Fuel economy meter accuracy

[AntneeUK]

Just how accurate is the readout for fuel economy on these cars? I've just moved job where I now have a much longer drive and it's through Nottingham itself. I'm also in traffic all the way in each direction so no chance to gas it.

I've been pleased to see an indicated 30mpg a few times, yet only manage 290 miles before the fuel gauge beeps at me. I used to get well over 300 miles out of it before and I'd be getting low 20mpg so I'm a bit baffled. Either the meter is well out of whack or there's something else going on. Last time my fuel economy went to pot I popped a coil pack

 

[mjt]

Extra-urban cycle for the LCR is 23 mpg, so that sounds about right?
Stop-start traffic is heavy on fuel.

The figures are 23/42/32 mpg for reference.
What does the computer say?

 

[AntneeUK]

According to Google Maps, you're looking at 2.3miles through my town, 8 miles up a busy A-road and then 7.8 miles leading to and around Nottingham's ring-road, so I guess it's almost half urban, half not. The computer says I'm averaging around 30mpg by the time I get to work, but I'm getting ~290miles to a tank, and I just put in about 50l of petrol. I make that more like about 26mpg off the top of my head, which is clearly not 30mpg. I don't understand how I was getting more miles from the tank when I was seeing lower mpg values though.

I should probably point out that I'm not bothered by the fuel-economy; I didn't buy the car to be economical, I just want to know whether the readout that it's giving me is anything like accurate

 

[realman]

i once manged 380 of a tank!!! 60mph on the motorway!

 

[AntneeUK]

In an LCR? Impressive, if time consuming

 

[Booya]

In the past month or so I managed to get from 24.3mpg to 26mpg! Wooohoo! I have been on motorways more though.

It's the needle on the petrol gauge that baffles me though. The thing has a mind of it's own like if I boot it the needle drops and then slowly creeps back up again. Is this even normal?

 

[wayne lcr]

iam like you ant i dont care about how meny miles i get but sum times i look i get about 24 round town. and iam like you only really notice wen the light beeps .dont no if you watch topgear?.but remem when they went from france or some were to blackpool and clarkson was in the jag caneing it and it was reading empty when he got there and they cheaked the tank after and there was 124 miles still left in it and that was with the petrol light on and the gauge on empty. so i wouldnt read much into it mate

 

[Gordz]

iam like you ant i dont care about how meny miles i get but sum times i look i get about 24 round town. and iam like you only really notice wen the light beeps .dont no if you watch topgear?.but remem when they went from france or some were to blackpool and clarkson was in the jag caneing it and it was reading empty when he got there and they cheaked the tank after and there was 124 miles still left in it and that was with the petrol light on and the gauge on empty. so i wouldnt read much into it mate

Saw this on Dave the other day, think it was Geneva to Blackpool?

That 'race' just showed how inaccurate gauges, mpg and miles remaining things are in cars. They were all saying zero miles of fuel left in tank with still like 100 miles to go, and they all made it. Apart from James who got lost I think or something? lol.

 

[wayne lcr]

yea the thick james is and just goes to show i would love to run mine out to see how much i did to a tank but i dont becose of the crap at the bottom of the petrol tank

 

[Gordz]

yea the thick james is and just goes to show i would love to run mine out to see how much i did to a tank but i dont becose of the crap at the bottom of the petrol tank

Also, it's technically illegal to be on a motorway knowing that you'll need to stop!

 

[Graham89]

yea the thick james is and just goes to show i would love to run mine out to see how much i did to a tank but i dont becose of the crap at the bottom of the petrol tank

Certainly agree i wouldnt want to run mine dry. Although you would be suprised how clean tanks are. I once took a petrol tank off my vauxhall nova when i had that and it was very clean inside.

 

[wayne lcr]

like i said i would but not on this car it will fxxk something up

 

[Gordz]

Certainly agree i wouldnt want to run mine dry. Although you would be suprised how clean tanks are. I once took a petrol tank off my vauxhall nova when i had that and it was very clean inside.

It's the diesels that are dirty

 

[AntneeUK]

iam like you ant i dont care about how meny miles i get but sum times i look i get about 24 round town. and iam like you only really notice wen the light beeps .dont no if you watch topgear?.but remem when they went from france or some were to blackpool and clarkson was in the jag caneing it and it was reading empty when he got there and they cheaked the tank after and there was 124 miles still left in it and that was with the petrol light on and the gauge on empty. so i wouldnt read much into it mate

Yeah, remember that mate. I don't see the point of having readouts if they're not accurate. That's probably the obsessive compulsive in me though

 

[wayne lcr]

take no notice of it i do just worry when the light comes on and go and put nearly 50 dump of v power in again