Help with figuring milage of auto please...

Little Quacker in OR · #1 01/12/10, 05:06 PM

OK, I am a dummy! I'm also dyslexic and am lame with math. I need to figure out how to tell when my Jeep Grand Cherokee(1998) needs a fill-up. The gas gauge has never worked and as I'm out in the boonies and don't do much driving these days I don't know how many miles I can go before I must get gas in that tank. My son tells me I get about 15 mpg. ????

I have another problem with it but that will be a separate post.

Thanks so much. LQ

Gary in ohio · #2 01/12/10, 05:13 PM

Your missing a piece of information. The size of the gas tank. The tank is around 20 gallons but check your manual for the correct amount. Then its 20 times your MPG or in your case about 300 miles. Now what you should also do is get the millage your truck is actually getting. So Next time you fill up your tank note the millage, Next time after that you get gas not the millage and the number of gallons of fuel you put in. Now you can see what your real MPG is..

calliemoonbeam · #3 01/12/10, 05:43 PM

I had to do this for a few months after my gas gauge quit working, lol. See your other post, I posted something that I think might help.

Little Quacker in OR · #4 01/12/10, 06:34 PM

Thanks you guys! I will find the booklet and check the size of the tank on this model. Then get out my calculator! LOL

Appreciate it! LQ

RonM · #5 01/12/10, 07:08 PM

You dont worry about the size of the tank, fill it up and record your mileage. Drive it a few days then fill it up again and record your mileage, subtract your original mileage from your recent fillup and divide that by the number of gals it took that is MPG. Now whenever you fill up againcontinue to record your mileage and divide your ave into thyat and you can tell pretty close to what you have left in the tank.....but almost requires a fillup each time.....

arabian knight · #6 01/12/10, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RonM

You don't worry about the size of the tank, fill it up and record your mileage. Drive it a few days then fill it up again and record your mileage, subtract your original mileage from your recent fill up and divide that by the number of gals it took that is MPG. Now whenever you fill up again continue to record your mileage and divide your ave into that and you can tell pretty close to what you have left in the tank.....but almost requires a fill up each time.....

For sure you don't have to know how big your tank is. That does not tell a thing.
Fill it full, Drive fill it full again and do that math of how many gallons you used between fill ups. and the miles you have driven. bingo MPG.
Just make sure each Fill Up you have the tank FULL. No need to go by the size of the tank. that along could be deceiving in it self.

tamsam · #7 01/12/10, 09:33 PM

I think their question was how far they can go before fill up. Once you figure your miles per gallon and you get 15 and you have a X number gallon tank take the mpg x tank size. That gives you the distance you should be able to go on a tank. Just try to fill up before it is all gone, like have several gallons left when you fill up. Good luck. Sam

wy_white_wolf · #8 01/12/10, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RonM

You dont worry about the size of the tank, fill it up and record your mileage. Drive it a few days then fill it up again and record your mileage, subtract your original mileage from your recent fillup and divide that by the number of gals it took that is MPG. Now whenever you fill up againcontinue to record your mileage and divide your ave into thyat and you can tell pretty close to what you have left in the tank.....but almost requires a fillup each time.....

Hope she doesn't try and go too far in that couple of days since the gas gauge doesn't work.

Yes we need to know how big the tank is to guess how far she can go before running out of fuel. I memory serves me Grand cherrokees had a standard 18 gallon tank and an optional 22 gallon tank. At 15 MPG that would be 270 miles or 330 miles. Either way I would keep in under 200 miles between filling up because driving conditions greatly affect fuel mileage.

Big Dave · #9 01/12/10, 10:11 PM

Get a yard stick. When it gets low put some in it. Put a few gallons in every time you go some where.

Windy in Kansas · #10 01/12/10, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Dave

Get a yard stick.

What's the yardstick for? It would never go in the neck of a fill tube because of the nozzle flap in it, nor would it make the bend in the fill pipe if it is like most. Maybe I just don't know and this may be possible but I doubt it.

HermitJohn · #11 01/12/10, 11:26 PM

Well on my 1960 Chevy Apache pickup that i used to own, with gastank behind seat, yea you could use a stick, big filler neck opening and straight shot down to tank from filler neck. But anything much more modern forget that. Even without flapper valves and restricted necks and pollution crap, the filler tubes on lot vehicles tended to be rather convoluted and not straight shot down to tank from filler neck. Some tanks also have a drain plug, alas that isnt common either. If you had drain, LOL, you could just drain out gas into gas can to see how much you had. Drain plug so dang useful, when I put new tank on my F250, before installing it, I added a flange and drain plug to bottom of it. You ever get some watered gas, well the water settles to bottom of tank and you can just drain it off IF you have a drain plug.

