MPG Indicator

Is there a MPG Indicator one can buy and personally install on his/her car?

On Thu, 22 Jun 2006 14:51:14 GMT, "matthewclydehavard" <u23312@uwe>
wrote:
[color=blue]
>Is there a MPG Indicator one can buy and personally install on his/her car?[/color]

Sure....

An inexpensive calculator.

matthewclydehavard wrote:[color=blue]
> Is there a MPG Indicator one can buy and personally install on his/her car?[/color]

My 2006 Solara has one. It does a few things. 1. AVG MPG 2. Actual
MPG(While driving you get a real time reading of how many gallons per
mile you're consuming. Don't know how accurate it is 3. AVG MPH. 4.
Driving Range(Miles left before you run out of gas). 5. ETZ - haven't
looked at that one yet.. :) . So I fugure you should be able to get
one.- Good luck

"matthewclydehavard" <u23312@uwe> wrote in message news:62285862d97f8@uwe...[color=blue]
> Is there a MPG Indicator one can buy and personally install on his/her
> car?[/color]

I've seen aftermarket trip computers that have instantaneous and average MPG
readouts but they are not easy to install for someone without pretty
thorough knowledge of automotive systems. You have to install a magnet and
reluctor on the driveshaft, calibrate distance for driveshaft revolutions,
install fuel flow sensors in the fuel line, and then wire everything up.

The best way to calculate MPG is to record distance traveled between fillups
and use a calculator.
--

Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)

steve-o wrote:[color=blue]
> Actual
> MPG(While driving you get a real time reading of how many gallons per
> mile you're consuming. Don't know how accurate it is[/color]

Theoretically, this could be very accurate. All it requires is a simple
fuel flow rate vs. ground speed calculation.

If Toyota chose to make it accurate may be up for discussion.

"Ray O" <rokigawaATtristarassociatesDOTcom> wrote in message
news:115c8$449adcab$44a4a10d$32105@msgid.meganewsservers.com...[color=blue]
>
> "matthewclydehavard" <u23312@uwe> wrote in message
> news:62285862d97f8@uwe...[color=green]
>> Is there a MPG Indicator one can buy and personally install on his/her
>> car?[/color]
> The best way to calculate MPG is to record distance traveled between
> fillups and use a calculator.[/color]
[color=blue][color=green]
>>[/color][/color]
Or the back of an envelope or shopping list.
simple divide the mileage driven by the number of gallons on your fillup.
200 miles divided by 10 gallons means you've gotten 20 miles per gallon.
But you knew that.

On Thu, 22 Jun 2006 14:51:14 GMT, "matthewclydehavard" <u23312@uwe>
wrote:
[color=blue]
>Is there a MPG Indicator one can buy and personally install on his/her car?[/color]

They have one at thinkgeek.com that plugs into the OBD-II computer
connection, sticks on the dash, and gives you instantaneous and
average MPG, as well as a lot of arcana like temperature and pressure
sensor readings from around the car. Isn't cheap, somewhere around
$150.

Of course, if you're asking about a 1980 vehicle that isn't even EFI
(let alone OBD-II compliant) you're out of luck with that one...

--<< Bruce >>--

Warning: The following is an **OFF TOPIC** tangent to this thread.

OFF TOPIC:


You all seem to be pretty knowledgeable when it comes to
electrical matters. So I thought I'd ask if it's advisable to
plug your television and other entertainment equipment into
a regular computer-type UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply)?

I know you're not suppose to plug a laser printer into
a UPS--tried that at home a few years ago, and fried the
whole computer. Oh oh. Computer said bye-bye for good.
(Luckily it was an old computer.)
But would a UPS work with a 32-inch CRT television, DVD, VCR, etc.?

