My trip computer saids I have gas for 4 more miles. And...

blaubenz · #1 10-14-2013, 03:17 PM

Help,

My trip computer said I have enough gas for 4 miles. And it is about 4 miles to the nearest gas station. The x5 is at home.

Am I going to be o.k. How much margin is on the trip computer. Has anyone gone negative. On the mercedes trip computer it would not go negative but it would go "---" after counting down but still have gas.

thanks

bcredliner · #2 10-14-2013, 03:47 PM

The accuracy of the miles remaining varies and the 4 miles is based on the latest few miles of fuel consumption rate. If your readout is accurate and you drive slower than you were driving to get home, theoretically, you will make it to the gas station.

I stopped cutting it close many years ago when I had to coast up a freeway exit ramp to a gas station that I didn't know if they had diesel fuel or not---for the Audi I had at the time.

BMRSEB · #3 10-14-2013, 04:13 PM

^^^ What they said.. Just don't put your "foot in it" and you should make it..

SlickGT1 · #4 10-14-2013, 04:04 PM

You should be ok.

You also shouldn't run the pump dry, the fuel actually cools that pump.

Bulk · #5 10-15-2013, 07:02 AM

You'll be alright just don't flog it

Qsilver7 · #6 10-15-2013, 11:07 AM

Since a cold engine consumes more fuel...when you start up this morning...you may see dashes {- - - -} instead of the 4 miles you saw last night just prior to shutting the engine down.

As mentioned above, the RANGE calculation takes data just prior to the request...and last night you shut down with a warm engine and probably better MPG than you will when you start up this morning with a cold engine...thus the RANGE calculation of remaining fuel (which isn't very much from what you've described) + the engine RPM and fuel consumption of a cold engine will drastically change the calculation.

Don't start the engine and idle...but take off (as mentioned in the owners manual) and drive conservatively for the 1st few minutes.

If you're a homeowner and mow your own lawn...perhaps you should take your gas can with your (and a funnel) just in case you start sputtering before you make it to the station.

FYI: let's just do the math for fun...if you average 16 MPG, and the RANGE is displaying you have 4 miles...then you approximately have 1 quart of fuel floating around in an approx 25 gallon tank. There's a fuel pickup that sucks up the gas to deliver it to the fuel pump etc. If you live in a hilly location...an incline could easily send 1 quart of fuel away from the fuel pick-up.

Again, you have approx 1 quart of fuel in an approx 25 gallon tank (think of a straw sucking up the last drops at the bottom of your glass)...that makes for a VERY THIN level of fuel. This is why most people fill-up either before the fuel warning light comes on...or immediately when it does. Even though you may have mileage left in the RANGE display...geographical conditions could come into play when you allow the tank to get very low that may still cause the engine to run out of fuel.

e30cabrio · #7 10-15-2013, 11:23 AM

I learned hard way years ago fill up at or near 1/4 at least. I broke that rule coming back from L.A. yesterday because I was tired, closer than the pretty accurate 80 mile range by 40 miles and going for my first 400 mile tank (made it to 392 and it took 20 gallons)!

bcredliner · #8 10-15-2013, 12:23 PM

Interested in whether you siphoned some out of your neighbors tank, emptied the mover (hopefully a 4 stroke edition), walked the eight miles, etc. or successfully did the drive--if so, hopefully you filled up so you can tell us how much fuel was left.

blaubenz · #9 10-15-2013, 12:35 PM

So looks like no one took it pass zero on the trip computer. But if someone have let me know.

I have not gone yet. It is my spare car. But will lit you folks know how much to the fill up. I think I will get a gas tank an put some gas in before I go to the gas station.

thanks

Qsilver7 · #10 10-16-2013, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blaubenz

So looks like no one took it pass zero on the trip computer. But if someone have let me know.

The lowest I let the tank get was on July 30, 2013 this year. Upon fill up...I put in 23.312 gallons of fuel...which means I was down to approx 1.2 gallons.

And looking at my AVG MPG of approx 14.5 MPG...I had about 18.67 miles of fuel left in the tank.