So how 'bout that Ecometer by Auto meter?

[orangepeels]

ooo i havnt received mine yet =(. But according to fedex tracking, i should have it tomorrow!

[R2D2]

Ezhacker1,

Apparently certain vehicles do require some input to calibrate the meter but the Yaris isn't one of them.

There are instructions at the end of the manual for checking and adjusting accuracy.

My hunch is it will prove reasonably accurate since it uses actual sensor data to derive it's figures. Bottom line is if it shows me the cheapest throttle position it'll be worth it. My brain definately likes the ecograph concept-it's easier to react to more/less bars than a number.

I was shocked at the cost of mpg due to acceleration and low engine temp!

From what I saw the tach seems very quick and accurate. I was actually turning more rpms during most driving situations than I would have guessed. It always sounds like it's idling around lol.

I'll update later today after I get some more driving time with it (I'm gonna make sure I get more than 20 miles in today, lol).

Orangepeels when you get yours, let us know what you think.

R2

[daf62757]

Originally Posted by R2D2

Got my ecometer today! I only had the oportunity to drive about 20 miles but my initial experiences have been very favorable.
Install was all of 60 seconds. I plugged it into the OBD connector and mounted it on the driver's side A pillar. The wire I tucked in along the trim,down the side of the dash. When you turn on the key it does it's thing and that's it.

The display is very easy to read despite it's small size and the brightness is adjustable. I was quite amazed how many bars on the ecoguage I could eliminate WITHOUT losing any speed on hills, etc by letting up on the accelerator a notch or two (fewer bars=higher mpg). You can even see the affect of a cold engine on fuel economy.

It's kind of fun to crest a hill, let off completely and watch DFCO get you 160 mpg+ lol!

TBD is the accuracy of the avg mpg reading which I'll update on later. I'm optimistic given what I've seen so far and it can be adjusted if necessary.

Very pleased so far!

Note-In my post above I typo-ed the price-it was actually 79.95 inc S/H. Sorry!

R2

What is the A pillar? Your comments have made me decide to order one. Thanks!

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by daf62757

What is the A pillar? Your comments have made me decide to order one. Thanks!

Sorry, I'm a FF/Paramedic and throw these terms around all the time. The A pillar (or A post) is the roof support closest to the front of the vehicle- i.e., the strip that runs from the back of the front fender along the side of the windshield and holds the roof of the car up. All these columns are lettered as you move back B, C etc. I mounted my ecometer to the plastic trim about eye level on the driver side. How do I post a pic?

If I can figure it out I'll post one.

I just drove about another 75 miles and I really like this thing-it's kind of fun to see how high you can keep the numbers up. I'm still really surprised at how wind, hills, even the quality of the road surface can effect fuel milage.

Now I see why some people call them "game gauges"! :)

Liking it very much so far, no complaints.

R2

[ezhacker1]

Originally Posted by R2D2

Sorry, I'm a FF/Paramedic and throw these terms around all the time. The A pillar (or A post) is the roof support closest to the front of the vehicle- i.e., the strip that runs from the back of the front fender along the side of the windshield and holds the roof of the car up. All these columns are lettered as you move back B, C etc. I mounted my ecometer to the plastic trim about eye level on the driver side. How do I post a pic?

If I can figure it out I'll post one.

I just drove about another 75 miles and I really like this thing-it's kind of fun to see how high you can keep the numbers up. I'm still really surprised at how wind, hills, even the quality of the road surface can effect fuel milage.

Now I see why some people call them "game gauges"! :)

Liking it very much so far, no complaints.

R2

This sure beats that Kiwi MPG thingy, at the same price. Tho that one has engine codes, this has RPM. Lets see how the avg. mpg gauge fairs when its time to fill up. +1 For being a pioneer.

[toast]

Wow, I ordered mine from Summit yesterday and got it this morning... +1 to those folks. Just like R2 said, you plug it in and it's ready to go. I've only driven about 5 miles, so I have no idea about the mpg accuracy yet, but the spedo function is dead on and the tach seems good. It's not obnoxious looking and it's easy to read so I'm happy. I've got it mounted underneath the temp control on the center electronics console. The gauge comes with some nice heavy duty velcro and the gauge face can be rotated so it can go anywhere. I was able to just tuck the wire behind the trim and you can't see any wire or the the mount. Very cool toy.

[daf62757]

Originally Posted by R2D2

Sorry, I'm a FF/Paramedic and throw these terms around all the time. The A pillar (or A post) is the roof support closest to the front of the vehicle- i.e., the strip that runs from the back of the front fender along the side of the windshield and holds the roof of the car up. All these columns are lettered as you move back B, C etc. I mounted my ecometer to the plastic trim about eye level on the driver side. How do I post a pic?

If I can figure it out I'll post one.

I just drove about another 75 miles and I really like this thing-it's kind of fun to see how high you can keep the numbers up. I'm still really surprised at how wind, hills, even the quality of the road surface can effect fuel milage.

Now I see why some people call them "game gauges"! :)

Liking it very much so far, no complaints.

R2

Thanks! Appreciate the feedback!

