Magic Gas

[otterhere]

Well, THIS is a new thing (along with the disappearing change)...

After defrosting/warming my car this morning, I got in to see the last bar blinking; yes, I'd been on the second to the last, but defrosting always seems to put me over the top... Or the bottom, as the case may be...

So I'm driving to work thinking I need to fill up later (by now the "cool" light had gone off), when suddenly the bar STOPS blinking, and the second-to-the-last bar reappears... Suddenly I have *more* gas??? Where did it come from???

Always the suprise, with the Yaris!!!

BTW, still getting 32 mpg, despite having inflated my tires to 38 psi (sigh).

:smile:

[IllusionX]

it could happen. The way your car is angled.

[BLAZINBLUEVITZ]

BTW, still getting 32 mpg, despite having inflated my tires to 38 psi (sigh).

:smile:
what is your usual tire pressure?

[otterhere]

what is your usual tire pressure?

When I got the car, all tires were inflated at 26 psi... It took me a while to notice and correct that... But that hasn't helped my mpg, obviously...:frown:

[marcus]

id go with angled car during parking.. final answer...

[otterhere]

id go with angled car suring parking.. final answer...

Except that both when parked (defrosting) and driving (noticing the extra bar), I was on a flat surface; no "angles"... And the extra bar wasn't just momentary, but stayed, even when (later) I DID change angles, going up an incline... Try again...

[33OH]

Well, we all know the gas gauge isn't too accurate. Could have been splashing around when you drove and hit an the higher sensor mark. :iono:

No idea why you're only getting 32 MPG's though, that's just beyond me. I don't even get close to that driving in the cold, through the Appalachian mountains every day, doing between 70-80mph.

Unless you're talking a high percentage of city driving..?

[otterhere]

Well, we all know the gas gauge isn't too accurate. Could have been splashing around when you drove and hit an the higher sensor mark. :iono:

No idea why you're only getting 32 MPG's though, that's just beyond me. I don't even get close to that driving in the cold, through the Appalachian mountains every day, doing between 70-80mph.

Unless you're talking a high percentage of city driving..?

It's about half and half city/hwy, but even my ALL highway tank was only 36 mpg... I don't get it, either, and I am not happy about it...

:frown:

My Swift got 40 mpg, as old, cheap, and decrepit as it was... maybe things will improve after the first oil change... Is that covered under warranty at the dealership, BTW (haven't read booklet yet), or should I just bring it to my old change place???

[33OH]

They don't usually cover your oil changes, unless you got some kind of dealer incentive. I used to go to the dealer, but it's like $45 for just an oil change, so I take it to my old shop now and get charged $25 for full service.

A lot of people are claiming MPG boosts with synthetic, but personally I wouldn't spend that much per oil change. But then again I drive ALOT, would just get too expensive for me.

I'm getting around 35-38 MPG in the winter right now (I'm on snow tires with 32 PSI inflation, as well). In the summer I run 42 PSI on my lighter weight rims and I get mid 40's and have hit 50 once, but I was REALLY trying to hit 50. And this is all highway, my drive to work is about .5 miles in the city and 90 miles on the highway.

[tetzyamis]

I drive 50% city and 50% highway.
I was getting 35-37 mpg when the car was brand new.
After a few thousand miles on it, it consistently gets 37 mpg.
I used to get 32 mpg with Corolla, driving 1/2 city and 1/2 highway.
How fast do you accelerate and how much idling do you do?

[Tamago]

your exhaust routes past your gas tank..

warming the gas will cause it to expand

[otterhere]

your exhaust routes past your gas tank..

warming the gas will cause it to expand

Huh???

[33OH]

Huh???

He's saying it's possible that since the gas got a little warm (since the car got warm) it heated and expanded a little, making your gas gauge go up one notch.

[otterhere]

I drive 50% city and 50% highway.
I was getting 35-37 mpg when the car was brand new.
After a few thousand miles on it, it consistently gets 37 mpg.
I used to get 32 mpg with Corolla, driving 1/2 city and 1/2 highway.
How fast do you accelerate and how much idling do you do?

I'm very careful not to idle (turn it off if I'll be sitting) and always creep up to stoplights and ease into resuming speed; also never exceed limit now... All my efforts aren't helping, and I did NONE of this with my former car (40 mpg).

Bad fuel filter? What else can I try???

[33OH]

How are you calculating your MPG?

[otterhere]

How are you calculating your MPG?

I fill it up when the bottom light starts blinking; that's almost always right at 10 gallons; divide mileage by ten.

[Tamago]

He's saying it's possible that since the gas got a little warm (since the car got warm) it heated and expanded a little, making your gas gauge go up one notch.

THERE is your answer ;)

[Tamago]

I fill it up when the bottom light starts blinking; that's almost always right at 10 gallons; divide mileage by ten.

then your mileage calculations will almost always be accurate :biggrin:

[33OH]

I fill it up when the bottom light starts blinking; that's almost always right at 10 gallons; divide mileage by ten.

You need to divide by exactly how many gallons you put in. :wink:

[tetzyamis]

I'm very careful not to idle (turn it off if I'll be sitting) and always creep up to stoplights and ease into resuming speed; also never exceed limit now... All my efforts aren't helping, and I did NONE of this with my former car (40 mpg).

Bad fuel filter? What else can I try???

I don't know...
To me, you should be getting around 37 mpg.
More so, if you used to get 40 mpg from Swift, it makes sense you get around 37 mpg from Yaris.

[otterhere]

I don't know...
To me, you should be getting around 37 mpg.
More so, if you used to get 40 mpg from Swift, it makes sense you get around 37 mpg from Yaris.

Okay; although my gas gauge never DID go back to blinking (even after ten more miles???), I went ahead and filled, calculating EXACTLY this time...

35.6 mpg... That's some highway, but mostly city... So it's getting better...

Probably thanks to inflating the tires from 26 to 38; thanks!

:tongue:

[33OH]

And I'm not sure when you bought the car, but the MPG's do go up when it's warmer out.

But glad to see a reasonable MPG number! :clap:

[otterhere]

And I'm not sure when you bought the car, but the MPG's do go up when it's warmer out.

But glad to see a reasonable MPG number! :clap:

Bought in the winter; glad to hear that!!!

[otterhere]

THERE is your answer ;)


Except that the engine was cold again THIS morning when I started it, and still I was back at two bars with no blinking, so it wasn't the "cold" engine.

'Tis a mystery!!!

:confused:

[Tamago]

Except that the engine was cold again THIS morning when I started it, and still I was back at two bars with no blinking, so it wasn't the "cold" engine.

'Tis a mystery!!!

:confused:

trying to turn an analog signal into a "digital" readout is the problem here.

[otterhere]

trying to turn an analog signal into a "digital" readout is the problem here.

Huh???

[SeaYa]

Huh???

Tamago is just saying the physical level of the tank (analog input) is measured and then displayed as an electronic (digital LCD) output. It's just like watches, if someone asks you the time on an analog watch with no second hand, you take your best guess...say 4:32, but it will only be so accurate. What you see on your fuel gauge is like someone taking that 4:32 and saying it is 4:32.00 exactly. It could really be 4:32.30 or 4:31.45, just like your fuel gauge could be 2 solid bars or 1 blinking.

[Tamago]

Tamago is just saying the physical level of the tank (analog input) is measured and then displayed as an electronic (digital LCD) output. It's just like watches, if someone asks you the time on an analog watch with no second hand, you take your best guess...say 4:32, but it will only be so accurate. What you see on your fuel gauge is like someone taking that 4:32 and saying it is 4:32.00 exactly. It could really be 4:32.30 or 4:31.45, just like your fuel gauge could be 2 solid bars or 1 blinking.

thanks buddy :) i get lazy with my words sometimes

[otterhere]

So (original question), do others experience this???

:smile:

[33OH]

Yes.