[Ariadne]

Hi everybody!

I've had my Insight for over a year, so I think I know what to expect in terms of changes in the (non-lifetime) mileage gauge output: I coast a few miles and it increments by few tenths, or I go uphill and it decrements a couple of minutes later depending on how many miles are on the trip odometer.

About a month ago, I changed my route to work and my mileage was climbing for this trip. At 58.7, it started to fluctuate and cycle through like this: 58.7 => 58.2 => 58.5 => 58.7. At first I thought I was accidentally driving it badly to make decrement by two sets. Then I started watching it actively, and it was falling at unpredictable times -- after I had been coasting quite a while, or had been in lean burn for a few miles, or climbing hills. After a couple of days, it became obvious that it was following a pattern. It never went from 58.5 => 58.2 or from 58.7 =>58.5, or even from 58.2 => 58.7.

Now it's worse. It only goes between 57.8 and 57.5. I think I see a pattern here....

ANYway, should I be worried? I'm sure that there is something wrong with the computer chip that governs the mileage gauge, but could that be an indicator that something more serious is wrong? What if I'm driving along someday and some major computer failure causes my car to stop running, or explode, or speak LATIN to me?? (Actually, that'd be kind of cool.)

I described the problem to my Honda service guys and they offered to drive it around for me to see if they could replicate the problem. But if it's fluctuating between only two mileages right now, they'd probably just tell me that I'm driving it badly. The problem was a lot stranger a month ago when it dropped by two notches and then rose and fell again. And anyway, can't they hook my car up to a computer to check if the gauge is working?

BTW, I've been enjoying the liberty of having a broken mileage gauge. I don't feel like a slave to lean burn, but I would like to know if this is serious.

Thanks for reading, everybody. Hope someone out there can offer an opinion!

Love,
A.

 

[b1shmu63]

The lifetime mileage gauge does seem to have a bit of variance, Sometimes it will go down by .2 even though it should be going up based on current tank mileage. It has been gradually dithering upwards all summer and fall as I have been exceeding its reading tank over tank. You would not think that a digital system would do that. I have no explanation. Perhaps your case is more severe. Strange :roll:........... but inconclusively a harbinger of ominous portent.

 

[The Citrus Smoothie]

There is no need to be worried, your mileage gauge will fluctuate. I seem to recall that the reason it jumps by 0.2 or 0.3 is that the computer is converting kilometres per litre to miles per gallon. Someone else may be able to confirm this.

 

[Ariadne]

Well, it's not the lifetime mileage gauge that's doing it, it's the trip/tank mileage gauge. And I've long stopped expecting it to fluctate in .1 mile increments (because it simply doesn't do that) -- but this explained and predictable fluctuation might be an indicator of a faulty chip somewhere?

 

[Delta Flyer]

I'm experiencing the same thing with my LMPG going back and forth, even when my trip MPG hints the LMPG should be stabilized at the higher reading.

And yes, my LMPG goes up in increments of .2 and .3

 

[dazey]

When you say it cycled thru the numbers was it fast or once a minute? It should only update once a minute on its own (you can manually update the display by double-tapping the FCD button.)

I reset TripA each morning and during the commute it can jump up and down 5-10MPG or more or less depending on how far I have gone and if I needed to floor it to get on the freeway or could coast down a hill. I'm guessing it now only goes between 57.8 and 57.5 now because there are more miles on the counter that it has to average against and you are driving at just above and below 57.65 so it is jumping between the 2 closest numbers it can display.