UltraGauge EM Plus In-Depth Review

"Trevor Mohr" (CarFanatic1342) 01/10/2015 at 23:27 • Filed to: Ultragauge, Technology, OBDII, Diagnostic, Tool, Performance, Meter, Engine Codes

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First, I would like to start off by saying that in no way have I been paid to endorse any product of UltraGauge incorporated. This is an 100% unbiased review of this product, which will not include any misinformation of any way/shape/form.

Let's start with the basics; the UltraGauge is an OBDII-powered device that can read up to 78 possible vehicle functions (Depending on make/model of vehicle). The device does not require any batteries; it runs solely off of the OBDII power, and shuts off when the vehicle shuts off. The device will not work when the engine is off, even if the vehicle is on. There are three models available; the EM, the EM Plus (what I have), and then the MX. The difference between the EM and the EM Plus is that the EM Plus has the capability for performance benchmarking. The MX is considered to be an experimental model, which is still in development. There are three buttons on the back of the device: up, down, and a menu button.

There are many ways to mount this device. UltraGauge offers a wide variety of mounting options that you can order with the device. A link with the list of mounting options provided by UltraGauge can be found below.

I took a different approach to mounting the device. I have had my UltraGauge installed since early November, and this setup has worked perfectly. I have easy access to all of the buttons, and the wire is neatly brought down and tucked under the steering column, which is next to the OBD port. I used a Kenu Airframe smartphone mount to clip the device to the vent. It's a very stable solution. A photo of the clip can be found below, along with a link to Kenu's webpage.

There are 7 configurable pages, each page can be set to have a 4/6/8 gauge per-page layout, and you can configure the refresh rate. You can shut any unused pages off, and you can even set the device to change pages through a set period of time. The user interface is incredibly simple to use, especially when you consider the level of customization that this device has to offer. I was able to set up all three of my pages and other preferences within 5 minutes. The backlight can also be configured. I have my gauge set to automatically change the backlight depending on the ambient light. The performance benchmarking feature works very well; the device "readies" itself when the vehicle comes to a full stop. You can reset it by just leaving the menu in settings. Unfortunately, you can not save your performance benchmarking results. One of the best features of the device is the ability to be able to check engine codes, along with pre-codes. The device even gives you the ability to shut off the CEL.

Overall, I am very impressed with this device. The UltraGauge was a bit smaller than I had expected it would be, but the screen is very easy to read, and the device is well built. It would also be nice to have an option to change the backlight color of the device, so it could match my car's interior a bit better. For the money, this is an amazing tool. The competing ScanGauge device is twice the price, with a smaller screen and less functionality.

Pricing (w/o shipping):

UltraGauge EM: $69.95

UltraGauge EM Plus: $74.95

UltraGauge MX: $84.95

UltraGauge Main Website:

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UltraGauge Mounting Options Website: !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

Kenu Website:

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BaconSandwich is tasty. > Trevor Mohr 01/10/2015 at 23:31

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Interesting. I remember hearing about the ScanGauge back in the day, but the price was a bit too high at the time. Now, with cheap blue-tooth adapters, I've been tempted to play around with something like this again.

macanamera > Trevor Mohr 01/10/2015 at 23:33

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It reads torque? How?

Trevor Mohr > BaconSandwich is tasty. 01/10/2015 at 23:34

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I considered the bluetooth adapters, but I prefer having this separate from the phone.

Trevor Mohr > macanamera 01/10/2015 at 23:34

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Magic. XD

It is fun to glance at it and check it, though.

macanamera > Trevor Mohr 01/10/2015 at 23:36

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Not sure that can be accurate...

Trevor Mohr > macanamera 01/10/2015 at 23:37

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The other gauges are incredibly accurate, this one not sure.. Somehow, someway.. I'll look into it.

macanamera > Trevor Mohr 01/10/2015 at 23:38

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Well yeah things that the OBD can monitor I'm sure, but idk how torque could be accurately measured without a dynamometer...

BaconSandwich is tasty. > Trevor Mohr 01/10/2015 at 23:40

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Oh, I can understand that, for sure. It's pretty nice that it runs of the ODBII power. I've heard of some blue-tooth adapters draining batteries (which is odd, given how blue-tooth is supposed to be a low-power protocol...)

Trevor Mohr > BaconSandwich is tasty. 01/11/2015 at 00:48

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Yeah, it's almost ironic. The one plus I can see to the bluetooth is that it's wireless.

George Spurns > macanamera 02/03/2015 at 22:17

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I suppose it could be inferred by acceleration sensing along with parameters that might be entered such as rpm, speed, weight, etc.
G

George Spurns > Trevor Mohr 02/03/2015 at 22:26

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I'd be interested in finding out how accurate the performance timers are too; OBD2 isn't a real time system that would provide speed measurements without some time lag, as the interface needs to be prioritized for more important communications like engine management, so there would be a certain degree of uncertainty.

Probably be in the ballpark for slower cars but for faster cars where the measurement time is much shorter it would have a greater percentage of error. Probably. Just a guess though, maybe real life experience with it will prove otherwise. If you have any other way to do these measurements it'd be good to find out how closely they agree.

Tami > Trevor Mohr 06/09/2017 at 11:12

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How do you exit the menu? I am having trouble setting it up. The instructions say to exit the menu, but doesn’t say how to exit the menu. Help please.