Digital Fuel Gauge Not Accurate

[daddymalu]

My digital fuel gauge for some reason on my X5 for some reason will not ever go to full. On a full tank the gauge is sometimes off by 3 little red lines to about 6 which is almost a quarter of a tank off. My round analog gauge works just fine. It has been like this from the beginning. I have had several BMWs with similar digital gauges and this is the first time I have ever had this issue. My dealer has told me that this is normal. This can't really be normal. The car is still safe and I never let it run near empty anyways, and I know a few people have had similar issues with the older X5s. Is there anyone else with this issue?

[possib1edoc]

Have the same issue...no clue how to fix it. Figured if dealer "looks into the issue" there will probably be more harm than good done.

[daddymalu]

I also have a noticeable rattle coming from instrument cluster when driving above 60 MPH. If I hold my hand on the dash the rattle stops. Dealer also said this would be impossible to fix. I love the truck even though it has these tiny imperfections.

[Class5Kayaker]

That's not technically a fuel gauge. It's your estimated fuel range in miles or km (it doesn't display "E" through "F" it displays numbers reflecting miles or km) and it's my understanding that it takes into account your average fuel consumption. Assuming the max range on your display is 400 miles (that's what mine is), if you have a lead foot or a 50i it makes sense that you wouldn't show "full" on that gauge when you fill up since it's basing it on your average fuel consumption and giving you an estimate of the number of miles until empty.

It's just another way of displaying what you can already display as a digital number by pressing the "BC" button on your stalk. I'm willing to bet the numbers match.

[daddymalu]

I still have to say that I don't think this is normal. The x5 is actually my wife's car. I drive a 2014 m6 and in the last 4 years I have had 2 brand new 7 series all with similar digital instrument panels and my other 3 cars went all the way to full once filled.

[MysticBlue]

Originally Posted by daddymalu

I still have to say that I don't think this is normal. The x5 is actually my wife's car. I drive a 2014 m6 and in the last 4 years I have had 2 brand new 7 series all with similar digital instrument panels and my other 3 cars went all the way to full once filled.

What "digital fuel gauge" are you talking about? Is this something new? Are you talking about the gauge directly under the speedometer? That's not a fuel gauge. It's a range guestimator. As mentioned above, it is a rough estimation of range measured in miles. If the tank has 20 gallons in it and your mpg has averaged 20 mpg lately, then it would read 400. If your mpg has averaged 15, then that gauge would read 300. I don't remember what the tank capacity is (maybe 22 gallons?) but I average 17 or 18 mpg and when I fill up it usually doesn't go all the way up to 400, more like 350. If this gauge you are talking about is something new on the digital dashboards, then disregard my ramblings, but mine is a MY2016.

[daddymalu]

I am sorry for the confusion... I am talking about the gauge under the speedometer... In the other 3 BMWs I have had with this similar setup, when my gas tank is full the bar goes all the way to the right... In fact my brother has the same exact x5 and he is not having this issue... But I guess there is a possibility I am wrong and this is perfectly normal... Here is a picture the way it looks in my car... When I fill up my wife's truck I will take a picture of this as well...

[MysticBlue]

No problem. That's what these forums are for. When comparing to your previous cars, they may have had better MPG and/or different capacity fuel tanks, so the math works out different. As far as your brother having the same X5, maybe his driving habits are different so he gets better gas mileage? If you get up near 20MPG then that gauge would go most of the way if not all the way to the right (400 miles). If your wife only gets 15MPG then I wouldn't expect it to go all the way to the right. Is it a V8?

[daddymalu]

The wife has a v6 and it is our family car and generally driven conservatively, so I don't think this theory works. Our m6 driven a lot harder than our x5 ever will be, and the bar goes all the way to the right. In both cars we do keep the auto engine shut off switch off.

[MysticBlue]

I looked it up, 22.4 gallon fuel tank. So if you are getting 20mpg, then it should be reading over 400 miles (all the way to the right) when you fill the tank. Use the button on the end of the turn signal to see what the vehicle is calculating for mpg. So you might be right to question it. Maybe there is an issue with something that is causing it not to calculate something correctly. Unless the scale is different on the gauge for the I6 as opposed to the V8.

[pragueX5]

what you are reffering to is the estimatef mileage remaining based on your current consumption/driving style. meaning if driven hard or in heavy city traffic you will not have this gauge to full as its simply not the full mileage potential the car can do.
and for the record this is not fuel gauge, thats the round thing on your left woth the petrol tank symbol

[daddymalu]

This must be a neat mileage calculator exclusive for the x5 because it certainly does not work like this in the m6 or a 2014 750i. Most people I talk to including my service advisor think this is abnormal as well.

[daddymalu]

In my picture above the fuel tank is full. In my humble opinion the red bar should go all the way to the right and not leave 3 little red lines remaining. This is how it works in other BMW vehicles.

[Stinkyxy]

The bar is based on the mpg based on the last 20m. So if you are driving the car hard and then easy for 20m in theory it could go higher and fill the 3 bars after driving a little.

Mine doesn't go past 3/4 - all city driving.

[neuro0]

The "full mark" represent 500 miles, as each box is 100 miles. As you can see on the same picture, the digital display of your range is 466 miles, so the bar display is consistent to the digital display. You have 3 little red lines remain, and each redlibes represent 10 miles. Can't get more accurate than that.

[ixlr8]

As others have said... it is a guesstimate of miles to empty, not a fuel gauge, with a max indicated range of 500 miles. On my '16 X5 35i, when I fill my tank, the indicator does go all the way to the right. My average fuel economy is 25.1 mpg and when I fill my tank, the guesstimate for range to empty is 580 miles. What is your average fuel economy reading??? I'm guessing about 21 mpg.

[cretanu]

Try to drive the last 50-100km at a very low consumption...then refill the tank fully...it will show a very high range and a full line under the speedometer!!!😉😉😉

[MysticBlue]

Now I can see that the 35i range gauge and the 50i range gauge have different scales. That's why yours doesn't go all the way to the right... it's a 500 mile scale, as opposed to the 50i which only scales to 400. Anyway, do the math. for that gauge to ever read 500 miles, you would have to be getting over 22 miles per gallon. If you are not (I don't imagine many would unless you're on a road trip, all highway driving) then it is never going to read full scale. Simple math. Bottom line is it is doing exactly what it is supposed to do. It is up to you to understand what it is telling you.

[daddymalu]

I guess it makes sense. I wish it worked the same way across the other bmw platforms.

[Class5Kayaker]

Originally Posted by daddymalu

I guess it makes sense. I wish it worked the same way across the other bmw platforms.

It does work the same across the other platforms, it just so happens that those cars you mentioned average just a little over an even hundred (400, 500, etc) on a full tank while your X5 35 averages 470 miles on a full tank right now.

[Kzang]

OP as others have already pointed out, it's an estimate of how much mileage you will get based upon your current mpg reading.

[daddymalu]

I admit it. I was wrong. I did a long drive this weekend and the bar went all the way to the right. Thanks for all the help.