Fuel Questions - New FFH Owner

[Ugachick]

I have a few questions:

 

How is there a way to tell your over all MPG to a tank of fuel besides just using one of the trip buttons? That is my first question.

 

Also it shows I have 29 miles to Empty.....I know there is a reserve tank - if I hit zero - will it use the reserve tank a few miles or will it just run out of gas? How does that work? I was just wondering since I am totally new at this.

 

Also how come in some screen shots some older cars show the gallons left in the tank but the 2015 does not show that? I have yet to learn the EV screen or the EMPOWER screen plus many other features yet....but I am trying......

 

 

 

[dysert]

I have a few questions:

 

How is there a way to tell your over all MPG to a tank of fuel besides just using one of the trip buttons? That is my first question.

 

Also it shows I have 29 miles to Empty.....I know there is a reserve tank - if I hit zero - will it use the reserve tank a few miles or will it just run out of gas? How does that work? I was just wondering since I am totally new at this.

 

Also how come in some screen shots some older cars show the gallons left in the tank but the 2015 does not show that? I have yet to learn the EV screen or the EMPOWER screen plus many other features yet....but I am trying......

 

 

 

The best way to tell your overall MPG is to: (1) fill up the tank; (2) write down your odometer reading; (3) drive until you get close to empty; (4) fill up the tank; (5) note the number of gallons it took to fill up; (6) calculate the number of miles you've driven (subtract the odometer readings); (7) calculate MPG by dividing the number of miles you've driven by the number of gallons it took to fill up.

 

I know nothing about a reserve tank. (I'm relatively new to this, and besides, I have a 2014.)

 

There is not an accurate display of gallons remaining. I put my display on Trip 1 and watch how many gallons I've *used*. When it gets down to where I've used about 8 gallons I start looking to fill up. (I heard it's bad to let hybrids run out of gas.)

[Ugachick]

My car does not tell me how many gallons of gas I have used or .....where do you see that at? Mine just tells me how many miles to empty .... which is not correct really. Last time it said I had 41 miles to empty I filled up and it took exactly 11.0 gallons but my book shows I have a 14 gallon tank so I am guess I am confused on why it shows it is empty so when it still has 3 gallons in the tank.. I only have 1300 miles on the car so far so maybe it is beaues it is just so new??!!!??

[Hybrider]

I have a few questions:

 

How is there a way to tell your over all MPG to a tank of fuel besides just using one of the trip buttons? That is my first question.

 

Also it shows I have 29 miles to Empty.....I know there is a reserve tank - if I hit zero - will it use the reserve tank a few miles or will it just run out of gas? How does that work? I was just wondering since I am totally new at this.

 

Also how come in some screen shots some older cars show the gallons left in the tank but the 2015 does not show that? I have yet to learn the EV screen or the EMPOWER screen plus many other features yet....but I am trying......

 

Hi Ugachick, the Trip 1 gauge is actually what I have been leaving on my left display while I am driving to help me monitor how efficiently I have been driving, since it also displays the current MPGs. I reset the Trip 1 at each fill-up, and if I notice the MPGs continuously going down while I'm driving, it reminds me to let off on the accelerator. :) The MPG calculations on the Trip 1 gauge are much more responsive right after I fill-up than it is when closer to fill-up time, due to the number of miles being higher, therefore averaging more miles into the calculation. But that is another reason I like to fill-up at a half-tank, to keep the Trip 1 MPG gauge more responsive to my immediate driving behavior.

 

Some FFH owners like to reset the "Avg Fuel Economy" value (the MPG value displayed in the middle of the Engage and Empower screens) every now and then for this same purpose, but I like to use that value as my Lifetime MPG Average display.

 

I only moved to using the Trip 1 MPG value as my "MPG coach" once I had become very familiar with when and how the FFH switches between EV and ICE by using the Empower screen and then the Tach display on the MyView screen. Now I can almost tell you when the switch will occur between the EV and ICE and vice versa before it even happens. And now I can also feel when the ICE is running by the vibrations through the floorboard.

 

There is no reserve tank in any of the stock FFHes. The reserve that is discussed in these forums is just the extra few gallons that are still in the one single tank once the gas gauge reaches "E" or even if the remaining miles shows "0", probably just like every other car you have ever driven.

