600+Mile CMax Club

[Jus-A-CMax]

OK, here is my entry into the 600 mile tank club. This was the second tank for the car, not including the original one from the dealer.

 

600 mile tank.jpg

 

I probably could have gone a few more miles but the gas station was right there and it seemed an appropriate time to fill up. This was on regular 87 octane fuel and included a couple of 100+ mile trips on the interstate. Normally I cool the interior with open windows but the highway trips were using air conditioning. The receipt at the pump showed 12.522 gallons.

 

Based on what I have seen driving around town at 40-45 MPH, I think a 700 mile tank is possible but I will leave that to more adventerous drivers. Getting mid-50 MPG on local streets requires attention but is certainly possible and what I get on most commutes. If I had to drive all day in those conditions it wouldn't be too much trouble to have at least a 650 mile tank. Unfortunately I drive to work and the car sits until it is time to go home.

 

Congratulations to our 22nd 600+ Miles C-Max Club member :rockon:

Edited June 21, 2013 by Jus-A-CMax

[salsaguy]

funny how Jus and recumpence in their non plug-ins, blow away an Energi plug-in hybrid for range:

http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/16/ford-c-max-energi-plug-in-hybrid-is-certified-at-620-miles-of-range/?_r=0

Edited June 23, 2013 by salsaguy

[Jus-A-CMax]

funny how Jus and recumpence in their non plug-ins, blow away an Energi plug-in hybrid for range:

http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/16/ford-c-max-energi-plug-in-hybrid-is-certified-at-620-miles-of-range/?_r=0

The regular CMax is rated 571 accoridng to FB. I am still waiting for someone to take one Energi and see how far it really does in a real world environment...now you would think our brothers in the Energi forum would have some sort of non-recharge challenge to check it out...but I am guessing that defeats the whole purpose of the Energi in the 1st place - to plug it in. Thanks for the links salsaguy, great read.

[C-MaxSea]

 

My fill-up recorded 13.363 gallons (and only 46.5 mpg)!!!  I was calmly (yea right) breaching the 600 mile mark on the freeway with the dash showing me I had more than half a gallon left - no problem, drive until it shows 12.5 to 13.0 gallons used (correct?).  I trusted the 'gallons used' info., and ignored the 5 miles left on the tank.  5,4,3, then Nav screen went blank, then showed an MFT notice, then a minute or two later popped up again into Nav.  Yikes, what is happening?  It now showed 11 miles left in tank, whew dodged a bullet? Made the next exit, and EV'ed down hill half a mile to the gas station of choice.  What do you think, was I empty or was the pump off?  

 

Nick

Edited June 23, 2013 by C-MaxSeattle

[SnitGTS]

I would bet the pump is off, Jus & Matt have repeatedly said you can go up to 13 gallons burned with no problem, they should know as they have 30+ fill ups each.

Edited June 23, 2013 by SnitGTS

[C-MaxSea]

Snit,

 

That was my first thought as well, but dang, will never know for sure.  It was at the mid notch/med. delivery rate (as opposed to really slow or really fast delivery rate).  Won't be back at that station again, just being spooked by it.  Never thought the MFT screen would go blank - as a warning???  Nick 

 

PS, and mpg's is serious business!

 

PSS  maybe we need to better quantify the dash (overage?) bias

Edited June 23, 2013 by C-MaxSeattle

[Jus-A-CMax]

Not sure whats going on here but when you run out of gas, it say something like "Safety reason please shut down immediately" yellow warning show up on the left gauge. I had 2 of those warning. I do not recall seeing the MFT going blank. 13.0 gallons used is the absolute limit. ptjones recommended 12.75 - but I suspect, this is also dependent on whether you top off or not as the last time I ran out of gas I did not (out of gas like 13.06) and other times did I top off to 0.25c and went as far as 13.15 or thereabouts. That difference is worth 2 to 3 miles surface driving. Thats why I recommend you carry spare gas, jus in case.

 

12.56 to run out of gas is LOW though. :headscratch:

Edited June 23, 2013 by Jus-A-CMax

[C-MaxSea]

Sadly, I was a bit shaken in the moment, not wanting to drive off the road, that I did not get good reads on the MFT notices; but, I believe it said something about 'routine' .............. Could it have been, by sheer coincidence, that re-calibration thingy?  I doubt it was that, since it seemed to coincide with the 'miles left' countdown.  On the other hand, it does not make sense that the countdown would differ that much from the 'gallons used' either - shouldn't those two relate directly?  A head scratcher,

 

Anyway, BEAM ME UP JUS - add me on to that 'honor roll'!

