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Evilution

X-Gauge - Great new toy available next year.

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The benefit of INSTANTANEOUS fuel consumption display is for instant feedback on your driving. Its fine to keep track of your mileage from tank-to-tank, but when I got my MDC computer I was able to increase my mileage by over 15% simply because I can now adjust my driving the instant I start doing something that is uneconomical.

The average consumption isn't all that important because it won't really be accurate anyway and you can just as easily do it manually.

Roland - your methodology seems good... I think it is a terrific feature to add. I think its great that you are listening to suggestions and considering implementing them! As I've said before, if you need any help with testing at all just let me know. I'd be very eager to do whatever I can to help you get it to market sooner rather than later.

- Steven

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All right, since monitoring of fuel consumption seems to be such an important thing to you Smart enthusiasts in Canada, I could think of adding the following two parameters to the X-Gauge:

I would use the calculated engine load value that I get from the ECU and translate it into a current Liters/100 km figure under consideration of actual speed and a scaling factor that the user will have to enter through the user interface. This scaling factor will have to be adjusted depending on engine type and experience that the user gains with his car's fuel consumption. Average fuel consumption could be implemented by running the current fuel consumption values through a running average filter. I have not really thought this idea through yet, but I think that it could be done. Accuracy would, of course, depend on the scaling factor that the user must enter.

How about it?

Yes please, Roland! Real-time L/100Km plus accumulated average over time. That would make the X-Gauge complete in my book!

The instantaneous display would help me determine best practices, like Steven says. And the cumulative average would give me longer-term metrics to monitor over time like Sally mentioned.

Add me to the X-Gauge prospect list! :clapping:

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Sally my parents both do that and taught me to do it too (keep a mileage book in the glovebox). It's a great way to track the life of the car.

-Iain

I've been using an application on my Palm Pilot (Highway Manager) for years that does this and it can calculate L/100kms and convert the whole thing to MPG (US or Imperial gallons) at the press of a button. I think it will even take into account currency conversions, in the event I buy gas in the States (US$ & US gallons,) but my odometre is in kms. Pretty cool application really. And it'll graph the results too. :hottie:

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I was able to increase my mileage by over 15% simply because I can now adjust my driving the instant I start doing something that is uneconomical.

You can do that by adding a boost gauge.

In my experience, the fuel consumption varies so wildly it's hard to track, could just be the petrol version though.

I am way more interested in driving my smart and enjoying it than treating it like a 4th grade science project.

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Roland, nice to see how receptive you are to feedback and requests. As I mentioned earlier, I WANT ONE!!! Do you have an estimate of when they will be ready for market??

EVIL: I just can't wait to tell all my friends in 4th grade of how COOL my show and tell presentation will be...

Luc

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You can do that by adding a boost gauge.

In my experience, the fuel consumption varies so wildly it's hard to track, could just be the petrol version though.

I am way more interested in driving my smart and enjoying it than treating it like a 4th grade science project.

Indeed there are a number of differences in experience. The petrol version with which you are obviously quite familiar does vary greatly in a number of aspects from the "Canadianized" cdi Diesel.

And, as has been enumerated earlier, life's day-to-day experience and typical drivers' perspectives in this country differ markedly from that in your own, or USA, or Mexico, etc., etc.

It is facile to dismiss opinions from the point of view of ignorance of these differences in vehicles, lifestyles, and the nature of the people who drive them. Some here will take offense.

I am aware that with long experience comes a kind of "I've heard it all before" factor. It is easy to forget that your car is quite different from mine, that your geography, lifestyle, political and social milieux are also not the same. Particulars of your experience may not apply. Indeed, we have seen this on occasion.

Please continue your valuable contributions from seeming long experience with smart cars. But do please try to open your mind to the many unexpected things that you may learn about our experience too. :beerchug:

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Why are the Canadians so interested/bothered about fuel consumption?....I have posted on a lot of smart forums from many countries and it's only you lot that take it seriously.

Haha, I guess you don't frequent one of the best foreign forums out there: on smart-forum.de, about a quarter of the members have spritmonitor figures in their signatures :lol:

Merely driving sounds so intellectual compared to what we enjoy doing WHILE we're driving.... Some of us can actually walk and chew gum at the same time

I suppose all those European market cars out there that come with fuel consumption displays from the factory are really designed for visiting Canadians, who may come over and rent one from time to time Like the Renault Sc?nic and Opel Vectra I was driving earlier this month in Europe....

And the fuel consumption feature added to the X gauge would definitely make it a VERY popular device!

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Its sad, but while I'm no idiot and my motor skills are normally fine... I actually choke on gum (and after-dinner mints) quite frequently when I try to walk at the same time.

- Steven

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Actually, I think our UK friend might have a point.

Traits about Canadians that I observed while spending a year working on another continent with an array of nationalities:

seriousness; functionality obsession; pessimism; inability to totally relax & have fun.

I think it does have something to do with our geography, but also with our history: a tough struggle to survive in a country with severe weather contrasts, a rapacious southern neighbour, and pockets of settlement spread thinly over the largest land mass called a country in the world.

Makes you stop and consider, & weigh alternatives.

Still, tyhe conxlusion we reached during that year: we could be less anal on our approach to living.

Myself, I wouldn't spend the time left to me on this planet to dwell obsessively on my fuel tank, constantly monitoring gauges, and altering my every travelling move " instantly" to improve my fuel consumption - for bragging rights, ego puffing, or $3.12/tank (that 15% saving indicated earlier).

