DIY: Fuel Economy Gauge for your car (to lower your car's fuel consumption)

[ghosthunter]

Do you want to improve your car's fuel economy and you think you have tried all you can with your car?

Have you tried installing a fuel economy gauge on your car?

A simple vacuum gauge will do.



You just have to remember which values are for poor, fair, and good fuel economy.



0-5 - poor
6-10 - fair
11 - 17 - good
18 - 23 - idle

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Why a vacuum gauge? Because it gives the driver a visual reference how his "foot" will result in what kind of fuel consumption. This is only a reference to the driver.

If the driver ignores the gauge, then the gauge is pointless.

BTW, this assumes your engine is in 100% working order and have no vacuum/pressure leaks from the valves, manifold, hoses, etc.

[torogi kid]

Do you want to improve your car's fuel economy and you think you have tried all you can with your car?

Have you tried installing a fuel economy gauge on your car?

A simple vacuum gauge will do.



You just have to remember which values are for poor, fair, and good fuel economy.



0-5 - poor
6-10 - fair
11 - 17 - good
18 - 23 - idle

----------------------------------------

Why a vacuum gauge? Because it gives the driver a visual reference how his "foot" will result in what kind of fuel consumption. This is only a reference to the driver.

If the driver ignores the gauge, then the gauge is pointless.

BTW, this assumes your engine is in 100% working order and have no vacuum/pressure leaks from the valves, manifold, hoses, etc.

ok ito a, how does this work? where will you install the gauge? will it tell instantly that the driver has a heavy foot, or after a period of time?

[vinj]

I think the VDO Gas Control gauge works with the same principle. My Tito used to have one in all his rides before and he is able to get quite good FC as he can see which gear useage and pedal inputs gives optimal economy. This is were i first discovered that short shifting and lugging the engine (such as what taxi drivers do) is less efficient then driving steadily and shifting at the proper rpm range (gas flow is reduced as the car gets into its optimal power band).

Borrowed the photo from an online ad:

[ghosthunter]

ok ito a, how does this work?

It's basically a vacuum gauge. The higher the manifold vacuum pressure, the better fuel economy you get. At zero pressure, it pretty much means your throttle is open 100% or near that.

The gauge works pretty much as a feedback system to the driver. It would tell the driver if what he is doing will give good or bad fuel mileage.

where will you install the gauge?

The gauge can be installed anywhere on your dashboard, best in plain view. You will need to have a hose attached from the gauge to your car's intake manifold. You would need to find an unused vacuum "port" or use a T-fitting to splice into an existing vacuum line.

will it tell instantly that the driver has a heavy foot, or after a period of time?

The gauge will immediately tell the driver if what he is doing will result in good or bad fuel mileage.

[kinyo]

naturally, it would confirm the #1 fuel economy tip ... a light foot on the pedal

[ghosthunter]

naturally, it would confirm the #1 fuel economy tip ... a light foot on the pedal

True... but at least now you would be a visual aid to know how "light" is light enough.

[vinj]

True... but at least now you would be a visual aid to know how "light" is light enough.

True, and from my experience using the car with the VDO gauge with m/t tranny (back then it was a Space Wagon m/t and Corolla AE92 m/t), its not just about a light foot but it shows you what gear to keep it in, as we tend to try to upshift at the earliest time possible if we're on eco mode, and when is the best time to shift in various road and load conditions.

GH, you planning to install one in your ride? I actually wanted to buy that VDO gauge up for sale before.

[kinyo]

True... but at least now you would be a visual aid to know how "light" is light enough.

i agree ... in my experience, after using it for a few years, i developed that light foot habit, got the feel of how the car behaves, and eventually doing good fuel economy without having to look at the gauge

yup, its a good tool to help one develop a good habit ... and it applies on MT or AT, sir a_y

one can only wish, with all the electronic wizardry installed on cars these days, that every car have this fancy digital km/li readout to help drivers conserve fuel (as some have already done)

[neyzon]

Have anyone heard about K&N’s replacement air filters? A friend of mine told me there's a lot of good feed back regarding this filters as they increase your HP & FC.

Here's the image;


K&N 33-2392 Drop in Filter

OK kaya tu?

[ghosthunter]

Have anyone heard about K&N’s replacement air filters? A friend of mine told me there's a lot of good feed back regarding this filters as they increase your HP & FC.

Here's the image;


K&N 33-2392 Drop in Filter

OK kaya tu?

K&N filters are ok but the gains would be small and will hardly be noticed based on "feel".

