60 MPG / 900 Mile Club / 1000 Mile Club

cool. Here are some of the things I look for.

When fully vented, I want to see 300 miles before I hit the first tick.
From there I want to see at least 100 miles per tick. If you don't quite get it, you're probably still doing 60, but... the 100 miles per tick makes it safer, imho.

When you hear the ding, you should have just under 2 gallons left in the tank. I think it is supose to be 1.9gallons. So... if you can keep going at 60mpg, you have over 100 miles left on the tank. Miles that make you feel good to know are there, but... I typically fill up right around 15 gallons per fill.

daBooj said:

cool. Here are some of the things I look for.

When fully vented, I want to see 300 miles before I hit the first tick.
From there I want to see at least 100 miles per tick. If you don't quite get it, you're probably still doing 60, but... the 100 miles per tick makes it safer, imho.

When you hear the ding, you should have just under 2 gallons left in the tank. I think it is supose to be 1.9gallons. So... if you can keep going at 60mpg, you have over 100 miles left on the tank. Miles that make you feel good to know are there, but... I typically fill up right around 15 gallons per fill.

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__. That's good advice, Booj but I'd add (since Manty is trying to figger out how much to rely on his low fuel light) that the light is "adjustble" and like most adjustable things, it has been known to be mis-adjusted. I have been running ventectomied for over 100K miles and there have been at least 5 times when the light has come on within a mile of a good place to fuel. Four times, my car took 14.9 gallons, the other time, it took 15.0. So, I'm pretty sure that my car has a reserve of about 2.1 gallons (a trifling amount from the specified), based upon repeated findings from people who ran down to empty (either on purpose or by accident) and found that it consistently took about 17 gallons to fill a ventectomied tank.

__. So, Manty, *most* people have found that the low fuel light means about 2 gallons and about 100 miles left, but I recommend you carefully watch your refills and see just exactly how your car seems to be set up.
'

For example, My low fuel light ( about 5 times calculated, today being one of them ) comes on when I have consumed about 14.4 gallons. SO mine comes on early compared to most.

Sweeps said:

For example, My low fuel light ( about 5 times calculated, today being one of them ) comes on when I have consumed about 14.4 gallons. SO mine comes on early compared to most.

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__. Ventectomied, Sweeps? If so, you are getting a light earlier than most. Of course, if you know where it is and how much time/miles you have left it's not a big thing. They seem to be reliable and repeatable for whatever they're set at.

__. Of course, the resetting procedure is very high tech. Get yourself a couple of old paint buckets and a two gallon fuel can. Go to the station and put 1.9 gallons of fuel into the can. Then pull your fuel pickup (through the right rear seat base), siphon the contents of your tank into the paint buckets, replace the fuel pickup, dump the 1.9 gallons in and use VAG-Com to set that as your threshold point. Then dump the fuel in the paint buckets back in the tank. Sheesh, sometimes I wonder how VW engineers manage to feed themselves without a nurse helping them.
'

Yep Ventectomied. But ya, it is at least consistent each time.

Thanks for the good info. I'll fill up again when the low fuel light goes on again (probably a few weeks) to see how close I am, I put in 15.055 gallons 14 miles after the low fuel light went on last time and I was probably getting 60-65mpgs at that time, 57-60mph on the interstate.

MantyTDI said:

Thanks for the good info. I'll fill up again when the low fuel light goes on again (probably a few weeks) to see how close I am, I put in 15.055 gallons 14 miles after the low fuel light went on last time and I was probably getting 60-65mpgs at that time, 57-60mph on the interstate.

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__. If it's convenient, fill up as soon after the light comes on again. You will almost certainly see a fill of about 15 gallons (ventectomied or carefully vented) and when you do, you can depend on about 2 gallons of "reserve" when the light comes on in the future.
'

With my B4 Passat, I fill up when the fuel gauge no longer moves upward from its resting position when I turn the ignition on. Then I know I have about a half-gallon left. My fill-ups range from around 17.8 to 18.2 gallons -- unvented and topped off to the nearest quarter-dollar -- out of an 18.5 gallon tank.

Of course, while going on a trip that would exceed my one-tank range I'd give myself more of a safety margin, but for my daily commute and weekend excursions, this routine has worked out well enough that I can fill up at the same local Gulf station every time, even if I make a 500-mile trip on an extended weekend.

