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Fuel range

ViperG

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2016 Viper Green S3
#1
Is it just me or does the car not even come close to the 365mile range that it displays? I find myself filling up the car in the low 200mile range. I don't think I drive that spirited I'm averaging about 25mpg in a mix of city and highway.
I have an 80 mile commute so I can't seem to push it a 3rd day to work without filling up. Maybe it's just the weird fuel gauge that seems to jump that causes anxiety?
 

92683

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socal.
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#2
quick answer, no. ;)


i joke. here is the longer answer.
the range is just an estimate of what it could or should, by the mnfg.
not sure how they calculate this.

also, the longer and deeper you press on the accelerator you will lessen the mpg and the ecu recalcs. the more you drive in the city, it will lessen the mpg.

try doing this test, fill up your tires to near max psi. ill say be at 2-3 psi under max. so if max says 50psi fill it up to 47-48psi for this test. get a wheel alignment, these will help with rolling resistance.
then fill up your car with fuel.
right after you fill up, have your fuel range estimator stay on your display. remember all the numbers as you keep driving. see what it shows.
then as you drive the next few miles, just feather the accelerator.
drive like your pushing the car, slow at start up and coast as much as you can.
drive on the fwy right after you fuel up, for as long as you can to a destination. about 5 - 10 fwy miles should be enough.
then look at the fuel estimator. see what it shows.
then before you head back get to somewhere you can reset the car by turning it off and getting out and locking it.
when you head back floor it and drive like you stole it. with the same distance, and record the mpg on the estimator.


for my daily driving, my average is about 300 actual miles. the most i have done is 320ish actual miles and that is with some spirited driving around town. i guess i could get 360ish miles if i do a lot of highway miles.

one of the major issues here is that i found out the gas meter is not calibrated right. its set to have it as a safety factor and leaves the driver with a little more gas when the indicator says 0 fuel left. to me i would rather know precisely how much i have as i always push it till it dies and thats worse. i have posted a how to somewhere but once you adjust it you will notice a more accurate measurement. i made mine to be precise. so once my indicator hits 0 miles, i will actually be really out. when the stock indicator is says out normally, you still have maybe another 30+ miles. since i hate guessing i created my own calibration. with my accurate mpg remaining i ALWAYS find a fuel station when i says 10 miles left but as the norm ill get it when its about 25-30 miles left.

i originally came up with this technique with my old honda civic 4wd. i was turbo'ng the car and had to install a walbro fuel pump and things lead to another and wham i decided to calibrate my fuel gauge. i have done this to all of my cars since and i love it. its super accurate but to calibrate it, its a whole other thing. audi cars do make it a little better because i can also vcds it to dial it in to the smaller increments. with vcds it will also allow me to calibrate the adjustability of estimation on how much fuel is spent. so in other words how much fuel it thinks i am using at any moment so the estimator will calibrate it more quickly therefore more precise. on some models it will be slow and it only recalcs at a slower rate i believe. so youll notice you may have more range at one moment and then youll have way less range a little later. this maybe what your experiencing as well.

so in actual, it is possible to hit that number but if you calibrate it the number will be lower. as in my car i have not seen that number my after fill up. mine is 340 or 335 i believe. ill check that again when i refill.
 
Last edited:
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ViperG

ViperG

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2016 Viper Green S3
Thread Starter #3
maybe I'll have to try pushing it a little further down. There's really no convenient place to fuel up near work so I try to estimate for the round trip of 80 miles before I get on the highway.
at ¼ tank it shows I have just enough but I'd hate to get stuck in a traffic jam on the return trip which pushes me over. Having 3 days before a fill up would be great.
 

92683

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socal.
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2015 s3
#4
hint, get a portable small gas tank and take it with you when you test out the actual fuel range.
 
OP
ViperG

ViperG

Moderator
Staff Team
Messages
235
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53
City
Philedelphia
State
PA
Country
United States
What I Drive
2016 Viper Green S3
Thread Starter #5
hint, get a portable small gas tank and take it with you when you test out the actual fuel range.
that's a very good idea. I was looking at the fuel capacities I'm not sure if the site I'm looking at is correct but it looks like newer models have a 15.5gal capacity where my 2016 has 14.5gal.
I think I'm being a little to cautious. If I'm getting 24mpg at 14.5g is 348miles I should be able to safely drive 3 days and 300 miles with 48 miles to spare.
 


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