General Trip computer range display

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General Trip computer range display

barrowden

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I have a 2019 motorhome based on a 2.3litre Ducato. When I fill the fuel tank the range display reads around 350 miles. As I drive the range can bounce around .... displaying say 300 miles then, a few miles later 380 miles. This becomes more of the problem when the tank nears empty. I have had the range display showing 39 miles the, a couple of miles later on a petrol station forecourt the display dropped to zero! From memory I was only able to add around 53 litres to fill the tank. Is this range display variation normal in a Ducato or might there be a problem??
 
Normal unfortunately. Cannot be relied upon other than to know there is still fuel left when it says zero. In my experience, still quite a few litres.

Ian.
 
The range reading on many vehicles is calculated on instantaneous fuel consumption in my experience. When the tank is full and you first start the engine, it will display a range based on a preconfigured best mpg setting, but whilst driving the range will change fairly constantly according to the actual fuel consumption at the time.

A few weeks ago I had a range of about 80 miles showing on my van whilst driving from Exmoor towards the M5. When I got to the motorway it gradually increased to just over 120 miles whilst cruising at a fairly constant 60mph in 6th gear.

The display on my Volvo is the same.

Edit: What size tank do you have on your Ducato though? 350 miles range after starting with a full tank seems low, mine always shows nearer 600 miles on starting with a full tank.
 
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Motorhome converters often specify 60 litre fuel tanks on their Ducato chassis to save weight & increase the usable payload. Most of our previous motorhomes have had 90 litre tanks, our current one has 60 litres, I don't trust the range estimates either. In my experience they start off being optimistic from full, and then by the time you reach 1/4 full they become pessimistic.......
 
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Thanks for your helpful replies. Seems to be a feature of the Ducati. My ford car seems to have a very regular and steady range display. I would have thought some clever software with the correct algorithms (a very fashionable word!) would do the trick.
 
Perhaps it’s a quirk of the later Ducato. My X250 must have a tank of around 90 litres as when touring I wait till it’s showing half full or just a bit less and then refill. I tend to add around 55 litres and then the range will generally show 550 miles or so, it then adjusts dependant on how I’m driving. It is always very accurate especially so when I’m high in the mountains up and down the gearbox. Hauling 4100kg it’s doing between 25 and 30mpg, not too shabby.
 
I have a 2018 Ducato and its the 9th Fiat ducato we have owned
The first fill from new only 50 ltrs went in so
Checked the specs it left the factory with a 90 ltr tank. They cant find the problem but it is showing up all over the world on 2018/19 models

Below is what the agents have undertaken over 5 visits and still on going


They checked the sender was reading but I had to return so they could drain the tank and prove its capacity
Drained the tank saying at empty there was 30ltrs remaining. They said they re-calibrated the gauge. I then took a long trip but at each fill it was only 49lts to 52ltrs and the distance remaining only showed 600klm each fill
Returned with the vehicle and they 'checked the sender was correct' but ordered a new 90ltr sender and I was to return.
I managed to arrive at the dealership with the fuel warning light on so they proceeded to change the sender.

When I went to drive up the van the fuel warning light was still on. Their answer was to reset the speedo and drive it so it could correct itself.

I drove it down to a service station and filled it with 52 lts and 520klm distance remained then return to the dealers.

I took it back to my yard where I had a new customers van, so got under and compared the tanks. The molding numbers same and physical dimensions were the same as near as you can measure an oval tank.

I have compared several tanks and even swapped the speedo head with my other 2017 van. The gauge showed the same level but the mileage of the other van was showing.

My other van and several friends have all noted the fills and they take average of 80 ltrs if empty and 900klm as a distance remaining at filling


It is very unreliable for planning fuel filling as NZ the diesel stops are far and wide.

Just the last trip entering the motorways to Auckland 50klm from home the distance remaining was 180klm but at the start of the system there is a hill 1klm long, at the top of the hill the distance remaining dropped to 72klm this would have seen me on the roadside without fuel so had to make a side trip to find a station.

somewhere on this site it said the "The Fuel tank capacity is set by parameter in the ECU".
Any suggestions?
 
I have a 2018 Ducato and its the 9th Fiat ducato we have owned
The first fill from new only 50 ltrs went in so
Checked the specs it left the factory with a 90 ltr tank. They cant find the problem but it is showing up all over the world on 2018/19 models

Below is what the agents have undertaken over 5 visits and still on going


They checked the sender was reading but I had to return so they could drain the tank and prove its capacity
Drained the tank saying at empty there was 30ltrs remaining. They said they re-calibrated the gauge. I then took a long trip but at each fill it was only 49lts to 52ltrs and the distance remaining only showed 600klm each fill
Returned with the vehicle and they 'checked the sender was correct' but ordered a new 90ltr sender and I was to return.
I managed to arrive at the dealership with the fuel warning light on so they proceeded to change the sender.

When I went to drive up the van the fuel warning light was still on. Their answer was to reset the speedo and drive it so it could correct itself.

I drove it down to a service station and filled it with 52 lts and 520klm distance remained then return to the dealers.

I took it back to my yard where I had a new customers van, so got under and compared the tanks. The molding numbers same and physical dimensions were the same as near as you can measure an oval tank.

I have compared several tanks and even swapped the speedo head with my other 2017 van. The gauge showed the same level but the mileage of the other van was showing.

My other van and several friends have all noted the fills and they take average of 80 ltrs if empty and 900klm as a distance remaining at filling


It is very unreliable for planning fuel filling as NZ the diesel stops are far and wide.

Just the last trip entering the motorways to Auckland 50klm from home the distance remaining was 180klm but at the start of the system there is a hill 1klm long, at the top of the hill the distance remaining dropped to 72klm this would have seen me on the roadside without fuel so had to make a side trip to find a station.

somewhere on this site it said the "The Fuel tank capacity is set by parameter in the ECU".
Any suggestions?
Seems the distance to empty is related to instant fuel consumption rather than the average since refill. Thus it will dive around a lot depending on up or down hills. If you had finished climbing the hill into Auckland and gone along flat country, the mileage would have recovered somewhat. It is quite off-putting for sure.
Better to fill up out of Auckland anyway - fuel price goes way up in Auckland area :)
 
I have a 2019 motorhome based on a 2.3litre Ducato. When I fill the fuel tank the range display reads around 350 miles. As I drive the range can bounce around .... displaying say 300 miles then, a few miles later 380 miles. This becomes more of the problem when the tank nears empty. I have had the range display showing 39 miles the, a couple of miles later on a petrol station forecourt the display dropped to zero! From memory I was only able to add around 53 litres to fill the tank. Is this range display variation normal in a Ducato or might there be a problem??
There is a problem with many 2018 and 19 fiats the CPU is programmed wrong so 50 ltrs is all it will take into a 90 ltr tank. Our service guys are working on it but Fiat are not helping
 
Hi Guys
Problem solved
All 250 cabs have a 90 Ltr tank BUT some have this reduced to 60 ltrs with a dummy tube under the vent so this limits it to 60 ltrs
I have just removed the tube and can fill to the 90ltrs
Down side is the gauge wont show until 30+ ltrs have been used
Fiat are keeping very quiet about it
 
How bloody ridiculous. I sometimes wonder about fiat and their designers.
 
Hi Guys
Problem solved
All 250 cabs have a 90 Ltr tank BUT some have this reduced to 60 ltrs with a dummy tube under the vent so this limits it to 60 ltrs
I have just removed the tube and can fill to the 90ltrs
Down side is the gauge wont show until 30+ ltrs have been used
Fiat are keeping very quiet about it
Sounds interesting, can you explain how to locate & remove the dummy tube?
 
The range is a function of the known tank size, and the current average consumption. If you driver gently for a while the current period average figure will rise and the range will increase.

If you have been thrashing alonmg, and stop to refill the tank, the average consumprion will be low. The range after refuelling will be low..

I have seen the range increase by 200 miles from its figure at the petrol station over just 100 miles.

Having had many cars from work over a few years they are all very similar, but some more accurate that others. Pandas have 50 miles of fuel left when the range hits the 0 mark.

My Bravo gave me a range figure of 903 miles after refuelling one day when IO had been driving gently for miles on a long run.

In reality the cara settle to a pretty average fuel use with the same driver at the wheel and you know roughly how far you can go.

If the tank is smaller than originally fitted by the factory I would expect the range to be overstated. All this electronic gobble-d-gook is just for show really. Bling for the boys and more fun than function!

It might be worth asking a good dealer if the tank size can be reprogrammed to match your vehicle. This would help make the range figure more accurate.
 
The forum wont allow direct links
search for wohnmobilforum.de and ducatoschrauber.de/tankgeber-tuning-ducato-250

You need to hit translate
I have since fully filled the tank with 73ltrs and the low warning light flashes 'cant read fuel level"
One of the pictures shows a "nail' to stop the float fully rising so I am about to do this.
I am also in discussion with Italian Autos to see if they can reprogram the body computer.
If not I will fit the stopper to limit the travel
 
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