[ezhacker1]

this thing is sounding better and better, need more info after one of you guys gets to fill up.

[NJBob]

R2D2..to post a pic make sure you post it via "Go Advanced" the button to the bottom right of the body of your post. Above the body of the post is a paper clip. Hit it. It will ask you to "Browse" your files for the pic. Select it then hit "Upload". Then "Close". That should do it.

[orangepeels]

well i got my ecometer today. Installation was a breeze. Its not actual velcro, but very similar. Its mounted on my a-pillar.

When i first tested it out, i checked to see if the mph mode was in sync with the car...it was =D. Then i played around with the instantaneous mpg and average mpg. All work well, and i can see myself saving a lot of gas in the future by playing with the green bars and such. RPM mode works great, but i dont see myself basing my shifts off engine rpm. Ive gotten used to shifting at certain speeds and its working out great for me. There is very little to no lag when revving the engine in rpm mode. There are more features to it than the 4 modes though....

In instantaneous mpg mode you can set a target mpg that you would like to reach up to 50mpg. I thought this part was pretty cool. After averaging 33mpg city/highway mixed, i set my target mpg to 35. Ill probably set it to 40 mpg at some time, but we gotta take baby steps!

In rpm mode you can see the highest rpm you have taken your car too, not that useful but pretty cool.

In mph mode you can see the highest speed you've gone, again not that useful but pretty cool.


All in all i can say that this was a good purchase. Recommended to people who are looking to change their driving habits in order to save money on gas.

Ill take pictures and scan the instruction manual for you guys tomorrow (or when i have time)

[roxy1]

curious how accurate this is for rpm's.

what rpm's for 60 mph (auto vs manual)
what rpm's for 70 mph (auto vs manual)

[R2D2]

Here's a quick pic of my install, sorry about the quality. Snapped it with my Blackberry after I couldn't find my digital camera but I guess it'll work. Thanks, NJBob!

orangepeels, thanks for the additional detail, I get typing and next thing I know I've left things out... Well said on your part.

Toast, thanks for the pics.

roxy1- I'll try to note the rpm tomorrow at 60 and 70 mph with the torque converter locked up.

[bronsin]

So exactly how does this thing tell you your mileage? Whatsit measuring? Is this the same thing as the Lie-O-Meter the Prius has? I want to know if it really works before I buy one.

[R2D2]

bronsin,

The idea of the ecometer is to give you instantaneous mpg both in number and in a graph that shows relative efficiency of your current mode of vehicle operation so you can tune your driving style for the best economy. It also has a digital tach, tracks you average mpg until reset (up to 300,000 miles!), and has a digital speedo function. See orangepeels informative post above for more features.

I'm certain this will help save gas-whether or not the avg mpg reading is reasonably accurate or not remains to be seen. So far I'd have to say it's looking pretty good. Either way I'll probably always calculate it out the old fashoined way, but it would be nice if it was close.

This gives me an easy to install digital tach without any permanent modification to the vehicle so it's already a good deal in my opinion without the other features. I have the AT so I really don't NEED a tach at all, but I've always had them and feel like somethings missing without one. If it helps me save gas and does a few other things too-bonus!

Stay tuned -there are a few of us trying these out and we'll let you guys know so you can hopefully make a reasonably well informed buying decision.

[bronsin]

I'll be listening. But it sounds like a glorified vacuum meter to me. I would like it if it measured the flow of gas in the gas line and compared it to the odometer.

[ezhacker1]

nice bonus features. Keep the info coming.

[orangepeels]

Ive had the ecometer on my car for about half a tank. The average mpg on the ecometer said 38 mpg. When i filled up today, i divided total miles traveled on trip a by the amount of gas put in.... 35 mpg. Seeing as how 35 mpg was my set target on the ecometer, i think it has already improved my mpg's in just half a tank....before it my average mpg was 32-33 mpg. 35 mpg is an all new high for me.


I have reset trip A and the average mpg on the ecometer. I have also set my target mpg to 40 mpg. We shall see come next fill up =D.

Just some advice before anyone else decides to purchase this. The ecometer itself will not improve your mpg. In order to improve your fuel economy, you must use the ecometer to adjust your driving habits based on the graph on the gauge and the instantaneous mpg shown.

Also, while the digital tachometer was the selling point for me, i do not think i will be using it at all. The instantaneous mpg mode is a lot more appealing to me, now that i have had time to play with it. I do not base my shifts on engine speed(rpm), i have become used to shifting at certain speeds and its working out great.

Roxy1, since i havnt been using the tach mode on the ecometer i havnt been able to see what the RPM's are at when cruising at 60 or 70 mph. But while on the freeway today, i was cruising at 80 mph @ 5th gear, if i remember correctly the tach was reading 3.5, or 3500 rpm.


My car...
2008 yaris 3dr with the 5 speed manual.


edit: also, while cruising on the freeway on a downhill grade, with my foot off the gas the instantaneous mpg went all the way to 200 mpg...DFCO ftw?

[ezhacker1]

does the memory keep track of avg. mpg, max rpm, max speed. even when the display isnt displaying that particular mode? Like im using inst. mpg, the avg. mpg will silently be tracking.