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Calculated MPG consistently higher than reported on MFD

Discussion in 'Prius c Fuel Economy' started by MoarMPGplz, Jul 11, 2015.

  1. MoarMPGplz

    MoarMPGplz Junior Member

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    Not sure why, but ever since I've had my 'c', the MPG reported on the MFD has always been consistently lower than what I calculate manually for practically every single tank. The difference started out as being about 1-2% higher, but over the last couple years or so, it has grown to be about 7-9% higher, which I cannot explain. For example, if the MFD reported 46 MPG and mileage driven shows 465 mi, I should theoretically have used about 10.1 gal of fuel (with last pip blinking and me sweating bullets), but the fuel gauge would still show 2 pips left and subsequently, when I would go to fill up, the amount I could put in would end up being a lot less than expected based on the MPG reported by the MFD even though I push about a gallon more beyond the click-off point, which seems to be close to the maximum since I can feel the click-off points getting shorter and shorter. I always tend to use the same brand, filling station, and if available, the same pump, unless I'm out of town or in a different area of town when I need to fill up. As a test, I purposely filled up two consecutive tanks to the very top of the filler tube, so I would know for sure that I have a full tank. I also do reset the trip meter between tanks. The end result for both tanks was about a 6-8% higher calculated MPG than what was being reported on the MFD. I know most folks report the exact opposite issue with MPG reported by the MFD being higher than calculated, but not in my case, and I don't know why. I at first thought maybe the mileage reportedly driven is off from actual miles, but I mapped out various routes to/from work using Google Maps, and the mileage reported by the app is roughly w/in .1 miles of the actual mileage reported by the car. I haven't bothered mentioning the issue to the mechanic when I bring the car in for service since as long as the car is not getting worse MPG than what is being reported by the MFD, I'm more or less fine with it...but it would be nice to know what is causing the discrepancy.
     
  2. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    The car knows when you're sweating bullets and running on fumes.....it goes into a special gas saving mode to give you extra miles to get to the gas station. I fill up with 2 pips remaining so I don't get this special gas saving mode on my car.

    My best guess, when you're on fumes, your car is lighter than a comparable Prius and you'll eventually get a few extra miles more
     
  3. coyote303

    coyote303 Member

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    Perhaps topping off your tank affects your mileage? You might be losing fuel due to spillage and evaporation.
     
  4. MoarMPGplz

    MoarMPGplz Junior Member

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    Indeed...when that last pip is flashing, I just go the nearest gas station and fill up, provided the gas price isn't exorbitantly higher than another one just down the street. I will usually fill up at 2 or 3 pips...as I don't like 'sweating bullets' either...LOL! As for topping off, I have only seen a couple times where I actually saw fuel overtopping the filler tube a bit and that was because I wanted to test on a completely full tank (yes, I know it still may not be 100% full, but I imagine it's very close). Both of those 'full' tanks still showed that I got around 6-7% higher calculated MPG than reported by the MFD...and it probably would have indicated a bit higher if not for the small bit that spilled out. Today, I filled up at 2 pips...pump clicked off at about 7.8 gal...topped it off at 8.8 gal w/ no spillage. Trip meter showed 498.4 mi driven from last fill-up. MPG reported by the MFD showed 53.1 MPG. Calculated MPG shows I got 56.6 MPG (498.4mi/8.8 gal)...about 6.6% higher than reported by the MFD. Based on the reported MPG on the MFD, I should have theoretically only driven about 467.3 mi based on 8.8 gal pumped (467.3 mi/8.8 gal)...or...should have pumped in about 9.39 gal based off the 53.1 MPG as reported by the MFD (53.1 MPG * 9.39 gal). Either way, it seems to me that the MFD is not reporting MPG accurately. There's no way I could jam much more gas into the tank, let alone more than a gallon I already pumped in past the first initial pump click-off point and the click-offs were already getting spaced very close together to where the pump would click off as soon as I squeezed the handle hard enough. If I didn't top off, it would only mean I'd be about 1 gal. short of a full tank each time I fill up and less miles driven per tank...the MPG difference would still be off by a similar percentage. Oh well...I guess I can ask the mechanic about it or just live with it...I'm glad that I'm not having the more common, opposite problem where the MPG reported by the MFD is HIGHER than calculated MPG.
     
  5. Blizzard_Persona

    Blizzard_Persona Senior Member

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    My Persona has been anywhere from 5% optimistic during the summer months all the way up to I believe 8-9% once in the dead of winter...

    So yeah, being the opposite is good I guess. Lol. I can't explain why though. Maybe as stated above it had to do with the over filling and not registering or something...
     
  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    perhaps 5 or 6 tanks, calculated after refilling would give you a better idea of real mpg's.
     
    #6 bisco, Jul 16, 2015
    Last edited: Jul 21, 2015
  7. cyclopathic

    cyclopathic Senior Member

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    +1. It is likely the tank fill up issue due to incline. Try to point nose down the slope when fill up.