There is too much to see, to think about, and to enjoy while driving in Canada, with or without a pleasant companion to chat with. Think about the time gauge on your life, then LIVE!

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Considering the your nickname, you are missing the point entirely KyotoCar! Its not about being anal, or obsessive, or saving a buck cause we're cheap... its about NOT living for the moment just because its a moment... there ARE lasting consequences to our momentary actions and we need to look out for future generations. Some can take solace in the "at least my smart is better than my mustang" argument - I can not. We can always do better.

- Steven

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Meanwhile - back at the test bench.....

Actually I think us Canucks tend to be more geeky than other nationalities - as witness - our national average of high speed internet connections (we are all here on the 'net after all).

And having a rational of helping out (environment, each other, small endangered rodents - well at least on the island here) appeals to our national identity.

So to that end the X-Gauge is both a cool new geek toy (guilty!) and a way for us to achieve other more emotional goals (saving fuel, making sure our car is comfy and healthy, checking to see if that marmot stuck to our undercarriage is hurting mileage).

Easy on our British friends - they will never know the joy of driving, and driving, and driving the smart- along shimmering coastlines - through rugged mountains - over vast prairies - through waste lands - whoops that was T.O - my bad. We will give a beaver, our proud national symbol, a pat for you Evil!

So back to encouraging Roland to get that sucker into production - so we can be kinder, gentler, more caring Canuck smart Gadget Hungry Geeks! :drool3:

Is there a possibility to have an interface port to other devices such as Palm's iPaqs or laptops included in a future release - or would that be pushing the envelope a bit hard? The vision here is to dump real time data and/or a larger display of current values for some of us that plan on an in car computer (yah I know getting all geeky). USB or serial would be fine!

I like the instantaneous fuel consumption aspect - for different reasons - as Eddie!Eddie!Eddie can attest - it can be a long coast to the next open diesel pump here in the colonies especially at night in the winter time. So if there is fuel ahead - foot made of lead (in an environmentally responsible manner) - fuel a lacking - start consumption tracking!

The wife kaiboshed the alien eyeballs so I will have to come up with an enclosure but that won't be too hard with the X-Gauge as an incentive.

Cheers,

Cameron

p.s. Kyoto - you need to come out to the west coast for a bit dude - we are too busy having a blast most of the time to pucker up the old third eye too much, and still find time to be responsible earthlings. We will go smarting - fill up with biodiesel - life will be good!

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Easy on our British friends - they will never know the joy of driving, and driving, and driving the smart- along shimmering coastlines - through rugged mountains - over vast prairies - through waste lands - whoops that was T.O - my bad. We will give a beaver, our proud national symbol, a pat for you Evil!

You guys crack me up! :biglaugh: We have shimmering coastlines(UK is made up of islands afterall)We got rugged mountains(note the use of the lower case m)As for vast praries,well we do have the fens.Oh and we now have our own Beavers to pat thanks :biglaugh: (they have just been reintroduced into UK,its the Scandinavian Beaver which has a lot less impact on the Environment)

If you do come to UK please be aware we now have over 50 pairs of breeding WILD European Eagle Owls!Small kids and dogs beware! :biglaugh::biglaugh:

Oh yeah i have also put my name down for an X Gauge!

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Something I'd like...

RPM reporting.

I am thinking of replacing my RPM pod with a SECOND x-Guage. I'd preconfigure it for RPM. So they match you know...

I'd like it to show the following:

In the big area the current RPM's.

In the little areas:

top RPM of last minute.

top RPM of last 10 seconds

average RPM over current session

average RPM over last minute

Think something like that is doable?

Are the RPM pods compatible to fit the X-gauge or are they totally different inside? (I know that it wouldn't have the buttons)

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Oh and we now have our own Beavers to pat thanks :biglaugh: (they have just been reintroduced into UK,its the Scandinavian Beaver which has a lot less impact on the Environment)

Hmmm.. patting their own beavers - leaving that one alone before I get :censored::crackmeup:

Hey Roland - another though - if a usb/serial port is too wacky - maybe a removable media slot to store info - i.e. SD card? That would make it easy to download after the fact.

Cheers,

Cameron

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Any chance you can interface it with a hat...

I'd like to see some of these stats on myself when I put it on and am out and about...

EG: What are the REAL effects of Liquid Speed or RedLine?

Eddie

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I wonder how feasable a Head Up Display feature would be?I have seen it on some cars in production at presnt so it is dooable.

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I can't remember if I mentioned this or not...

I'd like the ability to have the current GEAR displayed in the unit.

Even then the car is in AUTO mode.

One of the things that annoys me is that I never know what gear I'm in. I would like to be able to see that gear.

The MDC computer can do it but it's tiny. I'd like it big and maybe a small A or "Auto" or something.

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What about a helmet like the Apache pilots wear? We could have a Intergrated Helmet & Display Sighting System (IHADSS) too! It would serve the hud purpose and Ducks helmet fetish at the same time. The alternate functions of the helmet could take care of mundane car tasks. Imagine changing the radio station by looking at it! Never mine installing passenger window switches ....just look at it and command it down or up!

Amazing technology courtesy of the US Army!

S

ps I am kidding...it just seemd like the next step since we are making wish lists!

post-66-1132804632.jpg

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The MDC computer can do it but it's tiny.....

Does it?

Mine just shows "A" when I'm in auto mode. Perhaps there is a later software version, or a setting I'm missing...

You can always pop it into manual to see the gear then back into auto. Not convienient I realize, but it works.

Later!

Dang

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