Will the Ultragauge work on the 2013 Optima SXL? I have no idea if it is ODBII complaint and in any case don't know where the plug is located.

I have one on my 2012 Sprinter and use it all the time since there are so few gauges on that machine; just speedo, tach and fuel gauge (that's a laugh 10 bars in decreasing size). No oil pressure/temp, tranny pressure/oil pressure. Oh, it does have an ambient air temp readout.

In any  case I do want an Ultragauge for the Optima, which I assume is compatible.

Thanks, Robert

Got the scare of my life the other day. I’d finally installed my UG and was testing it. Worked great.

Set the engine size and fuel tank capacity ( 3.0 L and 25 USG [BTW it is a 2011 2500 MB Sprinter high top 144 inch wheel base]) and when I left my bumpy gravel road and got onto pavement, up a 8% or 9% grade the instantaneous MPG read 1.5 or so, scared the bejesses out of me.

Out on the road on a 400 mile trip the average MPG got up to slightly over 8.6 while the instantaneous MPG ran from about 5.6 to 9.5 (or there abouts).

Now I keep meticulous fuel records so know that over the life (a whole 5900 miles) that the average MPG is slightly over 20 which doesn’t jibe with the UG figures.

I have not yet “calibrated” UG yet but it seems to me those figures are a bit (lot) low. Obviously I’m going to have to get out on the road to do the calibrating but reading the instructions it seems extremely complicated. Added to that I live in Connecticut where there are no straight, flat roads and few mile markers. I will have to go over the border to New York and do a ten mile calibration and see if that works miracles.

So I ask is the calibration process going to bring UG’s figures nearer to the calculated average MPG?

Robert 

2011 Sprinter 3.1L diesel.

Installed my UG this morning, turned the engine on and set the UG up no problem.

Now for the problem. After setting it up (worked nicely) turned the engine off then to see how it works started the engine again and the UG was blank, no display.

Troubleshooting says possible fuse to the ODBII connector blown but voltage check shows 12+VDC at red wire in plug.

Troubleshooting also says to disconnect and try in another auto, and here's the problem, I can't disconnect the plug from the connector. I even removed the connector from the dash to see if I could see what was keeping the connector attached but no amount of light, prying with screwdriver or anything else did anything to help remove the plug (it is loose, wobbles when moved but refuses to come out [was that way before prying]).

Why would the UG work when first plugged in but not after restarting the engine? According to the directions it wasn't necessary to start the engine but neither do the directions indicate a potential problem if the engine was running. (It was freezing out was why I started the engine).

Robert

There has been a number of people who, after installing their UG's have had batteries go dead. I have doubts that it had anything to do with UG's. One of the major contributors to dead batteries is oxidization of the terminals. It is not always easy to tell if and how much there is as the outside of the connecting wire end looks clean, however when the terminal is removed the battery terminal is black. (Green fuzz is an obvious indication of course)

Over time ALL battery terminals become oxidized which results in the battery not being charged as it should (the oxidization produces resistance; that same resistance can cause difficulty starting the engine). If the battery is changed the problem goes away BUT may have wasted (often) a perfectly good battery.

So before deciding the battery is no good or the UG or any other consumer for that matter, ALWAYS CHECK THE TERMINALS FOR CORROSION (OXIDIZATION).

Mechanics are notorious for neglecting that simple maintenance item.

Robert