Fuel Economy instrumentation - do you use it?
 

How important is FE instrumentation?

How many here have FE instrumentation(SG, Smid, Vaccum gauge) and those that do what percentage above combined EPA are you.

If you don't and are above 20% speak up:)

FE instrumentation can be very important if you are new to FE driving and are trying to hone your FE driving techniques. I've been hypermiling for a long time and over the years have become attuned to what works and what doesn't in FE driving, so acquiring FE instrumentation had less of an impact on me. The main thing that FE instrumentation (SuperMID) did for me was to let me know that I was still getting good FE at speeds well over 50mph (after aero modding). Prior to that I tried to remain below 55mph as per traditional hypermiling techniques. It also allowed me to improve my mileage on flat roads, whereas before I got my best mileage on gently rolling terrain where I could FAS on the downhills. Getting the MID didn't improve my mileage very much, but allowed me greatly extend the performance envelope where I was getting this mileage.

While on the topic, if I decide to inherit a '92 Toyota Corolla, what instrumentation can I buy for it? I know it's not compatible with the scan gauge...

Used to, but I sold it with my soul before go to japan since I hardly drive anymore.

basjoos - another consideration is that you drive a lot of miles in a year.

Where a person does a lot of driving, regular back of the gas receipt "instrumentation" can be practical as a way to hone useful techniques, because the feedback is timely enough.

On the other hand, I put gas in my car 5 times last year, 13 times in '06. That lag between cause & effect makes it much harder to learn about a particular car's peculiarities and/or develop new skills.

The SuperMID is the prime candidate. Same thing basjoos is using in his car.

I'm not sure what the EPA is for my 96 manual corolla hatch but without instrumentation I have gone from 450km/~41L tank (9.1L/100km) to about 580-620km (average of 6.8L/100km). That just using basic fuel saving techniques and no mods other than higher air pressure and removing junk from the car. I'd like to get a superMID but i'm not sure if I can here in sydney (no its not OBDII).

I normally use instrumtation, but not all the time. I've been swapping the scangauge between vehicles to test out different things and borrowing it out to help friends get better mileage. I'm currently averaging about 32% above EPA. Once summer comes around I'll be disappointed and shocked if I'm not seeing 45% over combined EPA consistantly.

Yeah, you can improve without it. But, there are many techniques that really help to have instrumentation. Specifically I'm thinking driving with load which is an automatic tranny's main technique IMO. Its much easier to visually SEE while your driving what hurts and what helps.

I currently do not use any FE instrumentation and I'm beating the (2008) EPA by 40%
if we're using the old numbers, I'm up 24%.

Either way, I think that the lack of instrumentation is really holding me back at this point. There are several techniques that I don't use now because I can't do them "correctly" without instrumentation.

For example, I don't P&G on the highway. My much lower Cd should really help me out in that area, and make P&G a very viable technique on the highway. But every time I try it, my next fillup sucks. I'm sure that there is a way for me to P&G on the highway and reap big gains, but I currently have no way of knowing about the finer points of my technique.

Yes, I do...

When all city... I get between 20-30% over EPA city

On highway, I get 15-25% over EPA highway - max to date was a little less than 30% over EPA highway...