Ok so I ordered a Scangauge II for my 2008 Cooper S. No other modifications as of yet. Just want some gauges to play around with. I've seen the threads about setting it to show proper boost without having to show MAP and setting up an Xgauge for this. I understand the process but what I'm not getting (yes, I'm a total noob at this stuff) is what I'm trying to achieve number wise with the offset. One thread I read is to push the start button without pressing the clutch to get the engine electronics started but not the car. Get the MAP reading on the SGII and then go through the xgauge setup and enter the offset number. I assume I'm trying to get the MAP reading, minus the proper offset to equal zero? Is that correct?

Also, want to use the ENGINE LOAD gauge as an upshift timer to get the best power and shift timing I can. Is this correct? Or am thinking about this wrong?

Been reading up and learning but still kinda new.
Any input is appreciated. Thanks!

 

Anyone?

 

I can't comment on the Engine Load gauge, but my SGII had Boost pre-programmed. There's now a setting in the Settings menu where you can select whether to display MAP or Boost.

Also, you can send your SGII back to Linear Logic and have them update the firmware to allow it to display some extra gauges on your MINI, like Engine Oil Temperature, amongst others. Turn around was really quick (less than a week, including shipping times) for me.

Hope that helps.

 

I just bought a ScanGage last week and installed it Sunday. I set the guage for boost in the setup. Seems to work. I've seen around 12 psi boost when I really hit the throttle. I don't remember max boost for an S in sport mode. Need to look it up. But I assume 12 was reasonable for the acceleration I was doing.

I doubt the engine load will do much for you as a shift indicator. The update in normal update mode is not fast enough for what you want. I have not tried to do faster updates. Even then, if you are really accelerating, you don't want to be looking at the gage.

 

Fast updates work fine for me. Will have to play around with a "shift light" but like Knight said, not sure if LOD would work. If you didn't get it direct from Linear Logic or a vendor like Way then definitely send it in for an update. The Engine oil temp is a nice gauge to have especially if you autox or track your Mini.

For boost, just go into Setup and change it from MAP to Boost. Then look for the BST gauge. It will read negative for vacuum and positive for boost as you might guess.

 

I don't think LOD will tell you anything about shifting. I personally use it to accelerate efficiently and to work very slow decelerations to boost my average MPG.

LOD will range from the mid-teens at warm idle up to 80-85 at WOT at low RPMs, to mid-90s at WOT at higher RPMs. I haven't been brave enough to look down at it at WOT at redline.

 

Interesting. Sounds like LOD wont work for that. I'll have to see for myself I guess how fast it updates for my liking.

But more importantly, so it sounds like now the SG is all set to show boost properly and doesn't need the MAP math / xgauge setup? I did buy it directly from Linear Logic and had them send me the Mini coded one.

Do I still need to minus the offset from MAP to get accurate boost? Or will it just show it properly right off the bat if I set it display boost?

 

The Way Motor Works Scanguage2 comes programmed for the extra Mini functions.

TFT- Transmission Fluid Temp (Auto Trans ONLY)
EOT- Engine Oil Temperature
A/F- Air Fuel Ratio
FRP- Fuel Rail Pressure (PSI)
ENG- Engine Temperature

 

My understanding is it's good to go out of the box. I did not adjust the offset. Numbers I get seem to be in the right range, but I don't have a separate boost gauge to check it against.

 

Cool. Most of the posts I was reading on that were pretty old so I guess they updated that feature in the model specific coding. Thanks for all the input. Any more is appreciated. Cant wait to get this thing hooked up!

Cheers!
B

 

I just got mine back from Linear Logic for Mini specific coding, and it shows MAP not BST by default, I haven't dug deep enough yet to see if there is an option to change it. I do have the X Gauge codes to program it myself if need be. I will check back here when I figure out if I have to program it.

 

Well from what it sounds like you can change it to boost. I know that much. I was just wondering if you still needed to do the offset programming.

But yeah, lemme know.

 

Go into the Setup menu. There is a choice for MAP vs BST. Default is MAP so switch to BST and you should be good to go.

 

What Hoosh said. It is in the manual, very easy read and straight forward. Took me less than 2 minutes to set it up.

 

Got it.
:-)
Thanks

 

Got the SGII. Hooked it up and set it up for boost. I really dont know what normal range is but at idle it reads around -10 or -11. I only drove the car for a very short trip in the city to really didn't open her up but what is the normal boost range throughout the RPM range? I didn't see it go above about 5 or 6 and as soon as I let off the gas it went back down to negative numbers. I'm assuming this is normal turbo operation but was just wondering how the range works?

 

Negative is vacuum, positive is boost. I get between -8 and -6 at idle, and +9 to +12 at WOT.

 

WOT? I know... noob.
So -10 or -11 is that too low? and when should I see +10 or +11 or so? is that closer to redline? Like I said, it was a short drive at probably only up to about 40mph (quick city trip) but I didn't really see it go much into positive numbers. Again, not really familiar with how a turbo goes through its power range and reading it.

 

WOT = wide open throttle

I idle near -8 vacuum. At full throttle (hard acceleration) my JCW hits near +12.8. The second I let off the throttle I can hear the recirc valve open and I drop down near -11. This is all typical of a turbo engine. Goes "on boost" (positive numbers) with enough throttle input and otherwise runs a vacuum.

 

Ahhhh. Ok. Thanks.
So then I'm getting normal numbers for it then it sounds like?
Thanks so much for the explanation.

 

Your numbers look good to me, but then again, I don't know anything.

What I'm looking for from my BST gauge is 1) to know when I've got boost and 2) to see any changes from "normal" over the course of running my car (i.e., since I know I typically idle around -8, and then suddenly, I start to idle around -2 or something, then I know I might have a vacuum leak somewhere).

FWIW, I also look at FWT, EOT, and either FIA or RPM on my SGII - again, mostly to keep an eye out for any variations vs. what's "normal" for my car.

 

^ agree

 

Cool. Well thanks again for all the info. I set mine up for BST, EOT, RPM and for now LOD (just to see something else move around a lot. Lol).

 

Are you using units of psi for the boost? Mine seems to only go down to -1 or -2. I've seen positive boost in the 10+ range when I get on it. In my last car the gauge showed boost as psi and vacuum as in of mercury. That would go down to -12 or -20 (don't remember exactly). I have not looked up the conversion from psi to in mg. I assumed it would be about the same vacuum if I converted.

 

Yeah, its PSI. Like I said, I haven't really been on the throttle with it yet so I'll see what I get when I can open it up.