USB Port records driving experience?

**Perla Sport** · 07-05-2011, 09:26 AM

Just bought a 500 Sport 5-Speed, and upon telling the saleswoman that it was my first manual car she told me that if I put a flash drive in the USB port and just leave it, it will record my driving experience and when put into a computer show you how to improve your skills. Sounds fantastic as a technological advance, but hasn't worked for me when I tried several times.

Did anyone hear anything along these lines?

**fjhuerta** · 07-05-2011, 09:32 AM

Originally Posted by Perla Sport

Just bought a 500 Sport 5-Speed, and upon telling the saleswoman that it was my first manual car she told me that if I put a flash drive in the USB port and just leave it, it will record my driving experience and when put into a computer show you how to improve your skills. Sounds fantastic as a technological advance, but hasn't worked for me when I tried several times.

Did anyone hear anything along these lines?

No, I didn't hear about it from my dealer. In fact, he didn't know about it.

But I knew about it. You need to download the Eco

rive application, and it'll do exactly as the saleswoman told you. I have a 16 gig thumb drive with my music and the Eco Drive data, every now and then I dump it to my computer. It's sorta fun.

**Deron** · 07-05-2011, 09:45 AM

I was told and have read the same thing.

Try formatting your USB drive and try it again.

**longbranch** · 07-05-2011, 10:04 AM

You have to install ecodrive and not just plug a flash drive in the USB port. I've got mine full of music and then I also write to the USB for ecoDrive

http://www.fiat.com/ecodrive/

A) you have to have Blue and Me....
B) install program on computer and then it will install on USB drive.
C) install usb drive in car for 5 days whilst you drive. The car needs 5 days of data for you to get an initial reading for ecoDrive.

If you want o get really good gas mileage, then follow what the car says. I get 48 mpg in the city with 80 % city and 20 highway usage. Averaging 33 mph over a tank.

I am currently running at a 78 in ecodrive terms and have adjusted my driving style to maximise my fuel economy. The only problem is that the drivers behind me get very frustrated as you cannot be in a hurry to get the best fuel mileage. I've been almost run off the road a couple times from impatient drivers...and I was doing the speed limit!

**Perla Sport** · 07-05-2011, 10:23 PM

Thank you for the responses. I've seen ecodrive in another thread but didn't make the connection. I'm going to try it out now!

**phattbam** · 07-06-2011, 12:16 AM

that's a really cool feature.

**Juair** · 08-06-2011, 06:28 PM

Originally Posted by phattbam

that's a really cool feature.

Yep!!
I discover this feature tonight!!

**Azzurro** · 08-06-2011, 06:50 PM

Originally Posted by longbranch

The only problem is that the drivers behind me get very frustrated as you cannot be in a hurry to get the best fuel mileage. I've been almost run off the road a couple times from impatient drivers...and I was doing the speed limit!

Doing an eco drive is great way to save fuel, but driving like that all the time in traffic just to save a bit of gas is not fair to other drivers. Occasionally I'll drive to maximize fuel economy, but I do it at night or when traffic is thin. I won't hold up other motorists by accelerating as slowly as possible just to save a few drops of gas.

**fjhuerta** · 08-06-2011, 07:49 PM

Ecodrive sucks. It loses track of how I drive and I cannot take the information to any other PC. I already lost my data twice... I stopped using it because of that.

**PFVA63** · 08-06-2011, 08:32 PM

Originally Posted by Azzurro

Doing an eco drive is great way to save fuel, but driving like that all the time in traffic just to save a bit of gas is not fair to other drivers. Occasionally I'll drive to maximize fuel economy, but I do it at night or when traffic is thin. I won't hold up other motorists by accelerating as slowly as possible just to save a few drops of gas.

Although my car isn't Eco : Drive compatible I do try and drive in accordance with the shifting guidance "for good economy" in the user's manual. But I agree that suspect that you should probably try and adjust your driving in many circumstances.

That said though in my area, with traffic, I haven't really had too much problems trying to drive more economically while still keeping up with traffic &/or keeping within the speed limits. On side streets I'll try and shift at the lower speeds listed in the owner's manual for "cruising" and on more major streets I'll shift at/near the slightly higher speeds listed in the manual for "acceleration".

In general doing that I think I've been getting fairly good overall mileage which seems to be on average maybe 5-7 mpg or so better than my old Matrix (which was originally rated 30 city/36 Highway, but that was before the EPA changed the way the calc those numbers).

Regards

Pat