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Miles Traveled Reset

Discussion in 'Knowledge Base Articles Discussion' started by captainclaims, Aug 20, 2006.

  1. captainclaims

    captainclaims Junior Member

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    I hope this will shed bright light on the issue. Bottom Line: On the Consumption screen of the Multifunction Display, the average MPG reading DOES NOT RESET automatically or "by itself". The only way it resets is if you press the reset button at the bottom right of the screen. If you press this reset button, both the average MPG as well as the "miles traveled" readout will reset to zero. So, if you do not manually press the reset button, the number you see for "average MPG" is a cumulative calculation of average MPG from the last time you manually pressed the reset button. If you never pressed the button the number shown would be the average MPG for the life of the car. But the miles traveled readout to the right of the average MPG readout is another story. That one can and does reset by itself under certain conditions, one of which is stated (I believe incorrectly) in the 2006 Prius owners manual. It says "when the "reset" switch (I have called it button) is touched or more then 10 L (2.6 gal., 2.2 Imp.gal.) fuel is supplied, the average fuel consumption is reset". I have found that the average fuel consumption (they have to mean average MPG) does not change at all. It is not affected at all. It does not change unless you press the reset button at the bottom right of the screen. What DOES change is the miles traveled. The miles traveled DOES reset to zero. Here is some data I developed by stopping at gas stations and adding small amount of gas to the tank at each stop with none of the gas stations more then 10 miles distant from each other. I began with the tank one block past half full. Adding 1.008 gallons, no effect on the gas gauge reading and no effect on the miles traveled display on the consumption screen of the multifunction display. Adding 1.005 gallons, same results as above. Adding .996 gallons, same effect as above. Adding 1.027 gallons, same effect as above. Adding 1.001 gallons, same effect as above. And finally, adding 1.301 gallons. This last addition terminated when the pump clicked off and I made no attempt to top off. The tank was now as full as I would allow with out top off when I normally fill it up in one trip to the pump. For about 1 mile, the blocks on the gas gauge still did not move, and then suddenly it showed a full tank. But at no time did the number of miles traveled shown on the display change or reset in any way. However, exactly 200 miles later, I filled the tank to the point where the gas nozzle shut off by itself. It took 1.609 gallons. After about .8 mile of travel, the "miles traveled" reset to zero!! The average MPG did not reset. I took a trip to Florida from Wyoming County in New York State and back, with my average fill up being about 10 gallons. The average MPG Never reset. The miles traveled would always reset, usually, just as soon as the vehicle would begin to roll forward. From these observations of my trip and this little experiment, I am convinced that the "average MPG" reading will not reset by itself but that the "miles traveled" reading will indeed reset by itself when the gas tank if filled with a substantial amount of gas, or at least more then 2.6 gallons or once in my case, 1.609 gallons. I had also tried to see if anything other then adding gas triggered the miles traveled reset. I had pulled the gas door latch, opened and closed the filler door, unscrewed and and tightened the cap, and inserted the nozzle into the tank (before I began to add gas in one gallon increments) but none of these actions by itself or combined, would trigger an automatic reset. Only the addition of several gallons of gas triggered it. I think that being aware of this is helpful in establishing a computer readout of the MPG over any period of time you wish to calculte, even during multiple fillups, as long as we are aware that the miles traveled portion of the display will be erased. Sorry for the rambling on and on. Paul H.
     
  2. IsrAmeriPrius

    IsrAmeriPrius Progressive Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(captainclaims2P @ Aug 20 2006, 12:56 PM) [snapback]306330[/snapback]</div>
    That is correct statement only for the 2006 model.

    In the 2004 and 2005 models both the miles traveled and the average MPG reading do automatically reset every time that the fuel tank is refilled with a minimum of 3 or 4 gallons.
     
  3. marjam

    marjam Member

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    The '04 worked exactly as you said until I had a recall that did something to the computers. Now it resets everything whenever you fill up. There seems to be no way on the '04 (and probably the '05) that you can keep a multi-tank average on the display. You could do that on the Classic and I wish I could do it on the '04. Sounds like you can on the '06. Wife won't let me buy an '06 just for that! :(
     
  4. jimmyrose

    jimmyrose Member

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    III
    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(captainclaims2P @ Aug 20 2006, 03:56 PM) [snapback]306330[/snapback]</div>
    No doubt Paul H. is now banned at each of these six gas stations.... :)