Subliminally saving tons of gas :)
 

~~This is just a post asking for your opinion~~Ok, So on my cell phone I go over minutes some months. But I put a banner on my phone that says "Over Mins", ever since I have not went over minutes, since every time I open my phone the banner reminds me to stay conservative with them. Do you think that having a sticker or something that says "hypermiler" or "ecomodder" inside your car, on the steering wheel or something would just help you remember to not stomp on that gas petal too hard? (and I'm sure you SC2, MPGuino, or Kiwi in your face does about the same, but what about the rest of us? :confused: ) http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1247701271

Dude... Verizon sucks.

On topic - it might help, but most of us do it instinctively at this point, rather than having to remember. It's a re-training exercise.

Depends on where you are. After two years of AT&T dropping every fourth call, I switched to Verizon and like it MUCH better.

A vacuum gauge is a cheap, easy-to-install reminder of just how hard you're pushing down that pedal.

It's more a problem with their phones and their "proprietary" software that pretty much castrates all the features that the OE phone makers program in.

The only other issue I take with them is the cost of service, and that's only because I don't think there is a valid reason for cell phones to cost as much as they do to operate. It's like paying for a long distance call every minute of every day that you're on it, and if you use it like I do, it's just not worth it to pay that much money every month.

+2 to vacuum gauge.

I forget to ecodrive a lot... but since I put my scangauge in, I look at it all the time and make it a game, trying to make my trip avg mpg higher than my 90-day.

Well where I live and the places I go VERIZON has done me good, I almost never drop calls and reception is about a 98/100% I would say... But this has nothing to do with what phone service I have...

Yeah I never get in my car and just "forget" about hypermiling or driving gently, but I still think that it could help, some more than others obviously...

btw, how much are vacuum gauges and how do you install them? Can I get one from like advanced auto or auto zone?

PSS: You say that vacuum gauges are cheap....well so are stickers ;)

RandomFactPI -

For me, any sticker or static object "fades from view" over time (my brain deletes it). I use the SG religiously, and that's probably because it's dynamic feedback. I have a vacuum gauge, but sometimes I forget to watch it.

PS - I have Verizon, but mostly because AT&T was so terrible when it was being starved by Cingular.

CarloSW2

Mine was about $30 and I jury-rigged it in about 10 minutes. Most auto parts stores carry them.

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...tall-6303.html

thanks for the link, I don't know if I feel ok cutting into the pipes under my hood though? is there one I can hook up to the plug (OBD2 I think its called?) I'm a computer systems guy, not a car guy, sorry for the stupidity...

I'm using my (GPS) navigator. I set a fixed speed limit at which I can hear a cow. It tells me that I'm going so fast that the cows can't look at me when I'm passing by.

I also set a cuckoo clock when I'm over the speed limit. It tells me that it's better to be late in life than to be early in death.

Else the fastest real time feedback are the trip odometer and the guessgauge...

Denis.

Thats almost ironic, I have a cow MOOO sound that goes off on mine when I'm going over the speed limit, but being in the country my GPS does not have the speed limits of about 98% of the roads so it is pretty much worthless for me :(

I have a similar thing to the sticker idea - as I don't have a MPGuino/SG/kiwi etc I have a piece of masking tape - stay with me on this - it sits above the fuel guage and on it are scribbled my past bests for each increment of the gauge :

from ov Full - full = 50miles
@7/8 = 112miles
@3/4 = 156
@5/8 = 208.........................etc

each time I beat it I scribble on the tape and replace it when i fill up. because the last half goes quicker than the first it gives me known milestones to aim for and its a constant reminder to 'featherfoot' it!!

Yeah I know when I get to half a tank if iv gone 170 miles Im doing good, its about my normal...... Since I got those LRR tires I was at 195 O.o I can't wait to see the results at the end of this tank..

You don't necessarily need to cut anything. I can't find a large image of the Neon engine compartment, but up near the intake manifold (where the air intake connects up), there are vacuum lines. You can identify them because they aren't clamped in place, and when you disconnect them and put your finger over one end or the other, you'll feel suction while the engine is running. Cut off a small piece of the aftermarket hose that came with the gauge (3 inches or so.) You can then attach the small piece of the aftermarket hose to the intake vacuum port, put the "tee" in, and then attach the original hose to the other end, with the hose to the vacuum gauge at the third port of the tee. That way, if you even want to go back to original, the factory hose is still the original length so you can reattach it back to the manifold.

Oh, thats a good idea, but how would I run it up to my interior without drilling holes in my fire wall or something?

There are rubber grommets where your existing wiring harnesses come into the cabin. In my car, there was one under the driver's side above the pedals. I used an old metal pen to poke a hole through from the engine compartment, and then pulled the hose through there. This is actually the most difficult part of the whole thing.

Yeah, you can also just run it through the door channel. There's a gap between the uppermost part of the fender and the a-pillar, run it through there, into the gap, then through the area where the door seal contacts the chassis.

If you do that, you'll want to watch that area, since the hose will rub paint, which could cause corrosion, and the hose could "rub through" causing a vacuum leak.

I was on Cingular which was crap, but cheap. Then Verizon which was good, but sleazy. Now I'm on Sprint which is good, but their selection of phones leaves much to be desired...

Anyway, you could always rig up your dashboard to always have the "low fuel" light on. It might be even cheaper than a sticker! :-)

LOL - A mod should change this topic to "Subliminally saving tons of gas!! While discussing cell phone carriers...

I don't care too much about my phone... it's a phone. It calls people, gets calls coming in, and I can even text on it. That's about all I need. I'm good.

I watch the vacume gauge more than anything

I watch the gas guage and speedometer(and do not have a cell phone.)

I do plan on getting a supermidi, but will install a vacuum gauge first.

what is a supermidi?

I watch all the gauges but mostly the mpguino. I also look for flags to see the approx wind speed and direction, and to make sure it jells with any mpg loss or gain.

For a cell, I have a Tracfone that I only use if I am away from home and I need to get a hold of someone, or someone needs to get a hold of me. I don't talk when driving and rarely use it as it is. Costs me $6.67 a month and works better than some big name contract phones.

Yeah I used to have a tracfone but didn't like the plans, but the one I had, had the best reception on a phone I have ever seen in my life.

ANYWAYS, I'm kind of tired of this thread jack to phones, I will jack it into another subject.....

How much improvement could I expect, removing my antenna? its one that sticks straight up from the fender, more than .2? anyone have any a-b-a testing on something like that??