DTE on tripminder is very inacurate..WHY?!!

[JBLSC]

ill fill up and DTE will say somthing stupid like 450miles to empty...and with ave.f/econ only being 11 or 12 it just doesnt add up..

even wen tank is completly empty it will read over 100 miles until empty
are there any sensors or somthing that are out of wack or need callibrating??

[Hizhonor]

ill fill up and DTE will say somthing stupid like 450miles to empty...and with ave.f/econ only being 11 or 12 it just doesnt add up..

even wen tank is completly empty it will read over 100 miles until empty
are there any sensors or somthing that are out of wack or need callibrating??

Clean all your grounds, ESPECIALLY your negative battery cable. Keep the cable off for a while, and then re-attach it and let the computer relearn everything. http://www.lincolnsonline.com/tech/00109.html If that doesn't help, there's the orange ground wire fix in the Tech section or it could just be that the tripminder is starting to go. I had to replace mine a number of months ago. If you're adventurous, try the tripminder tune-up ... http://www.lincolnsonline.com/tech/00022.html

[gadget73]

There's also the anti-slosh module that fools with the DTE readings. Its a little board on the back of the instrument cluster. Pull the speedo out, and you'll see a board held on with one screw. Pull that, and polish up the contacts with some 800 or so grit sandpaper.

[demonswede]

1989 low milage lsc (40,000)

1. DTE say 42 miles - I pump gas in the city OK

2. DTE say 62 miles on highway - did not pump - second uphill car started to stumble (bud did run on plain level)

3. Gas meter close to or juste at red (should bi 2.5 gls left)

First car I ever had with more or less empty at border white/red on guage.

Camaro 50 liters - filled 51 wíthout stumble

To understand 1. + 2. car has rear tires + 2" diameter. (235-70-16)

[Fordace]

all good answers, mine was the sending unit, with a full tank, OHMs is very low, like 40 ohms or something, so it will say the most miles to empty. If the sending unit potentiometer slider contact in the tank has corrosion on it, all your #s will be off because OHM reading changes affects the DTE big time....slosh module is supposed to correct, but it can't because the readings from the sender are too erratic....

[90LSC_CT]

I've had that happen, in my case it was just a bad tripminder. I could hammer it and it would say I was getting 80 miles per gallon or something ridiculous. If I was coasting, it was really phenomonal. Swapped in a new unit, life was good.