 

Nick

Edited June 23, 2013 by C-MaxSeattle

[zhackwyatt]

Sadly, I was a bit shaken in the moment, not wanting to drive off the road, that I did not get good reads on the MFT notices; but, I believe it said something about 'routine' .............. Could it have been, by sheer coincidence, that re-calibration thingy?  I doubt it was that, since it seemed to coincide with the 'miles left' countdown.  On the other hand, it does not make sense that the countdown would differ that much from the 'gallons used' either - shouldn't those two relate directly?  A head scratcher,

 

Anyway, BEAM ME UP JUS - add me on to that 'honor roll'!

 

Nick

If the MFT freezes up or detects some sort of fault, it will reboot with "performing scheduled maintenance" on the screen.  I think it also reboots on a schedule as well.

 

I believe this to be a coincidence and has nothing to do with running low on gas.

[Riddley]

JUS:

 

I just noticed that you are creeping up on 47 MPG lifetime on Fuelly!!!

 

 

Way to go man!!!

 

I'm sure at your current rate you will get over 50 lifetime on Fuelly before too long!

 

I'm not sure what to think of SnitGTS at 1 fill up.

 

 

Go SnitGTS!!

[SnitGTS]

2nd fill up should be by next weekend, currently the tank is at 51.8 mpg but that is down from almost 53 mpg after a disastrous 33.6 mpg trip home through heavy traffic & rain last week.  I hope to get it up over 52 mpg by the time I fill up but we'll see.  The consistency thing is hard over 3-4 weeks of driving, my round trip to and from work is about 25 miles so it takes a long time to burn through a tank of gas.  (I do 150-200 miles a week on average)

 

Edit:  This 2nd tank should easily get me in the 600+ mile tank club.

Edited June 23, 2013 by SnitGTS

[C-MaxSea]

If the MFT freezes up or detects some sort of fault, it will reboot with "performing scheduled maintenance" on the screen.  I think it also reboots on a schedule as well.

 

I believe this to be a coincidence and has nothing to do with running low on gas.

Zhack,

 

I think that is what happened and explains half of my mysterious event, I do think it said "performing scheduled maintenance";  Perhaps as follows:  the mileage countdown to 0 was the 'fault' which kicked in the 'reboot', therefore making it appear to have something to do with gas consumption. 

 

That would then only leave the gas consumption tracking and fill-up discrepancies.  My take now would be that perhaps some of the discrepancy was the pump (say 50% or a couple tenths of a gallon), and the rest is with the overly optimistic algorithms of the car.  The final question remains for me; why would the car have two differing calculations for miles left in the tank & gallons consumed.  Hmmmm does it work on a model with a set 'full' number, or does it 'measure' the fullness of the tank?  I thought it was interesting that after I filled up it showed 671 miles 'remaining'.  I will be noting that on the next fill ups to see how it varies.   Nick

Edited June 23, 2013 by C-MaxSeattle

[zhackwyatt]

Zhack,

 

I think that is what happened and explains half of my mysterious event, I do think it said "performing scheduled maintenance";  Perhaps as follows:  the mileage countdown to 0 was the 'fault' which kicked in the 'reboot', therefore making it appear to have something to do with gas consumption. 

I highly doubt it as the MFT system is separate from the rest of the car.  It can read some power train information, but not all (I don't think Miles to Empty is one of them), and it can't control any power train information.  The display on the left of the speedometer is not controlled by the MFT system, only the right one.  I still think it's a coincidence.

 

 

That would then only leave the gas consumption tracking and fill-up discrepancies.  My take now would be that perhaps some of the discrepancy was the pump (say 50% or a couple tenths of a gallon), and the rest is with the overly optimistic algorithms of the car.  The final question remains for me; why would the car have two differing calculations for miles left in the tank & gallons consumed.  Hmmmm does it work on a model with a set 'full' number, or does it 'measure' the fullness of the tank?  I thought it was interesting that after I filled up it showed 671 miles 'remaining'.  I will be noting that on the next fill ups to see how it varies.   Nick

 

The miles left calculation changes based on the past efficiency, consumption rate, and remaining fuel in the tank. Your gas is being consumed at an ever changing rate and the C-Max can only average this out to show you miles remaining.  Otherwise the number would be jumping wildly.  Remaining fuel in the tank is probably measured by a float, which in itself can't be that accurate due to the movement of the car and gas sloshing around.  Also, when the C-Max says there are 0 miles remaining, it think there are more.  Based on what others have said, IIRC, it's about a 30 mile reserve.

