DTE Display

The DTE is displayed in the trip computer portion of the message center. The DTE is calculated in the IPC using the Running Average Fuel Economy (RAFE), which is the fuel economy over the last 480 km (298 miles), and the fuel level input from the fuel sender(s) to determine how many miles the vehicle can be driven based on the remaining fuel in the tank. The DTE can vary in the short term by up to 80 kilometers (50 miles), but is usually within 16 kilometers (10 miles). Even if the fuel economy is relatively constant, the DTE can be off over a 80 kilometer (50 mile) range by -24% to +38%. The DTE display and the fuel gauge both use the fuel level input from the fuel tank to provide their respective functions. If the fuel gauge doesn't function correctly, both the fuel gauge and the DTE display are affected.

NOTE: The actual DTE can be higher or lower than the DTE displayed in the message center due to changes in driving conditions. It is important to understand how the DTE is calculated and the factors that impact the DTE display when determining how to address any DTE concerns.

Since the DTE is calculated and averaged over a longer period of time (480 km [298 miles]), varying driving conditions can have a significant impact on the current or short term DTE as opposed to the displayed DTE. This difference often leads to customer complaints of incorrect or invalid DTE. The following list provides some (not all) of the driving conditions that may lead to an incorrect or fluctuating DTE concern:

Changing between towing/not towing
Changing driving between city and highway
Allowing the vehicle to idle for long periods of time
Parking or driving on grades
Over-fueling or not filling the tank completely (partial refueling)

The IPC uses the fuel economy data messages to control the DTE/Average Fuel Economy (AFE).