Distance to empty gauge inaccurate ?

The distance to empty is rather accurate if you make the assumption that "empty" = ~2 gallons left in your tank.

I just filled up with 9.7 gallons and my DTE was = 0 miles.

Just think of it as an early warning light. The first is the flashing pip. The second is the distance to empty. The third is the car running out of gas and only running on battery power for 1 mile.

 

Yes it lies. Don't bother looking at it. When you have one bar left, buy more petrol.

 

Ive experienced this in EVERY SINGLE CAR i've driven that has a DTE gauge. When the gauge reaches 0, theres always a few gallons left in the tank. Trip computers these days aren't that accurate, plus i dont think the mechanism for measuring fuel in the gas tank is accurate enough to provide a 99.9% accurate DTE reading.

When its 0, then you get about 100 miles of driving left. about 2 gallons.

 

I think it's more car compaines covering their nice person. if it says you have 10 miles left (and you really do) then you try to climb an 8 mile mountian at 70mph, you will run out. then you (if you're the litigous type) sue.

 

True. Us bloody colonials tend to be backwards socially. lol.

 

Codyroo's post is right on.

Flanina... one bar?

Maybe I push it a little more because my friends once called me the king of the beaters. I had a car without a working gas gauge, so I've learned to trust my calculations.

I can now afford a newer car.

If the Prius display says I'm getting over 53 mpg, I figure that means at least 50 mpg., so I shouldn't have to worry until I get close to 550 miles which would mean I'm close to having used 11 gallons.

One bar to me would mean that I have a range of about 150 miles left.

The nice feature I'm finding out about the Prius is that I can hold out for lower priced gasoline. In the old gas hog Corolla Matrix days, if it said 300 miles, I knew I had to find gas within the next 30 miles. With the Prius, 300 miles is a joke and when she hits 500, I know I may have another 100 miles to find the best price.

Double savings.

 

Haha, cheaper gas - there's a joke.

For me i guess it's more like when i hit one bar -plan- a trip to the petrol station. i don't drive past one on my commute, and the station i use is five miles in the opposite direction from my house. so if i hit one bar on a monday morning, i'll plan to go get fuel on tuesday night, and have driven a further 57 miles.

My wife uses the car in the evenings to go off performing, so i need to know she has enough fuel.

 

Like an unruly teenager, you thought you knew better.....!

At some point you're going to have to grow up and get a proper job though...