MPG and range

[PyrPatriot]

Clutches can last a lot longer than people think. I am the original owner of a 2001 manual BMW e46 M3 Convertible and it has 226,000 miles with the original clutch -- and when it was newer, I used to really get on it, so, the clutch was not always babied. I do practice rev. matching when downshifting.. The clutch is harder to push now, but, it still works perfect. I keep thinking I should change it, but, what the heck, it still works perfect... lol.

PS. I hope I can get the Gladiator Clutch to last that long. I am crossing my fingers.

The clutch and its components isn’t covered in the extended warranties/coverage, for what that’s worth knowing

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[ShadowsPapa]

The clutch and its components isn’t covered in the extended warranties/coverage, for what that’s worth knowing

Because a fool can tear up a clutch in days....... it's an abused part. Especially with some people.
I recall a really irate customer coming in and chewing on my boss, the shop owner, really hard. He said the clutch was shot in his car and we'd replaced it only xx months before and so on.
(It was one I had replaced - the fly wheel was heat-checked, the pressure plate blue in spots)
My boss got out of the guy that he let his teenage son drive the car.
My boss said - tuff, he tore it up - again, no warranty.
Then the older lady who was a neighbor to the shop we always knew when she was backing out of her garage onto the street. Engine started, revved up to about 1500-2000 RPM and she controlled vehicle movement backing out with the clutch! (that gal needed an automatic!) She would that thing up and you could hear her "feathering the clutch" to get it backed out. Ouch.

 

[steffen707]

Because a fool can tear up a clutch in days....... it's an abused part. Especially with some people.
I recall a really irate customer coming in and chewing on my boss, the shop owner, really hard. He said the clutch was shot in his car and we'd replaced it only xx months before and so on.
(It was one I had replaced - the fly wheel was heat-checked, the pressure plate blue in spots)
My boss got out of the guy that he let his teenage son drive the car.
My boss said - tuff, he tore it up - again, no warranty.
Then the older lady who was a neighbor to the shop we always knew when she was backing out of her garage onto the street. Engine started, revved up to about 1500-2000 RPM and she controlled vehicle movement backing out with the clutch! (that gal needed an automatic!) She would that thing up and you could hear her "feathering the clutch" to get it backed out. Ouch.

some buddies of mine stole my car one night and moved it as a joke. I don't think that clutch ever was the same after that one night. idiots must have ROASTED the clutch.

That's why i only taught my wife to drive stick on beater cars or

 

[Gladiator4Runner]

 

[ShadowsPapa]

some buddies of mine stole my car one night and moved it as a joke. I don't think that clutch ever was the same after that one night. idiots must have ROASTED the clutch.

That's why i only taught my wife to drive stick on beater cars or

My wife could drive a stick when I met her. She could drive any of my trucks, she even took off with my F20 tractor across the county when we moved instead of trailering it. Now she is "restricted" on her license to an automatic due to her handicap, but don't tell her she can't drive a stick. Put her in anything and she'll drive it away. She was fine with any of my farm stuff, and did fine with my Comanche 5 speed.

My first wife could as well - her first car was a 75 Gremlin with a floor shift stick and she could handle my 4 speed AMX, or tractors.

They were both farm girls who could drive pretty much anything.

My son's wife drove trucks for a while when in Korea. She's right at home in almost anything as well. (she's a short, petite woman but I've seen her handle my truck with a trailer like nobody's business)

 

[PyrPatriot]

So an update on my quest to determine fuel tank capacity (which is important in connection with mpgs and range).

I had previously filled up 21 gallons by driving it until past the point where Range read "Low mi" - meaning in theory less than 15 miles remained in the tank, at 18.4mpg at the time I should have had at best 0.8gal remaining and should have been able to get in 21gal EASILY without silly tricks. After fillup my Range read 372mi with a full tank and 18.4mpg. About 90 miles later the remaining Range was 356 (at 21.4mpg) totaling 446 mi on the tank. I had driven 352mi and filled up when Range was 42mi left, at 18.6mpg, but the fuel light didn't come on (at 2gal left, which would be 37mi Range). At the next fillup my Trip read 351.8mi, with 42mi remaining. I filled 18.05gal and now the Range was 379 with 18.6mpg. That would mean the tank was 20.4 gal full, about 1.5gal shy of it's capacity, or about 30mi of Range. That may not seem like a lot, but for those who like to know the exact performance limits of their vehicles a difference of 30 miles could mean a myriad of choices.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Sorry, it doesn't work that way. That low light and ding can mean from a gallon to 3.
That's because it takes the conditions at that time - the CURRENT MPG and does it's calculations.
I've had vehicles with the low fuel warning give me the light in the AM but when I parked it the night before it would show I had 50+ miles left. My own JT low fuel light came on and I had almost 2 gallons left. It took just 20.

A couple of days ago my JT said 70 miles left - my average was 20.3 at the time - yet it took only 17 gallons. Conditions had changed and my current mpg was lower.
My wife's grand cherokee will tell her she's got 120 miles left on the tank and then the next day she's got 100.
With my Silverado it could change at the drop of a hat. It's not based on your average, it's based on the current MPG and other criteria.
If they based it on your average then you hit some wind or hills............

 

[Pat2Alaska]

Just returned home from a trip to Colorado from Iowa. Headwinds both ways (25mph+). JT weighs approx. 6,200lbs.

 

[Gatorized]

Sorry, it doesn't work that way. That low light and ding can mean from a gallon to 3.
That's because it (the algorithm) takes the conditions at that time - the CURRENT MPG and does it's calculations.

What would be of interest is where the gauge is pointing when the light comes on. Then how much gas it takes to fill up when the light first comes on, and how far can you drive with the light on. It’s sounding like approx 18 gallons for the light meaning approx 4 gallons remain. Should be able to get up to 4x your MPG range per gallon from the light with a comparable additional gallon of gas at fill-up. Drive 18-20 miles after the light and fill up. Next time, 38-40 miles after the light. Repeat so you determine range with the light. This is not recommended as draining the tank is detrimental to fuel pump longevity, but it lets you know how far you can tell your wife she can go when the light comes on in an area where she doesn’t feel comfortable stopping.

 

[Pat2Alaska]

What would be of interest is where the gauge is pointing when the light comes on. Then how much gas it takes to fill up when the light first comes on, and how far can you drive with the light on. It’s sounding like approx 18 gallons for the light meaning approx 4 gallons remain. Should be able to get up to 4x your MPG range per gallon from the light with a comparable additional gallon of gas at fill-up. Drive 18-20 miles after the light and fill up. Next time, 38-40 miles after the light. Repeat so you determine range with the light. This is not recommended as draining the tank is detrimental to fuel pump longevity, but it lets you know how far you can tell your wife she can go when the light comes on in an area where she doesn’t feel comfortable stopping.

Most I’ve put in is 20.9gallons. That was after traveling 12 miles after the “low range” showed. Low range shows at 10 miles to empty. This quite a while after the first low light. Think the first low light shows at 50 miles remaining.

 

[Gatorized]

Most I’ve put in is 20.9gallons. That was after traveling 12 miles after the “low range” showed. Low range shows at 10 miles to empty. This quite a while after the first low light. Think the first low light shows at 50 miles remaining.

I think you’ll find the light is synced with the fuel gauge (comes on when x gallons remain in the tank) and not synced at all with the range to empty algorithm. They want you to refill when the light comes on to protect the fuel pump.

 

[rvillano8188]

I've done my best to try and measure this out, but the many many variables have made it difficult to get a great reading on my MPG. I by no means drive slow (Usually average 70-75 on Hwy) and that seems to be where I'm getting my butt kicked on MPG. I'd say I do a 70/30 mix on Hwy/City, and it's been pretty windy here in Long Island, so between all those factors, after 2500 miles, I'm at about 13.5-14MPG on my tank and that's stock, with Tonneau Cover. Maybe I would do a bit better if I slowed down a bit, but that would require me to have better time management skills, and who has time for that?

 

[PyrPatriot]

My own JT low fuel light came on and I had almost 2 gallons left. It took just 20.

Yes, the low fuel light comes on when there is 2gal left in the tanks. Because my Range jumps all over the place (i.e it will show 30mi Range remaining at one time, I drive 20mi and it'll go up to saying there are now 40mi remaining. The average mpg did not change in that time span. So that tells me there is a problem with the sensor on how much fuel is left.

t’s sounding like approx 18 gallons for the light meaning approx 4 gallons remain.

Light comes on at 2gal remaining.

Most I’ve put in is 20.9gallons. That was after traveling 12 miles after the “low range” showed. Low range shows at 10 miles to empty.

I thought it was 15mi?

I'm at about 13.5-14MPG on my tank and that's stock, with Tonneau Cover. Maybe I would do a bit better if I slowed down a bit, but that would require me to have better time management skills, and who has time for that?

en you hit some wind or hills............[/QUOTE]

Hills hit my mileage. I can do 27mpg on a flat road, but the hills here drop me down to 20mpg highway

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Actually the low fuel light can come on with more than 2 gallons............ I've had it happen. I was just giving one example. My Chevy could be all over the place with how much was left. It's an estimate so there could be 3 gallons left if you have bad MPG at that point.
Low can show up when you have FORTY (40) - there's no rule. I've had it happen with 40, or even 35 on my other vehicles. The point is there's not a hard fast exact rule - I've never had a vehicle, even this JT, where that light comes on with under 25 miles left - it's always 30 or more. I'd be worried if the light came on and I had only 20 miles left on the tank or even only 30.
That's because your mileage may vary as they say - 40 miles left and you are currently getting 8 mpg?
My wife had her's come on when she had fumes left. I had to look up the capacity of her tank one time as I was shocked at how much I got in it - but then she was running an average of 27 at that time.... and was babying it so likely her "current" was also quite high.
They can be pretty accurate, though, and I try to assume it's not joking when it comes on. When I'm hauling my car hauler on I80 in eastern Iowa I make sure I don't let the light come on because the next gas station of any decent reputation could be more than 2 gallons away! ;-)

 

[steffen707]

ust returned home from a trip to Colorado from Iowa. Headwinds both ways (25mph+).

Why did you drive so slow to and from Colorado?

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