Hi, my 2013 CX5 (FWD) seems to have an issue where the mileage range indicator is dropping rapidly - eg it drop 15 miles after a three mile journey. This started happening after my wife filled the tank a few days ago. After tank fill it showed 510 miles, after about 15 miles of average driving it now shows 460 miles.

I'm thinking this is a computer error as the fuel level gauge does not seem to be dropping. Or it's somehow got 'confused'.

My main concern is that there is a fuel leak somewhere but as the level indicator is not dropping and there are no visible signs or smells of a fuel leak, I am hopeful this is not the case.

Is there a way to reset the range or something to see if it is only a software issue. Is there anything to look for in terms of a potential fuel leak (I am pretty sure the car would smell of fuel if there was even a small one).

Thanks for any advice.

Mark

 

The 'range indicator' is just an estimate based on the info that the computer is seeing at that instant.

If the info that the computer is seeing says 15 mpg then the range is based on that. If the info says 30 mpg then the range is based on that. It all depends on how the car is being driven at that instant. If you're 'getting on it' and the AC happens to be on, low mpg and low range. If you're driving easy, downhill, no AC, higher mpg and a longer range.

Got it?

 

Many thanks - Yes, I understand that, but what's happening is you are driving along at a steady speed, say 40mph and the range is dropping by about 5 miles for every one mile you travel. I've had the car a number of years and am used to the way the estimate works, but I travelled no more than 10 miles yesterday and could literally watch the range falling over 60 miles as I drove - it has never done this before. Car is always driven steady, I understand if I am ragging it then the estimate would fall of course. As I say, my primary concern is a fuel leak as if the car is losing fuel then that could cause the estimate to visibly fall off. Lunchtime I drove to the end of the road at about 20mph (1/4 mile at most) and the mileage indicator dropped 4 miles!

 

You said that this behavior started after your wife filled up? Perhaps your she filled up with some extra crappy gas? I'd fill up from another station and see what's what.

 

Yeah - possibly... I think it may have just gotten itself 'confused' tho after she filled up, because the range went right up to 530 miles straight afterwards, which seems high... Anyway, I reset the trip meter just before going out on the school run and the mileage range estimate now seems to have settled down and is dropping more or less mile for mile.

Who knows, I'll monitor it as you say and try a different gas station next time - thanks for the thoughts, I am pretty confident there's no fuel leak, which was the main worry.

Thanks
Mark