[Militarynut1]

Has anyone ever had this issue? I fill up the wife's Ascent (doesn't matter what amount is left in the tank). The analog gauge on the dash show,s full. A and B distance is reset to zero. Digital gauge in information center console shows 480 miles till empty. We drive the 6.6 miles home, the analog gauge on the dash hasn't moved, but the digital gauge lost 20 miles. We go out with the car later, analog still hasn't budged, but the digital has lost another 20 miles. Several trips to the dealer. several software updates later, still the same issue. My dealer says that is how it's supposed to be. It's just an "average" and not meant to be gospel. This issue is driving my wife crazy. And when she gets crazy, she makes me crazy. She say's she's sorry I talked her into buying this car (she wanted another Ford Explorer) as she never had this problem with her last Explorer.
Please post your thoughts before I end up in a rubber room with no windows

 

[Jim_in_PA]

The system recalculates the miles-to-empty based on current average fuel economy. The behavior you state is normal and yes, it's an average. It's going to swing with more extremes if you keep resetting the trip computer, too, because you are then technically starting with "0" mpg which triggers the miles-to-empty back to initial default and then it suddenly has to adjust...rinse, repeat, rinse, repeat...

 

[packout]

Has anyone ever had this issue? I fill up the wife's Ascent (doesn't matter what amount is left in the tank). The analog gauge on the dash show,s full. A and B distance is reset to zero. Digital gauge in information center console shows 480 miles till empty. We drive the 6.6 miles home, the analog gauge on the dash hasn't moved, but the digital gauge lost 20 miles. We go out with the car later, analog still hasn't budged, but the digital has lost another 20 miles. Several trips to the dealer. several software updates later, still the same issue. My dealer says that is how it's supposed to be. It's just an "average" and not meant to be gospel. This issue is driving my wife crazy. And when she gets crazy, she makes me crazy. She say's she's sorry I talked her into buying this car (she wanted another Ford Explorer) as she never had this problem with her last Explorer.
Please post your thoughts before I end up in a rubber room with no windows

use the instantaneous mpg for adjusting driving style as desired. Take the overall average on short trips with a grain of salt and five grains for long trips. I maintain a log of mileage based on actual fuel fills. MPG will vary enormously based on driving style. Always use the analog for when to fill up. You should never cut it that close regardless (unless your name is Kramer).

 

[FirstSubie]

Right, like these folks said. I don't think my miles til empty shows as high as 480, at least not any more. I guess it's gotten used to my lead foot, and the first calculation now kind of matches my lead foot lower gas mileage. Then at the first miles, as it senses my actual mpg starting into this tank, it recalcs miles til empty and it's not too shockingly different from the starting number.

F.S.

 

[J_Ascent2020]

I agree with everything that has been said. My recommendation is to press the (unnecessarily) giant info button and make that stat go away. Out of sight out of mind.

 

[Nemesis099]

What is really neat is for me driving into the city I get horrible MPG (~18MPG) but then I get on the highway where I can get around ~28MPG. My miles left will say 190 and while I'm on the highway this number will actually go up due to the better MPG I'm getting and I'll find I can put another 100 miles on a tank.

The Miles left is based on your current driving and changes frequently and is an estimate based on how you have been driving. Just make sure you fill up before you run out and you should be good!

 

[Andy1]

I agree with the above answers. It is trying to be more accurate by recalculating based on your driving, but this results in the changes you see. It would be especially inaccurate at the start of a reset as there are fewer miles driven on which to base an estimate. I only occasionally use it is a rough guide. Short version-it is not a bug, but I am not sure I'd call it a feature either, if I can borrow from the world of software.

 

[Kay]

Has anyone ever had this issue? I fill up the wife's Ascent (doesn't matter what amount is left in the tank). The analog gauge on the dash show,s full. A and B distance is reset to zero. Digital gauge in information center console shows 480 miles till empty. We drive the 6.6 miles home, the analog gauge on the dash hasn't moved, but the digital gauge lost 20 miles. We go out with the car later, analog still hasn't budged, but the digital has lost another 20 miles. Several trips to the dealer. several software updates later, still the same issue. My dealer says that is how it's supposed to be. It's just an "average" and not meant to be gospel. This issue is driving my wife crazy. And when she gets crazy, she makes me crazy. She say's she's sorry I talked her into buying this car (she wanted another Ford Explorer) as she never had this problem with her last Explorer.
Please post your thoughts before I end up in a rubber room with no windows

I have the exact same issue. I drive super conservatively, as I view trying to raise my average MPG a personal challenge. Today I got in the car with 200 miles until empty, took a 10 mile round trip drive to drop my child off at school, took another 10 mile drive to pick him up at the end of the day, and then drove a 14 mile errand after. 34 miles total, with no idling at a drive through or anything and only 1 red light, yet my miles until empty is reading at 130. That's 70 miles down for only traveling 34 miles.

 

[hokiefyd]

I have the exact same issue. I drive super conservatively, as I view trying to raise my average MPG a personal challenge. Today I got in the car with 200 miles until empty, took a 10 mile round trip drive to drop my child off at school, took another 10 mile drive to pick him up at the end of the day, and then drove a 14 mile errand after. 34 miles total, with no idling at a drive through or anything and only 1 red light, yet my miles until empty is reading at 130. That's 70 miles down for only traveling 34 miles.

What was your average MPG for the day yesterday with all your running around?

