Fuel gage to empty getting less and less

BMFS33 · Feb 4, 2026

My mileage is consistently in the 16 range. Here is after a full tank before I filled up again. 16.5. Of course I’m running 275/70/18s that are 55lbs a piece. I never bought this truck thinking I was going to get good mileage because the idea was always going to be adding larger tires. I am going to take off the cross bars though. I don’t need em all the time. That may help a smidge but I have no grandiose expectation that I’ll ever get close to 20 around town. Not did I coming in. It’s better than the 14 in my F-150 was around town.

ATbuckhunter · Feb 4, 2026

Its a combo of cold and winter fuel blends. Mine has steadily gone down in the last couple months. From spring to fall I got on average 21.3 mpg in mixed highway and city. Now I am down to 20.8. Went from 325 mile range to just under 300. I suspect it'll go down at least .1 or .2 mpg until it starts getting warmer here. Once its above 50, it should start climbing back up.

jbtaco2002 · Feb 4, 2026

just wait until you tow for a couple of tanks, my DTE was reading 210 for a month after, finally up to 240 now, but i've NEVER seen it above 270, even when new

ultane · Feb 5, 2026

Arnold said:
I am having the same issue. The range is one of the few complaints that I have with the car.

Welcome to the asylum Arnold.

ultane · Feb 5, 2026

Miss Daisy’s tank average has dropped from mid 27’s to low 24’s this winter.

DubDub · Apr 15, 2026

TL/DR: Almost 18k miles traveled with sustained, indicated 23.9-24mpg and 400+ miles between 17 gallon fill-ups. DTE never indicates above 310 miles, and will drop inconsistent to miles traveled on tank. It's bothering me to no end because I can't just apply my standardized .95 multiple for a quick-math estimate. Please help.

Responding to an older thread since I don't think the topic justifies a separate one. Hoping some of you are still watching and can clear up my confusion. I tend to nerd out on things, and due to my current and previous education/jobs I have a compulsion to at least understand faulty and/or erroneous indications. This whole MTE (DTE) thing has me all sorts of bothered and I've reached the end of what seems logical to me. There is some assumption here, but it's all based on some datapoint. Please pardon the lengthy analysis, and if you want to simply skip it all I really only have one question: Why is my DTE/MTE not updating?

I consistently get an average indicated report of 23.9-24mpg on my dash. With the increased fuel prices and the warmer weather, I started thinking about ways to rotate my Jeep and the wife's Sequoia into the commute rotation. It was while thinking of this that I realize that I had made a math error in calculating what I call my MPG multiple. I based it off of the circumference difference between OE sized tires, and my 1958's port added 265/65R18s. I also ran with a couple of GPS units initially to establish a baseline, but never brought them back into the testing after going to paper... and simplified a couple of silly things without fully vetting the math out. No harm really, except now that I know where I messed up I can't ignore it. Nerding out all over again here, validated a few things, corrected the one mistake, and now I find myself hyper focused on this stupid DTE indicator that NEVER changes after filling up.

Data points: I consistently get an average indicated report of 23.9-24mpg on my dash. Per my latest GPS runs proving the new math to be more accurate with a multiple of .948 (~95% of indicated MPG/Speed/Distance... all of it), I am only actually getting around 22.7 - 22.8 mpg. This is further validated by tracking actual fuel input against adjusted distance traveled. This is all great info, and not too far off of my original calcs. I am aware I am OCD, and I don't want to belabor it just to satisfy the itch to share it.

My daily commute is 78 miles round-trip. M-F I do this and, unless we use the LC for something recreational, I go an entire week without filling up. By the time I am almost to work on Friday my fuel light come on, and I fill up a mile from my house on the return trip. I am traveling 390 (+/- 5) miles between fills, every week. The pump agrees with the math too, as I am filling up consistently w/ just over 17 gallons. But, the LC is overreporting, telling me I have traveled ~410 miles between fills and with 24mpg. Meaning, my DTE (if you remove the gallon of reserve I get into) should indicate between 380-390 after each fill. In actuality, my DTE (again, omitting the 2 gallon reserve) would be 364 to reserve, and 410 actual. HOWEVER, no matter what I do, my indicated DTE at fillup remains 290-310 miles. It just isn't learning, and I'm starting to think I've nerded myself into a box that I can't step back from to identify a simple solution. So, how do I get this thing to at least update consistent with indications?

ultane · Apr 15, 2026

DubDub said:
… this stupid DTE indicator that NEVER changes after filling up.

