Get on Fuelly! Track your MPG's...support the community

Here's a more accurate way to do it:
(1) Zero one tripmeter and use it to record each commute. Write down the mpg that tripmeter says each time before you zero the "commute" tripmeter.
(2) Use the other tripmeter for the current tank. Refill only when it is nearly empty. Write down the miles and mpg that the "tank" tripmeter shows before you refill. Divide the miles on that tripmeter by the number of gallons you pumped when you refilled to get the actual mpg. Compare that with the mpg shown on the tank tripmeter to get the display error (usually 5-6% for the 2010-2012 Liftbacks).
(3) Then apply this error to correct the commute mpg's you wrote down to arrive at your actual commute mpg's.

Not perfect because the error factor seems to vary a bit from tank to tank, but better than doing short fills.

 

Too bad there wasn't some sort of fill indicator in the car which could light up when the gas hits a certain level. This way you could always fill the tank until the indicator lit up and calculate more accurate mpg stats.

I know it would be a little difficult since flowing gas is turbulent and could give a false reading as it's being filled. But, you could stop the flow of gas and see if the indicator is still lit. If it isn't, just pump in a little more until it stays lit.

Just a thought!

 

What people have done when they're trying hard to be as accurate as possible is to park the same way at the same pump at the same gas station, set the pump on its lowest flow rate (bottom notch if it has one), and fill until it autoclicks off the first time. This probably reduces fill level variation but of course any errors in the pump's measurement of volume remain.

 

My way would eliminate those variances! And you wouldn't have to worry about the same gas station and pump.

 

+1 to this. This is the best you can do. The rest is up to chance.

 

its all an average which is why i don't worry about same pump, same weather, same gas station, lol people do leave the area once in a while and are forced to get fuel even out of state . i just fill till it shuts off and go on till i need fuel again. I did only fill 4.xxx gallons this weekend because I needed fuel for my lawn mower so I brought my gas cans and filled up the car first, then filled up my cans cause I was using my discount from my grocery store.

 

Thanks, but these very short tanks are out of the norm for me. And understand they might not be as accurate as your method.

The only other "short" tanks are the ones I have been doing with 200 to 300 miles on it after some road trips, one for bragging rights - the others to test out how the Prius does in mpg's in some trips I do. Trying out some knowledge that I have gained in how best to drive to get the best mpg's.


iPad ? HD

 

I try to fill at the same pump all the time. It isn't always practical, but I try.

In the end, though, it really doesn't matter. One fill up is higher, the next is lower. So what? It all averages out in the end. Don't be in such a hurry.

 

I just put my mileage log on Fuelly.com

 

Impressive numbers there Walter!

 

Very impressive indeed considering the number of fuel ups and that he has went through winter with the car. My numbers are going to drop like a rock come winter.

 

I signed up a few weeks ago when I purchased my 2012 Prius III. It feels like a game trying to get higher milage

 

Gettinge better and better at "the game", just came off my best tank yet! 59.4mpg on a road trip to the beach the other day!

 

Done. I'll be reminding my wife to give me the figures when she fills up. First tank over 50MPG, that seems good.

 

You ever notice how anxious you are to add a Fuelly log when it is a good tank and how reluctant you are when it was a bad tank? LOL

I've been sitting on a few gas slips since last Sunday because I made a trip to Yosemite and the Eastern Sierra which resulted in a 53mpg tank. I knew this would crush my average so I waited until I filled up today (63mpg) so I wouldn't have to stare at my Fuelly sig below 60mpg for the entire week.

 

^^^ This tank I'm on won't be near as good as last. My wife is driving this tank a lot more plus I've been driving this tank enjoying the A/C

 

I hear ya bro. Like Brett mentioned last week, you get one really good tank the you have to go for total comfort and fun on the next!

 

LOL For me it is about posting good or bad. But do like filling up when I have a good tank going. And when doing a test run.

Like last week with a day trip out to the Delaware shore. That run was a test of doing the trip without the Thule Platform bike rack to see just what sort of hit with and without the rack would make. Came away with my best mpg's yet, 59.4! That helped me break in to the 53mpg club on Fuelly.

Something I would like to see on Fuelly is being able to view users with their Dashboard calculations. This would give a better indication of changes in tires as you made, and changes in my driving habits have made. Along with the warmer weather helping us both so far.

According to the Fuelly Dashboard I am part of the 54mpg club showing that my last ten fill-ups are giving me an average of 54.4mpg.

In the end I have to give thanks to PriusChat and folks like you that gave me the tools to get the best mpg's. Traffic in this area does not lend itself to hypermiling IMO, but sensible driving does. In the end drive times are not that much different with the Prius "gaming" it for the best mpg's than it was with my Baja. Yet the "city" average of my Baja was 20mpg and "highway" of 28mpg, and now I get between 50 and 59mpg's - with my running average being 53mpg.

 

Joined a few weeks ago. Yes this post is to see my signature. Hard to admit mileage after going up and down mountains.....Big Bear CA in my case.