By the way, here's a great deal on a UPS. As of 2 or 3
days ago, Best Buy has been selling the Geek Squad 685 VA UPS for
an unheard of $20 plus about another $12 for shipping (6 outlets, 3
with battery backup). Get yours while supplies last! Got mine 2
nights
ago. Hope they're still available for you at this link:

[url]http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=6819552&productCategoryId=cat08029&type=product&tab=1&id=1091101368673[/url]

On 22 Jun 2006 16:46:58 -0700, "Built_Well"
<Built_Well_Toyota@hotmail.com> wrote:
[color=blue]
>Warning: The following is an **OFF TOPIC** tangent to this thread.
>
>OFF TOPIC:
>
>
> You all seem to be pretty knowledgeable when it comes to
>electrical matters. So I thought I'd ask if it's advisable to
>plug your television and other entertainment equipment into
>a regular computer-type UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply)?
>
> I know you're not suppose to plug a laser printer into
>a UPS--tried that at home a few years ago, and fried the
>whole computer. Oh oh. Computer said bye-bye for good.
>(Luckily it was an old computer.)
>But would a UPS work with a 32-inch CRT television, DVD, VCR, etc.?[/color]

The laser printer was too big a load for the UPS, and they always
tell you NOT to do that in the instructions - I'm surprised it didn't
blow the UPS. Printers are not a critical item, you can always
reprint it later - they're meant for running the CPU and monitor, and
critical stuff to keep the net connection up like the DSL or Cable
Modem and the Ethernet Hub only.

If the computer went, it was probably the power supply that didn't
like being feed 40 volts. If the power supply failed gracefully (it
didn't short through and send high voltage to the motherboard and fry
everything) it's probably recyclable as spare parts or for a childs'
first computer. (If they break an old one, no big loss.)

The UPS can feed any electronic load IF it's big enough. The
question being why would you want the TV to keep going? If you are
going to protect anything, you plug the Tivo and the Cable or
Satellite Box into it, so your recordings aren't interrupted.
[color=blue]
> By the way, here's a great deal on a UPS. As of 2 or 3
>days ago, Best Buy has been selling the Geek Squad 685 VA UPS for
>an unheard of $20 plus about another $12 for shipping (6 outlets, 3
>with battery backup). Get yours while supplies last! Got mine 2
>nights ago. Hope they're still available for you at this link:[/color]

No thanks, I get the 1100VA models with full-size batteries at
Costco for around $90. Those "power-strip sized" UPS's are sold as a
placebo for desktop machines at offices. They only have enough
battery power for about 5 minutes at full load, and that's not enough
time for an orderly shutdown if you are in the middle of burning a CD,
or something that can't be interrupted like installing new software.

The full-size units will go 20 to 40 minutes at full load, and if
you deliberately oversize it one notch you can get a few hours.

--<< Bruce >>--

Bruce L. Bergman wrote:[color=blue]
> I'm surprised it didn't blow the UPS.[/color]

Bruce, thanks very much for the advice.

Umm, I wasn't clear. Everything went bye-bye that
day: the power supply, the motherboard, the UPS... The only
survivor was the laser printer.

I was thinking of plugging the television into the
UPS so I wouldn't have to reset the TV's time--not that I'm
wacky enough to actually watch the tube during a storm-created
blackout [heh].

On Thu, 22 Jun 2006 16:46:58 -0700, Built_Well wrote:
[color=blue]
> Warning: The following is an **OFF TOPIC** tangent to this thread.
>
> OFF TOPIC:
>
>
> You all seem to be pretty knowledgeable when it comes to
> electrical matters. So I thought I'd ask if it's advisable to
> plug your television and other entertainment equipment into
> a regular computer-type UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply)?
>
> I know you're not suppose to plug a laser printer into
> a UPS--tried that at home a few years ago, and fried the
> whole computer. Oh oh. Computer said bye-bye for good.
> (Luckily it was an old computer.)
> But would a UPS work with a 32-inch CRT television, DVD, VCR, etc.?
>
> By the way, here's a great deal on a UPS. As of 2 or 3
> days ago, Best Buy has been selling the Geek Squad 685 VA UPS for
> an unheard of $20 plus about another $12 for shipping (6 outlets, 3
> with battery backup). Get yours while supplies last! Got mine 2
> nights
> ago. Hope they're still available for you at this link:
>
> [url]http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=6819552&productCategoryId=cat08029&type=product&tab=1&id=1091101368673[/url][/color]