That ain’t acting right.. and I don’t have any idea why.

Miss Daisy started at 310 miles DTE when I took delivery of her July 2024. As I started seeing 25+ indicated mpg, the DTE slowly started to rise, as if the DTE was calculated on some mysterious ‘aggregate’ MPG. The DTE never broke 400 miles until our trip to the Redwoods several months ago.

Recently I’ve seen tank averages, calculated at the pump, of 29, 27, 27, and 26 MPG (lots of driving short trips around Mammoth Caves National Park after arriving). Then at the very next fill up, despite slightly lower tank averages, the DTE jumped up ~15 miles above where it had been parked (~425) to 440 miles.

Go figure. Must be some unknown formula involved in the ECU.

But yours doesn’t seem quite right.

DubDub · Apr 15, 2026

ultane said:
That ain’t acting right.. and I don’t have any idea why.

Miss Daisy started at 310 miles DTE when I took delivery of her July 2024. As I started seeing 25+ indicated mpg, the DTE slowly started to rise, as if the DTE was calculated on some mysterious ‘aggregate’ MPG. The DTE never broke 400 miles until our trip to the Redwoods several months ago.

Recently I’ve seen tank averages, calculated at the pump, of 29, 27, 27, and 26 MPG (lots of driving short trips around Mammoth Caves National Park after arriving). Then at the very next fill up, despite slightly lower tank averages, the DTE jumped up ~15 miles above where it had been parked (~425) to 440 miles.

Go figure. Must be some unknown formula involved in the ECU.

But yours doesn’t seem quite right.

I agree, but it isn't something I can fully articulate to the dealership nor could I expect a path to correction. Add in the fact that there is no calibration capability and I'm sure it would be a futile attempt. I even begrudgingly reset my Trip reports, and Trip B was my lifetime average source that matched my odometer and proved I have seen almost 23mpg over the life of the vehicle. My gut tells me to pull the battery, but I'm not sure if that is me just wanting to have tried everything remotely possible. If the DTE indication wasn't fixed into the display I'd be less bothered because I could just hide it.

lar317 · Apr 15, 2026

My distance to empty on a stock 2025 1958 with 23k miles in cold weather went down to around 330, When it is warm it bounces back up to 380 to 390

DubDub · Apr 15, 2026

lar317 said:
My distance to empty on a stock 2025 1958 with 23k miles in cold weather went down to around 330, When it is warm it bounces back up to 380 to 390

You and everyone else haha. Mine is seemingly frozen at around 300 +/-10. It's inconsistent with the other indicators, which I would have assumed drove the DTE value. Something isn't adding up, 1+1 is equaling 1.5 on mine.

lar317 · Apr 15, 2026

DubDub said:
You and everyone else haha. Mine is seemingly frozen at around 300 +/-10. It's inconsistent with the other indicators, which I would have assumed drove the DTE value. Something isn't adding up, 1+1 is equaling 1.5 on mine

DubDub said:
You and everyone else haha. Mine is seemingly frozen at around 300 +/-10. It's inconsistent with the other indicators, which I would have assumed drove the DTE value. Something isn't adding up, 1+1 is equaling 1.5 on mine.

I agree something does not add up, My trip counter was reset 8k ago is at 22.5 mpg. And you are at 23 but your DTE is stuck around 300

DubDub · Apr 15, 2026

lar317 said:
I agree something does not add up, My trip counter was reset 8k ago is at 22.5 mpg. And you are at 23 but your DTE is stuck around 300

It's even worse than that, my indicated is over 24.

Maybe I'm looking at this wrong, and maybe I have a gremlin, so I just took a half hour away from my desk to go ahead and disconnect the battery and reset everything possible. I'm going to have to get another 500-1000 miles on the system to see impact, but now I have an absolute baseline to work from. In case I am looking at it wrong, here is the raw data as it stand at time of typing. Anyone, please feel free to step in and tell me where I am being dumb.

All values are based on indicated. For actual values simply multiply everything by .95.

