‘23 Malibu has wildly inaccurate fuel range
- Thread starter ATex7239
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$50 site donor 2024
Well … have always assumed the worst fuel is the last fuel in the tank - and once I had friends/BiL pay to have tanks pulled - that’s what I started doing
The range estimate on my car varies based on the last 20 miles of instantaneous MPG. So, on the highway, it might show 250 remaining, but get stuck in traffic and crawl and it will drop to reflect this set of conditions. I’ve seen it go from 200+ to 80 in about 10 minutes of bumper to bumper, and back up once traffic is clear and the car is at highway speed.
In other words, it is a smart range estimate based on varying conditions. Sounds like your car is doing that.
If you want a simple/dumb estimate of average MPG x gallons remaining, you should do it yourself.
Then why has it been inaccurate at hwy cruising speed with no traffic over longer trips? I didn’t take one data point, I have been trending this over the 2000 miles and varied driving. It is quite inaccurate overall.
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I don't know that it even exists. What we really want imho is a indicator that can get granular as to how much fuel is actually in the tank--I would never knowingly get down to 1 gal or even 2 gal, but the cars seem to be designed to set off alarm bells way before that, like 3-5 gal. If I were told by the vehicle, you have 3.5 gal left, I know exactly what my range is, and I do know where I am driving next, and if it's city and bumper to bumper, or, highway.
And, you think that is an accurate range estimate?
Steady state driving doesn't mean that resistance is consistent.
When I filled up with 15 and change gallons on a 16 gallon tank afterwards, then yes… I’m not expecting perfection just a good approximation. 15% deviation is not good.
Then the average MPG should go down accordingly, yes? Not stay at 33-34 the whole time? If you are losing range based on terrain then you are also losing average mileage yes?
So, the Ford Estimates a 4 mile range on one gallon. When it gets what, 20 MPG?
A 500% error, in that case, and you’re saying that was a good approximation, but a 15% error bothers you?
I think you place too much faith in the precision of gas gauges.
Negative on 500%. It was 15 and change not a flat 15. The only reason I don’t remember exactly (example 15.8 or 15.6) is because it was a year ago. I don’t keep that good records. But I do have to track my mileage for work so I do have a log and know what my mileage is for tax purposes.
Filled up last night at 1949 and range to E was calculated at 513. Today I’m at 1988 with calculated 449 range to E and average MPG is still 34.
Range estimate went down 64 miles to the actual 39 mile traveled… I guess maybe it irks me because I come from an engineering and numbers background. This seems like lazy or bad engineering to me. I supposed to trust speedometer. I’m supposed to trust the tire pressure monitor. I’m supposed to trust the engine temp. But I can’t trust the fuel consumption?
Range estimate went down 64 miles to the actual 39 mile traveled… I guess maybe it irks me because I come from an engineering and numbers background. This seems like lazy or bad engineering to me. I supposed to trust speedometer. I’m supposed to trust the tire pressure monitor. I’m supposed to trust the engine temp. But I can’t trust the fuel consumption?
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This is a good and fair question.
I suppose it is based on the situation and the individual. I’m sure we all have small nitpicky things we can complain about when it comes to vehicles. This one happens to be mine.
Like I said, I plan my fill ups according to my day. And some days my schedule is packed pretty tight. So if I have meetings around town and I know I’m going to be traveling approximately 100 miles, I’d like to be able to trust the vehicle’s estimate range E…. If it says 120 miles to E in this car, I am not going to trust it, and likely stop at some point during the day. In the Ford, I would have trusted it and maybe wait to fill up the next morning because maybe the following morning was a little more flexible time wise.
One could argue well why don’t you just fill up sooner? And I guess I could but I also assume the vehicle’s sole purpose is for my convenience. And I shouldn’t be altering my day to suit the vehicles inability to calculate basic math in 2023. As I’ve stated before, I didn’t have this problem with the Fusion.
I think that the wild inaccuracy of range calculators is pretty much the standard. Interestingly, when you fill up and the car tells you that you can go, say 420 miles, that is about as accurate as it gets. You know you will go more than 350 miles and less than 500. As the tank empties, your predicted range becomes much more uncertain. I like the feature, but I think it has low actual utility.
It’s purchased through the lease program from work and we don’t get an option. You get what you get from the pool. Fusion, Malibu, Altima, whatever they have open at the time. it could even be used. If I wanted to choose my own vehicle, I would have to be on a different program… Most people do the bring your own vehicle program because I’m in Texas and everybody wants to drive a truck… However, my manhood is not tied to my vehicle like most of my fellow Texans
so I choose the fleet program which is financially more beneficial in the long term.No. It should fluctuate with the fluctuations in resistance (changes in grade, air resistance). It probably has a correction factor where it displays an avg over a predetermined distance rather than immediate avg.
This all seems like a silly exercise tbh.
I will never put any faith in a fuel range calculator . I've been driving for 50 years and never had one until just a few years ago . I've run out of gas one time in my life and that was in 1976 . High School , no money , trying to squeeze that last couple of miles out of it . 
We all did dumb things when we were young. These days no one should run their gas tank below a quarter of a tank-with the fuel systems there is too much to risk--cleaning and/or replacing fuel injectors and the like are not cheap.I will never put any faith in a fuel range calculator . I've been driving for 50 years and never had one until just a few years ago . I've run out of gas one time in my life and that was in 1976 . High School , no money , trying to squeeze that last couple of miles out of it .
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