[neyzon]

I got a noob question. Is there a way to determine if my fuel gauge is not working properly? Sorry new on cars. I got my 1st car few months ago Mitsubishi Lancer Sedan 1997 Model 1.3 engine Carb type. I just noticed recently my gauge seems to fall down quickly to the red line & I just normally used it from home to office w/c is about 28KM back & forth. At 1st I thought it was my driving habits but I been following fuel economy tips but its doing the same. What's weird is I noticed that I can still reach up to 60+ Km at the red line w/out refueling. As far as I know when you reach the red line you have roughly 2-3 liters pa sa tank so I thought I shouldn't be able to last up to 60Km w/ just 3 liters. Pls correct me if I'm wrong.

[ghosthunter]

I got a noob question. Is there a way to determine if my fuel gauge is not working properly? Sorry new on cars. I got my 1st car few months ago Mitsubishi Lancer Sedan 1997 Model 1.3 engine Carb type. I just noticed recently my gauge seems to fall down quickly to the red line & I just normally used it from home to office w/c is about 28KM back & forth. At 1st I thought it was my driving habits but I been following fuel economy tips but its doing the same. What's weird is I noticed that I can still reach up to 60+ Km at the red line w/out refueling. As far as I know when you reach the red line you have roughly 2-3 liters pa sa tank so I thought I shouldn't be able to last up to 60Km w/ just 3 liters. Pls correct me if I'm wrong.

Our cars have a "reserve" fuel amount even after the fuel gauge reads empty. So depending how you drive, you can go 20 km or further on the reserve amount.

As for the fuel guage itself, the quickest way is to ask your friendly mechanic to pull out the fuel float from your gas tank and check if the position of the float corresponds to the indication on the fuel meter. At the same time, you can check the condition of the float's resistor. If it looks corroded, it might be better to have it replaced.

BTW, in some cars, the fuel guage drops to "E" quickly when it gets below a certain point because of the shape of the fuel tank may not be the same from top to bottom. The tank might be smaller/narrower at the bottom.

[neyzon]

Our cars have a "reserve" fuel amount even after the fuel gauge reads empty. So depending how you drive, you can go 20 km or further on the reserve amount.

As for the fuel guage itself, the quickest way is to ask your friendly mechanic to pull out the fuel float from your gas tank and check if the position of the float corresponds to the indication on the fuel meter. At the same time, you can check the condition of the float's resistor. If it looks corroded, it might be better to have it replaced.

BTW, in some cars, the fuel guage drops to "E" quickly when it gets below a certain point because of the shape of the fuel tank may not be the same from top to bottom. The tank might be smaller/narrower at the bottom.

Thanks a lot! I'll take a note of that. I'm really having difficulty determining my car's fc.

[ghosthunter]

Thanks a lot! I'll take a note of that. I'm really having difficulty determining my car's fc.

The best way to determine any car's FC is from full tank to full tank and noting from your odometer or tripmeter how far you drove until you filled up the 2nd time. Then divide the kilometers by the number of liters of fuel.

The fuel gauge is not that accurate.

[neyzon]

The best way to determine any car's FC is from full tank to full tank and noting from your odometer or tripmeter how far you drove until you filled up the 2nd time. Then divide the kilometers by the number of liters of fuel.

The fuel gauge is not that accurate.

Hi got another question what are the things that I need to have checked or tested in case I' m having fc issue. Mine is only averaging 7km/l w/c I believe cosumes too much fuel for a 1.3 carb engine. I already have it tuned up for fuel economy at Mitsubishi Casa at Dasma few months ago it seemed to have improved but now it went back to 7km per liter. I'm not sure if "pizza pies" have bad fc or if it's just mine.

[miked]

how about on vacuum governed (injection pump) diesels? toyota 3B for example.

[OTEP]

I got my vacuum gauge from G&S Kamias (they also own the nearby Fuji Auto Supply). 9218831, look for Ronald.

[kaeru618157]

I'd install one but I want to put it in place of the head unit area. Anybody know where to get a 1-DIN gauge panel?

[ghosthunter]

I'd install one but I want to put it in place of the head unit area. Anybody know where to get a 1-DIN gauge panel?

I haven't seen one in the local shops.

There is a seller in sul!t.com but he is selling with 3 gauges included at P6500.

I would think your best luck would be ordering abroad like amazon.com

[kaeru618157]

Thanks GH. I've seen the one in sulit. Expensive! Might explore a DIY option...