Refilled this morning as part of my continued analysis of the problem.
Reset all dash cluster trip logs and infotainment trip information (current and historic)

- Prior to reset:
-- dash reads 24.2mpg average
-- infotainment trip report reads 24.2mpg current / 23.7 average / 26.2 best

- Data points:
-- 18,959 miles at start of tank (18,995 currently)
-- 36 miles driven prior to pulling the battery and resetting indications
-- DTE: 278 miles displayed, unchanged after battery reconnect (I don't really understand that, but it carried over)
-- DTE: 310 at beginning of tank

- Calculations
-- per dash cluster 24.2mpg average
--- Full-to-Empty DTE: 435 miles
--- Full-to-Reserve (0 mile DTE / ~2 gallon reserve): 387
-- per infotainment trip history 23.7mpg average
--- Full-to-Empty DTE: 426.6
--- Full-to-Reserve (0 mile DTE / ~ 2 gallon reserve): 379.2

My plan is to put another 500-1000 miles on while keeping a log of DTE/ODO/MPG readings at the conclusion of each 40ish mile leg. I may go ahead and fill up again before heading home, just to fully baseline the information. That's it, please poke holes and feel free to give thoughts. I'm officially at a loss and sincerely hope I'm just being dumb somewhere.

GR8Santini · Apr 15, 2026

2 Cheap cents to add to this discussion. I’ve mentioned in the larger fuel tank chat that I replaced my 2025 Tundra 22G tank w/ larger 32G. Several people mentioned that the reserve is 2G left in the tank. Kinda true, but not.

Toyota poly tanks have the fuel pump/sender module sitting low in a specific 2G well to keep pump operating cool, & keep it primed @ high angles. When I drained & removed the Tundra tank there was still several gallons of fuel in it.

The low fuel light comes on from a target point on the fuel sender potentiometer, & that is 4-6G remaining in the Tundra 32G tank. Take the fuel in the well & add 4G for the reserve. FWIW - all of that 6G is possibly useable - on a flat road at steady speed. - but that courtesy light is to attempt to keep you from ever running the pump dry.

DTE & fuel light are 2 separate systems. After my Tundra’s tank swap after driving +220 miles my DTE on the Tundra can be zero & I have over 1/3 tank left on fuel gauge. Fuel light is a fuel gauge cautionary signal from the fuel pump module that is one unit w/ pump & sender.

Now to DTE on a LC. If you consider a 17.9G tank, 2G in pump well, & another 2G reserve when light comes on, that leaves 13.9G x 20MPG = 278 mile potential range - if you drive & use exactly what you did on the last tank.

DubDub · Apr 15, 2026

GR8Santini said:
2 Cheap cents to add to this discussion. I’ve mentioned in the larger fuel tank chat that I replaced my 2025 Tundra 22G tank w/ larger 32G. Several people mentioned that the reserve is 2G left in the tank. Kinda true, but not.

Toyota poly tanks have the fuel pump/sender module sitting low in a specifically 2G well to keep pump operating cool, & keep it primed @ high angles. When I drained & removed the Tundra tank there was still several gallons of fuel in it.

The low fuel light comes on from a target point on the fuel sender potentiometer, & that is 4-6G remaining in the Tundra 32G tank. Take the fuel in the well & add 4G for the reserve. FWIW - all of that 6G is possibly useable - on a flat road at steady speed. - but that courtesy light is to attempt to keep you from ever running the pump dry.

DTE & fuel light are 2 separate systems. After my Tundra’s tank swap, if the last few drive cycles I was driving it hard or towing, my DTE on the Tundra can be zero & I have over 1/3 tank left on fuel gauge. Fuel light is a fuel gauge cautionary signal from the fuel pump module that is one unit w/ pump & sender.

Now to DTE on a LC. If you consider a 17.9G tank, 2G in pump well, & another 2G reserve when light comes on, that leaves 13.9G x 20MPG = 278 mile potential range - if you drive & use exactly what you did on the last tank.

Oh yeah, I'm aware I was speaking in general terms and under the assumption that my LC would operate consistent with reported outcomes in this forum. I should clarify that I am not under the impression that my tank has a reserve in the sense that it has a dedicated amount of fuel held aside, and I understand that the light has no impact on the DTE value as I have seen it vary between 15-25 miles DTE when the light decides to illuminate. These generalities are simplifications in line with member feedback validating that (on average) approximately 2 gallons of fuel remains beyond reaching 0 miles DTE. WRT to how I may be impacting that value through driving habits, I am the most grandpa-like driver in the history of commuters. I hit my target speed of 5mph above the limit and sit in the right lane of the freeway. I don't accelerate or routinely brake in a manner that would register list or yaw. My accelerator has likely never experienced more than 50% input. I am absolutely certain that I could be a case study in default driving parameters on this platform. Even my offroading is mostly zero grade, soft substrate wheeling at speeds comensurate to the environment.

