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Fuel range questions?

7K views 11 replies 5 participants last post by  08Canyon 
#1 ·
I picked up my Canyon last Wednesday, when I looked at the fuel range which the tank was full it said 470 miles to E. Yesterday I finally filled up with 47 miles to E, and the truck took 17.18 gallons of gas. This is the 6 cylinder gas motor I should mention. Anyway the gas range is 360 on this fill up. What do you think is causing that or effecting that? How accurate are this miles to empty gauges or systems? Thanks for any help.
 
#2 ·
Distance to empty is calculated by your current mpg, as your gas mileage increases or decreases, so will the DTE. What was your calculated mpg?

I filled up yesterday with 17.2 gallons with 443 miles on the clock, my calculated mpg was 25.8 mpg (I have the 4 cyl), and on the drive home (15 miles at approximately 55 mph), the DIC was displaying 33.7 mpg and DTE was 570! There's no way I'll get that many miles from a tank, but it shows how that reading can fluctuate.
 
#3 ·
Ok, I think I'm understanding a little better. Its based on my driving habits? I drive 9.4 miles a days going to and from work to home a day. Its all in town on the way there with traffic lights, and on the way home a mile of the drive in on a highway but there is a traffic light there too. Then its in ton with lots of traffic lights. So if I'm understanding you correctly all that is effecting the range. Because I'm not getting on the highway much that is effecting the fuel range? Am I getting that right?
 
#4 · (Edited)
They're supposed to give you an idea of the vehicle range. In my experience, I'd say, expect a variance of +-30 miles or so. The system provides an educated guess but it can be way off. Let's say you've been driving on flat ground, highway driving... the estimate is based on those current conditions. However, if you suddenly start driving in city traffic or severe uphill grades, that previous estimate will be way off since the truck is now using more fuel.

I've also noticed that the truck orientation affects the estimate. I assume it's because the gas gauge is affected by the angle of the truck (uphill reads higher, downhill reads lower gas level). If I recall correctly, mine on flat ground is usually in that 460-470 range after filling up. [EDIT].. More like 406-420, not 460-470.

I certainly wouldn't drive past a gas station below a quarter of a tank because the truck estimates you have x number of miles to go. I like to fill up no lower than a quarter tank.

However, let's say you're driving and have 200 miles to go and the truck says 300 mile range, you're pretty safe.
 
#5 ·
They're supposed to give you an idea of the vehicle range. In my experience, I'd say, expect a variance of +-30 miles or so. The system provides an educated guess but it can be way off. Let's say you've been driving on flat ground, highway driving... the estimate is based on those current conditions. However, if you suddenly start driving in city traffic or severe uphill grades, that previous estimate will be way off since the truck is now using more fuel.

I've also noticed that the truck orientation affects the estimate. I assume it's because the gas gauge is affected by the angle of the truck (uphill reads higher, downhill reads lower gas level). If I recall correctly, mine on flat ground is usually in that 460-470 range after filling up.

I certainly wouldn't drive past a gas station below a quarter of a tank because the truck estimates you have x number of miles to go. I like to fill up no lower than a quarter tank.

However, let's say you're driving and have 200 miles to go and the truck says 300 mile range, you're pretty safe.
Interesting info, a bit confusing how it works or calculates things but I have a better understanding now.
Even though the truck range said 470 when I picked it up, it certainly didn't last 470 miles. I filled up at 280 miles on the odom. and I only got it with 5 miles on it. I guess my short traveling distance to work and home is working against me kinda?
 
#7 ·
Look at it like this....if you drove a perfectly flat road with a strong tail wind for 3/4 of a tank it would estimate X miles to empty, based on the phenomenal performance to this point.

Then all of a sudden you are faced with severe headwinds while climbing up an 8% grade that is never ending. Your truck will understand it's drinking fuel at lets say triple the rate (for conversation sake). The computer now has different variables to calculate such as you only have 4 gallons remaining and you're slurping it down at a rate of 6mpg (for conversation sake). Your adjusted miles to empty will reflect how much further you can travel based on 6mpg with 4 gallons of fuel. It may also figure in a little something with the previous trend, but that I don't know.

Also, when estimating 20mpg over 20 gallons, the spread is quite wide and the division is less affected with the large span between gallons and mpg. When the gallons are greatly reduced (like nearing empty), the numbers are much more quickly influenced as the math variables are much tighter now.

Tie a string to a nail and set the nail. Grab the string 6-inches from the nail and rotate it only 1-degree. Because you're close to the hinge point it is somewhat challenging to rotate it only 1-degree. Now grab the string from 3-feet from the nail and again rotate it 1-degree. It is far less sensitive 3-feet away than it was at 6-inches away which is how the computer is calculating the estimated remaining miles. With only 4 gallons remaining (example) there is far less margin for error in the math, so the outcome is likely to read more accurately.
 
#8 ·
Whew that was great and a lot of science some of which was over my head. Interesting though. So if I'm understanding some of your science even though your reading might say 47 miles left to E that probably isn't exact, its just an estimate. My father-in-law says he goes over the zero mark by many miles every tank of gas. I never had the nerve to try that.
I went through something funny with my Escape I had before the Canyon I have now. 15.1 gallon tank and sometimes I would wait till I had 10 miles to E. and it would only take like 11 gallons. To me 10 miles left I thought it would take just about the whole 15 gallons, but it never did. Something else VERY interesting. In NJ we don't pump our own gas which I personally love. We took a trip to Boston a few summers ago and filled up in Mass. before heading back. I believe it took 11 gallons and popped. Pumping it myself I started pumping after it "popped" and it took nearly 3 more gallons and that was the longest range of fuel I ever got with that vehicle. I attribute that to the capless system Ford uses. Its over sensitive, and pops early. Here in NJ with a gas attendant, they just pull it out and give you a receipt. They don't go and give the extra bit of fuel it can probably take. That is just what I think.
 
#9 ·
Also, I don't have a clue as to how the fuel in tank is identified by gallons. How does it know there is exactly 6.23 gallons? So definitely an estimate. At just .23 gallons of error, the estimated travel distance remaining would still be pretty close, I assume (Haven't tried the math).

I can see one day the information center will see a change in display to read "estimated miles to empty" as the first court case where a driver ran out of gas and was stranded in an unsafe situation and sued GM for falsely advertising the remaining miles.

In court the owner will be questioned about where was the previously seen gas station. They will probably say, well I had 30 miles to go so I stopped at McDonalds for a coffee and didn't think I needed to go next door to the gas station so soon. :D
LOL Ahh, just having fun now. whoop whoop
 
#10 ·
As mentioned above it fluctuates. Mine usually shows a range of 390 miles after fill up, but then once it gets to about 50 miles it just says low. I have only let it get this low twice, the free tank from the dealer and when I tried to stretch a tank for 2 weeks, came up 2 days short. Both times it took a lil over 17 gallons to fill, leaving a bit over 3 gals at the time the truck lets you know it wants fuel. Its good to know, but I probably wont push it like I would have in my youth.
 
#12 ·
Now drive 30 miles again, but this time drive it hard. Speed. Race from traffic light to traffic light. Floor it when you get a chance. After 30 miles have elapsed, see if the miles to empty are reduced by exactly 30.

Or, flip the display OFF of DTE and drive and enjoy the truck, pay attention to the road and enjoy yourself!
 
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