Either my gauge is broken, or I broke 50mpg mixed!

[smartHHO]

I doubt your guage is broke. But don't look at the darn guage for MPG calcs so just do like I do. Fill up the tank until the thing clicks off. Take it out and reset your OD. I have been getting 49 mixed and have been padel shifting and doing about 70 on the freeway. So if you broke 50, going only 60 tops. Then I can believe it. Just enjoy the ride and the gas savings.

[jetfuel]

Originally Posted by forestacademy

The guage just gives you an indication of when you might want to fill up.

..or when to start walking...

jetfuel

[TKADY]

Originally Posted by Dave777

The gauge in any car is just an approximation in the upper range, and should never be used as a way to guess at the current MPG until it nears the empty point.

The ONLY legitimate way to calculate MPG, without using a tool like a ScanGauge, is to:
1-Fill the tank and reset the trip odometer.
2-Drive until the tank is nearly empty. (This is even more important on a small tank car like this.)
3-Fill the tank.
4-Divide miles driven by gallons required to fill the tank.

Eventhough they have fuel gauges, this is how I monitor fuel in my motorcycles.

With smaller tanks I think it is more critical to monitor your range since the indicated level represents a smaller amount of actual fuel. (In my truck 1/4 tank represents over 5 gallons. On the motorcycles, 1/4 tank represents about 1.25 gallons) I can extend my range on 1/4 tank in the truck farther than 1/4 tank in the motorcycles.

[unicycle]

I thought the same thing once (after my 2nd fillup) and unfortunately posted about it. This was back in May. I later came to understand that the gauge doesn't really kick in till the third of the 8 notches has moved down. I've had readings of over 80 miles before the gauge has moved down to the 7/8 mark, and the 'worst' I've seen was when this happened and I was only at about 55 or 60 miles. That tank WAS one of my worst for mileage, btw, so there is likely a connection between first-tick and actual gas consumption, but it ain't equal to an eighth of the tank.

Now, by the time you get to the 3/4 mark, it's fairly close to accurate, but not quite. I've had 3/4 marks of over 120 miles, but as noted by others, that will quickly move when you've used a bit more gas. You're prolly at about 70% rather than 75% full, and tho that's a small difference, it's easily about 10 miles.

Report back when the 5/8 click happens. Most likely it'll be at mile 150-155 if you're lucky. That means you're having an awesome tank, and from what you've described about driving h'way and keeping her under 60 mph, that's totally believable.

Right now I am at 355.5 miles and the gauge just dropped down to the last 1/8 mark. It's been a consistent, excellent tank (I have been averaging about 57 mph, 85% highway), and I could exceed 400 miles on it if I didn't have to fill up so soon (due to the location of gas stations on my way home). I've surpassed 400 miles on two tanks (max was 417.8, running at .02 gallons left, according to the gauge), but this one will just have to go down as one of my better tanks even tho I can't safely go past 370 miles.

Well done!

[jediknight36]

Well, I KNOW its not showing right because of the 7/8th issue. But at least its moving again.

I will see the avg mpg when its filled.

[smartHHO]

Originally Posted by jediknight36

Well, I KNOW its not showing right because of the 7/8th issue. But at least its moving again.

I will see the avg mpg when its filled.

On worste case senerio, 8.7 gallons x 30mpg = 261 miles. So, even if your hashes don't work at all. You could base your milage on that for worse case. I normally fill up at about 240 - 260 witch is about 1/4 tank. I don't like getting low on a tank ever in any car due to the crap that is at the bottom. Hehe.

[SubSlr88]

Originally Posted by jediknight36

Well, I KNOW its not showing right because of the 7/8th issue. But at least its moving again.
I will see the avg mpg when its filled.

My last tank fillup only showed 7/8th of a tank. However, I filled it with the driver side on a slight slope down from the fill spout. And I took it to two clicks after the first cutoff.
The next morning it showed full after starting and driving it for a few miles.
The rest of the tank is responding as it did before; about 160 miles at the half-way mark.
We'll see how the mileage tracks as it's slowly been going up with the last tank at 40.25mpg - mostly town driving.

[Kermit]

I can normally tell how many MPG's (guesstimate) I'll get on a tank just from looking at the gauge and then the miles on the car.

My secret is to strive to break 200 miles at a half a tank and you'll close out the tank with a healthy high MPG. I can normally tell I'll get 42-43mpg if I have 180-185 miles at a half and 40-41mpg if I have 170-175 miles on my tank at a half. Of course this is just my cars and my average on the roads in my area. Your results may vary.

BTW - I finally have a Scangauge in both my cars and the addition of it seems to be netting me 2-3 MPGs since I am a bit more conscious about how the car is being driven. My average miles driven on a tank is around 310 miles.

Of course I have to include this .....(just a few really bad tanks killed a lifetime of good mileage)

[jediknight36]

Ok, so I just need to get the gage looked at for not showing full.

It ticked down to 5/8th at 138miles. Not to shabby. 1st time that I drove for a week and DIDN'T have to fill up a week later!

[jwight]

Our 08 never once did the 7/8 bar thing; the 09 was at 7/8 when I left the dealer but by the time I got home it had gone to 8/8. Color me confused.

Anyway, as Dave777 points out, the gas gauge is only really accurate on "E" (unless you subscribe to the 10 gallon tank size theory.)