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Old 10-12-2008, 05:38 PM   #1 (permalink)
groar
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Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Toulouse, France
Posts: 595

scenic - '01 renault scenic
90 day: 43.09 mpg (US)

megane - '97 renault megane classic
Diesel
90 day: 72.53 mpg (US)

dennisius - '06 Toyota Prius
Team Toyota
90 day: 69.27 mpg (US)
Thanks: 9
Thanked 34 Times in 23 Posts
How my (GPS) navigator helps me in eco-driving

I have a 2,5 years old GPS navigator (tomtom 910, not sold any-more).

Since a few months I use it daily, even in my commutes, to see how much time I'm really loosing in traffic. Often I had the feeling to loose tens of minutes in traffic, while I was only loosing a few minutes. I configured it to have a max speed of 80km/h (50mpg), so the calculated times are very closed to my current times. This permits me to see the real lost times and so calm me down a lot, permitting me to be a better eco-driver.

It permits me to prepare my road when I have to go elsewhere than to my office. As in center town there is a lot of road works, its automatic recalculation permits to quickly find a new road. Once again it permits me to calm down a lot and be a better eco-driver.

Last, but not the least it permits me to avoid some traffic jams. One year ago I bought the first version of the RDS-TMC (FM radio) antenna to receive real-time traffic information. But this first version has a big concept problem, so it could received information only when I already was in the traffic jams

I bought the last version of this antenna Wednesday and updated the navigator's firmware Thursday from v6 to v7. Friday morning I tested the new system. Not only the new firmware is smarter in managing this antenna, but the new antenna now can receive data from places where I couldn't receive anything before that During my commute it advertised me a problem and recalculated the road : +5min. After a few minutes, the final time came back : -5min, in fact the problem disappeared and it took the initial road automatically.

With my new commutes, I have to manage much more traffic than before. From tomorrow I will log how much time I will be commuting to see how much traffic I will avoid thanks to it.

As said in another thread, from tomorrow I have to drive Scenic which has thermal protection on windshield. The problem is that this thermal protection stops a part of GPS signal and RDS-TMC signal I installed the antenna as advised by constructor.

The new firmware also has a top speed and it can play a sound when the speed is greater. I set it to 80km/h and it sounded at 86. I don't know if that function will be kept activated.

Denis.

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Earth and health are priceless, so are kilotank and AT-PZEV
Best Mégane tank: 1268.9mi @ 77.847 MPG(US)
2008/06-2011/10 saving:
  • 5725.5 kg CO2 (5342.6+382.9)
  • Diesel / Money: 42.17% = 2446.25€ = 3357.26$


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megane : thread - kill switch.
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