I think a thread dedicated to listing members lifetime averages would be nice, ranked in order. One tank here and there is great but the people who have the highest lifetime average in mpg I feel anyway is the best accomplishment. I be way down on at that list at 39.5

I would be around 55mpg, I think. And the number would continue to go up.

I didn't start getting into the 50's until I had over 20k miles on the car. Actually, it has only gone up since I started driving for mileage. How bout we list the slope of the line and the average mpg. Have a look at my mileage:

*

*note, the big drop in mileage before 60k was last december when I took several long trips following my dad who was hitting speeds in excess of 95mph at times. I was not going to get great mileage!

Looks damn good for 90+ mph. I think that you and many others deserve the to be applauded for your contribution to America. If only 30% of the cars got 50 ave. Fuel would still be under 2 a gal. But now the media has just told them huge new reserves found.

Hey honey there will be enough fuel till we are buried - you want that matching hummer or maybe a suburban to go shopping. I got passed at 60+ today by a hummer. The speed limit was 60. They just do not care.
Education is the only answer and fuel conservation will need to be taught in the school systems if we are to expect the next generation to do better.

Well, I did it! I was on the way to the airport to head off to D.C last Friday and I knew that I would either miss my flight due to running out, or I would make it .
Back to the story though--on the 6th I was at 852 miles. I didn't think it was fair all of you A4's out there getting more mileage, so I decided to even the playing field. I knew that A3's have 15.5 gallon tanks, and A4's have 16.9 gallon tanks (yes, Jetta wagons have 17.9 and B4s have more, but a vast majority of you fit into the 16.9 gallon range). So at 852.5 miles I filled up with 1.4 gallons of ULSD at the local Sinclair and went off to conquer the 900 mile club.



I then thought that I should take a pic to show that I wasn't even out of the reserve with the extra fuel.



I then did mostly highway driving and on the morning of the 8th I filled up on the way to the airport. I put in 15.4 gallons (so .1 gallons left) for a total of 16.8 gallons on 954.5 miles for 56.81 MPG.


Can I rightfully claim entrance into the 900 mile club?
Cheers,
-BB

BleachedBora said:

(snip) Can I rightfully claim entrance into the 900 mile club?
Cheers,
-BB

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__. Yeah, sure! These are just numbers, after all. What really counts is low costs per miles, low total spend on transportation per month/year, and smiles per mile. You've proved it -- you're there!!!!
'

BleachedBora said:

Can I rightfully claim entrance into the 900 mile club?
Cheers,
-BB

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Bleached-- congrats on your 900 mile tank.
I've been thinking, why do we all risk running the tank dry to post our tank maximums to post here? If I carry a 2.5gal can pre filled with exactly 1.9gal, at any point I desire into the tank 100+ miles from the original fill up, I can just add that fuel to the tank.

Then, when the fuel ding comes on, I know I've used almost precisely 17.0 gallons in my A4. Over time the thread wouldn't be a 'how far did you drive on the fuel light' contest, but it would instead show many people always using 100% of their tank-max and reporting how many miles were driven. I know some folks here would consider that cheating, or consider it to be a waste of time due to the 1.9gal fuel addition. But those competing for mileage already waste alot of time driving too slow people also already post in many different methods, some report their mpg and gallons used based on the MFA or without filling to the brim.

seeing how I average only 35-42mpg on FLAT roads, I was pretty tense driving 50 miles past the low fuel light up mountains and then going another 10 miles through a construction/single lane area. even though I had fuel in the trunk that was definitely a safety no-no. I figured that with an unlevel terrain, the .3 of gallon I calclated to still be in the tank might have not be usable.

My first 1700 km tank!
and now its 5 in a row. ULSD must be good stuff.

From the 19th May to:
12th June 2006 - - -1002 miles 15.99 USgal 62.70 mpUSg
7th July 2006 - - - - 1004 miles 15.80 USgal 63.55 mpUSg
4th August 2006 - - 1023 miles 16.09 USgal 63.60 mpUSg
5th September 2006 1041 miles 16.44 USgal 63.3 mpUSg
21st September 2006 1057 miles 16.02 USgal 66 mpUSg

cheers.

1700km tank, that is incredicble! Congrats, you are certainly doing something right!

