1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

calculated vs. computer MPG - Please post your results

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Fuel Economy' started by F8L, Jul 10, 2009.

  1. alfon

    alfon Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 17, 2009
    1,370
    270
    0
    Location:
    seaside, oregon
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    Toyota knows that there is a problem with the mpg computer always over reading even with the 2015 Prius and Toyota has known this for years at least since the 2010 Prius model year. Toyota should correct this in accuracy with the 2016 Prius as the engineers and people at Toyota in charge would have to be complete idiots not too...
     
  2. 70AARCUDA

    70AARCUDA Active Member

    Joined:
    Mar 9, 2014
    845
    209
    0
    Location:
    Tucson, AZ
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    true...but, it's the in·complete idiots that I worry about. :censored:
     
    #1142 70AARCUDA, Sep 7, 2015
    Last edited: Oct 23, 2015
  3. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    56,313
    39,054
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    FWIW, even when my ScanGauge shows fan speed 4 (outa 6 I think), I still can't hear it. My ears are getting on, and a bit shot tho.
     
    #1143 Mendel Leisk, Sep 7, 2015
    Last edited: Sep 7, 2015
  4. CR94

    CR94 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 2, 2014
    2,642
    1,140
    0
    Location:
    Northwestern S.C.
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Hmm ... Not even with engine, HVAC fan, radio, and any other noisy components off, and no significant outside or copilot noise? I'd assumed, perhaps wrongly, that the battery fan would be fairly obvious in its upper speeds.
     
  5. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    56,313
    39,054
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    The time I recall seeing fan speed 4 was in congested traffic. Couldn't hear it. But yeah, I'm thinking when you can hear it, must be full speed. Which is 6 I believe.
     
  6. DoubleDAZ

    DoubleDAZ Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 2, 2014
    1,209
    322
    0
    Location:
    Peoria AZ (Phoenix)
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    I have 35,000 miles under my belt since last July and I've refueled 102 times, shutting off on the first click every time with the exception of twice when I only added a 2-3 gallons and left. I didn't fill it up because I wasn't happy with the stations, the pumps kept shutting off. Anyway, my manually computed mileage has been anywhere from 3% higher to 9.9% lower than the CONS display, so I don't know how they'd correct that. I know some folks say it's always off by 5%, but that hasn't been my experience. The one thing that has been fairly consistent is the times I've run until the fuel gauge started blinking, it's always taken between 9.5 and 9.9 gallons depending on how close to or past 0 I drove. While I enjoy tracking my mileage, all I really care about is how accurate the fuel gauge is. :)
     
  7. 70AARCUDA

    70AARCUDA Active Member

    Joined:
    Mar 9, 2014
    845
    209
    0
    Location:
    Tucson, AZ
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    Our 2014 Prius-4 isn't always 5% off, sometimes it's 6% or 7% off, but it's NEVER been less than 5% error. And, I, too, religiously adhere to the "one-click" at same pump rule.
     
  8. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    56,313
    39,054
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Pumping method cannot create, and sustain, an error in mpg. If you do manage to introduce an error, due to filling a little more or less than usual, the error will cancel out at the next fill up. The more fillups, the more accurate the overall calculation becomes.
     
  9. 70AARCUDA

    70AARCUDA Active Member

    Joined:
    Mar 9, 2014
    845
    209
    0
    Location:
    Tucson, AZ
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    However, repeated errors (making same mistake over & over) quite often manifest as an "additive" error.
     
  10. CR94

    CR94 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 2, 2014
    2,642
    1,140
    0
    Location:
    Northwestern S.C.
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    True, if the person competently keeps track of a long-term average. In some cases, that's a big "IF."
     
  11. DoubleDAZ

    DoubleDAZ Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 2, 2014
    1,209
    322
    0
    Location:
    Peoria AZ (Phoenix)
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    I suppose the fact that most of my fill-ups are all over the country might have something to do with my experience.
     
  12. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    56,313
    39,054
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    The errors due to fill up are inherently self-correcting. One time the pump shut's off a little sooner, with the next fillup you recoup it. My error zigs and zags, but closing in on 5 years of calculation now, the mean is 7.45%. Pretty much impossible to budge.

    Capture.JPG
     
  13. 70AARCUDA

    70AARCUDA Active Member

    Joined:
    Mar 9, 2014
    845
    209
    0
    Location:
    Tucson, AZ
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    The MEAN (µ) and STANDARD DEVIATION (σ) numbers would "tell" the tale...numerically.
     
  14. DoubleDAZ

    DoubleDAZ Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 2, 2014
    1,209
    322
    0
    Location:
    Peoria AZ (Phoenix)
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    I kind of get that, but my comment was related more to how should Toyota correct the CONS display given those variances on each fill-up. If they lower it by 7.5%, you still get differences, just different ones, so what's the point? And your mean might be different than others. My overall mean right now is 5.3%, but it varies from 4.9% to 6.4% for the 4 trips we've been on (with 17, 21, 23 and 28 fill-ups for those trips - out of 102 total). I have to admit that the display on my '99 Montana van was pretty accurate, but there was no hybrid battery power involved. I guess we'll have to see if the CONS display is more accurate on the Gen IV.
     
    Mendel Leisk likes this.
  15. Halpert2

    Halpert2 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 28, 2007
    8
    0
    0
    Location:
    Vacaville, CA
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    I have been stumped that the gauge reads almost empty, but my mental calculations say I should have about another 80 miles to drive. I just thought it was a gauge error but now see it is a common issue. This is my second prius (2015), the first (2006) was very accurate with the gauge.
    I have always only managed about 45 mpg on either car.
     
  16. qdllc

    qdllc Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 25, 2013
    1,370
    399
    0
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    IIRC, Toyota has the gauge read empty before you get there to avoid idiots running out of gas (which is a complex fix on a Prius compared to standard cars).
     
  17. I'mJp

    I'mJp Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 12, 2012
    628
    552
    0
    Location:
    Ma, USA
    Vehicle:
    Other Electric Vehicle
    Model:
    Three
    Wouldn't the state of charge in the battery during the first fill up and the state of charge on the next have a big influence ?
     
  18. 70AARCUDA

    70AARCUDA Active Member

    Joined:
    Mar 9, 2014
    845
    209
    0
    Location:
    Tucson, AZ
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    Not when gasoline is what's being consumed and measured.
     
    #1158 70AARCUDA, Oct 14, 2015
    Last edited: Oct 14, 2015
    Mendel Leisk likes this.
  19. Codyroo

    Codyroo Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 24, 2007
    1,826
    515
    6
    Location:
    Pleasanton, Ca
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    For my 217 fill ups, the mean difference between displayed mileage and calculated mileage is 0.057 (5.7%) and the standard deviation is 0.011883 (1.2%). Maximum = 9.5%. Minimum = 0.8%.
     
  20. JDW91479

    JDW91479 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2015
    12
    4
    0
    Location:
    Arizona
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Five
    2012 Five. 17" tires.
    I've only had it for about two months and I've driven under 2500 miles.

    Last tank:
    400 miles
    57.0 mpg displayed
    54.1 mpg calculated