 

It seems Ford has modified the info that is given to us on the displays between the MY 2013 and the MY 2015 FFHes, probably in an attempt to make their customers feel better or at least not as upset about their particular FFH's fuel economy, and probably for other various reasons too.

 

You will get the hang of all of the various screens soon enough. It is just that there seems like there are so many of them at first, that it does take some time to view and understand them all.

[Hybrider]

The Trip 1 gauge (example below) also shows the number of gallons used since it was reset, and also the amount of time the car has been turned on. So if you reset it when you fill up, it will show how many gallons have been used from that full tank so far.

[Easy Rider]

 

 

How is there a way to tell your over all MPG to a tank of fuel besides just using one of the trip buttons? That is my first question.

 

Also it shows I have 29 miles to Empty.....I know there is a reserve tank - if I hit zero - will it use the reserve tank a few miles or will it just run out of gas?

The only way to get an accurate miles-per-gallon is to record the miles driven and divide by the gallons put in to refill the tank........over several fills.

 

Is there some reason that you do NOT want to reset one of the trip counters each time you put in gas ??

The figure it provides is likely to be a couple of points high.......which you can check with some manual calculations.

There is no other way that the car will keep track of "miles per tank".

Well, except the running average that is displayed when the ODO is showing. That can be reset too.

So you have 3 reset-able MPG numbers: Trip A, Trip B and a running total which can also be reset.

 

There is not a real "reserve tank". The gauge just shows empty before it really IS.

This is a safety factor. You should not try to outsmart it.

There is no good excuse for NOT filling the tank before it actually shows E.....or immediately when it does.

There are lots of reasons for not letting it get that low.

Edited January 15, 2015 by Easy Rider

[Griswald]

This is the biggest beef I have with this car. No way to tell your current MPG until you shut off the key (NO, not the instantaneous bar graph, that really tells you nothing). I think having a trip MPG meter prominantly displayed would go a long way to make people drive better.

 

I know when I use my Dash Command and watch my MPGs, I can get 5 to 10 MPG better than when I dont. I think its just a psycological thing, you see red and want to turn it green.

 

Also, running out of gasoline sucks, but its not the end of the world. The car will be fine after you fill it back up. Just don't make a habit of it.

[Easy Rider]

This is the biggest beef I have with this car. No way to tell your current MPG until you shut off the key

I don't understand this comment at all.

 

There are several of the left displays that will show "current" MPG, which is resetable.

 

I believe that the ones that go along with "trip" are also resetable.

 

You can even build a custom display the shows whatever you want......with some limits.

[Easy Rider]

Also, running out of gasoline sucks, but its not the end of the world.

That kind of depends on where and when it runs out.

 

If you are in the left lane of I-75 in Atlanta during rush hour, it might FEEL like a disaster.

[Waldo]

This is the biggest beef I have with this car. No way to tell your current MPG until you shut off the key (NO, not the instantaneous bar graph, that really tells you nothing). I think having a trip MPG meter prominantly displayed would go a long way to make people drive better.

 

I know when I use my Dash Command and watch my MPGs, I can get 5 to 10 MPG better than when I dont. I think its just a psycological thing, you see red and want to turn it green.

 

 

That's exactly what the "leaves" are supposed to do.

[Easy Rider]

That's exactly what the "leaves" are supposed to do.

Really ??

The leaves are really supposed to be a useful tool to help you get better mileage ?

My opinion of that is: Not much.

Looks more like a "feel good" picture to me.

[acdii]

Oh I dont know, they were entertaining in the Blue Devil, they shriveled and died faster than they grew.

[nv rick]

That kind of depends on where and when it runs out.

 

If you are in the left lane of I-75 in Atlanta during rush hour, it might FEEL like a disaster.

Or on CA 127 north of Baker. No cell reception and in the summer temps are easily over 120.

[Ugachick]

Trust me I do not PLAN to run out of gas I was just curious why it shows so low to empty and only takes 10 or 11 gallons to fill up when I am suppose to have a 14 gallon tank.

 

So I guess I am asking my question wrong. I am trying to learn the car and was trying to figure out this gas gauge too was all.

 

Thanks for all the replies and answers.

 

One question - why does some pics shows GALLONS in the tank but my car does not show gallons? DId they change that on a 2015???

