first wonder about the Cons mileage indicator---I am not sure what this indicates--but mine jumps from 20 to 99 every few seconds--i assume it has a bug--am i right. i assume this is supposed to show what kind of mileage i am creating buy real time driving?? also how accurate do you find these gauges are--my other indicator shows 19 miles per gallon--i have a 2006 S Convert with JCW--had hoped for a bit better but with only 6000 miles hoping to see it increase--thats around the city number which may not be too bad. any imput appreciated! robert

 

with automatics

19 mpg city

24 mpg hwy

not including head wind probabilities and/or heavy pedal acceleration..

since adding my spoiler kit, wheels and rmw head..

city 15

hwy 19

who knows if this is correct, i don't really care when driving...just love happy motoring.

btw, there are 3 real time consumption ratings...

1) average speed per gallon

2) mpg per rev ( i call it) 20 to 99

3) actual mpg consumption.

 

can you clarify what you know about your #2 --mpg per rev?? mine jumps from 20 to 99 second by second--is this just broken or is it telling me something i just dont get? i have a stick 6 speed--likely that reduces mileage-i assume. thanks for the post!!

 

what it does is averages your mpg as you drive..heavy pedal it shows less mpg 20..light driving shows more mpg 99...it calculates it real time...try it out you will see...btw, nothing wrong with your gauge.

you can also reset your gauge by holding the **** down, i usually do this when i'm going on a long drive.

 

The instantaneous MPG indication is pretty sensitive to throttle position, since it updates every second or so. Any time you take your foot off the throttle, the instantaneous MPG reading is going to immediately spike up to 99.9 MPG, since the fuel injectors cut off *completely* any time the throttle is lifted and the engine speed is higher than about 1200 RPM.

I really don't find the instantaneous readout to be very helpful, since even slight changes in the slope of the road will make a big difference. Even if I have the cruise control set on a relatively-flat section of highway, the instantaneous readout still jumps all over the place as the cruise control makes throttle corrections in order to maintain a constant speed.

 

thanks for that clarification--glad mine isnt broken then---so am i right then its supposed to be a real time mileage indicator--but clearly sounds from what you have said kind of useless. thanks robert

 

I don't think it's all that useless. Consider it a part of a feedback system in which you try to maximize MPG. By trying to keep the instantaneous readout as high as possible when driving, you should be able to improve your mileage.

 

The idea behind the instantaneous MPG readout is a good one, but I think the execution is pretty poor.

Unless you're on a perfectly-flat piece of road, any small throttle corrections make the readout jump all over the place, so the reading you get one instant isn't likely to be very close to the reading from the next instant. I'm pretty gentle on the throttle, but when I view the instantaneous readout, all it seems to be doing during normal city driving is bouncing around between the low teens and 99.9 MPG, and everywhere in-between.

I'd rather see the output buffered a little bit, perhaps showing a running average of the last five seconds' worth of inputs. That way, if I apply a little bit of gas to increase my speed from 33 MPH to 35 MPH, the readout doesn't plunge downward, and when I let back off the gas once I'm at my new higher speed, it doesn't momentarily spike up to 50 or 60 MPH (or even higher).

 

I agree that the inst. mpg could be more useful if buffered.

I've also noticed that the average mpg seems to change in 0.3 mpg increments. i.e. (26.0-26.3-26.6) Perhaps this reading is too heavily filtered. I see no reason that the resolution of the average mpg cannot be 0.1. (Unimportant but interesting, and somewhat relavant, observation.)

 

My cons reading seems fine as described in previous posts but my average mpg reading seems to stay on the same reading for days regardless of whether I'm in city or on the highway for an extended period. I recently had an '08 loaner and the average mpg changed frequently while driving. Has the resetting frequency changed in the newer models or is mine defective?

Also does anyone know when the Chrono pak disappeared as an option? I was looking at the build options for the '09's and don't see it offered.

 

The average MPG reading *never* resets on its own - you have to reset it manually by pressing & holding the button on your turn-signal stalk while the average MPG is displayed. If you've never reset yours, that's why it's barely changing even over the course of several days.

The Chrono Pack was only an option on the first-generation cars, not on the R56 or Clubman. As such, it stopped being available on the MINI coupe starting with the 2007 model year. You could still get it on the 2007-2008 convertibles, since they're still using the old body style, but the Chrono Pack will probably disappear from the convertible as well when the new version comes out next year.

 

Many thanks, ScottRiqui for the info. It seems incredible to me that a BMW produced MINI would not have a full guage package available, if not standard. Even the Chrono pak has no ammeter. Do they think we're too dumb to read charging condition, oil pressure and temp and water temp? I guess by the time the idiot lights come on it's usually guaranteed big $$$ business for the service dept. Amazing.

 

Just adding my two cents about how I use the readouts...

I reset my avg consumption on every fill-up. It is part of my routine just like resetting the trip odemeter. I have found the readout is usually within 1.5 mpg of what I actually get (calculated from milage and fuel added). I will check it every so often, and it helps keep my right foot a little lighter when I see the numbers going down.

As for the "instantanious" mpg, I have found that fun to play with on long trips. I like to set the cruise control and watch the numbers change as the grade changes, the wind changes or I get into the "draft" of the vehicle in front of me. In these days of $4.00/gal gas, it is a great tool to see which of your habits really reduce consumption, and which don't. All you people with pickup trucks and open tailgates need one of these gauges Probably would realize it doesn't do a thing.

 

I do the same thing and I've notice the same variance. I actually have an excel document in my computer with every fill-up.

As for the instantaneous MPG, I watch it all the time...I've found that getting into 6th gear ASAP makes for the best MPG, and shifting below 3k or even below 2.5k if you can. I'm now actually getting the Manufacture rated 25MPG City and 31 Highway...I used to be more like 22.5/29