Trip odometers work nice if you have one. Soon as you figure average miles between fillups, you just watch trip odometer and reset it when you fill up.

And I guess math challenged way to figure miles per tank is to fill tank, write down mileage, but also fill jerry can with gas and carry it along for the ride. When your engine dies, you are out of gas, write down mileage and subtact fill up mileage. Then put 5 gallon gas in tank and head for the gas station.....

agmantoo · #12 01/13/10, 12:03 AM

You can go 300 miles!

Old Vet · #13 01/13/10, 02:19 AM

You can go close to 300 miles but carry a 2 gallon gas can with you for the times that you can only go 290.

wy_white_wolf · #14 01/13/10, 09:09 AM

One thing to help address the other problem is always calculate how much you think the attendent should be putting in. Take your mileage driven since last fillup and divide by 15. If the gallons he puts in doesn't come close to that he didn't get the tank full. Might also give them a warning that it is a slow filling tank so they don't lock the fill lever in the fastest fill position.

arabian knight · #15 01/13/10, 09:45 AM

Where are there any "attendants" anymore? I have not seen one in the midwest we all fill our own tanks up. And IF you do find a station that pumps with attendants then the price is way higher then "self serve" ones. Maybe as much as 10 cent a gallon more.

Yvonne's hubby · #16 01/13/10, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Little Quacker in OR

OK, I am a dummy! I'm also dyslexic and am lame with math. I need to figure out how to tell when my Jeep Grand Cherokee(1998) needs a fill-up. The gas gauge has never worked and as I'm out in the boonies and don't do much driving these days I don't know how many miles I can go before I must get gas in that tank. My son tells me I get about 15 mpg. ????

I have another problem with it but that will be a separate post.

Thanks so much. LQ

Most rigs have a tank that will provide you with somewhere around 275 miles between fillup and empty. Without a gauge, I would for sure drive on the top half of the tank. filling every 150 or so miles will not hurt you at all.

Yvonne's hubby · #17 01/13/10, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arabian knight

Where are there any "attendants" anymore? I have not seen one in the midwest we all fill our own tanks up. And IF you do find a station that pumps with attendants then the price is way higher then "self serve" ones. Maybe as much as 10 cent a gallon more.

Thats what I love about our little town here in KY, We not only have an attendant, I still am able to have them just put it on my account, snacks and smokes too, and never have to get out of the car. I was in Oregon last spring, they do not allow self service!

tiffnzacsmom · #18 01/13/10, 10:16 AM

Get your manual and find out how many gallons your tank holds, if you don't have the manual look up your make and model on line and find out that way. Then fill up your tank and reset the tripometer if you have one to 0. Drive for a few days then fill then tank up again DO NOT TOP OFF, divide the miles driven with the amount of gas put in. That will give you your miles per gallon, multiple that number by the gallons your tank holds. That will give you how long you can go between fill ups and your miles per gallon. If you do this at least once a month you can figure out what your average MPG is and if it starts to change you know you need a tune up and to catch the pressure in your tires. Knowing that will save you cash in gasoline and in maintainance.

Little Quacker in OR · #19 01/13/10, 10:49 AM

This is great! You guys helped me so much. I can now have some confidence with my trip meter while driving an I won't have to worry about it. I'm really rural here so it takes a bit of a drive to just get in to my little town. And a lot farther to go to the city.

Thanks so much!!!!!! LQ

Windy in Kansas · #20 01/13/10, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arabian knight

Where are there any "attendants" anymore? I have not seen one in the midwest we all fill our own tanks up. And IF you do find a station that pumps with attendants then the price is way higher then "self serve" ones. Maybe as much as 10 cent a gallon more.

Please feel free to vacation in Hutchinson, Kansas this year and upon arrival I will direct you to three stations, at least, that still has attendants to do the filling. At least one is a price leader and drops prices before any other station and then is the last to raise when prices do have to go back up.

While here you may wish to visit the only underground salt museum in the western hemisphere. I'm told the 650 foot descent into the mine can be a little eery because of the intense darkness.