Remote "Back Window" MPG Display?

13671 Views 75 Replies 29 Participants Last post by Insightful Trekker, Dec 19, 2005

Fred Kaluza

Discussion Starter · Aug 27, 2004

Has anyone been able to extract segment driver information from the dash MPG display and been able to fabricate a nice bright large display for MPG so drivers behind me can see how I'm doing? Are their any remote MPG display kits being marketed? I think that alone would be responsible for for increase in Insight interest as much as anything else. Fred in Michigan.

61 - 76 of 76 Posts

Mike Dabrowski 2000

· #61 · May 3, 2005

May want to hold off a little, since MIMA is letting me get MPG'S to brag about again, I will look into tapping into the meter serial communication between the ECM and the guage assembly and try to capture the MPG data. I already made the taps. If successful, the MPG data could be easily converted to a large LED 7 segment display and be able to automatically update with the in dash display.
Need to finish MIMA first. I will have my car rear MPG video set up at the Tour de sol.

TypingOffKey

· #62 · Aug 8, 2005

Hey Mike, any progress on tapping the MPG display signals? I'm about one week from purchasing a 2000 Insight with 44K miles, and would totally love an auto-updating rear MPG display. I've been reading these boards for months now, and even without owning an Insight I can see this is an awesome family of supporters.

I'm very impressed with MIMA also, so if that is taking up the majority of your time these days, that is completely understandable.

Mike Dabrowski 2000

· #63 · Aug 8, 2005

Glad to see there is still interest in the rear MPG display. I was at the Hybrid meet in Natick MA.This Sat. One of the Prius Guys had a licence plate frame with a 1" tall X 3" wide display that he post his LMPG on. It is not auto updating, but is better then nothing.
Yes as I get to the home stretch, MIMA is traking all my time+.
Hope to be ready to start taking orders this week.

Resist

· #64 · Aug 8, 2005

What if the display had a manual input feature? We could probably program preset numbers with a remote for the driver to hit. Then when the right numbers show up you'd just have to punch that button for it display on the rear.

Mike Dabrowski 2000

· #65 · Aug 8, 2005

That,s how the display device that the Prius guy had worked, he had a small pendant that could raise or lower the set number from ther drivers seat.
I did not look it over that well, so I can't tell you much more, like how he knew what the display was reading.
Pretty simple to duplicate, but I want to make a unit that displays what the MPG display is reading.
My video system worked pretty well, but lacked high brightness, and was pretty pricy.
It also make me feel that I had to drive efficiently cause everyone was watching, and since this was pre MIMA, I was not too proud of my 60.2 MPG LMPG. :wink:

Jim

· #66 · Aug 9, 2005

Mike Dabrowski 2000 said:
That,s how the display device that the Prius guy had worked, he had a small pendant that could raise or lower the set number from ther drivers seat.
I did not look it over that well, so I can't tell you much more, like how he knew what the display was reading.
Pretty simple to duplicate, but I want to make a unit that displays what the MPG display is reading.
My video system worked pretty well, but lacked high brightness, and was pretty pricy.
It also make me feel that I had to drive efficiently cause everyone was watching, and since this was pre MIMA, I was not too proud of my 60.2 MPG LMPG. :wink:

Mike, this one is pretty pricey, too: http://www.sportsimportsltd.com/prledmeliplf.html or: http://www.customdynamics.com/streettags.htm - although the prices are coming down. I imagine the guy with Prius had one of these or something similar.

G

· #67 · Aug 9, 2005

Not sure if anyone has posted this prime thought.

How smart is it to get someone near the *** of your car and then distract them? Those interested might as well test run this and slap some porn on your rear bumper/window.

Resist

· #68 · Aug 9, 2005

Troll said:
How smart is it to get someone near the *** of your car and then distract them?

No more distracting than reading the rear license plate of the vehicle in front of you. We wouldn't be talking about displaying long winded lines, just a miles per gallon figure.

2hybrids

· #69 · Aug 9, 2005

http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/...wse/s-10101/Ntk-AllTextSearchGroup?Ntt=FRAMES

Mike Dabrowski 2000

· #70 · Aug 9, 2005

The display area on the unit I saw was smaller, and the remote programmer was the size of our key fob, but the JC whitney unit looks like a deal compared to the other units.
I believe some states have laws about any extra lights on a car for whatever purpose.
:wink:

Jackmpg

· #71 · Aug 18, 2005

License Plate Display

Did a little research, the manufacturer of the JC Whitney license plate led is PlasmaGlow, their retail is $299. Why the difference, don't know. Looks like it will fit 9+ characters on the display, which is more than the rest. If it's illegal I can advertise our little cars when I'm in parking lots. Or, if the remote turns it on/off, I can switch it on road for a quick FU. Jack

Mike Dabrowski 2000

· #72 · Aug 24, 2005

Been thinking about this a little more, and may have a way to get the MPG info into MIMA without the problems associated with decoding the meter serial com, which would still be the best way to read MPG.
Back in 2001, I did some experiments with reading the MPG bargraph with a single optical detector, that looked at the whole bargraph, and measured the change in light between no bars and full bars, in a linear fashion. Yves was also involved. The detector was in an opaque enclosure that only allowed the bargraph light to get to the detector. The problems were related to the bargraph brightness changing with the LCD brightness changes at the different settings, and with an analog system It was too difficult to keep calibrated. It also covered the bargraph so you could not see your MPG, so was not a good solution.
The optical detector in the MIMA display is converted to a 10 bit number, and since it is a computer, a program could be written to scale the data under the different display lighting conditions. The MPG display would still need to be covered to eliminate stray light, but the battery ammeter could do double duty as an MPG display. Once the MPG info is captured, a MPG based AutoMIMA control system could be programmed. A serial link to a large bright three digit MPG display in the rear hatch window, and we would have the rear MPG display, and a MPG based AutoMIMA control system. :wink:

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TypingOffKey

· #73 · Dec 14, 2005

Great idea mike - but what about those of us without MIMA :wink: I'm thinking a near-replica of the charge / assist bars in a half-circle around a large instantaneous MPG display centered in the back window would get some serious attention! Plus, maybe a little area off to the side with something like "X miles on X gallons of gas, so far" or something of that nature. How's the serial decoding coming?

Subterfuge3927

· #74 · Dec 14, 2005

Still interested, and there HAS to be a way to cap the signal now that your MIMA has matured!

Update M8?

bpapa9013

· #75 · Dec 19, 2005

I'm obviously no electornics wiz, but I still think the idea of capping the avg or instantanious mpg from a ODB device sounds promising.

I personally would prefer to just have the avg mpg displayed, but don't forget to add that third digit! Imagine coming down eastbound out of CO toward KS, and after going downhill for several hours having the display in the rear window reading 100+. Excursion drivers would be homocidal/suicidal (I would prefer they were the latter, but thats just me :twisted: ).

I'm also thinking like alarm clock display sort of digits, although with LEDs.

Insightful Trekker

· #76 · Dec 19, 2005

The MPG "information" is confirmed to be serial DATA sent to the gauge cluster. MUCH more difficult to "crack" than analog controls like manual IMA (MIMA). You could do the surgery to the gauge and "piggyback" the segment outputs but its a difficult and risky operation. Last post I remember the cluster is only available as a unit and is $800 USD. In most states such a display is illegal.

How many times have you found yourself watching MPG a bit too much vs. the road :?:

Do you _really_ want driver's around you doing something similar :?: :shock:

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