Now If I can just look at that low fuel light for longer than....well....I can't look at it!! Then maybe I can get to 1500km! Best so far is 1310 when the light came on, and my light comes on with 9.5 litres left in the tank. PLus I have to slow down!

Sweeps said:

Now If I can just look at that low fuel light for longer than....well....I can't look at it!! Then maybe I can get to 1500km! Best so far is 1310 when the light came on, and my light comes on with 9.5 litres left in the tank. PLus I have to slow down!

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You should try a B4 Passat -- there's no low fuel light to worry about. My "time to refuel" signal is when the fuel gauge needle no longer moves up from its resting position when I start the car. When the needle is pinned at the bottom, then I know I have about half a gallon left in the tank, and on my daily commute that's more than enough reserve to let me stop at my favorite station (Gulf Dieselect Premium Diesel).

jsrmonster said:

Hi,
Also keep your windows up. I notice egt raises 100 degrees when the windows are down at 70mph. The drag really increases. The AC really has no affect on the egts.
Jeff

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sorry, what's EGT stand for?

papump said:

sorry, what's EGT stand for?

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Exhaust Gas Temperature.

IS a tick - 1/8 tank mark ? -
300 miles with 7/8 tank left

Some people in this thread are just bragging!!! I swear. My problem is that I'm stuck in an automatic, and not even the 5 speed auto.. much less the DSG.

Anybody seen any reports on the longest distance/best mileage from an auto?
I've made 676 when the light went on, too chicken to try and go for the 700 since I didn't know what traffic was going to be like. (new job and new commute)

\/\/

The mpg difference from a 2004 PD to a 2006 PD is amazing. VW really laid the weight on or something.

If someone would try really stretching the limits AFTER the fuel light comes on, and lets say...runs out of fuel. Is it just a matter of adding fuel then restarting? Are the '06's for example self-priming? Or is it like the old days(manual priming)?

dnstommy said:

The mpg difference from a 2004 PD to a 2006 PD is amazing. VW really laid the weight on or something.

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They actually gave it some room inside, a little more HP and a bit more torque...I'm sure each of those contributed in some way to a little decrease in MPG because of added weight and such....quite worth it to me.

Txst said:

They actually gave it some room inside, a little more HP and a bit more torque...I'm sure each of those contributed in some way to a little decrease in MPG because of added weight and such....quite worth it to me.

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Yea the car is a cadi now. I love to drive it.

mdp said:

If someone would try really stretching the limits AFTER the fuel light comes on, and lets say...runs out of fuel. Is it just a matter of adding fuel then restarting? Are the '06's for example self-priming? Or is it like the old days(manual priming)?

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Bad mojo.

Not only does the fuel injection pump rely on fuel for lubrication (and can thus be damaged by running it dry), but yes...it is a pain to re-prime. You could easily overheat the starter trying to get it started again unless you primed it AND had a MityVac on-hand to suck the fuel to the injector lines and get the air out of the system.

Most of the real TDI mechanics that I know of always have a MityVac (or similar) handy to do just that when they change nozzles...or remove injectors for pretty much any reason.

Mike

but mike, the PD TDIs have the lift pump. quite easy to prime by turning the ignition key to "on" a bunch of times . even with some big bubbles in the lines, the PD tandem pump seems to not even hiccup. just my experience from when in installed a new fuel filter setup....

burpod said:

but mike, the PD TDIs have the lift pump. quite easy to prime by turning the ignition key to "on" a bunch of times . even with some big bubbles in the lines, the PD tandem pump seems to not even hiccup. just my experience from when in installed a new fuel filter setup....

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OOPS! My bad...I missed where he said "'06".

You're absolutely right. It will self-prime.

However, it's STILL very bad for the main injection pump to run it dry. It depends on fuel for lubrication.

Mike

yes, bad to run it dry. i haven't logged any fuel temps with vag-com but when the car is down really low on fuel, i'd be worried about really high temps. but as for priming in the PDs, after running the lift pump 20-30 times you should have more than enough fuel in there to start safely and not harm the pump.

The sticker is a nice touch

daBooj said:

btw, I will be handing out the stickers I made up for qualified members of the 1,000 mile per tank, 60mpg club while I'm at the TDIfest. Be sure to find me if you want one. I would post a picture, but I don't have one. They're simple and small. White text on black background.

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Thanks, dabooj,

I put my sticker on the right rear. I get quite a lot of comments from people walking by in the parking lot.

Ernie