overhead MPG
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overhead MPG
I just aquired a 99.5 f350 drw/crew 4x4 , I have read that the overhead display for mpg is not real accurate and cant be trusted, I was curious as to why? what variables does it use to get its calculations? how does it work, do any of you have one that is accurate? what is the average amount it is off?
Post Fiend
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From: Parker, CO
It varies quite a bit. The overhead display goes by engine load, speed, rpm's, gear, etc. Any power enhancements or modifications (ie. tire size changes) can throw off the mileage estimate even more. You can hand calculate mileage and then compare it to the overhead display to see if yours is accurate or not.
Posting Guru
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From: New York
I agree that the overhead console's MPG is not accurate to say the least. I don't even have the MPG's on display. I leave the ambient temperature and direction on display and use manual calculations for getting my MPG's.
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I just learned by reading my manual that the MPG is the Average since last reset, that could have been 50,000 miles ago!, I reset it and after a tank or 2 Ill see if its close, has everyone been resetting it? If so, how often, every tank, every month?
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Rather Be Floatin
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From: Marble Falls, Tx.
I must be lucky mine was dead on with hand calculations. Then I got PMS and added jodys chip. That really played head games with the display it seems to think I get about 22-25mpg at 80mph. Reality calculations at that speed in the 15's. I reset mine on every fill up just for grins. I try to fool myself into beleiving I get 20-25 mpg sometimes.
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Mine has been reading 14.8 lately, but hand calc'd it last night and got a 15.3. How are you guys hand calc'ing it? I have been resetting the tripmeter at fill up, then dropping down the tank as far as possible, taking the tripmeter reading and adding the miles left to empty readin and dividing by 30.
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From: Douglas County, GA
I don't use the miles-left-to-empty when hand-calculating. I reset the trip when I top-off. The next time I get fuel, I pump the fuel, then divide the trip reading by the number of gallons I just finished pumping. Out of the 40 tanks of fuel I've ran through, all except 4 tanks of it were pumped from the same pump at the same station, which helps take some error out of the calculations (vehicle sitting in same position each time, pump flow is the same each time, etc).
New User
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I think F250tuff is right on. I can really screw my MPG by topping off the tank when I fill up. When the nozzle clicks off, another 6 to 6.5 gallons can be added. The fuel gauge will stay on full for 50-75 miles before moving.
Senior User
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The mpg display on my '99 is pretty much dead-on. It's the miles to empty part that's at least 50 miles optimistic.
Put it to you this way; I have the 32 gallon gas tank and last week I pulled in for a fill up, putting 31 gallons in, and the display said I still had 52 miles to go.
Put it to you this way; I have the 32 gallon gas tank and last week I pulled in for a fill up, putting 31 gallons in, and the display said I still had 52 miles to go.
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