[maven]

Has anyone used indycator (shifter knob with digital display of the selected gear). it claims to save fuel by upto 15%. it's one of the products listed in pete's website.

i was thinking of having it installed in my palio. but not sure if it actually does any wonders.

[hydrashok]

I've seen it used in quite a few cars here in Kochi (an Alto, an Innova, 3 Swifts). Nice for it's 'gimmicky' look.

Haven't seen it in a Palio yet. Won't it mess with the reverse-gear-pull-ring-thing?

I haven't heard about the fuel-saving claims! Wonder how it can save fuel.

[Cyrus43]

The only way you can save fuel is by changing the way you drive, Not by some gizmo that tells you what gear you are in.

[ankitahuja]

Any links and pictures please?

From what I understand, there can be absolutely NO benifit apart from visual appeal!

[Veelubai]

yes,there is no techinical gain from this.The cost is Rs5850.

[GTO]

Sorry, but I think this gadget is utterly pointless. How can you NOT know what gear you are driving in already?!

[Ash_vtec]

i think its a waste of money. Rs 5850 for a gadget that tells you something you already know. You'd be better off buying a tacho (if you dont already have one stock) to improve mileage

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

Even as a newbie driver, I never had difficulty telling which gear the vehicle is by simply touching it. I have mis-shifted - mostly into 5 from 2. But not knowing which gear the vehicle is? NO.

I find it difficult to take my eyes off the road and RVMs to even glance at the speedo (most coz. I am still new), so how am I to turn head back / down and look at the gear shift?

And my driving school should be thanked. They spent first 10 minutes (some time during the course) simply geting me to mock shift through the gears (stationary vehicle). I was make to say out loud what gear the vehicle is, and one class was spent shifting up in series and down shifting into random gears. (4 to 3, 3 to 1, 4 direct to 1, etc.). I had to slow down the vehicle to appropriate speeds, and then do the down shifting.

[maven]

@ ankit:
Pete's Automotive Products Pvt Limited
on the right side of the page towards the bottom would be the indy-cator link. click to view details.

@hydrashok:
the online manual says it works with the ring as well. only that the installation approach is a bit different and one needs to be a bit more careful in case of cars which have a ring to lift for engaging reverse

@ GTO, veelubai, ash, cyrus:
precisely what i was also thinking. but then since it was one of the products listed i thought may be there is some thing i dont know or there is a logic which i am missing

[hrag]

This is what the site (Pete's Automotive Products Pvt Limited) says:

"The engine speed is a key factor in fuel consumption. The INDY-CATOR helps the driver reduce fuel consumption by up to 15% by means of an adapted driving style.

Regardless of the brand of the car, the INDY-CATOR fits all manual transmissions up to six-speed (except for gear levers with reverse gear locking mechanism) and is designed to work with every conceivable gearshift pattern.

A light sensor in the INDY-CATOR adapts the brightness of the digital display to the surrounding light by means of an automatic dimming function, ensuring optimum readability at all times."

Guess the text in bold rules out the Palio.

[maven]

Originally Posted by BaCkSeAtDrIVeR

Even as a newbie driver, I never had difficulty telling which gear the vehicle is by simply touching it. I have mis-shifted - mostly into 5 from 2. But not knowing which gear the vehicle is? NO.

I find it difficult to take my eyes off the road and RVMs to even glance at the speedo (most coz. I am still new), so how am I to turn head back / down and look at the gear shift?

And my driving school should be thanked. They spent first 10 minutes (some time during the course) simply geting me to mock shift through the gears (stationary vehicle). I was make to say out loud what gear the vehicle is, and one class was spent shifting up in series and down shifting into random gears. (4 to 3, 3 to 1, 4 direct to 1, etc.). I had to slow down the vehicle to appropriate speeds, and then do the down shifting.

yes a driver would know what gear he is on/has engaged.

i was going through their product .pdf download. It has a teach function wherein post installation the user engages the gear's (standing still downhill and also uphill) and "teaches" the system on how he/she engages gears. the system then recognises/stores this. not sure what happens then. Product is made by a german co. called Gaslock.

i am still not clear whats the value add?

[maven]

Originally Posted by hrag

This is what the site (Pete's Automotive Products Pvt Limited) says:

"The engine speed is a key factor in fuel consumption. The INDY-CATOR helps the driver reduce fuel consumption by up to 15% by means of an adapted driving style.

Regardless of the brand of the car, the INDY-CATOR fits all manual transmissions up to six-speed (except for gear levers with reverse gear locking mechanism) and is designed to work with every conceivable gearshift pattern.

A light sensor in the INDY-CATOR adapts the brightness of the digital display to the surrounding light by means of an automatic dimming function, ensuring optimum readability at all times."

Guess the text in bold rules out the Palio.

in the product manual they talk about installation for car's which use a clamping ring. i thought this is the ring to engage reverse. anyways i can still look at it for my cedia provided it has benefit.

[.anshuman]

Every experienced driver knows what gear his car is in just by judging engine speed to engine noise(rpm) so its quite pointless to waste your money on such a product.

[theMAG]

For the Rs 5850 this costs, at an assumed average rate of Rs 55 per liter petrol across India, thats 106 liters of petrol for the same cost. Thats a better fuel saving option then - your car runs for 106 liters of petrol worth atleast.

[khanak]

Even though its more or less useless I think it looks very sci-fi and would look supercool in a car.