    Alternatively 46MPG seems to be low, perhaps there is some issue with sensors?
     
  8. cyclopathic

    cyclopathic Senior Member

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    As I recall Prius uses MAF readings to calculate MPG. The reason why normally calculated and actual MPG differ is due to pump calibration and transitions when the mixture differs from 1:14.7. If your calculated is much lower than real, perhaps issues with MAF sensor readout? I'd go to dealer and have it checked.
     
  9. Is it still happening to you? Here are my last three fill-ups. Keep in mind that I travel around 6000 miles per year:

    November 11, 2015: My car's trip monitor said 343.2 miles at 54.1 mpg.
    Since my fill up that day was 5.665 gallons, that should be 60.6 mpg, so the computer in my car calculated a 10.7% lower mpg.

    November 29, 2015: My car's trip monitor said 194.8 miles at 48.4 mpg.
    Since my fill up that day was 4.764 gallons, that should be 40.9 mpg, so the computer in my car calculated a 18.3% higher mpg.

    December 20, 2015: My car's trip monitor said 138.0 miles at 43.9 mpg.
    Since my fill up that day was 3.444 gallons, that should be 40.1 mpg, so the computer in my car calculated a 9.5% higher mpg.
     
  10. priustexasbob

    priustexasbob Member

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    over 5 fillups I am averaging about 1.5% difference, my calculated mileage is slightly higher than the C's computer, very consistent
     
  11. Sean Nelson

    Sean Nelson Active Member

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    I've done 23 fill-ups so far and I'm averaging about 5% worse fuel economy measured by the amount of fuel pumped vs. the fuel economy displayed on the car's information screen. Not a big deal, as far as I'm concerned.
     
  12. Blizzard_Persona

    Blizzard_Persona Senior Member

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    Yup sounds about right.

    I averaged between 5-9% off (summer / winter) in my old persona.. For reference.

    Haven't been tracking my wife's v's mpg but on our last 200 mi road trip we averaged like 34 mpg with 3 people and some crap in the trunk. Not the greatest but not the worst I guess at 70-75mph..
     
  13. ppnuwan

    ppnuwan Junior Member

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    I'm facing exactly the same situation.. Well calculating based on L/100 km method (Australia), I am told by MFD my economy to be 5.9L/100km which is pretty bad for a Prius.. I was so disappointed until I decided to check it manually. When I did, it turned out to be 4.9L/100km which is pretty normal for Prius C. I also noted that when I fill up the tank I always ended up around 4 ltrs less than the claimed tank size. Then I decided to take the risk of not filling up even after fuel fill up light began to blink.. and went 120 km more trusting my instincts...! Finally when I filled up, it matched with the claimed tank size and fuel economy (manually calculated) came around 4.9L/100km despite MFD still showing 5.9L/100km.
    I don't know whether this is a car specific issue (such as fuel injectors injecting less fuel thus saving more in the tank while car computer thinks it has run out of fuel) or common for all Cs.. But I'm glad to know someone else has also experiencing the same so I'm not alone on this one..
     
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  14. MoarMPGplz

    MoarMPGplz Junior Member

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    So...I wanted to give an update on the 'issue' I was having. After I took my car in for regular maintenance a few months back, the MPG discrepancy went from 7-9% off to a more normal-ish 2-3% off. Maybe whatever was causing the issue got cleared when the mechanic worked on my car. At any rate, it's sort of a moot point now, as I've since turned in my 2012 Prius-c for a 2016 model Prius-c. However, I now have the more common 'issue' of the MPG reporting higher on the MFD than calculated. It's off by about 3-5%, which is a little higher than I would expect, but at least the calculated result is still in line with what I was getting in my 2012 Prius-c.
     
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  15. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    it's about time you got in line, welcome to the club.:p
     
  16. Mr Incredible

    Mr Incredible Chance favors the prepared mind.

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    If you're expecting the standard automobile to behave like a scientific calibrated instrument, I'm afraid you'll be sorely disappointed. Live with your expectations firmly ensconced within the known values and accuracy as your car has already provided, and you should be good to go. Expect better from something that you know it cannot provide and ... what's the point?

    However, let me add this to the discussion. I have three measurements I use when I feel like figuring it up. 1) What the car tells me the mpg is/was, 2) what my ScanGauge tells me is going on, and 3) gas/mpg and a calculator. If I were to figure the tank at, say, 50mpg with the calculator and the gas station receipt, the Scangauge would tell me it was 49-ish and the car would tell me it was 51-ish. Every. Single. Time. It's just the way it is. So, I go with the calculator and then run the others through the interpretor algorithm. No worries, since I'm largely done with MPG contortions and heroic gyrations for the sake of it.
     
    #16 Mr Incredible, Jul 8, 2016
    Last edited: Jul 8, 2016
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  17. Got2bHam

    Got2bHam Member

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    I've noticed this too. My display may read 47.1 for a fill up. When I entered in to the Fuelly app it calculated out as 49.6. I'm fine with this discrepancy.