Fuel range is the special instrument in your trip computer that shows you how many miles approximately you can go using the gas that is left in the fuel tank. This thing works well in modern gasoline, diesel vehicles, and also in hybrids. But if you have already tested it a lot, you could see very inconsistent readings that are jumping up and down and changing like the weather in the early spring.

Today, we’ll tell you why your fuel range may go up even though you are driving and using some fuel from the tank. We’ll also explain the nature of the DTE instrument. It appears to be a pretty interesting tool that can help you save some fuel and motivate you for a more economical driving style if used properly.

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So, here’s what we’ll tell you today:

• How exactly does the fuel range or distance to empty instrument work?
• Why can the fuel range go up in your vehicle even though you drive?
• How to use the DTE instrument on your dash to save some fuel?
• Should you rely on the readings of the fuel range instrument to plan fuel pumps on your route?

Let’s get started!

How does the fuel-range instrument work in your car?

Modern ECUs allow car manufacturers to give a driver a lot of trip information. First of all, you can check the gas mileage, distance you’ve covered for a certain period, car mileage, and some other cool and important readings. One of these readings in most modern vehicles is called “Distance to Empty” or “Fuel Range”. It says you in miles or kilometers (depending on the country and settings) the distance you can still cover using all the fuel that is left in your tank.

This is the estimated reading that is calculated based on some factors that may change. That’s why these readings shouldn’t be always taken for granted and relied on when planning the route. But let’s see in detail how exactly this instrument calculates the miles you can cover on a certain amount of fuel.

We should warn you that different car brands use various formulas and modify the ways to calculate this figure, so we won’t be looking at a certain formula now.

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Here’s what you should know about it:

• first of all, the trip computer gets the readings of the fuel level sensor and calculates how many gallons or liters of fuel you have in the fuel tank;
• after that, the computer gathers information about the average speed within the last 20-80 miles (depending on the brand and applied formula);
• also, the system takes the average fuel consumption or gas mileage within the same period;
• then, it calculates the miles you can cover using the fuel from your tank ad driving exactly the same style as you have driven the car before;
• eventually, you get this estimated fuel range figure on the dash of your computer.

Keep in mind that you will not see the fuel range calculation at all times. Sometimes, your trip computer will not show it because it doesn’t have all the needed readings or statistics to complete the calculations. Just drive some miles and see if it shows the fuel range now.

This is how the system works and you can see some really weak things in this formula. For example, you may have been driving 50 miles in the city traffic standing at traffic lights every other minute. Your average speed was 10 mph. And now you are going to go to the highway and drive with absolutely different speeds and styles. What will happen with the readings? Let’s see!

Why can the fuel range in your DTE instrument go up?

Let’s look at the example we’ve made in the previous section. You are driving in the city and stopping at every traffic light. Your average speed is extremely low and the gas mileage is about 12 MPG (let’s take this for example). If you drive like this for about 50 miles and you have 2 gallons of fuel left, the DTE instrument will show you about 24 miles left till the tank is empty.

But then suddenly you go to the highway and drive 65 mph for another 50 miles making the average fuel consumption 30 MPG. If after that you have 2 gallons in your tank, the DTE computer will calculate that you can go another 60 miles on these 2 gallons till the tank is empty.

But the changes in calculations will not happen immediately. You will see the mileage going up slowly. First, it will show you 24 miles, and then, after you drive 10 miles, the readings may change to 28 miles. You will obviously burn some fuel from the tank, so the readings will not go to 60 miles unless you add some fuel into the tank. But the readings will go up some time before they get level with what you have left in the tank. Then the fuel range will go down again.

But the key is that you will go about 50-60 miles before the fuel tank is empty, even though the DTE computer showed you 24 miles just a half hour ago.

So, the trip computer just can’t predict what the driving style will be in the nearest 50 miles, so it can never show you the exact distance you can travel with a certain amount of fuel in your tank. It means you shouldn’t rely on those readings only when you are planning the route.

Why are those readings unreliable?

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We’ll just make a simple example to explain why you should ignore the DTE readings or fuel range that the trip computer shows you in your car:

• you want to plan the stop at the gas station on your route;
• you are driving interstate and your current fuel consumption is 30 MPG;
• the current readings tell you that you can go 75 miles with the fuel in your tank;
• you find the needed gas station right after 70 miles;
• but suddenly you have to drive through a small city and your gas mileage drops;
• the DTE computer obeys the new readings and now shows you 45 miles of range;
• you are panicking because now you can’t get to the needed gas station.

You shouldn’t rely on the fuel range shown by your vehicle because it can go up and down depending on different factors. You should always have at least 30-40 miles of extra range if you are using the DTE readings to plan your route.

Is it the end when the fuel range shows 0 miles?

Car manufacturers are too clever to screw up with the fuel range, so they all use the simple trick. The fuel range will never show you the reality because the fuel tank sensor doesn’t give true information about the amount of fuel in your tank. It always reserves about a gallon of fuel just in case you don’t have the fuel pump near you.

So, when the DTE computer shows you 10 miles, you shouldn’t start panicking. Even when it shows you zero miles, you can still go some distance using that secret gallon in your tank. But better never rely on it because it’s still pretty risky.

How can you save your fuel using the fuel range computer?

Drivers tend to change their driving habits and styles when they see certain information on their dashboards. For example, in older cars, when you saw that the fuel gauge needle went to the red zone, you started driving very carefully to save up some fuel and safely get to the nearest fuel pump. This will work with the DTE or fuel range readings even better.

Here’s what you should do to use the fuel range computer for your economy:

• turn on the fuel range reading and let it always be there on your dash;
• watch how it moves up and down depending on what driving style you choose;
• also, see how it changes when you choose better routes with less traffic;
• rely on those readings to optimize your driving style and preferable routes;
• find a way to keep the fuel range as high as possible at all times.

After you practice this for a while, you’ll be able to understand which driving style is most appropriate for your vehicle in terms of fuel consumption. You will find a way to optimize gas mileage and burn less fuel in your everyday rides.

It means that you will be able to economize your fuel and eventually your money. We’ve tried this method and it feels very cool. The idea of making this fuel range as high as possible drives you crazy and you start searching for some new ways to optimize the efficiency of your vehicle.

But remember that relying only on fuel range readings is never a good idea. This may eventually put you into a situation where you will need to walk to the nearest fuel pump with a gas canister in your hand.

Source: https://t-tees.com
Category: WHY