With all of that said, your input is valuable in that it reinforces the concepts I was working with when trying to qualify this issue I am having. I have yet to run my LC dry, but I routinely go 20-25 miles beyond 0 DTE, and my subsequent fillups are just north of 17 gallons which is consistent with approx 2 gallons remaining. My DTE indication is also out of alignment with the feedback of most other members who see numbers consistent with their actual mileage. I am consistently seeing a DTE that tells me I can go 300 miles, and then actually go 370-400. After doing this 100 times one would think the system would adjust, but mine remains asymptotic and grossly unreliable.

GR8Santini · Apr 15, 2026

As Maverick said - “It’s one of life’s mystery’s , sir”

DubDub · Apr 16, 2026

Cautiously optimistic, but all signs are pointing to the battery disconnect and complete reset of all mileage measurements having maybe resulted in a "recalibration" of sorts. It took about 100 miles of driving, but DTE is now falling at about .9 miles per mile of actual travel. There is also only about a 14% deviation between DTE and what I can safely estimate my distance travelled will be when DTE reaches 0. I will know if it is more accurate after my next fueling, but historically my DTE is off by a significant ammount until I'm down to less than 50 miles left.

ultane · Apr 16, 2026

DubDub said:
Cautiously optimistic, but all signs are pointing to the battery disconnect and complete reset of all mileage measurements having maybe resulted in a "recalibration" of sorts. It took about 100 miles of driving, but DTE is now falling at about .9 miles per mile of actual travel. There is also only about a 14% deviation between DTE and what I can safely estimate my distance travelled will be when DTE reaches 0. I will know if it is more accurate after my next fueling, but historically my DTE is off by a significant ammount until I'm down to less than 50 miles left.

It took many entire tanks of fuel (long trips of sustained very good fuel economy numbers) returning stupid high MPG in Miss Daisy before the DTE at each fill up started to climb..

Sugarloafer80 · Apr 17, 2026

Martin said:
Hello, I have a 2025 LC premium, I've read how there is 2 gal reserve that is not captured in the total to empty. When I fill up when new I use to get 300 mile till empty but the last 6 fill ups it went to 275 miles to empty and now on the last full up it read 260 to empty. I have 11k miles, it has been very cold but I have had many Toyota's and never had this happen. I am also only getting 16-17 mpg, no lift and stock tires. Any one seeing this issue?

That is why your range is getting lower. Your mileage average is making it correct itself. Mine keeps going up.....

Sugarloafer80 · Apr 17, 2026

Matsayz said:
Hey OP, the link below shows what people have been getting for MPG’s. I’ve definitely dropped from my easily obtainable 22mpg to 15-17mpg this first Winter in Maine with snow tires.

As mentioned above, the coast-mode where you’re able to get the engine to shut-off hasn’t been a thing since November up here.

I update my account for every fuel-up. Tool a beating towing 4000lb’s from Albuquerque to Bangor averaging 12-16mpg but it’s all in there for you’re viewing pleasure.

Toyota Land Cruiser MPG - Actual MPG from 1,639 Toyota Land Cruiser owners

The most accurate Toyota Land Cruiser MPG estimates based on real world results of 26.7 million miles driven in 1,639 Toyota Land Cruisers

www.fuelly.com

View attachment 58798

I had a smaller box than that last fall and got about 15 mpg tops at under 70mph. On a good note, didn't know I was towing a trailer back there

DubDub · Apr 20, 2026

Quick update and interesting (for me) discovery. I still can't figure out how indicated DTE didn't trigger my OCD until now, especially considering I went full nerd on mileage reporting for the first 15k miles on these 265/65R18s.

Finally hit "0 miles" on DTE yesterday following a full reset of mileage reporting and disconnecting the battery. Results:

350 (indicated) miles travelled
15.2 gallons to first click
22.9 (indicated) average mpg
23 (corrected to input) average mpg
DTE indicated (310) / DTE actual (350) = 88.6%

After filling up:
- DTE 335 miles (the highest I have ever seen it, and a positive sign).

The interesting value is the fuel input. I was only able to get 15.2 gallons in and now know that my DTE indication is only reflective of the first 15.2 gallons (+/- who knows). At least I now know that, after hitting "0 miles" DTE, I have at least 2.5 gallons, which gives me some confidence in my range.

The silver lining to all of this is only really silver as long as I run these 265/65 tires over-reporting mileage. My numbers corrected to GPS: