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Does resetting the trip odometer reset the avg. MPG stats?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by gwilliams, Aug 3, 2004.

  1. gwilliams

    gwilliams New Member

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    Folks:

    I have a question.

    I've just filled my Prius for the first time (see sig for stats), and noticed that something has reset my average MPG indicator on the consumption screen display. I did not press the "reset" button on the consumption screen. I figured that would reset the stats. I did, however, reset trip odometer A prior to leaving the gas station.

    My questions are thus:

    1) Does the reset of trip odometer A affect the average MPG display?

    2) If not, does this display automagically reset upon addition of fuel to the tank?

    3) If not, have I discovered some sort of software bug with the Prius?

    Any input you may have would be appreciated.

    Thanks in advance,
    Glenn
     
    #1 gwilliams, Aug 3, 2004
  2. rflagg

    rflagg Member

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    #2 is what you're looking at - when refueling, the average mpg will reset (along with total miles) on the Consumption screen.

    -m.
     
    #2 rflagg, Aug 3, 2004
  3. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    1)No
    2)Yes
    3)no bug, that's the way it's supposed to work.
     
    #3 efusco, Aug 3, 2004
  4. mshappe

    mshappe New Member

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    Altho' I might argue that this is a misfeature. Yes, it's designed to do that, but I think leaving the driver an option to only reset when explicitly told to do so would have been nice.
     
    #4 mshappe, Aug 3, 2004
  5. gwilliams

    gwilliams New Member

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    Thanks all for your speedy (and helpful) replies.

    I suspected either #1 or #2 was causing the reset. I was hoping
    #1, so that I could have some way to control the average MPG stats. Oh well, so much for that idea. At least automatically resetting on every fill up (or partial fill up) is consistent.

    In the doc, somewhere around page 150, it only mentions resetting via pushing the "reset" button on the consumption screen. I guess that would be useful for intra-tank averages. :roll: Its too bad they didn't document the reset on fill up "feature".

    Now for a follow up, does anyone know if there's a way to disable (turn off) this feature? You know, via some obscure procedure like disabling the backup beeper?.... If so that might be nice. I'm looking for some way to keep long term average MPG stats, short of recording every fill up in a spreadsheet (or reasonable facsimile thereof). My 2004 Sienna only resets the MPG stats on user input. I must say, I prefer that paradigm over the Prius.

    Thanks again,
    Glenn
     
    #5 gwilliams, Aug 4, 2004
  6. jimofdg

    jimofdg New Member

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    I don't know about disabling it, but there is one other detail I'd like to point out. That is the issue of when the Prius resets after you add the gas.

    A search of these boards should provide more details, but it became apparent that the reset occurs a few feet after the Prius starts moving away from the gas station. No idea why, but I'm offering it to help your full understanding of this "feature."

    We can't accidentally reset the Lifetime MPG, right? Not even if something is disconnected for service? Maybe if some component is replaced?
     
    #6 jimofdg, Aug 4, 2004
  7. gwilliams

    gwilliams New Member

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    There is no "Lifetime MPG" accumulator of which I am aware. The only display I can locate is the one on the "Consumption" screen, which I now know resets upon either the refilling of the fuel tank, or upon pressing the "reset" button on said screen.

    If Evan's trick (of starting, then immediately shutting down, then restarting the Prius before the fuel gauge updates its display) works, I suppose one could craft a "Lifetime MPG" display, but only if they remember to perform this sequence of operations upon every fuel-up.

    Glenn
     
    #7 gwilliams, Aug 4, 2004
  8. jamarimutt

    jamarimutt New Member

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    Having a lifetime mpg average sounds like a nice feature to have at first, but as your car accumulates miles the average will remain fairly consistent and change little regardless of whether you have a particularly good or poor tank.

    My average tank is 50-51 mpg, very consistently for almost 7000 miles; it will most likely remain around this figure the next 7000 miles and beyond.
     
    #8 jamarimutt, Aug 4, 2004
  9. hdrygas

    hdrygas New Member

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    Sort of like raising your GPA to get in to gradschool after "enjoying" your first 3 years in College. It is tough to do!
     
    #9 hdrygas, Aug 4, 2004
  10. Frank Hudon

    Frank Hudon Senior Member

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    on the 2k4 if you fuel up before half a tank it doesn't reset. On the Classic it's a life time unless you reset it, and I've never reset is since I got the car and it's on 5.3 liters per hundres kilometers, only time it changed was the first two tanks as I was on the way home, I bought it half way's across the country. I run the mileage on a spreadsheet and it's close to the 5.3 but has jumped a bit this tank because of A/C useage. But the lifetime is still sitting at 5.3 On the 2k4 at first we found it a pain that it autoreset but were just living with it. When it go's in for any repairs I'm going to get the tech to see if there is a toggle in the computer to set it to lifetime.
     
    #10 Frank Hudon, Aug 5, 2004
  11. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

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    i think a lifetime mpg meter would be a bad idea.

    one of the huge benefits of real time feedback concerning performance is another way of detecting problems with the vehicle. a sudden unexplained drop in mpg would be a thing of concern that may show up before any other warning signals.

    because of temperature extremes, varying road conditions, and other external forces, sometimes a drop in mpg would not be noticed except over the span of one tank of gas.

    one a lifetime setting, its conceivable that you will get to a point where the mpg would not change or change very little rendering it all but useless.
     
    #11 DaveinOlyWA, Aug 6, 2004
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