What features on your ULTIMATE fuel economy instrumentation?

[Angmaar]

Something where you could have a HUD and every single sensor record stuff and upload it to a server or Google docs (in real time).

[Old Tele man]

Originally Posted by RobertSmalls

*A BSFC map with a blip indicating where you're operating and a vector indicating which way you want to move throttle and RPMs.

+100!

...a visual indication of "...where-the-BEST-FE-is..." and "...where am I driving now..." would go a long way towards teaching drivers about FE on the road.

...something to do with a picture and 1,000 words (ha,ha).

[bobski]

This thread is full of interesting ideas to stea- er... borrow for my arduino project. Keep em coming. ^_^

Already have the HUD and bar graphs figured out btw... Just a matter of the displays (7-segment, 16-segment, bar graph or otherwise), appropriate I2C LED display drivers and a few functions to communicate with them. Communication only takes up two I/O lines and is expandable a bit like USB. If there were some program storage space to spare (maybe go to an Atmega328 chip?), it could probably be tacked onto the MPGuino code.

[Mulder25]

Originally Posted by Who

More integration with NAV/GPS equipment and the ability to monitor and sense elevation and grade. The ability to remember routes and conditions and which techniques worked best under different scenarios and provide some form of coaching. You'd probably cross some line connecting it to an actual control except maybe the cruise module.

Also the ability to judge forward distances, distance of vehicles behind , sense traffic light pattern and alert when they may change (at least try modeling patterns on those that are on standard routes).

Good lord man! You just described autopilot, not cruise control. While i would love that, it is years away, and i am not holding my breath, rather sighing in dismay.

[Mulder25]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Ooh. Good ideas. How about:

• The ability to tell you, exactly how much throttle to use to accelerate at maximum efficiency, and suggest when to shift (if it's a manual).

Vacuum gauge. A computer would have to process the information, then relay it with audio. If it had lights, it would be quicker, but the good old vacuum gauge, and a competent user can do this without fancy integrated circuits.

[Old Tele man]

pardon the humor:

VACUUM GAUGE = mechancial-analog feedback

SCANGAUGE-II = digital-display feedback

[Mulder25]

Originally Posted by Old Tele man

pardon the humor:

VACUUM GAUGE = mechancial-analog feedback

SCANGAUGE-II = digital-display feedback

Pardon my lack of an ability to see your point... I am a huge fan of analog displays. So is a very large portion of the population, and auto manufacturers, considering they have kept the analog tach, speedo, voltmeter, coolant, fuel gauge(which admittedly would be very nice to have a digital percentage rather than a needle), and various other instruments.

[Old Tele man]

...has nothing to do with their realtime displays, as both are easy to see and understand; however, it's almost impossible to capture & record data from an analog vacuum gauge, but very easy to do so from a digital system.

...and many MPG people like to track/analyze what happens as they strive from better FE.

[Mulder25]

Originally Posted by Old Tele man

...has nothing to do with their realtime displays, as both are easy to see and understand; however, it's almost impossible to capture & record data from an analog vacuum gauge, but very easy to do so from a digital system.

...and many MPG people like to track/analyze what happens as they strive from better FE.

I think we are arguing about something ridiculous, they have both available for different reasons, i personally prefer the analog. You can attach a recording device to the OBDII to get your recording, if you choose to use an analog display, or you can get a digital one.
I find analogs to be more reliable, faster, and easier to read, but this is my opinion, and I respect yours.
Nevertheless, a vacuum gauge can, and does provide information that can be used for hypermiling, and if you are on a budget, it is a very cheap implementation.

[Old Tele man]

...I believe you haven't read the OP subject of this thread, which is "...What features on your ULTIMATE fuel economy instrumentation?..."

...Hence, the answer(s) revolve around an "instrumentation" system and what "other/new" features people would like to have implemented by that system, with the implied understanding that the (digital) instrumentation system already exists, such as ScanGaugeII™ or Ultragauge™, etc.