MPG Computer???? - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

ben111 · 06-07-2010, 09:48 PM

Hi everyone, We just bought a '07 Camry XLE. Very happy with it!!! One question....My understanding is that the car has an 18 gallon tank, my question is why can I only get 14 - 15 gallons and that fills it? The DTE (distance to empty) says around 5-10 miles left and the low fuel light came on. By my calculations I should have about 3 - 4 gallons left in the tank that the computer is not seeing???

Ben111

njerald · 06-07-2010, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ben111

Hi everyone, We just bought a '07 Camry XLE. Very happy with it!!! One question....My understanding is that the car has an 18 gallon tank, my question is why can I only get 14 - 15 gallons and that fills it? The DTE (distance to empty) says around 5-10 miles left and the low fuel light came on. By my calculations I should have about 3 - 4 gallons left in the tank that the computer is not seeing???

Ben111

You can fill it up with more gallons if you drive it farther........

Search.............This has been covered a few times all ready and is a redundant thread...

***TrailDust*** · 06-07-2010, 10:48 PM

to the nation, Ben.

Njerald is correct that this subject has been covered many times. Here is a link to a past thread, and there are others you will find by using the forum's search feature. Give it a whirl!

kps88 · 06-08-2010, 07:39 AM

I understand what Njerald is saying, but the question posed was not answered in the link. I also have this "issue". The low fule light came on and I had driven it for quite a while (should not have, I know). But when I filled it up, it only needed 15 gallons or so. the computer noted it only had something like 15 miles left, yet my avg MPG was near 30..so I was a bot confused. I did a search, but found nothing. I also did the trip test with MPG and my computer noted 29.4 and my math using the fill up gallon/mileage gave me a 29.5 reading..darn close. But the gallons left and miles left were way off. I should have had 90 plus miles left (since I filled up with 15 gallons), but it showed much less. Not sure what this is called and did not find it in a search.

TAZCOOLS · 06-08-2010, 10:24 AM

Its a buffer ie. CYA for toyota. Think how pissed people would be if it was exact and you were left stranded. also 3 gallon of gas in that big tank barely covers pick up and like you noted its not good to run pump dry.

njerald · 06-08-2010, 10:45 AM

Really amazing..........this has all been covered before but it looks like it's a comprehension thing.

1. Your low fuel light will come on with about 30 miles range left and the tank witll indicate 1/16-1/8 tank.

2. When the indicated range is zero miles the tank will indicate empty or slightly below empty..

3. A fill up at that point will yield about 15-15.5 gallons pumped into the tank. Want to use more fuel and pump more, keep driving and see how many miles and how much below E you can go.

4. The mileage indicated by the computer will average out to be 1.3-1.6 mpg higher than actual used.

If you don't like it, sell the Camry because yet again, that is the way it is. Don't understand it yet............keep searching.

tengiday · 06-08-2010, 10:49 AM

When the low fuel light comes on in my car, I am still able to drive about 40+ miles more (city/highway). I rarely drive until the light comes on since it's not good for the fuel pump. I believe the DTE as the OP stated is not 5-10 miles. You can check this link; the car has about 3 gal left (out of 18.5 gal, or 70 L) when the light is on.
2006 Camry: Fuel warning light

kps88 · 06-08-2010, 11:10 AM

Njerald, thanks for the info on # 1-3.

#4..Hmmm. I did a test and based on my last fill up I got 29.4 on the computer and 29.5 from my calcualtion. Pretty darn close.

This computer system is just different than I am used to. I have owned a few other cars that run MPG including my BMW X3. They all work the same. Fuel light goes on and if I fill it, I normally have 2-3 gallons left. But in this case (09 Cmary XLE i4) I drove it quite a bit (which I rarely do) and when I filled, I still had 3 gallons left even though the "system" noted I was down to 15 miles. Not a big deal, just wondering if anyone knew why there was a difference and now I know. I did a search, but could not find what I and the OP was looking for.

I just presume my Camry to have a 15 gallon tank, that way I never run out.

kps88 · 06-08-2010, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tengiday

When the low fuel light comes on in my car, I am still able to drive about 40+ miles more (city/highway). I rarely drive until the light comes on since it's not good for the fuel pump. I believe the DTE as the OP stated is not 5-10 miles. You can check this link; the car has about 3 gal left (out of 18.5 gal, or 70 L) when the light is on.
2006 Camry: Fuel warning light

If you read Njerlad's post, he explains that the Camry works a bit different with this computer. Even when the light came on, I easily drove 50 miles (thinking I had 3 gallons left and 90 miles to go), but when I filled up, it only needed 15 gallons. So basically the system is set up to wrn of low fuel well before the 3 gallon mark, hence why I will think this car has a 15 gallon tank more so than an 18 gallon tank. The thread you linked is not what the OP meant.

yes, I try not to drive with low fuel. I was just lazy and wanted to see how far I could go, but I got nervous and filled her up. I was surprised she only needed 15 gallons. I got 443 miles on this tank and figured I better fill it up.

tengiday · 06-08-2010, 11:33 AM

I just wonder why some only get 15 gal when filling up. When the light comes on, if I'm driving 40+ (or even double that), I can fill my tank with up to 17 or more (and no, I don't top off the tank)!!!
@kps88: The OP assumed "The DTE (distance to empty) says around 5-10 miles left and the low fuel light came on" -> wrong assumption. I just wanted to point out that it's about 3 gal left which is a lot more than 5-10 miles left (as Njerlad said, keep driving)

tzeshan · 06-08-2010, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ben111

Hi everyone, We just bought a '07 Camry XLE. Very happy with it!!! One question....My understanding is that the car has an 18 gallon tank, my question is why can I only get 14 - 15 gallons and that fills it? The DTE (distance to empty) says around 5-10 miles left and the low fuel light came on. By my calculations I should have about 3 - 4 gallons left in the tank that the computer is not seeing???

Ben111

It has an 18.5 gallon tank!

kps88 · 06-08-2010, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tengiday

I just wonder why some only get 15 gal when filling up. When the light comes on, if I'm driving 40+ (or even double that), I can fill my tank with up to 17 or more (and no, I don't top off the tank)!!!
@kps88: The OP assumed "The DTE (distance to empty) says around 5-10 miles left and the low fuel light came on" -> wrong assumption. I just wanted to point out that it's about 3 gal left which is a lot more than 5-10 miles left (as Njerlad said, keep driving)

yes, agreed.

kps88 · 06-08-2010, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tzeshan

It has an 18.5 gallon tank!

That is not what he meant. his computerized miles remianing is just not jiving with what is actually left in the tank. please re-read my posts ansd Njeralds and that should clear things up. He knows its an 18.5 gallon tank.

tzeshan · 06-08-2010, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kps88

That is not what he meant. his computerized miles remianing is just not jiving with what is actually left in the tank. please re-read my posts ansd Njeralds and that should clear things up. He knows its an 18.5 gallon tank.

What he saw on the trip computer is not DTE. It is called cruising range.

kps88 · 06-08-2010, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tzeshan

What he saw on the trip computer is not DTE. It is called cruising range.

I will have to look what mine says, but is there a difference between the two? I am just saying I had the exact same question he did and Njerald answered it.