Diesel Engine Efficiency Gauge

Diesel Engine Efficiency Gauge ENGINES Engines 7-3-26 "It saves 10 to 30% on fuel," says Patrick Farouault, French representative of the Renault Company which won top awards at the SIMA show in Paris with a new-concept tractor gauge that measures both engine exhaust temperature and engine rpm's to come up with optimum engine operating speeds. "Most tractors have tachometers but they only tell you how fast the engine is running, not whether it is running at the optimum speed. With our new gauge you just stay within a predetermined range and you know you're running at top efficiency," says Farouault. The dash-mounted gauge, called the "Ecocontrol", consists of two needles which cross over a colored background. One needle gives a readout of engine rpm's and the other gives the engine exhaust temperature as measured on the exhaust pipe. The operator, by changing gears or the engine rpm's, simply keeps the points where the needles cross within the optimum range on the gauge. Whenever the point is outside the recommended area, efficiency suffers. "It not only saves fuel, but decreases driver fatigue because the engine runs smoother with less noise and vibration," notes Farouault. The just-introduced gauge will be an option on new Renault tractors costing about $285. Once all the bugs are worked out, the company hopes to offer the gauge as a refit option for other tractor makes. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Renault, 7, rue Dewoitine, BP 92, 78141 Velizy-Villacoublay, Cedex, France (ph 3 946 9696).

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