Car Question

[Smithy]

I’ve tried googling and nothing has come up so I thought I’d ask here incase anybody knows

Basically when I used to fill my car up the little meter thing would say ~420 miles until empty, so basically a full tank would do me 420 miles, over the last year or so, it’s dropped by quite a bit and now when I fill it up it’s only at ~360 miles till empty

Why? Does anyone know? :suspect:

[Niamh.]

Faulty fuel gauge?

[James]

Maybe check your tyre pressures. Look in the handbook for the correct ones. If they are too low you will use more fuel.

[Smithy]

Faulty fuel gauge?
Possibly, but the little meter thingy correlates to it so I’m not sure :laugh:
Maybe check your tyre pressures. Look in the handbook for the correct ones. If they are too low you will use more fuel.

But that wouldn’t effect how much I *should* be getting from it surely?

Like if I fill the tank up I SHOULD get 420 miles from it, but the tyre pressure just makes it very inefficient?

[Niamh.]

Mine is never exactly the same as the time before either but 60 miles is a pretty big difference

[bots]

if it's linked to previous trip driving history and you have been gunning it, the projected full tank distance will be less, or, maybe you have a family of rodents living in your petrol tank taking up the available space :laugh:

[Crimson Dynamo]

Brexit?

[Dogeatdog]

Has the car been serviced recently? I service my car every year (but it is a 2005 so it’s a lot older) but I know that with some newer cars it’s all computerised and it’s done by mileage instead.

[AnnieK]

if it's linked to previous trip driving history and you have been gunning it, the projected full tank distance will be less, or, maybe you have a family of rodents living in your petrol tank taking up the available space :laugh:

My car is different every time too, it depends on how much motorway driving I've done. I can leave the house and it says I have 120 miles on it and then go on the motorway and by the time I've got where I'm going it tells me I have 150 miles to empty. If you always drove similar journeys in the past and have changed routine recently, I would think that could have an effect.

Although I was told by an AA guy once (when I ran out of petrol even though it told me I had miles left on it) that over time they lose their accuracy and you should never rely on it (I hung my head in shame and am sure I heard him mutter bloody women or something as he left :laugh:)

[Smithy]

Has the car been serviced recently? I service my car every year (but it is a 2005 so it’s a lot older) but I know that with some newer cars it’s all computerised and it’s done by mileage instead.
It’s actually due a service soon as it’s coming up to a year, but it’s a 2014 model so idk if it would be classed as “newer” or not
My car is different every time too, it depends on how much motorway driving I've done. I can leave the house and it says I have 120 miles on it and then go on the motorway and by the time I've got where I'm going it tells me I have 150 miles to empty. If you always drove similar journeys in the past and have changed routine recently, I would think that could have an effect.

Although I was told by an AA guy once (when I ran out of petrol even though it told me I had miles left on it) that over time they lose their accuracy and you should never rely on it (I hung my head in shame and am sure I heard him mutter bloody women or something as he left :laugh:)

Oh :think:

What I basically want to know is, is my car doing less mileage even though I’m putting the same amount of petrol in, I don’t mind if the meter isn’t accurate anymore I just want to know if my car is being less efficient :fist:

I’ll book it in for a service for the next couple of weeks then

[thesheriff443]

Fuel prices have gone up plus you moved cheaper prices were you were living or urban driving giving poorer fuel consumption

[Crimson Dynamo]

Your car uses the last 50-100ish miles average to determine the miles left number when you fill to full.

The number will go down if you've mostly been doing city driving compared to motorway milage.

It just sounds like you are doing more city/town miles than you have done previously

[Beso]

I will ask my granny, she will know.

[Dogeatdog]

It’s actually due a service soon as it’s coming up to a year, but it’s a 2014 model so idk if it would be classed as “newer” or not


Oh :think:

What I basically want to know is, is my car doing less mileage even though I’m putting the same amount of petrol in, I don’t mind if the meter isn’t accurate anymore I just want to know if my car is being less efficient :fist:

I’ll book it in for a service for the next couple of weeks then

If a service is due then I would probably start there first since that can be a reason for poor fuel consumption. Once the new service parts are on, you’re likely to see an improvement.

In my opinion a 2014 model is still relatively new although it still does depend on the mileage and the sort of driving that you do. If you drive a lot of miles per year, the lifespan and efficiency of the engine will decrease quicker so poor fuel consumption will happen a lot sooner.

The problem with newer cars (in fact my car kinda has this issue) is that the on board computer tells you when the next service is due and sometimes I think they can be a bit inaccurate. My car is due a service next month but it says on my OBC that a service is due in 8000 miles. There’s no way I’m going to drive the car for another 8000 miles before I service it. I find those things to be quite misleading.

[Toy Soldier]

Your driving habits have changed (more time spent in lower gears) OR you have started driving less efficiently for some reason OR the engine is burning fuel less efficiently.

Of the three, only the last one would be an actual "problem".

[Toy Soldier]

The problem with newer cars (in fact my car kinda has this issue) is that the on board computer tells you when the next service is due and sometimes I think they can be a bit inaccurate. My car is due a service next month but it says on my OBC that a service is due in 8000 miles. There’s no way I’m going to drive the car for another 8000 miles before I service it. I find those things to be quite misleading.

The OBC on a newer car will be much more accurate than going by a regularly scheduled time interval, you only need to service when it says so. You should change oil every 12 months regardless though (so if you go more than 12 months since the last oil change, get it done regardless of what the OBC says, even if the car has mainly been sat doing nothing).


.......I say all this when we haven't had our car serviced for nearly 2.5 years despite the dash shouting at us to do it every time it fires up, and that was also the last oil change :joker:. We've really neglected this car tbh. Poor bugger still runs fine though, miraculously. Actually getting a new car at the end of this week :hee: and endeavour to do better.

[Niamh.]

What are you getting TS?

[bots]

Actually getting a new car at the end of this week :hee: and endeavour to do better.

i got one today :laugh: