Accuracy of fuel consumption

[Uncle Vinnie]

How accurate is the car's Average Fuel Economy?????
I'm driving in the city and my average is about 27 MPG.
Is that accurate???
Don't get me wrong I'm happy about that, I just though it would waste a lot more gas than that.
Reviews advertize 20\mpg city, anf 27\mpg hwy.
Maybe I'm just not pressing the throtle hard enough.

 

[PM80]

Your gauge has to be off. There is no way that can be correct.

 

[ToddG]

How accurate is the car's Average Fuel Economy?????
I'm driving in the city and my average is about 27 MPG.
Is that accurate???
Don't get me wrong I'm happy about that, I just though it would waste a lot more gas than that.
Reviews advertize 20\mpg city, anf 27\mpg hwy.
Maybe I'm just not pressing the throtle hard enough.

Are you going by the readout on the Message Center, or are you doing a hand calculation?

 

[Uncle Vinnie]

I'm going by the read out in the message centre..that's why I'm asking how accurate is it, it doesn't make any sence.

 

[chriswells78]

You must be real light on the throttle. When I drive, the message center has been saying about 19-19.5 since I put the K&N drop in in (it was 18.5-19 before) and when my wife drives it hovers between 19.5 and 20. Both of us drive the same route (we ride to work together) and it is a mix of surface and highway driving. Mine seems to get the best mileage when in cruise control at 70ish.

About the accuracy part, I tested my message center stats twice before the K&N. The first time it said 18.2 but the old fashoned method (miles since last fill up/gallons to fill) I came up with 19.2. The second time it said 18.7 and I came up with 19.5. My next fill up I am going to reset the trip odometer and test it with the K&N.

 

[2002_LS_V8]

man u guys are lucky.... mine tells me im doing 14.2 mpg and i get around 270miles per tank but i do drive like i stole it most of the time

 

[js3]

Mine reads about 15.5 mpg with 29* mpt. That's with keeping a moderately light foot on the pedal.
Seriously thinking on trading it in for a second gen in a year or so.

 

[ToddG]

I'm going by the read out in the message centre..that's why I'm asking how accurate is it, it doesn't make any sence.

It does seem a little high. You should compare the computer's readout to a hand calculation. When I did this, I got 18.7 on the computer, and 18.5 on my calculator. So, mine seems to be fairly accurate as compared to the old fashioned way. Another thing you may do is reset the computer, drive it for a while, and see how the numbers change.

 

[Uncle Vinnie]

man u guys are lucky.... mine tells me im doing 14.2 mpg and i get around 270miles per tank but i do drive like i stole it most of the time

I would say 270miles\tank if it's city driving it's resonable, if that's including hwy driving it is pretty low.

I'm going to fill up my tank and do a manual read out, that's the only way to figure out if the car readout is accurate.

 

[brokentoy1]

Last road trip I took in my 02 V8 I got 420 miles out of the tank...

 

[TheRebel]

Yesterday, I was driving down the highway with cruise set to 70 and good wind behind me on a 60 mile stretch of flat road. My message center was showing 26.9 mpg. Usually when I hand calculate it, my car gets better then what the message center says by up to 1 mpg.

 

[Wishmissle]

back and forth to houston daily (71 miles one way ) with city driving
on both ends mine averages 22.4

"drive like i stole it" too funny! but fits me too

 

[P Rock]

Does resetting the ECU throw this off a little? I was on 89 miles to empty before I changed my fuel filter. After I changed it and started up the car, it said 112 miles to empty! ....then I thought maybe it wasn't changing the filter but rather the fact that I had the negative battery cable unhooked (which resets the ECU).

 

[TheRebel]

The manual says it takes like 5 mins of running to recalibrate itself if you reset it.

 

[Bozz]

I must be getting TERRIBLE gas mileage:

2000 Lincoln LS V8

Last tank I went 241 miles, and put in 17.75 gallons of gas = 13.55 MPG.

This is all city driving, no highway at all in the last tank....

OUCH!

Bozz

 

[Dutch]

I put 35,000 miles on my 2000 LS while I had it, and the gas mileage computer was never right one time. It was always 10-15% high.

 

[chriswells78]

I must be getting TERRIBLE gas mileage:

2000 Lincoln LS V8

Last tank I went 241 miles, and put in 17.75 gallons of gas = 13.55 MPG.

This is all city driving, no highway at all in the last tank....

OUCH!

Bozz

Seems like you need a tune up! Plugs, Oil, Filter, Fuel filter, Air filter (or cleaned if you have that kind), Bottle of Fuel injector cleaner, Maybe even coils!

 

[DMcBrideBoston]

man u guys are lucky.... mine tells me im doing 14.2 mpg and i get around 270miles per tank but i do drive like i stole it most of the time

That's exactly what mine says, combined with highway driving to work. But I routinely drive 90 - 100 on the highway everyday. Road speed out here is ridiculous.

Where is the fuel filter located on the LS's, as I should prolly change mine as well...

Thanks

Dave

 

[ToddG]

It does seem a little high. You should compare the computer's readout to a hand calculation. When I did this, I got 18.7 on the computer, and 18.5 on my calculator. So, mine seems to be fairly accurate as compared to the old fashioned way. Another thing you may do is reset the computer, drive it for a while, and see how the numbers change.

I tanked today and compared mileage calculations. The car's computer estimted MPG for the last tank to be 18.9 MPG. My hand calculation was 18.7 MPG. I'd say that the computer is fairly accurate. If its not working for you, its probably operator error -- God knows you kids can't even work calculators these days!