[acdii]

The car has an algorithm for the fuel gauge. It is not based on the fuel level, but more on the parameters it learns as you drive. It averages them all out and reports what it assumes is the amount of fuel in the tank. It Errs on the low side too so as to never report more miles to empty than there actually is. The one thing that it is based on is the amount of fuel used and replenished over the first few tanks. If you let it use 12 gallons for the first few fills, the amount used will be reported more towards the actual tank capacity.

 

I experimented with this since I fill at least once a week. I filled the tank after 10 gallons used, and thats what it reported when DTE was 0. I then drove WAY past 0 DTE and filed with 12+ for the next three tanks. By then it was reporting more along the lines of 11.5 gallons at 0 DTE.

 

It learns your fill pattern over time. If you normally fill at 10 gallons, thats where it will base its 0 DTE. Pretty bad when the car can be smarter than us.

[hybridbear]

Trust me I do not PLAN to run out of gas I was just curious why it shows so low to empty and only takes 10 or 11 gallons to fill up when I am suppose to have a 14 gallon tank.

 

So I guess I am asking my question wrong. I am trying to learn the car and was trying to figure out this gas gauge too was all.

 

Thanks for all the replies and answers.

 

One question - why does some pics shows GALLONS in the tank but my car does not show gallons? DId they change that on a 2015???

My trip meter will show gallons used since last reset. However, it only shows gallons used if I set it to "advanced".

[Texasota]

My trip meter will show gallons used since last reset. However, it only shows gallons used if I set it to "advanced".

HB, is that and Energi specific feature? Or do I also have that option on my FFH?

[corncobs]

HB, is that and Energi specific feature? Or do I also have that option on my FFH?

As long Ford didn't push it under the chopping block it should be available!

 

I know in my '13 I use it all the time under trip 1 to see how much further I can go.

[Easy Rider]

 

 

One question - why does some pics shows GALLONS in the tank but my car does not show gallons? DId they change that on a 2015???

If by that you mean "gallons to empty", then you are just not looking at the right screen.

And IT will show zero when you still have about 2 gallons left too.

 

There is a LOT of information available in that left screen........but you can't see it ALL at the same time.

[Texasota]

As long Ford didn't push it under the chopping block it should be available!

 

I know in my '13 I use it all the time under trip 1 to see how much further I can go.

Just returned from playing with the setttings in my 2015 and I can't find this "Advanced" option and I don't see any mention of it in the owner's manual. My 2015 also does not display gallons used on the trip summary when you turn the key off.

 

Unless I am looking in the wrong place, then it seems like Ford removed this support in the 2015.

[corncobs]

Just returned from playing with the setttings in my 2015 and I can't find this "Advanced" option and I don't see any mention of it in the owner's manual. My 2015 also does not display gallons used on the trip summary when you turn the key off.

 

Unless I am looking in the wrong place, then it seems like Ford removed this support in the 2015.

I found the video that shows how to turn advance trip mode on.

 

 

If it's no longer there > c'mon FORD

[Texasota]

I found the video that shows how to turn advance trip mode on.

 

If it's no longer there > c'mon FORD

 

Yup, looks like that is gone on the 2015s. I compared the 2015 owners manual to the 2014 owners manual and the the "Standard" vs "Enhanced" trip documentation has been removed. I guess on the 2015s Ford gaveth, and Ford taketh away.

Edited January 17, 2015 by Texasota

[acdii]

Well guess who does not want a 2015! If by some bad turn of luck my Hyti gets wrecked, I may not buy another one. I'm a bit soured with Ford at the moment, and hearing they took even more away from the Fusion makes me want to look elsewhere if I have to.

[Texasota]

Well guess who does not want a 2015! If by some bad turn of luck my Hyti gets wrecked, I may not buy another one. I'm a bit soured with Ford at the moment, and hearing they took even more away from the Fusion makes me want to look elsewhere if I have to.

I suspect owners complained that the gallons used being reported on the trip displays was not agreeing with how much gas they pumped into the tank when refueling. The solution was to remove that feature of the trip displays. Does not seem like a big deal breaker to me, but I never had it so my perspective is different. On the other hand, they added some nice things on the various displays on the 2015s.

[murphy]

I use so little gas that the trip meter is the only way I have to measure gas usage. I filled the tank last June and it's still very close to being full. A typical trip in the winter might use about 0.07 gallons of gas. I didn't use the Energi for long trips in 2014 so most of the driving was electric only.