Sometimes, driving super conservatively uses more fuel than driving more moderately. If you accelerate very slowly and take a long time to get up to speed, you sometimes use more fuel than you would if you accelerated more briskly and got up to cruise speed quicker. As noted above, that DTE calculation is based on "recent" fuel economy average (how far back it looks, I'm not sure).

I have been able to "gain" miles back sometimes...or at least drive "free" miles. If the then-current DTE was based on a particularly thirsty trip and the current trip is pretty frugal, the DTE may not change, even though you've driven miles. In extreme cases, it may actually go up (the DTE).

It's all just in the numbers. If it went down dramatically, then the fuel economy or fuel usage for that trip must not have been as good as anticipated....or, at the very least, it wasn't as good as the previous trip...the data the first DTE was based on.

 

[Trey T]

Has anyone ever had this issue? I fill up the wife's Ascent (doesn't matter what amount is left in the tank). The analog gauge on the dash show,s full. A and B distance is reset to zero. Digital gauge in information center console shows 480 miles till empty. We drive the 6.6 miles home, the analog gauge on the dash hasn't moved, but the digital gauge lost 20 miles. We go out with the car later, analog still hasn't budged, but the digital has lost another 20 miles. Several trips to the dealer. several software updates later, still the same issue. My dealer says that is how it's supposed to be. It's just an "average" and not meant to be gospel. This issue is driving my wife crazy. And when she gets crazy, she makes me crazy. She say's she's sorry I talked her into buying this car (she wanted another Ford Explorer) as she never had this problem with her last Explorer.
Please post your thoughts before I end up in a rubber room with no windows

Could there might be something else going on that's non-vehicle related? I think the pandemic (and/or other personal issues) put a lot of ppl on the edge, including myself and people I talk to.

Btw, 480miles till empty sounds like a very good mileage, and I highly doubt the new Explorer can beat her Ascent.

 

[HeyChris]

Yesterday when filling up my OB. MTE = 260... Ten minutes of driving on the highway at a steady state = 400+

On the tank yesterday prior to filling up. It was stuck at 130 MTE for half of the tank...

Like @Jim_in_PA stated, it will fluctuate based upon your driving habits.

C.

 

[DocRock]

In the Ascent, the Miles-to-Empty is calculated based on a moving average of the last XX miles of driving (not sure what the XX is). So, for example, if you had been driving on city streets in stop-and-go traffic before refueling (low MPG), and then head out on a highway at a steady speed (higher MPG), the Miles-to-Empty reading will increase. The reverse is also true. One thing I did notice is that the Miles-to-Empty would abruptly drop at some point to provide an estimate of the miles remaining before the tank was down to about 2 gallons of fuel.

On my Ford Fusion Energi, the Miles-to-Empty reading would never increase (except at refueling). Subsequently, it would decline at a slower rate (if I was getting higher MPG), or, faster (if I was getting lower MPG).

On my Lexus RX, the Miles-to-Empty reading behaves similar to the Fusion, except it doesn't seem to change much whether I'm getting better MPG or worse MPG.

 

[Callie's Mom]

I agree with J_Ascent 2020 and don't look at the miles to empty unless traveling a specific distance with no gas stations in between. Then use it. Normally I use the gas gauge in the instrument cluster. I had a 2011 Ford Edge that told me how many miles to empty within the instrument cluster. When traveling to Colorado Springs, I passed through Albuquerque. I checked miles to empty and had enough to get to Raton. There was a hellacious crosswind and I watched that miles to empty go down and down while traveling at a constant forward speed. The crosswind killed my mileage and I had to stop at some podunk town to fill up. I pick when I use it. The fact that it ticks off in 10 mile increments I don't like so I use it sparingly.

 

[Jim_in_PA]

I don't depend upon it, but do appreciate it as a data point. It does get a little more important when the number gets low and the little warning light comes on, however.

 

[Robert.Mauro]

In the Ascent, the Miles-to-Empty is calculated based on a moving average of the last XX miles of driving (not sure what the XX is). So, for example, if you had been driving on city streets in stop-and-go traffic before refueling (low MPG), and then head out on a highway at a steady speed (higher MPG), the Miles-to-Empty reading will increase. The reverse is also true. One thing I did notice is that the Miles-to-Empty would abruptly drop at some point to provide an estimate of the miles remaining before the tank was down to about 2 gallons of fuel.

Yep!!! And that's why, when I do a hundred and fifty miles off-road, and then hit the highway to go home, my computer may say I have 70 miles till empty... and then 70 miles later, it will say I have 60 or 70 miles till empty. I confuse the heck out of my computer, on a regular basis! 🤣

 

[Nhwheelman]

Two things: 1 cabin fever is raging everywhere.... 2. the MTEreadiut is an at-the-moment estimate versus the analogue gage. When in doubt, trust the gage....and don’t always go where your gps tells you to go! Technology is great and adds convenience but isn’t infallible.

 

[DocRock]

I suspect virtually every car maker has toyed with the idea of providing "Gallons-of-Fuel Remaining" as a digital companion to the traditional analog fuel gauge. I'm guessing they dismissed the idea out of concern that many drivers might run out of gas before refueling. I personally rely on the analog gauge, though I do appreciate a warning when I'm 50 miles or less to empty. However, I seldom wait that long to refuel.

On long trips, Gas Buddy is a great help in determining where to refuel along the planned route - especially when the route takes us across state lines where gas taxes may be higher or lower. Also, when gas prices a mile or two away from an interchange are much lower than right at the interchange.