Actually, you're not even supposed to plug a Laser Printer into a Surge
protector. Something about the way they and UPS's work makes the fuser go
batty and they fail real fast.
Finally, after I replaced 5 fuser units for a PUC they FINALLY unplugged
it from the S.P. (they thought I was 'funning' them...they then sent out a
company wide mandate to unplug ALL the laser printers from SP's and UPS')

On Thu, 22 Jun 2006 14:16:46 -0700, mack wrote:
[color=blue]
>
> "Ray O" <rokigawaATtristarassociatesDOTcom> wrote in message
> news:115c8$449adcab$44a4a10d$32105@msgid.meganewsservers.com...[color=green]
>>
>> "matthewclydehavard" <u23312@uwe> wrote in message
>> news:62285862d97f8@uwe...[color=darkred]
>>> Is there a MPG Indicator one can buy and personally install on his/her
>>> car?[/color]
>> The best way to calculate MPG is to record distance traveled between
>> fillups and use a calculator.[/color]
>[color=green][color=darkred]
>>>[/color][/color]
> Or the back of an envelope or shopping list.
> simple divide the mileage driven by the number of gallons on your fillup.
> 200 miles divided by 10 gallons means you've gotten 20 miles per gallon.
> But you knew that.[/color]

But that's not Kewl!
I use the 'computers' in my Chryslers all the time to 'modify' my driving.

I was doing 55 in a 40 one time on a back road and saw the blues. The cop
asked if I knew how fast I was going. Um, I have an idea. He asked me if I
was being a wise guy. I said, no, pointed to the readout and said, at this
time of the day, on a clear road, THAT'S the meter I go by. I was getting
45 MPG with my LHS!!! He let me go, with the words...Look at the OTHER
meter more often!

Hachiroku wrote:
[color=blue]
> Finally, after I replaced 5 fuser units for a PUC they FINALLY unplugged
> it from the S.P. (they thought I was 'funning' them...they then sent out a
> company wide mandate to unplug ALL the laser printers from SP's and UPS')[/color]


Dang! You'd think a company would know better! Glad you set
them straight. Whew....

Bruce L. Bergman wrote:[color=blue]
> ....and they always tell you NOT to do that in the instructions[/color]


[Chuckle] My laser printer didn't come with instructions. I got
it really cheap at a garage sale. My 'puter and I had to learn from
the
school of hard knocks.

On 22 Jun 2006 18:20:22 -0700, "Built_Well"
<Built_Well_Toyota@hotmail.com> wrote:[color=blue]
>Bruce L. Bergman wrote:[/color]
[color=blue][color=green]
>> I'm surprised it didn't blow the UPS.[/color]
>
> Umm, I wasn't clear. Everything went bye-bye that
>day: the power supply, the motherboard, the UPS... The only
>survivor was the laser printer.[/color]

Sounds more like a lightning strike - and when that happens, all
bets are off.

Your only defense is to install a big whole-house lightning arrestor
at the main panel, and beef the hell out of your grounding and bonding
system so it has a way and a place to dump the surge.

And get your utility to beef up the lightning arrestors on the pole,
because that's the main path the surges follow in. Lightning doesn't
hit your house nearly as often as that nice tall power pole behind it.
[color=blue]
> I was thinking of plugging the television into the
>UPS so I wouldn't have to reset the TV's time--not that I'm
>wacky enough to actually watch the tube during a storm-created
>blackout [heh].[/color]

RTFM, or go buy a new TV - almost all the new gear on the market
reads a timecode on the PBS or Local Commercial broadcasts and sets
it's own clock. The flashing 12:00 is practically extinct.

--<< Bruce >>--