[lordmuggins]

Just filled up and it's estimating 250 miles to the tank - it used to be around 400. It recalculated but only to 275, which is still substantially less than I used to get. I just hit 36,000 miles on a 2016 HRV, any ideas? Not a lot of idling etc where I live - quiet smooth roads.

 

[WDHewson]

Sometimes, for reasons unknown to me, I get a really low energy tank of lousy gasoline, and mileage plummets. Most often it's at a 'hell station.

 

[lordmuggins]

The 250 came up while I was at the gas station (Costco), so I don't think the car even had a chance to detect that the gas might be crappy. I did reset the trip odometer to see how much I really get, but this was quite surprising to me.

 

[SylenThunder]

I was at the gas station (Costco)

Not sure if this is still the case, but Costco typically just buys whatever they can get cheapest. So the quality of gas you get there can vary greatly from fill-up to fill-up.

 

[Ein]

The 250 came up while I was at the gas station (Costco), so I don't think the car even had a chance to detect that the gas might be crappy. I did reset the trip odometer to see how much I really get, but this was quite surprising to me.

I'm not aware of any consumer vehicle that can detect bad gas. It can't even detect if you put diesel fuel in it until the engine start having trouble running. whatever issue you are having it is not the gas. MTE is based on the fuel level sensor and your last known MPG average.

 

[Ein]

Not sure if this is still the case, but Costco typically just buys whatever they can get cheapest. So the quality of gas you get there can vary greatly from fill-up to fill-up.

Top Tier gas is not the cheapest you can find from a supplier.

 

[WDHewson]

Our HRVs can easily detect bad gas.

From the knock sensor continually adjusting for octane, through the instantaneous fuel economy readout sensing energy content, and to misfire detection due to water etc. And that misfire and knock sensor will go into action if misfuelled with Diesel.

Pretty well any car from year 2000 has these capabilities and more.

 

[John35g]

Our HRVs can easily detect bad gas.

From the knock sensor continually adjusting for octane, through the instantaneous fuel economy readout sensing energy content, and to misfire detection due to water etc. And that misfire and knock sensor will go into action if misfuelled with Diesel.

Pretty well any car from year 2000 has these capabilities and more.

its not like they can detect it while in the tank- and then calculate a drop in MPG.

 

[Dammit]

More likely what you are experiencing is that the computer is calculating the projected mileage based on your last drive. After a short amount of time it will adjust based on the current driving habits and trip. That last trip may have been you sitting in the Costco 20 minute line, idling, and not going very far.

 

[Pgh Biker]

What you are seeing is only an estimate of "expected" miles based on your most recent MPG. Chances are you been taking a lot of short trips lately. You can't calculate actual MPG until after you've used the gas in the tank.

 

[Pgh Biker]

Not sure if this is still the case, but Costco typically just buys whatever they can get cheapest. So the quality of gas you get there can vary greatly from fill-up to fill-up.

All gas is comes from the same base product. The difference is the additives that are added when it goes into the truck for delivery. A friend who drives a tanker verified this. Costco is actually a Top Tier Gas.
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