2013 Gas warning light comes on with 1/4 tank left?
9/14/12, 05:57 PM
#21
GT Member
Join Date: July 31, 2012
Location: SE Michigan
Posts: 166
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
16 gallons is a bit on the smaller side of most of today's cars. Most that I see are somewhere between 18 and 20 gallons. I believe my Charger is supposed to be 18 gallons, but I fuel up every time the needle hits 1/4 of a tank and it typically takes around 12 gallons to fill it back up. I assume the missing 2 gallons are a safety margin built into the gas gauge.
From what I have read though, the miles till empty calculation is based off of the average MPG calculation. As such, if you drive aggressively or take part in lots of stop and go traffic, the lower average MPG the car calculates will cause your fuel light to come on earlier, since it believes you will use up the remaining 1/4 of a tank quickly. Resetting the average MPG calculation and backing off the throttle (I know, its hard) should cause the little light to come on closer to the 1/8 of a tank mark.
While I do enjoy some of the technology of these newer vehicles some of it is a real pain in the rear. My mom had a Nissan Pathfinder with automated climate controls that I absolutely couldn't stand. You would set an interior temperature, and the car would vary the temp of the AC according to outside conditions. Sounds great, accept it would blow hot air on pretty much any day where the temp was below 75 degrees unless you adjusted the temp all the way to the lowest setting. I much rather the simple manual controls on my Charger.
From what I have read though, the miles till empty calculation is based off of the average MPG calculation. As such, if you drive aggressively or take part in lots of stop and go traffic, the lower average MPG the car calculates will cause your fuel light to come on earlier, since it believes you will use up the remaining 1/4 of a tank quickly. Resetting the average MPG calculation and backing off the throttle (I know, its hard) should cause the little light to come on closer to the 1/8 of a tank mark.
While I do enjoy some of the technology of these newer vehicles some of it is a real pain in the rear. My mom had a Nissan Pathfinder with automated climate controls that I absolutely couldn't stand. You would set an interior temperature, and the car would vary the temp of the AC according to outside conditions. Sounds great, accept it would blow hot air on pretty much any day where the temp was below 75 degrees unless you adjusted the temp all the way to the lowest setting. I much rather the simple manual controls on my Charger.
The automatic climate (dual climate) on the late model Chargers works very very well! Yeah, I've seen some vehicles where it's SO annoying, but the Charger has a pretty good system.
Isn't the reset for display only? I'd think for purposes of estimated remaining miles, the computer will retain and use the true ongoing MPG.
9/14/12, 09:30 PM
#22
Mach 1 Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: March 25, 2012
Location: MD
Posts: 666
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
9/15/12, 10:00 AM
#23
Bullitt Member
Join Date: November 29, 2004
Posts: 352
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
haha..you beat me too it.
I was just about to post this.
This really is annoying. The warning comes on way too early.
On my 2007 it came on at around 25miles to empty...which I was ok with and in my opinion the correct time to come on.
And the tank was also about 16gal. So no difference.
Interestly the time it came on would change. I noticed that If I drove at higher speeds, (on the highway), the warning would come one at around 50miles. But normal road driving around 25-30.
But on my 2013, its seems to come on consistantly at 50miles.
Considering that at EMPTY (0 miles to empty) you still have about 1.5gal left in the tank. That gives you a distance off about 80 miles until you completely run out of fuel.
Even if you drove to (0 miles to empty), which I do all the time.
That gives you an additional 20 SAFE miles to fill up with a decent enough buffer before your completely empty.
There's abosulutely no reason for the fuel warning to come on at 50miles.
Ridiculous!!!
This setting should be at the very least adjustable.
25 miles to empty is where is should be at.
With that said...are there any hacks or tricks that lets us get in the back door?
On my 2007...there were actaully hidden features you could access to display certain diagnostic modes. Even have digital speedomoter.
I know the 2013 is new, but someone somewhere knows something.
I was just about to post this.
This really is annoying. The warning comes on way too early.
On my 2007 it came on at around 25miles to empty...which I was ok with and in my opinion the correct time to come on.
And the tank was also about 16gal. So no difference.
Interestly the time it came on would change. I noticed that If I drove at higher speeds, (on the highway), the warning would come one at around 50miles. But normal road driving around 25-30.
But on my 2013, its seems to come on consistantly at 50miles.
Considering that at EMPTY (0 miles to empty) you still have about 1.5gal left in the tank. That gives you a distance off about 80 miles until you completely run out of fuel.
Even if you drove to (0 miles to empty), which I do all the time.
That gives you an additional 20 SAFE miles to fill up with a decent enough buffer before your completely empty.
There's abosulutely no reason for the fuel warning to come on at 50miles.
Ridiculous!!!
This setting should be at the very least adjustable.
25 miles to empty is where is should be at.
With that said...are there any hacks or tricks that lets us get in the back door?
On my 2007...there were actaully hidden features you could access to display certain diagnostic modes. Even have digital speedomoter.
I know the 2013 is new, but someone somewhere knows something.
9/15/12, 10:23 AM
#24
Legacy TMS Member
9/19/12, 09:05 PM
#28
Member
Join Date: August 26, 2012
Location: South Louisiana
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by JoesCat
Isn't the reset for display only? I'd think for purposes of estimated remaining miles, the computer will retain and use the true ongoing MPG.
The 2011+ Chargers are, but the 2006-2010 cars had 18 gallon tanks.
9/20/12, 05:44 AM
#29
Cobra Member
Join Date: December 4, 2011
Location: Central Florida
Posts: 1,418
Likes: 0
Received 3 Likes
on
3 Posts
In the winter weather, I fill up at 1/2 tank, to prevent condensation in the tank, especially if I know the car is going to sit outside.
Last edited by Bucko; 9/20/12 at 05:46 AM.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post