Anyone Disapointed With Their Auris Hsd

[Grumpy Cabbie]

I'm not sure how to take that last post of yours! lol

[Sagitar]

One of the first things I'll likely do is experiment with blocking part of the exterior radiator grill to keep the engine warmer whilst on the move, can improve winter mpg considerably according to N.American owners.

. . . . but can also bring a danger of overheating if you do not monitor coolant temperatures. My impression is that those who do it seriously in the U.S. use a ScanGuage to monitor various parameters and also tend to be running at temperatures much cooler than those that I experience on any consistent basis.

The cooling system on the Gen3 is quite sophisticated. For example the ICE and the inverter use separate circuits through different parts of the radiator matrix and as I understand it, need to be at different temperatures for maximum efficiency. I know nothing of earlier versions, but I would want to look at things very carefully before blocking air intakes.

If you are going to conduct some proper experiments under controlled conditions, I would be very interested to know how you get on.

[Sagitar]

Post deleted

[capnbirdseye]

. . . . but can also bring a danger of overheating if you do not monitor coolant temperatures. My impression is that those who do it seriously in the U.S. use a ScanGuage to monitor various parameters and also tend to be running at temperatures much cooler than those that I experience on any consistent basis.

I shall try it very carefully!

here's a grill blocking guide for hybrid owners

A Hybrid Owner’s winter survival guide

http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17560

[Grumpy Cabbie]

. . . . but can also bring a danger of overheating if you do not monitor coolant temperatures. My impression is that those who do it seriously in the U.S. use a ScanGuage to monitor various parameters and also tend to be running at temperatures much cooler than those that I experience on any consistent basis.

I shall try it very carefully!

here's a grill blocking guide for hybrid owners

A Hybrid Owner’s winter survival guide

http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17560

Unless it is -20c consistantly where you live you DO NOT want to be blocking your grill. Maybe in the 1960's it had a use but not today. Is it really worth the risk for a couple of gallons possible savings? Even then you'll have blown the money saved buying a scanguage. If it's for environmental reasons you'd be better off turning a few lights off at home.

Just a thought. :!Removed!:

[Sagitar]

I shall try it very carefully!

here's a grill blocking guide for hybrid owners

A Hybrid Owner’s winter survival guide

http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17560

That guide confirms closely what I said earlier.

I've seen ScanGauges advertised for about £120, but that doesn't include the cost of fitting. Might be significant if you want the monitor gauge to look neat. Do you know whether running with a ScanGuage connected would influence warranty issues? Does it occupy a diagnostic socket and would you therefore have to remove it for servicing? Is there anyone on here who has actually done it?

Even in the very severe weather last week, the temperature with us never went below -5C and was up to +4C when I went out this morning. So the situation would always be marginal where I live and would almost certainly involve frequent adjustments of the amount of grill blocking. If I lived in Manitoba or other parts of Canada it might be different. I have friends who live in Edmonton where car parks provide for umbilical connectors so that engine blocks (and seats and steering wheels) can be electrically heated to stop them from freezing. You can get frostbite from a car door-handle, but they have average winter temperatures getting close to -20C whereas in my County it is more like -1C

One of the things that puzzles me is why such an apparently simple method of improving the engine efficiency has not been incorporated by the manufacturer. I had cars with radiator blinds back in the 1960's and you would have thought that a blind made up of variable slats with an actuator controlled by a thermostat would be pretty straight forward.

I'm not convinced about it at present, but I would like to understand the issues more clearly.

[timberwolf]

I have a ScanGauge2.

On my Gen 2 (NHW20), I went for the simplest installation, where the SG2 sits on one of those rubber dash grip mats on the right-hand side of the dash, and a few velcro cable ties that I had spare from a failed Computer PSU. My SG2 cable is permanently attached, but I can remove the whole cable for example when I sell the car with no damage.

I've routed the cable inside the bottom edge of the lower dash, and cable tied where there were convenient holes. Also the spare length of the cable is coiled up at this point. The cable then comes out of the bonnet release lever opening (there was plenty of room), then around the corner where I tucked it in between the dash and the rubber seal for the vertical climb. At the top of the dash, I have a short length of lead with RJ45 connector exposed. The only step/kink point in the cable is where it is pinched by the door speaker.

I did not want a permanent installation of the SG2 because I don't like drilling holes or cutting plastic. Also I don't use my car for days at a time, and I wanted to be able to remove the SG2 unit but leave the cable in place.

On my second service, I couldn't be bothered to unplug the SG2 plug from the DLC3 connector, so the cable was occupying the diagnostic slot for the service and nothing was said.

[Sagitar]

I have a ScanGauge2.

Thanks, that's very helpful. Can I be cheeky and ask if you have any pictures of the installation and whether you think the expenditure etc was worthwhile?

[timberwolf]

Thanks, that's very helpful. Can I be cheeky and ask if you have any pictures of the installation and whether you think the expenditure etc was worthwhile?

I am struggling with your question, what do you mean by worthwhile?

For the Gen 2 Prius, it does what it says it will, it displays the four gauges that I choose on a low res matrix character LCD display, I can read a DTC (or part of it?) if I am ever unfortunate enough to have a failure that raises a diagnostic code, the fuel and cost trip stuff I find non-intuitive (and I have never felt like sitting in my car with the manual to work it out - as I find it much more useful to use a spreadsheet, fuel receipts and the odometer mileage to work out my MPG).

If I am driving the car, I always have the SG2 plugged in and operating. I have it set to display the following four gauges, 12V Voltage, Engine RPM, Engine Coolant Temperature, and HV Battery SOC (State of Charge). Of those gauges, the Engine Coolant and HV Battery SOC are user defined xgauges (and the codes entered are specific to the Gen 2), although if I recall correctly temperature is also available as a standard gauge. The SOC gauge is a bit redundant because the Prius displays a colour representation of the Battery SOC.

I don't know what worth to put on being able to display those extra gauges? It was the cheapest, self-contained, reasonably built, unassuming gadget of its type that had some recommendation from other Prius Gen 2 owners.

I haven't been keeping up with the Prius Gen 3 and SG2, but I understood that there were some limitations (compared with the Gen 2) with what extra gauges could be programmed in to read some of the hybrid information (I believe the Gen 3 utilises a more complex data format for some of the communication on the CAN bus that the SG2 can not read?).

There is a small risk with using any OBD scan tool, and that is if the tool or cable develops a fault it could crash the CAN Bus, if that happens your car dash will apparently light up like an Xmas tree and the car stops running, but there should be no lasting damage once the tool is removed. :o B)

[Sagitar]

Many thanks for giving me such a comprehensive answer. It was much more than I expected and I found it very helpful.