Gas saver vacuum gauge (hows it work)

hawkeye5766 · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Gas saver vacuum gauge (hows it work)

DonSSDD · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

I remember those from a 65 Chevy, they were a factory option, but I don't remember them having the movable MPG setting. I'm betting the mileage setting is theoretical, you must drive your car at say 18 vacuum for a while, calculate the mileage you are getting and set the gauge to that number? Cool gauge.

CdnGMfan · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Good answer, Don.

The vacuum gauge was standard in the 1965 Impala SS unless you had a 300-horse or better powerplant under the hood, in which case a tachometer was substituted. Priorities biggrin They were also standard in many of the Oldsmobile Starfires in the early to mid-60s. GM brought them back for 1975 as The Econominder Gauge Package.

I have a similar function in the digital display of my modern direct-injected daily driver. If I pay attention to it the car can deliver excellent fuel economy. It helps with driving technique when pushing for better fuel economy.

norontcan · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

CdnGMfan wrote:
Good answer, Don.
The vacuum gauge was standard in the 1965 Impala SS unless you had a 300-horse or better powerplant under the hood, in which case a tachometer was substituted. Priorities They were also standard in many of the Oldsmobile Starfires in the early to mid-60s. GM brought them back for 1975 as The Econominder Gauge Package.
I have a similar function in the digital display of my modern direct-injected daily driver. If I pay attention to it the car can deliver excellent fuel economy. It helps with driving technique when pushing for better fuel economy.

Let's not forget a vacuum guage took up the third pod in a 65 Custom Sport with the clock moved down to the console.

I suspect the explanation given is as good as we're going to get for how the outer ring works.

-- Edited by norontcan on Tuesday 20th of June 2017 02:33:41 PM

long stroke · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

I remember running one of these in a 55 Chevy i had back in the late 70's and early eighties. I finally got rid of the thing because it is mostly useless. To run in the economy range, you would either have to coast down a hill, drive backing off on the throttle and never down on the throttle, have it idle in park or just plain have the engine off. As far as i am concerned it is something that is mostly useless in the real world of driving. Does anyone really take these things seriously. Cheers. George

bferguson · Addicted!

long stroke wrote:
I remember running one of these in a 55 Chevy i had back in the late 70's and early eighties. I finally got rid of the thing because it is mostly useless. To run in the economy range, you would either have to coast down a hill, drive backing off on the throttle and never down on the throttle, have it idle in park or just plain have the engine off. As far as i am concerned it is something that is mostly useless in the real world of driving. Does anyone really take these things seriously. Cheers. George

yep, just have to know what the gauge is telling you!

hawkeye5766 · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

long stroke wrote:
I remember running one of these in a 55 Chevy i had back in the late 70's and early eighties. I finally got rid of the thing because it is mostly useless. To run in the economy range, you would either have to coast down a hill, drive backing off on the throttle and never down on the throttle, have it idle in park or just plain have the engine off. As far as i am concerned it is something that is mostly useless in the real world of driving. Does anyone really take these things seriously. Cheers. George

Not sure about the MPG scale but the gauge can tell you a lot about the engines performance, timing,valves,leaks etc. and like stated..saved me a ton of $$$ on fuel in my boat. So they do serve a purpose,just don't think many guys use them. Jim

1964Canso · Guru

I have one in my class b van,previous oldtimer owner installed it.Agreed on the economy,pretty much have to have your foot resting on the pedal.............looks good anyways,i guess.

norontcan · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

There is also one on my class A motorhome ( 89 chassis 454 ). So small I have to squint to see it but it does give a good indication of relative fuel economy.

Cheviac · Guru

Had a 66 Impala rag with the console guage package, drove it fifteen years in a row Saskatoon to Kelowna B.C. every summer. I used the "manifold" gauge more than the speedo. Sometimes you drive 65 or 70, sometimes 55 mph showed the highest vacuum. I didn't care, I was on holidays. (Of course the mountains cancelled the usefullness of the gauge alltogether) I find a vacuume gauge very useful out here in the flatlands. Gears really play a big part too, Have an 88 Suburban that was okay on fuel till I put a vaccumme gauge in and discovered higher readings in drive than overdrive. 256 gears rendered OD useless.

1965CS · Guru

1964Canso wrote:

... derailing the topic here sorry, but I have one of those Zenith short wave radios in your avatar....

Pontiacanada · A Poncho Legend!

long stroke wrote:
To run in the economy range, you would either have to coast down a hill, drive backing off on the throttle and never down on the throttle, have it idle in park or just plain have the engine off.

My wife's 2012 Camry has an orange "economy" light on the dash that goes on and off.

long stroke · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

bferguson wrote:
long stroke wrote:
I remember running one of these in a 55 Chevy i had back in the late 70's and early eighties. I finally got rid of the thing because it is mostly useless. To run in the economy range, you would either have to coast down a hill, drive backing off on the throttle and never down on the throttle, have it idle in park or just plain have the engine off. As far as i am concerned it is something that is mostly useless in the real world of driving. Does anyone really take these things seriously. Cheers. George
yep, just have to know what the gauge is telling you!

What it is telling you, is that you are getting crappy gas mileage. biggrin

hawkeye5766 · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

long stroke wrote:
bferguson wrote:
long stroke wrote:
I remember running one of these in a 55 Chevy i had back in the late 70's and early eighties. I finally got rid of the thing because it is mostly useless. To run in the economy range, you would either have to coast down a hill, drive backing off on the throttle and never down on the throttle, have it idle in park or just plain have the engine off. As far as i am concerned it is something that is mostly useless in the real world of driving. Does anyone really take these things seriously. Cheers. George
yep, just have to know what the gauge is telling you!
What it is telling you, is that you are getting crappy gas mileage.

The way I drive......maybe I should leave it out. biggrin