An aid for motorists who don’t live with a mechanic!

Cars are really useful, but owning one can be a pain! Maintaining one, keeping the engine in optimum condition, and remembering all those important services dates is a nightmare – unless you live with a car mechanic.

Years ago a friend of the author taught him a great technique for monitoring a car’s performance. Using a small log book, she recorded each time the fuel tank was filled and by recording the mileage and amount of fuel added, she was able to track the m.p.g. (miles-per-gallon). A gradual reduction in the m.p.g. or a sudden change indicated the onset of a problem that could be rectified before it became serious.

This Car Computer replaces and improves on the log book method by automatically calculating the m.p.g. (or miles per liter or kilometers per liter) and allowing the user to review its trend on a display. Of course, the lovely thing about software is that there is plenty of scope for “extra features” – which have been added!

It is a handheld unit powered from four AA cells. Through the use of low power design techniques, in both hardware and software, the batteries should last for several months before needing to be changed. A PC link allows information to be conveniently downloaded to it. However, this is not a requirement and the device can be operated without the use of a PC.