Trip computers - did anyone ever use the things?

The GM-made Saab 900 has a S.I.D. (Saab Information Display) that gives MPG, external temp, and Distance to Empty (how far one might go with remaining fuel, at current usage).

I occasionally toggle mine through the three screens, but usually leave it on MPG, because I find I get much better mileage if I have the number right there staring at me.

(Once I was very, very low on fuel and spent about 15 miles nervously watching the DTE display... sad to say it isn't all that accurate, as it told me I still had 21 miles to go when I finally ran out of gas. I was 1/4 mile short of the gas station.)

JayD - me too. I do use the SID, in the same way, and have found it astoundingly useful - and accurate. Checking against fuel fills over several, thousand-mile trips has me pretty convinced. On longr jurneys it makes it easy to pull 42+ mpg (imperial ) out of a 900SET.

I still get nervous when it reports single-figure ranges, at which point 'clearing' it regularly helps no end, but I succesfully pulled it down to '-1miles' once!

Saab recently recalled the post MY05 93 (including mine) to adjust its DTE reading, as people were running out of fuel. Now when you get to 20 miles DTE the display changes to REFUEL NOW!

Yeh, just had my 93, 05 back for the same adjustment (my wife stuck in an order for rear park assist at the same time-no sexist comments please) hav'nt noticed the Refuel Now signal yet (it's in the post)

I use SID extensively - it is a way of not being too extravagant on fuel, I set my self silly challenges like to keep the DTE value plus the distance traveled since top up as close to 600 (miles) as possible.

See below for a classic time when the DTE was 1057 miles and the distance travelled was 50 this was in a 9-5 LPT with a chiped ECU Estate Auto. Actually the peak DTE was 1100 miles but I could not stop at the time and take the picture.

I have a harder challenge in the Aero to get to 600 in total as it is a little bit more lively <g>.
The SID in the AERO does encourage me to fill up too early so I guess that the DTE calculation and fuel indicator have been set a bit more conservatively following on from the comments re MY05 SID performance. I believe it is only a TECH 2 setting in one of the many computer type devices in the car.

I have both a trip computer and an econmeter in my 530i. I tend to use the trip computer to count down the potential range of the fuel left in my tank as I get down to a quarter, and the econometer when I am feeling frugal.

I dream of getting 600 miles out of a tank; an auto in traffic is a tad thirsty!

I used the trip computer that featured on my old Golf GTi (mk2)... it was useful for, well, not much - the only feature I regularly used was AVG speed.

my eurobarge features a pretty comprehensive computer, avg fuel consumption, current fuel consumption, trip distance, km's to empty... all independantly resettable. I use it often. Not so, the external temp display.

I don't know if I'd pay extra for one, given the option sheet before me and a new car in the wings.

In response to your "did anyone actually use these things?" the answer has to be "rarely, as the Rover Sterling (or infact, any rover made after 1976) suffered such apalling reliablility they were more often found in dealer workshops, car yards, or wreckers, than in functioning order."

quote:

Originally posted by Rico:
as the Rover Sterling (or infact, any rover made after 1976) suffered such apalling reliablility they were more often found in dealer workshops, car yards, or wreckers, than in functioning order."

Not to mention petrol stations...

Seriously, the Sterling was bought for my partner's daughter to take to university. Said partner used the Sterling one day and decided to fill the tank for daughter as a favour....

Made herself stop when the pump got to $123.00 - still not sure how much it really costs to fill the thing.

Partner's daughter has not compained of fuel use, as car largely un-used due to lack of student street-cred and automatic exclusion from green-ness discussions.

perhaps a lead-line may help divine the real depths of the row-ver's tank?

quote:

Originally posted by Rico:
Partner's daughter has not compained of fuel use, as car largely un-used due to lack of student street-cred and automatic exclusion from green-ness discussions.

Weellll (glances sideways to make sure nobody is reading truth on public forum) - also not used quite so often at university due to student flat being two minutes walk from university library...

Used em at work when i drove Fords - Granada's and Sierra 4x4's = they both used to drink fuel and I only had to go to a couple of jobs quick time round the county to suddenly then have to start thinking fuel top-up.

I recall one time getting back to base with it saying minus!

No.

I use mine for distance to empty and to get an idea of mpg. That's it.

I've heard that the Nissan Skyline had the ULTIMATE in trip computers. G - forces and power distribution and all kinds of impt stuff!

Jay