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Distance To Empty has really dropped and I wonder why!

10K views 17 replies 9 participants last post by  Mariner 
#1 ·
I've owned my vehicle for nearly 16 months and up until about two months ago, I was able to see the DTE as 308 miles once I filled the tank. I have noticed the last few weeks that it is saying 281. I have not really changed my driving habits. I still have the same commute to work. I do have a slight lead-foot so I have been utilizing cruise control and keeping my speed within 5 miles of the posted limit. Can someone help me understand what else I need to do?

Maybe I am just not understanding it correctly. If I reset all my mileage trackers each time I fill the tank...why won't the DTE got back to where it used to be a month ago...308? And I must say that I agree with others that this tank is very small. I have to gas up an average of three times a week. But my commute to work is 72 miles round trip. I also hate that there is not warning for the wiper fluid. You have to check it manually. Seriously?
 
#2 ·
NO washer fluid light ?

I thought that was only overseas. I have one (page 4-26 on North American owners manual)


Gas Mileage ?

First deep freeze in 16 months ? Not sure how bad weather has been where you are, but warming up and slipping and sliding reduces my gas mileage every winter.
 
#4 ·
Interesting observation. Okay, for those of you who state they have low wiper fluid warning light: Has anyone actually seen it lit? That's the $64,000 question. My owners manual does describe the low wiper fluid light on page 4-26 however there is that pesky asterisk preceding which indicates "some models". Now is that "some models" such as GT versus Sport everywhere, OR maybe some GT models in some markets (countries), OR perhaps just some markets (any trim). From my Acura days, isn't that washer fluid warning light required in Canada? Anyway, my question again is: has anyone ever had it actually light up? Reason is that in my 2017 GT, there is the outline of that indicator light (low washer fluid); it is directly under the gas cap warning light. It has never lit on mine and a few weeks back I let the washer fluid get pretty low to try to see if it would light-up. Nope. So I just filled it as I was going on a 300 mile trip up north and I needed to make sure the washers would work if required. BTW, my washer reservoir jug has a crazy dipstick of sorts attached to the cover to indicate current level, so maybe that's a clue as to the warning light.
 
#8 ·
I emptied the washer fluid tank in mine a while back and no light came on. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

We've been having some awful cold temperatures in Illinois... any chance your DTE drop happened around the same time as our extended cold snap? It could just be the extended warm-up time coupled with the loss of pressure from the tires. The rule of thumb is that you lose ~1 psi for every 10F drop in temps. So, if you set your pressures at 70F and it's been 10F, you've lost 6 psi.
 
#9 ·
Disregarding the washer fluid thread jack, most of the comments above directly relate to changing the mpg. I suspect the drop the OP noticed is due to the effects of cold weather on engine efficiency, longer commutes in slower traffic, and increased idling. When I lived in Alaska my winter mpg was 3 to 4 lower than in the summer.
 
#11 ·
I'd give up a half gallon on that reservoir for wiper nozzles that work. :mad:
 
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#15 ·
BUT (you knew there'd be a "but" here), does this light exist for certain markets only? I see you reside in Canada. Isn't this warning light required in Canada? I had a Honda Pilot ten years ago, and I recall only the Canada models had a low washer fluid light, not the USA models. My Acura MDX displayed a message, but no light.

BTW, how did you get all the lights to actually light up? Nice work.
 
#18 ·
If I reset all my mileage trackers each time I fill the tank...why won't the DTE got back to where it used to be a month ago...308?
DTE is based on CURRENT fuel economy, and it recalculates once per second as you drive. So when you fill up and restart the car, the DTE number shown isn't going to be exactly the same every time because it's calculated based on the mileage you were getting at the time. If your DTE has gone down compared to last month it is because your current average fuel economy is not as good. Unfortunately the reasons for a drop in fuel economy are numerous.

As others have mentioned, it could simply be cold weather depending on where you live. It's perfectly normal for mileage to drop slightly in winter conditions. I usually get around 7.8 L/100 kms in normal city driving, but this winter I'm averaging about 8.2. That's about a 5% drop in fuel economy.

Check tire pressures as well. I know it's unlikely a tire would go down without tripping the tire pressure warning light, but it's possible all 4 weren't set correctly in the first place. It's surprising how big an effect just a few pounds can have on mileage.

For the next while it might be a good idea to check the MPG display and write it down whenever you fill up, then reset the display. If you have cold winters where you live then wait to see what happens when it warms up. If your mileage continues to drop then there's always the possibility you have a mechanical problem.

Good luck...
 
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