Computer Question
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5th Wheeling
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 40
Likes: 2
From: East central IL
Computer Question
I'm referring to the computer with the readouts on the dash of my Lariat not the one that makes the engine go.
My question relates to the MPG readout. First I'll say that the computer and calculator/pencil are statistically the same. The "miles to E" seems to be more than acceptably close also.
How does the MPG work? What I mean is; a friend of mine had a Buick and if you went up a hill his MPG might read 4 MPG, going down it might change to 48 MPG. Mine seems to take several hundred miles to change. When I hook up my 8,000# trailer it's a number of miles before it even responds then probably a hundred or more before it seems to level out. I haven't pulled the trailer in a month or so but it still only reads about 9 MPH (probably driven less than 100 miles since). I know what the book tells me to do, push reset, drive 5 miles, but it doesn't matter if I push reset or not, it still takes a while to register correctly.
I asked the salesman and he said he had no idea, the service people couldn't answer, a Ford mechanic said they are junk and I should ignore them (and Ford charged my how much for that computer?) I think the mechanic is full of hooey, he might be a good mechanic but if I were Ford I'd send him on his way--telling a customer that what he just paid for is junk!!
I don't think its broke or anything, just trying to figure out what makes it tick (not the technical or electronic side of it however).
My question relates to the MPG readout. First I'll say that the computer and calculator/pencil are statistically the same. The "miles to E" seems to be more than acceptably close also.
How does the MPG work? What I mean is; a friend of mine had a Buick and if you went up a hill his MPG might read 4 MPG, going down it might change to 48 MPG. Mine seems to take several hundred miles to change. When I hook up my 8,000# trailer it's a number of miles before it even responds then probably a hundred or more before it seems to level out. I haven't pulled the trailer in a month or so but it still only reads about 9 MPH (probably driven less than 100 miles since). I know what the book tells me to do, push reset, drive 5 miles, but it doesn't matter if I push reset or not, it still takes a while to register correctly.
I asked the salesman and he said he had no idea, the service people couldn't answer, a Ford mechanic said they are junk and I should ignore them (and Ford charged my how much for that computer?) I think the mechanic is full of hooey, he might be a good mechanic but if I were Ford I'd send him on his way--telling a customer that what he just paid for is junk!!
I don't think its broke or anything, just trying to figure out what makes it tick (not the technical or electronic side of it however).
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 120
Likes: 0
From: Kansas City
It takes a long time to change because it uses the average of all the miles. Reset it and you will be able to watch it change immediately. If it has been averaging for 10000 miles it will take a long time to change. I realized this in my wife's Five Hundred. After reseting it was all over the place. The Buick was probably displaying instant fuel economy and not the average.
