Gas Nanny for the Apple iPhone/iPod Touch
Let the Gas Nanny help you change your driving habits to extract the most from each drop of fuel! User-friendly displays help you INSTANTLY and GRAPHICALLY monitor your driving habits to help save fuel and money!
3G iPhone GPS
If you are using Gas Nanny with an Apple 3G iPhone, then the GPS unit readings are also added into your driving displays to further refine the feedback for your driving habits! The GPS readings factor vehicle speed and acceleration into the display to help you determine efficient and safe driving practices!
* This feature is unique to the 3G iPhone, since the first generation iPhone (and no iPod Touch models, to date) don't include a true GPS chipset.
Using Gas Nanny
Using Gas Nanny is very straight forward, but here are some good practices/tips.
Mounting your iPhone in the Vehicle
Be sure to follow the mounting and calibration steps. The phone must be mounted securely and the car must be AT REST (not moving) and on a LEVEL surface.
If the device isn't mounted securely to the vehicle, the readings will be inaccurate and the displays may be erratic! It is highly recommended you use a good in-car mounting solution, such as the ones found at:
or any of a dozen similar places.
The software will lead you prompt you when you first start the application. Push the "Continue" button to confirm the iPhone/Touch is ready for calibration. Calibration takes less than a second.
FOR BEST RESULTS
Mount the iPhone as VERTICAL or FLAT as possible. This will allow for the best possible filtering and accuracy of the accelerometers.
An Example of iPhone Mounting Solution - Vertical
An Example of a Vent Mount - Vertical
An Example of iPod touch Mounting Solution - Vertical
iPhone Flat ( in center console) Be sure it is secured!
The Display Screens
There are several display modes that are easily accessed with simple "flicks" of the finger. You can page through the various display modes as described below. The PAUSE button 
allows you to pause operation of the monitor while changing position, doing calibration, or reviewing data.
The Default Display (Instantaneous)
Once you have securely mounted and calibrated the phone, the default display will be presented.
Default Gas Nanny Display
- Speed: Displayed only on 3G iPhones. This will display the current speed in miles per hour/kilometers per hour. To choose your measurement units, go to the SETTINGS option by pressing the "I" button.
- i - help/info
- Pause ( ) - Pause the monitoring. Push the button again to start monitoring again.
- Colored "LEDs" - the goal is to reduce sudden changes in speed and/or acceleration and keep the display showing as few "bars" or "LEDs" as possible, maintain the dark green color as much as possible. As acceleration and speed increase you will see the bars/LEDs progressively light up until the RED ones are lit.
Performance Vs. Average Display ("Target" Screen)
If you "flick" the screen, you'll get another display with a similar looking display. These displays help you see your driving habits as a function of time.
Performance "Target" Display
- Speed: Displayed only on 3G iPhones. This will display the current speed in miles per hour/kilometers per hour. To choose your measurement units, go to the SETTINGS option by pressing the "I" button.
- i - help/info
- Pause ( ) - Pause the monitoring. Push the button again to start monitoring again.
- Colored "LEDs" - In this display mode, the "bars" or "LEDs" show your overall performance referenced to the running average. The object here is to stay in the middle green "LEDs" (or better). The higher above the middle "green" zone, the better ... Be aware though that consistent driving habits will make this harder and harder to attain (which is a good thing) because on average you are driving better!
Combined Instant and Performance vs. Average (Combined Screen)
"Flick" the screen again, you'll get another display with a dual mode displays. This display combines the previous two displays so you can see your instantaneous performance (left side) and at the same time see it affect the average performance (right side).
Combined Display
- Speed: Displayed only on 3G iPhones. This will display the current speed in miles per hour/kilometers per hour. To choose your measurement units, go to the SETTINGS option by pressing the "I" button.
- i - help/info
- Pause ( ) - Pause the monitoring. Push the button again to start monitoring again.
- Colored "LEDs" - In this display mode, the "bars" or "LEDs" combine the previous two displays. The left side LED stack shows your instant driving and the right side LED stack shows your performance in reference to your average driving.
Graphical Display (Chart Screen)
"Flick" the screen yet another time and you'll get another display with graphical/chart displays. These displays help you see your driving habits as a function of time.
Chart Display
- i - help/info
- Pause ( ) - Pause the monitoring. Push the button again to start monitoring again.
- Orange Graph Trace - this indicates your instantaneous driving "score". The higher the line trace on the graph, the more fuel being used.
- Blue Graph Trace - this indicates a running "average" of your driving "score" and can give you indications of how your current driving practices compare with historical habits. To reset the AVERAGE, go to the "Settings" section by pressing the "I" button.
- Green Graph Trace - this is your running "average" over each driving session.
Settings Screen
The final screen allows you to adjust settings and reset averages.
Settings Display
- Clear All Graph Data: Clear All Graphs (listed below)
- Clear Instantaneous: Individually Reset Instant reading
- Clear Running Average: Individually Reset the Running Average (target)
- Clear Long Term Graph: Individually Reset the long term history graph.
- Sound - Alert sounds ON/OFF
- Metric Speed - ON displays KPH. OFF displays MPH.
OK, SO WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN AND HOW SHOULD I USE IT?
Main Screen
The main screen shows you several things that can help you modify your driving habits for better fuel economy. First, the instantaneous display will immediately show you feedback to help you "target" better driving by showing a graduated scale (GREEN = good, Yellow = watch it!, RED = OK, lead foot!). The AVERAGE indicator will help you look at how your adjustments are helping or hurting your fuel economy during a driving session. The obvious thing, again, it to keep this as GREEN as possible.
The Graphical Screen
Top Chart (Orange Trace)
The top chart shows instantly what you are doing to help you curb the heavy right foot. Avoid sudden starts and stops. Drive with just enough acceleration to get to normal traffic speed and no more. It may seem obvious, but reduce your speed if possible and follow the speed limit. Most vehicles have a "sweet spot" (heavily dependent on gear ratio, vehicle aerodynamics, and tire sizes) around 45-55 MPH where they will get maximum fuel economy. If the vehicle has an Overdrive gear, the overall goal is to use this gear as much as possible without lugging the engine. Most Automatic Transmission cars with modern electronically controlled powertrains will do this for you as you drive.
Middle Chart (Blue Trace)
The middle chart is a running average of your habits that can help you adjust your instant driving habits to affect the longer term "average" fuel usage. Use this display to see how speed, wind, and terrain affect your overall "average" performance. You'll notice this drop when encountering hilly terrain or higher speeds. You'll notice it improve as you maintain a constant speed and flat terrain. Obviously, aggressive driving will also significantly lower your average.
Bottom Chart (Green Trace)
The bottom chart displays the history of driving events. This can be very interesting when looking at a longer period of several driving sessions. Some examples of this could be if multiple people drive the car during the week. You may notice that when you drive it you get a decent average, but when your son borrows the car, the average plummets. Another example is if you commute at different times of the day during the week. You can see how days of the week and traffic density might affect your commuting average. These are just two scenarios, there are many more.
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