting gauges if you choose 8 per page but then only assign 7 gauges there will be a blank spot according to whatever number gauge you are leaving out.
Meaning top left is the #1 gauge spot, 2 is next on right, 3 is below 1, etc... and so when you go to the gauge selection pages and make whatever gauge you want appear by assigning it as #1 or 2, 3 etc... see the pictures at the bottom for some reason it is not 4 and 8 but 6 and 8. I didn't see a 6 gauges display and so maybe that is the first page that only has 6 I will need to check, and see if it is assignable to be a regular page.
The one downside so far is that you have to bother yourself with skipping over foreign measurements while selecting American measurement values. Every page for optional selectable gauges just shows the 2 types descending one on top of the other. Be a lot easier to program if it could limit itself to American values in the menus.
It is right below the bottom white bar in this picture. You can almost see the port. You can see the cable though.
3.) It has 9 pages of programmable data with up to 12 spaces each page or just 1 or 2 items not sure min.
Custom Install mod:
This is a code reader, scanner you plug into the OBD 2 port of your vehicle which is typically under the driver side dash so a mechanic or you with a scanner can plug into the port and read error codes.
The Ultra Gauge when plugged into the port is capable of showing more than the error codes for diagnostics, because the vehicles ECM computer module collects data from all the sensors and all that typically unseen data is made accessible with something like this Ultra Gauge. The useful information it displays which is all optional to select includes everything on your dash, air fuel mixtures, ratios, fuel use, trip data, warning settings, etc... it is a very long list of very useful information.
Meaning top left is the #1 gauge spot, 2 is next on right, 3 is below 1, etc... and so when you go to the gauge selection pages and make whatever gauge you want appear by assigning it as #1 or 2, 3 etc... see the pictures at the bottom for some reason it is not 4 and 8 but 6 and 8. I didn't see a 6 gauges display and so maybe that is the first page that only has 6 I will need to check, and see if it is assignable to be a regular page.
The one downside so far is that you have to bother yourself with skipping over foreign measurements while selecting American measurement values. Every page for optional selectable gauges just shows the 2 types descending one on top of the other. Be a lot easier to program if it could limit itself to American values in the menus.
My radio trim piece just had a black bar across the middle, so I removed that so the wiring could run to the left side where the OBDII port is. It is located directly under the white plastic on the far left next to the driver side door.
So what I did was buy a Ultra Gauge mount. Then I cut a hole with a drill in the right side of the console trim. Used a large drill bit. Then I poked the circle ball of the mount through and the Ultra Gauge popped on it. End of story.
Still need to do some cable management.
FAQ/FYI: The Ultra Gauge senses when the car is on or turned off and then turns itself off.
However, I had the battery disconnected then got in and saw the gauge was "scanning" so maybe check if you reconnect a battery that it isn't trying to scan all night long.
1.) It is a code reader
2.) It is a mileage calculator3.) It has 9 pages of programmable data with up to 12 spaces each page or just 1 or 2 items not sure min.
4.) It has alarm settings for trans temp to high (depending on model), meaning some vehicle manufacturers use their own coding that regular OBD2 scanner code readers won't be able to access. Buy the right Ultra Gauge and you can see it, like transmission temp, and set a warning for it. They are the "Mgauge" gauges in the picture.
5.) There is the Ultra Gauge EM, EM Plus, etc...
6.) Is powered by the cars obd2 port, starts up shuts off with car.
7.) Has a button the rear right side, hold it for a moment to cycle pages. There is a menu button the left side.
I'm pretty sure I bought this vertical mount on the ultra gauge website for like 6 bucks. There is a slanted version as well. Anyway, cut the plastic left and right, top and bottom with scissors and stuck the thing through the hole I made in the console trim. There is a plastic ball where that turn dial is so the entire clip part is attached to the rear cup part.
It is easy to lift the Ultra Gauge up out of the clip to use it.
Aside from the alarms you can see the fuel trims. This is like smoke testing your cars engine to see if there is any air leaks. Codes will only be tripped by your car if they are above 25% the norm I heard. So having one of these is useful. See my post about reading fuel trims. There is a link to a YouTube video that explains it all in detail.
Short version. There is a short term fuel trim and a long term fuel trim. One is calculated based on stop go air flow and fuel use and the other on sustained driving basically. If you have a reduced or lower speed/power feeling driving your vehicle or you are using more fuel would be a thing to look at. This thing has a ton of ways to calculate fuel use long term or for each trip.
The best reason to buy one of these things is if your dash ever fails, it shows how much fuel you have (Fuel Tank Gauge), and how fast you are driving (MPH) and also how much voltage your battery has.
Costs around $100
The Chevy Cobalt shows on the dash what the coolant temperature is if you push that button on the console on the right of the steering wheel. The Ultra Gauge shows this same measurement as "Eng *F" and it is around 180 to 200 degrees when the car is running.
So if your radiator decides to drop all of its coolant while your driving or has a problem and the car over heats you can set the gauge to alarm if the temp rises. (I need to look into this further) is it just a measure of temp of coolant, or temp of engine heat? what about no coolant cause low temp, cobalt might warn?
So overall, you can ignore half the gauge pages if you don't care about mileage and fuel tracking. Then your left with an air and temp measurer basically. Does have timing advance might be another key gauge or 2. Torque and RPM are not exact I read so drag racing using this to shift gears isn't what it is meant for I don't believe.
LINK: Secret of Engine Problem Diagnosis- Fuel Trims Pt.1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WnM_NsOtd8
Link: Secret of Engine Problem Diagnosis- Fuel Trims Pt.2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cARQ0jZZ4Qc