 

Neither the pump nor the C-Max are perfectly accurate.  Also, I would suggest setting the pump to it's slowest setting, that decreases the risk it shuts of prematurely.

[Jus-A-CMax]

Sadly, I was a bit shaken in the moment, not wanting to drive off the road, that I did not get good reads on the MFT notices; but, I believe it said something about 'routine' .............. Could it have been, by sheer coincidence, that re-calibration thingy?  I doubt it was that, since it seemed to coincide with the 'miles left' countdown.  On the other hand, it does not make sense that the countdown would differ that much from the 'gallons used' either - shouldn't those two relate directly?  A head scratcher,

 

Anyway, BEAM ME UP JUS - add me on to that 'honor roll'!

 

Nick

 

Done!

 

:happy feet:  Congratulations to our long time member of this forum, C-MaxSeattle aka Nick, joins the 600+ Mile CMax Club as your 23rd member :drool:

[11StiLimited]

Have not logged a very high amount of total miles (as you can see), but I made my first 600+ tank :rockon:.  90%/10% (city/hwy).

 

[Jus-A-CMax]

 

Have not logged a very high amount of total miles (as you can see), but I made my first 600+ tank :rockon:.  90%/10% (city/hwy).

 

 

11StiLimited becomes the 24th Member of the 600+ Mile C-Max Club, way to go :happy feet:

 

You guys are KILLING it, the expectation now is 30 members by the end of summer, at least :)

Edited June 24, 2013 by Jus-A-CMax

[Adair]

This is just amazing! I think you're right Jus.....at least 30 by the end of the summer, including me, I hope!

 

Rock on 600+ milers!!!!!

[RaPieR]

Finally got my second 600 tank!

(80 % highway on 401 from Detroit to Toronto/ 20% city driving in Toronto)

Edited June 24, 2013 by RaPieR

[Jus-A-CMax]

Aha...hey Matt remember that post about that 800 milers claimed by Libby Massiah on Facebook, turns out shes got an Energi. I hate to think what you and I can do with an Energi friend...booyah :drool:

[Jus-A-CMax]

Finally got my second 600 tank!

(80 % highway on 401 from Detroit to Toronto/ 20% city driving in Toronto)20130624_143650.jpg

 

As it turns out, we didn't even have your 1st tank in Post #1 - so I updated it, you're our :happy feet: 25th :happy feet:  600+ MIle CMax Club member :)

 

5 more to the big 30!!!!! We could get more.... :superhero:

Edited June 25, 2013 by Jus-A-CMax

[SnitGTS]

I'm putting in for a reservation for the 600+ mile tank club, should be posting my first entry tomorrow night!  I'm about 540 miles on my current tank and will be going on a 100 mile round trip tomorrow to play golf with some buddies, according to my miles to empty I should be able to make the trip with about 10 miles to spare.  Pretty sure I won't push it that far but I should be well above 600.  I'm at 51.6 mpg for the tank.

 

Oh and I took my first extended 65 mph+ trip today, drove 31 miles on the highway with the AC on as needed and still got 43.0 mpg.  I set eco cruise at 66 mph but traffic caused me to have to slow down and reset several times.  

[Jus-A-CMax]

C'mon snitGTS....go boy,....go!!!!!! Play well as well ;)

[salsaguy]

snig, why not set the eco cruise to 63 instead since it varies up/down +/- 5 mph or so? that might have gained you some mpgs.

 

 what is the best eco cruise setting to use everyone?

[Jus-A-CMax]

eco-cruise at 66mph=ICE high MPG. A wee lil secret the CMax has :ninja:

[SnitGTS]

Well here it is, my 600 mile tank entry!

 

 

I was on a conference call when I was driving home from my day of golf and almost drove away without taking the picture! (that would have been lovely)  I was really nervous the last couple miles, the tank was red and looked empty.  I had to keep telling myself that I had at least 13 gallons...

 

Anyway, I'm not going to go that low again unless I feel that I have a shot at a 700 mile tank.

 

Edit:  I ended up with a 101 on a par 74, first time I went golfing this year so I'm not complaining.

 

Edit 2: The pump said I put in 12.42 gallons by the way.

Edited June 26, 2013 by SnitGTS