Trip Computer - MPG 1 & 2

[MrMoo28]

Hello,

So after having my A3 for two weeks now, just one thing is bugging me at the moment - the MPG element of the trip computer.

I have tried searching, but couldn't find an FAQ or thread about this, so forgive me if there is one already. I also tried to RTFM but it looks to be a bit limited explaining the trip computer DIS functionality

From what I can see:

• Trip 1 MPG (and other stats) resets itself whenever it feels like it - typically in between journeys, e.g. drive to work, get back in to come home and it resets back to --, but not if I stop for only a few minutes to nip into a shop on the way home.
• Trip 2 MPG (and other stats) is a lifetime trip computer, or at the very least it hasn't reset itself in the two weeks since I collected the car.

What I really want is for trip 1 to not reset itself when the car thinks the journey is over, but to reset when I tell it to, i.e. when I press the 0.0 button.

Is there any setting to fix this, as it's really bugging me! As it is, it's a pretty pointless feature as I don't care what MPG I'm getting over one 40 minute drive to work. I do care what MPG I'm getting over an entire tank of fuel though which is when I will press 0.0 to reset trip (as most people do I imagine!)

 

[S32B]

Why not just use trip 2 to use to see what a full tank of fuel gets you, I'm sure you can zero that one. Saying that i haven't touched #2 since having the car, it shows my average speed is 23mph and getting 32.2mpg

 

[RichardT]

I'm pretty sure this is explained in the users manual.
I agree that trip 1 is pretty useless, it does behave more or less as described.
You can reset trip 2.

 

[MrMoo28]

I've filled up three times since collecting the car and hit the 0.0 reset button each time, but neither trip 1 nor trip 2 reset. Trip 1 just seems to reset itself on every major journey and trip 2 is just counting up and up.

It might seem a bit petty to some, but when I'm still on the upwards job ladder, and at the start of paying off a rather large mortgage MPG means quite a lot to me lol

 

[MrMoo28]

I'm pretty sure this is explained in the users manual.
I agree that trip 1 is pretty useless, it does behave more or less as described.
You can reset trip 2.

I'll have another look when I got home. I did give it a good flick through and could only see limited information when I checked last week (page 10 rings a bell but who knows). We'll see, I'll try again. Perhaps there's some length of time to hold 0.0? Or simultaneous presses?

 

[AllanG]

I'll have another look when I got home. I did give it a good flick through and could only see limited information when I checked last week (page 10 rings a bell but who knows). We'll see, I'll try again. Perhaps there's some length of time to hold 0.0? Or simultaneous presses?

Trip 2 is reset to zero by pressing and holding the left hand scroll wheel on the steering wheel, but only when the Trip 2 is displayed. Pressing the 0.0 button, which is below the instrument cluster, resets the trip meter which is displayed next to the total mileage meter in the instrument cluster.

 

[Wondering Soul]

Taken directly from the manual in agreement with the above post!

On-board computer [1]
The short term memory processes the information on a journey from the time the ignition is switched on until it is switched off. If the journey is resumed within two hours after the ignition is switched off, the new figures are automatically included in the calculation. If the vehicle is left standing for over 2 hours, the short-term memory is automatically erased when you set off again.

On-board computer [2]
Unlike the short-term memory, the long-term memory is not erased automatically. In this way, you can determine the period for which you wish the on-board computer to supply driving information.

 

[richinsoton]

I've filled up three times since collecting the car and hit the 0.0 reset button each time, but neither trip 1 nor trip 2 reset. Trip 1 just seems to reset itself on every major journey and trip 2 is just counting up and up.

It might seem a bit petty to some, but when I'm still on the upwards job ladder, and at the start of paying off a rather large mortgage MPG means quite a lot to me lol

I use the Fuelly app to calculate my MPG as the onboard MPG is optimistic to say the least!. The app is simple to use all you need to enter is the mileage, fuel quantity & price & once you have two readings stored it will show you the MPG between the two fill ups. The more you use it the more detailed the information becomes with bar graphs, pie charts, the last 10 fill ups, overall costs etc.

Trip 1 is pretty much an instantaneous reading so not much use to work out your average MPG due to how much it will fluctuate during a journey... just press the loud pedal & watch it drop straight away!!.

 

[Venomuk]

I wish mine did. Some of it is strange like two pages for miles to empty...why?? My instant consumption seems to be very sporadic and hangs on a figure rather than going to - - - when coasting or come to a stop. Also my average on short term doesn’t reset after 2hrs. Now because of this it seems to give some very low trip average MPG figures

 

[Damo S]

I use the Fuelly app to calculate my MPG as the onboard MPG is optimistic to say the least!. The app is simple to use all you need to enter is the mileage, fuel quantity & price & once you have two readings stored it will show you the MPG between the two fill ups. The more you use it the more detailed the information becomes with bar graphs, pie charts, the last 10 fill ups, overall costs etc.

I've just done this manually. (fill up, reset mpg 2 and trip miles, drive to more or less empty, refill, note quantity in litres to refill to max / price per litre / mileage done, calculate gallons for the miles). S3 mpg reading is pretty accurate by my calculations, it only over read by between 1 and 2 mpgs compared with my real world figures. Although for a not too inaccurate guide the S3 uses 11 gallons from full to when the red light comes on, so divide your mileage for that tank by 11 and that's pretty much your real world mpg for the tank.

I'm not convinced by Fuelly. The average mpg figures they list for various cars are always terrible. Maybe most people either have very busy routes, don't know how to drive efficiently or drive at 100mph everywhere. There isn't really a distinction and I've never found it to be representative for the cars that I've owned.