[269]

I filled up a day ago, and initially the range went to 596 miles, then 609, then down to 546. Having done some 60 miles since then the range is now showing about 420. On a separate occasion I did an 80 mile round trip, and when I got home my range had increased by 40 miles. Some fuel monitor! Does anyone else notice that the range is very erratic and recently so misleading I nearly ran out of fuel.

 

[MBM]

Im not sure how the computer calculate this. Maybe your current drivning has a big influenze. I think it is total useless and wrong info.After having your car for a while you will learn how long your range is.
I would never trust this range-info and refuel on this.

 

[exmgzr]

Your driving range is continually calculated on your driving style. If you are doing a lot of short trips you range will go down as your MPG goes down, and if you do a long trip it will probably go up. It will constantly change.

 

[208_MJA]

I've had my range at 900 miles in my 1.4hdi but actually only got 670miles before I bit the bullet and found the nearest shell to refill

 

[269]

Thanks for replies which confirm the calculations are rubbish. I did realise that different driving conditions would produce varying results and allow for this, but when I have just driven just over 50 miles and the range remained at 422 from start to finish it is obvious its not worth its place on the screen

 

[mega128]

I filled up a day ago, and initially the range went to 596 miles, then 609, then down to 546. Having done some 60 miles since then the range is now showing about 420. On a separate occasion I did an 80 mile round trip, and when I got home my range had increased by 40 miles. Some fuel monitor! Does anyone else notice that the range is very erratic and recently so misleading I nearly ran out of fuel.

The distance to go calculation needs to know two things - how much fuel is in the tank and your average fuel consumption.

The information for fuel level is the same as the traditional fuel gauge - a float moving a potentiometer. It is inherently crude. Also, the float hits the top of the tank before the tank is full, so some miles need to be covered after a fill before the float can start falling.

The fuel consumption is reasonably accurate because fuel delivery is controlled by the ECU which sources the information for the dashboard. But for DTG purposes it depends on when a reset last took place. The average fuel consumption will fluctuate a lot after a reset but smooth out as distance builds. I don't know about the 208 but if you have not reset manually, some systems auto-reset when they see a large increase in tank level.

Thus, both engineering and maths contribute to the limitations so best don't expect a reasonable indication until about half the tank has gone. It is then likely to be calibrated on the pessimistic side (ie, to get you fill up sooner rather than later) as the tank nears empty. (Did you really "nearly run out" or did the last 80 miles or so just drop very rapidly?)

 

[269]

According to the screen messages my fuel level was too low. First time I had seen the message. I had left home knowing that I needed to refuel once I reached my destination, but overall my own and car estimate was a range of 80 - 100 and my journey was less than than half. So to get that msg was disconcerting. My previous Clio pinged a warning message at a range of 75, and was accurate. Very disappointed in all the touch screen technology on the 208 so far.

 

[mega128]

According to the screen messages my fuel level was too low. First time I had seen the message. I had left home knowing that I needed to refuel once I reached my destination, but overall my own and car estimate was a range of 80 - 100 and my journey was less than than half. So to get that msg was disconcerting. My previous Clio pinged a warning message at a range of 75, and was accurate. Very disappointed in all the touch screen technology on the 208 so far.

I don't quite understand the problem. It was indicating 80 miles or so and issued a warning. Doesn't that mean it is working?

My present car (not a 208, but I monitor the forum because I am interested to shortlist one) gives an orange light on the fuel gauge at roughly 80 miles. When it estimates 30 miles to go the display just changes to dashed lines. I have no idea how much fuel is actually left in the tank at that point, other than that the engine is still running and that the countdown has to be calibrated to display 30 before the float bumps on the bottom of the tank.