Estimated Range on Dashboard

[Alan Ginger]

On Friday afternoon I filled the van with diesel the estimated range was around 495 miles at the garage: as we drove up the M6 to Birmingham the estimated range increase to 640 miles - at one point the range was going up by 5 miles every few minutes. Any ideas why ? I put it down to the warm weather. The total journey was 200 miles and sitting on the drive now the range is 475 miles with 3/4 of a tank Of diesel.

 

[cgtmiles]

We’re you doing loads of town driving before filling up? If so the average consumption would be high then you got on the motorway cruising along at a sensible speed the consumption goes down, Average mpg goes up and range follows

 

[Alster]

I’m pretty sure the estimated range is based on your current average mpg so I’m guessing as you were on a motorway you’re mpg was improving.

 

[Alan Ginger]

We’re you doing loads of town driving before filling up? If so the average consumption would be high then you got on the motorway cruising along at a sensible speed the consumption goes down, Average mpg goes up and range follows

Many thanks for your reply. The van is our daily drive so it might be driven to the supermarke, not much more than that during school holidays. So we were not doing loads of town driving. my concern was how far the reading had gone up. I thought something might be wrong.

 

[Alan Ginger]

I’m pretty sure the estimated range is based on your current average mpg so I’m guessing as you were on a motorway you’re mpg was improving.

We were on the motorway most of the time. Thank you for your reply

 

[Chippie1]

Your lucky most of mine is town driving when I fill up my range says 380 and I don’t get much more than that! Obviously a lot better on a good run

 

[Alan Ginger]

Your lucky most of mine is town driving when I fill up my range says 380 and I don’t get much more than that! Obviously a lot better on a good run

Guess I am worrying for nothing. Thanks Chippie.

 

[CAB]

Sounds about right.

Feels great when you think you are getting loads of miles for free!

 

[AussieMick]

Your range will vary all the time while driving, climbing a decent hill will see your range drop alarmingly but coasting downhill will see a big increase in range left.
Once you get on a flat road at cruising speed for a reasonable time you get a fairly accurate range until hills arrive again.
It is just estimating range at current fuel consumption.

 

[Mule]

Yep, I've just got caught out with this!

Started this morning in Scotland with enough range to get to tonight's stopover, yet the range dropped massively around the hills of Leeds/Sheffield until the point where I was 35 miles short of our destination.

I had put it down down to the pop top being less aerodynamic than a panel van hence the inaccuracy in the computer but previous driving conditions (average of 50mph / 39mpg) were clearly more favourable than today's motorway driving....

 

[Alan Ginger]

Sounds about right.

Feels great when you think you are getting loads of miles for free!

Many thanks - because of the large variance I got it into my head that this situation might be dangerous…….. the tank expands and blows up, we had filled the tank up in hot weather ………anyway it gave me something to worry about during my journey up to Birmingham ( over thinking at its best )

 

[Bav]

...the range dropped massively around the hills of Leeds/Sheffield

Yeah, the only drawback to living in the Pennines is the poor mpg... that and the high annual rainfall... and the dreaded M62... and the lung-busting cycling terrain.

Seriously though, the above become irrelevant when I take a look out of my window.