50 miles to empty, errr 45... 40... 7...
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 230
Likes: 18
50 miles to empty, errr 45... 40... 7...
I drove 700 miles yesterday, unladen, without stopping. My "miles to destination" was reliably at least 30 miles more than "Miles to Empty" on the gauge. However the second I hit 50 miles to empty (and the resulting 'ding') the miles to empty started to fall very fast. In the end, I had to stop for diesel 10 miles short of my destination as I was down to less than 10 miles to empty, according to the dash.
Has anyone else noticed this behavior? I wonder if the gauge was lying to me in the last 50 miles as appeasement to those that are willing to drive with 0 miles remaining? Or had the estimate been wrong all day? My driving style was fairly consistent, although at the end there on a downhill grade I did turn off the A/C and drop into neutral to coast. During the 2-mile coast, the remaining miles continued to drop very fast. This leads me to suspect that it's trying to aggressively underestimate on a nearly-empty tank. When I did fill up, it accepted 46 gallons.
Has anyone else noticed this behavior? I wonder if the gauge was lying to me in the last 50 miles as appeasement to those that are willing to drive with 0 miles remaining? Or had the estimate been wrong all day? My driving style was fairly consistent, although at the end there on a downhill grade I did turn off the A/C and drop into neutral to coast. During the 2-mile coast, the remaining miles continued to drop very fast. This leads me to suspect that it's trying to aggressively underestimate on a nearly-empty tank. When I did fill up, it accepted 46 gallons.
Lead Driver
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 8,440
Likes: 4,945
Miles to empty is figured off of the average MPG and the remaining fuel level in the tank.
Fuel level gauge is most accurate in the middle of it's range, less accurate at the top and even less accurate at the bottom.
Fuel level gauge is most accurate in the middle of it's range, less accurate at the top and even less accurate at the bottom.
Cargo Master
Joined: Apr 2021
Posts: 2,015
Likes: 749
From: Texas
700 miles...i want to know your road speed.
i squeezed just a tad over 500 miles last fill up at 1/4 tank left on the gauge
i think it was less than 1/4 bt who knows
mine was mostly highway at 75 to 78 mph
i squeezed just a tad over 500 miles last fill up at 1/4 tank left on the gauge
i think it was less than 1/4 bt who knows
mine was mostly highway at 75 to 78 mph
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Cross-Country
Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 53
Likes: 5
I used start looking for gas stations when it got to 100 miles to empty and tried to stop by 50 miles to empty when I'm traveling. This always worked with no problems on our 2018 F250. In fact once it had got down to 0 to empty and still made it a couple miles more to a gas station on a couple of occasions. We now have a 2020 F450 and it runs out at 25-30 miles to empty. I had it happen to me on the first tank of gas when we got it. I chalked it up to not having good data history for the computer to make an accurate estimation. However I was driving it once and had planned out my next gas station stop to be around 50 miles to E when I was about 50 miles away(100 miles to E) However regen started during this and really started sucking it down. I got to the the gas station at 29 miles to E and it died right as I pulled up to the pump. Now when I'm on the road I try to stop at no less than 75 miles to E as its seems to be a gamble to get much less than 50 on this truck.
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 767
Likes: 78
From: NC
Laughing Gas
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 889
Likes: 38
Used to have a 70 mile commute and left work after midnight one night with the DTE indicating I had 86 miles to go. Thought a 16 mile cushion would get me home and I’ll fill up in then morning. 
I didn’t pay any attention to that until I was about 15 miles from home and the DTE showed 13 miles to go. That was my first realization that the DTE and ODO miles don’t match. I got to a gas station and actually don’t remember if the DTE showed 0 or just a -. After the pump shut off and a couple of top off clicks from me I had pumped 48.2 gals in my 48 gal tank F350.
Now if I hit 1/4 full I’m looking for a station, if I’m towing the 5th wheel it’s 1/2.
I didn’t pay any attention to that until I was about 15 miles from home and the DTE showed 13 miles to go. That was my first realization that the DTE and ODO miles don’t match. I got to a gas station and actually don’t remember if the DTE showed 0 or just a -. After the pump shut off and a couple of top off clicks from me I had pumped 48.2 gals in my 48 gal tank F350.
Now if I hit 1/4 full I’m looking for a station, if I’m towing the 5th wheel it’s 1/2.
Lead Driver
Joined: Dec 2020
Posts: 8,634
Likes: 2,429
You have a short bed, no? 34 gallons vs. 48g with the long bed.
Tuned
Joined: Sep 2020
Posts: 322
Likes: 100
First off, the DTE on your display is no where near accurate. I have done a lot of documenting on this subject and made correction to the point my DTE is within a half of mile. You might have a look at my prior post on this subject. I still calculate with every fill up and cross check to be sure of the accuracy. Here is the one of links- Somehow it morphed into 2 links so you may want to look through both.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...-accuracy.html
I think there are some of my finding and discussion on the related link -
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...t-mileage.html
You did not or I did not see what type of truck you have and as far as I know (never heard feed back) if this works on a gasser.
Making the correction for accuracy is pretty simple.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...-accuracy.html
I think there are some of my finding and discussion on the related link -
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...t-mileage.html
You did not or I did not see what type of truck you have and as far as I know (never heard feed back) if this works on a gasser.
Making the correction for accuracy is pretty simple.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Apr 2021
Posts: 968
Likes: 576
From: Middle TN
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 19,676
Likes: 12,797
From: Wyoming
That's my understanding also. I think I read that the return fuel line terminates at the top of the fuel pump and that would also lubricate/cool the pump. As long as you're not out of fuel, the pump is getting fuel flow.