Fuel economy reading

[astrorex]

Maybe I am a little numb-headed, but I did not exactly figure out what the bar graph was saying in the fuel ecomony read out on left pane. After setting it from 30 min to 5 mins, I think I finally figured it out.

The bar graph is actually a histogram of fuel ecomony over the time period specified. So, if you set it to 5 mins, it shows avg fuel ecomony plotted for each of the last 5 mins.

I still don't know what the instant fuel economy average is. The graph/tracker, I understand but what is the average spelled on top mean? Is it for a particular trip or avg since you last reset it?

-AstorRex.

 

[JDraper]

Instant fuel economy is how you are doing on fuel economy at this moment. Mash the skinny pedal and watch it zip to 0, coast down a hill and watch it go to 40+. The average it the average fuel economy since the last re-set.

 

[Bill #5 Explorer]

Maybe I am a little numb-headed, but I did not exactly figure out what the bar graph was saying in the fuel ecomony read out on left pane. After setting it from 30 min to 5 mins, I think I finally figured it out.

The bar graph is actually a histogram of fuel ecomony over the time period specified. So, if you set it to 5 mins, it shows avg fuel ecomony plotted for each of the last 5 mins.

I still don't know what the instant fuel economy average is. The graph/tracker, I understand but what is the average spelled on top mean? Is it for a particular trip or avg since you last reset it?

-AstorRex.

Astor, you are not 100% correct. For example, if you set the bar graph for the 5 mins, then each bar represents your fuel economy in 5 x 1 minute segments. If you select 10 mins, then each bar equals a 2 min time span. And lastly, if you select 30 mins, each bar equals a 6 minute snap-shot.

Yes, the average is since the last time you reset it by holding the "OK" button, and waiting for it to clear and zero-out.

 

[astrorex]

Yeah, you are right Bill, it is the total time ... my bad.

So you have three places to see average fuel economy, right? Two trip readings and the avg in instant fuel economy reading? The good news is I don't think I've ever reset the avg measuement and it says 18.6 mpg, that's including hills, mostly city driving and me playing with the terrain management system a lot

 

[virtual]

Astor, you are not 100% correct. For example, if you set the bar graph for the 5 mins, then each bar represents your fuel economy in 5 x 1 minute segments. If you select 10 mins, then each bar equals a 2 min time span. And lastly, if you select 30 mins, each bar equals a 6 minute snap-shot.

Yes, the average is since the last time you reset it by holding the "OK" button, and waiting for it to clear and zero-out.

Resurrecting an old thread.

I was trying to figure out the bar graph display of the average fuel economy, since I couldn't find any actual details of what the time interval was for each bar in the graph in the user manual. My the time interval of my vehicle is set to 30 min, so the post above seems to indicate that each bar in the display represents 6 minutes.

However, the post above also talks about setting the bar graph to be for 5, or 10 min, but I haven't found any way to change the time interval? I looked at various "menus" in the car, looked in the manual, tried searching online, but if there is some way to change the average fuel economy time interval I have not found it yet... Any instructions?

 

[Bill #5 Explorer]

Resurrecting an old thread.

I was trying to figure out the bar graph display of the average fuel economy, since I couldn't find any actual details of what the time interval was for each bar in the graph in the user manual. My the time interval of my vehicle is set to 30 min, so the post above seems to indicate that each bar in the display represents 6 minutes.

However, the post above also talks about setting the bar graph to be for 5, or 10 min, but I haven't found any way to change the time interval? I looked at various "menus" in the car, looked in the manual, tried searching online, but if there is some way to change the average fuel economy time interval I have not found it yet... Any instructions?

It's easy. Using the left side LCD screen and left side steering wheel controls, when viewing that fuel economy screen use your arrow pointing to the right, and press a few times until you get the screen to select one of the 3 different time intervals. Select the one you want, and say OK.

 

[virtual]

It's easy. Using the left side LCD screen and left side steering wheel controls, when viewing that fuel economy screen use your arrow pointing to the right, and press a few times until you get the screen to select one of the 3 different time intervals. Select the one you want, and say OK.

That does sound easy. However, I just checked and that option is NOT available on my car! Pressing the right arrow gets me nothing else once the fuel economy bar chart display is visible.

Mine is an '14 XLT. Maybe it's a feature that is not available on the XLT. Can anyone else with an XLT confirm?

 

[virtual]

As an FYI. Here's what Crystal, a Ford Service rep on here, was able to tell me. Apparently Bill can do this because he's got a 2011.

Changing the time increment of the fuel economy is an option that appears to be available in the 2011 (the model year the other commenter mentioned) but not in the 2014. I checked out both manuals and only saw options to change the time increment in the 2011; it's possible that previous model years had this option as well.

So don't feel all alone if you don't have the capability to choose different time intervals. I thought it would be a nice thing to be able to do, but it's certainly not anything important, and I guess Ford thought so too.

Thanks for your help Crystal!

 

[FordService]

...Thanks for your help Crystal!

No problem, virtual! I'm happy to help.

Crystal

 

[VinceL]

Also take these mileage estimates with a grain of salt. When our car was new, the computer was usually 0.3mpg too generous with the mileage, overstating what the car was actually getting. A year and a half later, it now overstates the mileage by a full mpg. I am not sure what changed, but I have pretty much started to ignore it. As an aside, the hand computed mileage of the car has not changed markedly.