Do i have to reset my avg mpg??

[MikesToy]

I barely get on the freeway. My avg mpg on the streets is: 15.3 and my avg mph is: 20. I went on the freeway for an hour at speeds between 75-85mph. And my avg mpg still says: 15.3 and my avg mph is still at 20. Do i have to reset the button everytime i go on the freeway and go back on the streets? I thought those gauges would change by itself.

 

[rsimpson]

I barely get on the freeway. My avg mpg on the streets is: 15.3 and my avg mph is: 20. I went on the freeway for an hour at speeds between 75-85mph. And my avg mpg still says: 15.3 and my avg mph is still at 20. Do i have to reset the button everytime i go on the freeway and go back on the streets? I thought those gauges would change by itself.

If you haven't reset your avg mpg in awhile, 1 hour on the freeway isn't going to do much to change your average. Reset it.

 

[alaskaman]

I get around 18 to 20 routinely driving town and freeway. If I drive hard will go to about 15. Highest I got was last summer going x country. If we drove around 50 to 60 we got about 25.

 

[Annoyed]

The computer shows a long term average, since the last reset. If you reset at the start of a long highway run, you'll see really high numbers, as the "average" does not include local stop & go traffic, which is really what kills mileage.

I live 1.2 miles from work, and don't drive alot unless I need to in the winter.. most of the winter my computer showed 12 or less.

 

[MikesToy]

Thanks! I reseted and i now have 16.9 in town and 18.6 on the freeway. w00t!

 

[blaniac22]

FWIW - I reset the AVG MPG and MPH after every fill up. As it has been discussed at length here, MPG computation is off, but by doing it with every fill up it gives me an idea of what kind of speed I ran during that tank.

I thought that was a good thing..

I just drove from Texas to California and realized I had forgotten to reset the AVG MPH after a fill up...no big deal since I was only a few miles down the road. So, with the cruise set at about 80 (the speed limit on I-10 in West Texas), I reset the AVG MPH - after a few moments of driving it came back with a 76 AVG MPH- and stayed there for many miles.

SO whats accurate? The 80 on the spedometer or the 76 from the computer?

 

[rsimpson]

I'd probably go with the speedo. FYI, I notice my average mpg on the computer consistently reads 2.5 mpg higher than actual.

 

[blaniac22]

I'd probably go with the speedo. FYI, I notice my average mpg on the computer consistently reads 2.5 mpg higher than actual.

Mine seems to be 1.5 - 2 MPG.

 

[flnycus]

It's funny i just reset mine as well, im getting 16.5 (mostly city), when i really want to put my foot down its amazing how it drops to 12! I guess it shows how you drive really affects the MPG - i have a 06 v8 4.7l sport.

 

[peter78]

I reset the AVG MPG and MPH after every fill up. As it has been discussed at length here, MPG computation is off, but by doing it with every fill up it gives me an idea of what kind of speed I ran during that tank.

That is what I do, after each fill up, I reset the avg mpg. I also keep records, the computer is about 2.2 MPG off. Also, the avg speed never seems to go above 30, even if most of the trip of on the interstate. Still, it is a nice tool, it tells you how your doing. Around town I am getting 19.2 and the computer shows 21.4. It changes a little, but I am getting in the high 18's or low 19's if I stay off the interstate, which I think is pretty decent. It is about the same mileage as my 3rd generation 2001 model.

 

[4Runner-DDS]

how do you reset the avg mpg on the computer?

 

[wnelax04sr5]

how do you reset the avg mpg on the computer?

when the mpg is shown on the readout, press and hold the button that says RESET to the left, it'll go to 0.0

 

[Martinjmpr]

I get around 18 to 20 routinely driving town and freeway. If I drive hard will go to about 15. Highest I got was last summer going x country. If we drove around 50 to 60 we got about 25.

Have you hand-checked that? I seriously doubt you're getting 18 to 20 in the city. I'll bet if you check you'll find you're getting 16 to 18. That gauge consistenly reads at least 2mpg high.

Thanks! I reseted and i now have 16.9 in town and 18.6 on the freeway. w00t!

Again, I doubt it. The only way to know is to hand check it. Otherwise that gauge is worthless IMO.

I use the "Range" feature to give me a ballpark figure of when I should be looking to refuel, but honestly, a Scangauge II is 1,000% better if you really want to know your true MPG. Unlike the dash gauge, the SGII can be calibrated so it shows your actual MPG and range (Distance to Empty or DTE.)

It will also show you transmission temp which is good to know if you pull a trailer (which I do, frequently.)

An Ultra-Gauge costs half as much as a SG and will give you all of the above except for the transmission temp.

SG is easy to mount on top of the steering wheel where it blends right into the other gauges and is easy to see: