Best Way to record MPG's

[trikkonceptz]

I have been snooping through some garages lately to see how others are doing or to see how others can sustain such high mileage in cars where it would be difficult to maintain.

What I find are individuals that seemingly fill up after 1-2 trips equalling 2-4 gallons. Is that accurate? I say this because I have incredible days with my mpg's and considering that my communte is 75 miles daily, I too could record some high numbers and perhaps scew my averages.

My vehicle averages about 42+ mpg per tank fill, usually over 400miles so I do not find myself desperately hunting for gas stations.

However, I regualarly have daily trips that top 49mpg, one that actually netted me 52 due to ideal driving conditions, however they are quickly offset by rainy days, or windy days and play into the overall average.

How should we record our successes, by the trip or by the tank? Maybe I should do a month where I fill up every other day and see how that affects my averages ... your thoughts?

[brucey]

As long as you're entering every tank, it shouldn't matter. The averages will all average out. I go for at least 100 miles on the tank before I gas up again. I just don't like letting the tank get super low unless necessary. I'd rather pay now than pay later!

[Daox]

Yeah, as brucey said it should all average out. That being said I only ever enter full tanks. I don't do the small fill ups.

[gascort]

I agree with Brucey, as long as every tank is logged, it doesn't matter overall. Obviously it's best to gauge a mod with several hundred miles... but noone can inflate their average by filling up daily. They'll actually make it worse because they're carrying around a hundred or so extra pounds of fuel.
I did the fill-often bit when I started logging, because I was excited, but now I push every tank as far as I can; I aim for 500+ miles each.

[Daox]

There is a trips logging function in the garage. I'm not sure what its really supposed to be used for. I don't use it. Perhaps that is to log awesome trips or something?

[euromodder]

As the garage doesn't record the odometer, it's easy (or easier) to cheat with and only log the interesting fill-ups ...

Though the fuel logs here certainly have their value, I also keep a continuous fuel (and coast) record on MPG and Cost Calculator and Tracker - Spritmonitor.de .

[Weather Spotter]

I just log all gas that enters my tank. I have done so since I got the car. It makes for lots of data to use (73,xxx miles).

I would not trust any garage that does not have lots of data, both highs and lows.

[redyaris]

What I do is keep the reciept and write the odometer reading and the trip meter reading on the reciept. This is the lazy [efficent] way to do it, I think. The Lifetime average is the most credable number, because it takes the total miles and devides by the total Gallons, very large sample size... I record all fuel used. In my case you can test the veracity of the data by seeing the seasional change caused by temperature... amung other things. Cheating is without any real benifit so I dought many people on this site do it, not so much as a plastic trophy for the best numbers, let alone prize money.

[cfg83]

trikkonceptz -

I log everything. Whenever I talk to people, I tell them my 90-day average, not my tank-to-tank. If they want to talk more, I eventually get to my "all time best runs".

CarloSW2

[Piwoslaw]

Originally Posted by Weather Spotter

I would not trust any garage that does not have lots of data, both highs and lows.

Unless it's someone who doesn't use the car regularly. We use public transport, carpooling, and bicycles (not exactly in that order) for everyday commuting, so the car gets started only for long trips and an occasional evening party or transport trip.

My log has one anomaly: I once filled up only halfway because I was short on cash and the station didn't take cards. That got me my best numbers so far, and I'm wondering if I can do anything to straighten it up. Of course, that didn't effect my lifetime average.

I once filled up only 1 liter, but didn't count it as a fill up, instead I added that 1 liter to my next tank.

I also have one fill-up which is not in my log, it was when I went testing. I filled up before and after, so it did not effect the previous or next tanks. It is included in my private spreadsheet, though.

The only situations where I would not enter something into my log is either a testing-only trip, or when someone borrows the car. In both cases the tank should be filled up immediately before and after the trip.