Driving Range , Low Fuel Light Inconsistency?

[Mick1]

The center-dash display indicating remaining driving range and the low fuel light in my truck are in two different universes.
The driving range goes to only about 18 miles remaining before the low fuel light even comes on. For a long time I thought the truck did not have a low fuel light!

Last night I drove to 0 miles remaining, then another 5 miles or so. When I refueled only about 20.0 gallons (was just over 20) went into the tank. The specs says the tank holds 23 gallons.

So I still had almost 3 gallons remaining and had avg about 16 mpg on this tank, which correspondes roughly with my previous knowledge that most low fuel lights come on with about 50 miles of fuel remaining.

Anyone else have similar "disneyland" numbers from range display?

 

[brockeverly]

The low fuel light in nearly every vehicle comes on with 2-3 gallons remaining. That is so your typical idiot doesn't run themselves out of gas.

 

[1engineer]

The center-dash display indicating remaining driving range and the low fuel light in my truck are in two different universes.
The driving range goes to only about 18 miles remaining before the low fuel light even comes on. For a long time I thought the truck did not have a low fuel light!

Last night I drove to 0 miles remaining, then another 5 miles or so. When I refueled only about 20.0 gallons (was just over 20) went into the tank. The specs says the tank holds 23 gallons.

So I still had almost 3 gallons remaining and had avg about 16 mpg on this tank, which correspondes roughly with my previous knowledge that most low fuel lights come on with about 50 miles of fuel remaining.

Anyone else have similar "disneyland" numbers from range display?

Those are not "disneyland" calculations. It is designed that way for the majority of consumers. I personally do not need a plethora of devices to tell me how far I can go on a tank or when I will run out. I am intelligent enough to decipher that complex device known as a "gas gauge" and determine when I need to refuel.

 

[Mick1]

You guys are not reading carefully. :moon:

The point is that the fuel range display is inconsistent with the fuel gauge. ergo disneyland nubmers

 

[brockeverly]

Nothing in what you said is showing inconsistency, so are we reading incorrectly, or are you thinking you wrote something that you didn't :repuke:

 

[philsey]

Maybe you're having anadigilexia? Both displays are giving you a similar advance notice of LOW fuel. I once drove 'til my digital read -50. Yes, I was sweating it.

Do like my Mom always did; fill up at 1/2 tank, "just in case".

 

[1engineer]

You guys are not reading carefully. :moon:

The point is that the fuel range display is inconsistent with the fuel gauge. ergo disneyland nubmers

I read your post. To paraphrase you said " I had three gallons of gas in the tank yet my fuel range display showed empty." Do you know you can run out of fuel with several gallons left in the tank? In reality, the display and actual fuel left will never coincide with each other precisely because of too many variables. The engineers took a safe approach by erring on the side caution with respect to miles left to empty. I bet you would really pitch a b$%ch if you ran out of fuel on a hill and it still showed 30 miles to empty. (no mooning icon here)

 

[Antman]

:snacker:

This thread is fun!

 

[SeattleMike]

You guys are not reading carefully. :moon:

The point is that the fuel range display is inconsistent with the fuel gauge. ergo disneyland nubmers

I've read you on two different forums now, and on both all you do is pick nits and make complaints. Is there anything you like about your truck or are you just here to whine?

 

[JohnJerk]

The center-dash display indicating remaining driving range and the low fuel light in my truck are in two different universes.
The driving range goes to only about 18 miles remaining before the low fuel light even comes on. For a long time I thought the truck did not have a low fuel light!

Last night I drove to 0 miles remaining, then another 5 miles or so. When I refueled only about 20.0 gallons (was just over 20) went into the tank. The specs says the tank holds 23 gallons.

So I still had almost 3 gallons remaining and had avg about 16 mpg on this tank, which correspondes roughly with my previous knowledge that most low fuel lights come on with about 50 miles of fuel remaining.

Anyone else have similar "disneyland" numbers from range display?

I experienced the same thing. I guess the take away is that you can refuel upon hitting 0 miles left on the digital reader and still be safe. I, too, would prefer that I actually run out of gas when it reads zero than have some 2 gallons still left. Unneeded anxiety when you are reading 5 miles to go on the digi output and you are 10 miles from a station.

 

[Barry694]

The manual states that when the refuel light comes on you have approximately 3.5 gals left. So be on lookout for gas station! I usually always start looking for gas station when the gauge is slightly above 1/4 of a tank.

 

[Greengrounds]

I was wondering about that range gauge too. I thought I remembered it showing like 550 km on a full tank. But then I started towing an rv, and ever since then even when not towing, it only shows like 450. Is it based off of your total average mileage, your instantaneous mileage, or what is it based on?

 

[offroadingatc]

I can only imagine all the posts whining about burned out fuel pumps if E (or 0 range) actually meant you were literally out of gas. No modern car runs out of gas at E, they give you extra fuel for a reason.

It would be odd for the engineers to display 'you need more gas' with a warning light, then contradict themselves by saying you have 75 miles of range. Their point is simple - fill up with gas soon, preferably before you run out and risk damage. That probably makes the range display a bit useless, but realistically it kind of was all along anyways.

Having said that interestingly enough my fuel light does come on with varying amounts of 'remaining range' I have always attributed that to it calculating mileage slightly differently each time. I rarely re-set my mileage calculator but I assume the remaining range reading is based on a smaller sample of mileage (say last 50, or 100 miles? as opposed to the say 5000 miles on my displayed mileage) so if I've been city driving it might read 45-50 (km), highway say 20% better so 55, maybe 60? I could be wrong.

One thing for sure computers = good at math.

 

[tlflow]

mod time

I bet Antman can develop a 'get out and walk' light mod that turns the light on precisely when you have 0.01 gallons left, instead of when you have 3 gallons left. The light would be a lot less of a nuisance then and everyone would be happy.

 

[Antman]

I bet Antman can develop a 'get out and walk' light mod that turns the light on precisely when you have 0.01 gallons left, instead of when you have 3 gallons left. The light would be a lot less of a nuisance then and everyone would be happy.

The Antman Idiot Light Mod (?) ha!

 

[Ducmonsta]

Hahahaha! I sure do wish my tire pressure light only came on when I had no air in ALL of my tires!

 

[1000MPH]

Sheesh, even hi-tech racing cars don't always get it right.

 

[tlflow]

wow

The Antman Idiot Light Mod (?) ha! View attachment 50176

That was fast!