Fuel Guage

[Dark Matter]

The problem here (I think) is that the display is not linear, as people expect, but some sort of logarithmic scale. (similar to picture from George)

The clue is that each bar gets smaller and so each one represents a DIFFERENT, decreasing number of litres. When half the bars are gone you have NOT got half a tank left.

The low resolution of the display caused by the relatively few number of bars doesn't help the situation either.

Whether this method is unique to the IQ I don’t know – but it would catch out someone unfamiliar with the car that’s for sure.

I don’t really see the issue though - We all know it has this "feature" Just fill up as soon as you can when the last bar flashes.

[tarquin]

The trouble is, as with the supplied pictures, the second and third segments should not go out over a 12 mile distance, one day and up to 80 odd on another..It is far too erratic and having said that can not be even roughly relied upon.

David

[Dark Matter]

Have you considered that you may have a faulty sender unit ?

[tarquin]

As Arron said, yes I do know a lot of electronic equipment in depth and it feeds frustration and at times insulted when I am fobbed off with things that, and i say it again . Are not fit for purpose. After all you wouldn't make a speedo with 6 segments you need accuracy , And Toyota should afford it to their fuel gauges

David

[s44gtw]

David the Gauge picture i posted in fitted to a car with a 45 litre tank.

Greenline Fabia's.

Rubbish as well by all accounts.

george

[tarquin]

Thanks George. I reckon you need about 80 thin segments to emulate analogue. Even that will be incremental by a algorithm. All digital sampling throws away "bits" of information and can never be an accurate representation of the true source no matter how many times you over sample it. Thats why people like vinyl and not processed mp3's

David

[Dark Matter]

. All digital sampling throws away "bits" of information and can never be an accurate representation of the true source no matter how many times you over sample it. Thats why people like vinyl and not processed mp3's

David

Way , Way , way off topic ........... but vinyl has it's own unique problems that make any limitations of (over) sampling pale into insignificance.......

Many of these "people" are wearing very dark rose tinted glasses and conveniently forget, warping , jumping , dust ,fluff, bits of crud stuck to the stylus, scratches, static, wear, turning the damn thing over every 20 minutes and a general inability to put the loud bits close to the label.

I'm no fan of compressed MP3 myself but don't confuse that with digital hifi.

Back on topic ..... A well designed digital petrol gauge would easily be the equal of it's analogue counterpart. I think we have to accept the one in the IQ isn't well designed..... apparently!

[tarquin]

It is impossible to digitally represent an analogue change. As the incremental changes are infinite. It can only be a compromise. In for instance, an audio sine wave when sampled.even at the highest sample rate, it will never represent the delta change as the curve has infinite sample points. In attempting to sample at a high rate produces quantisation noise which has to be filtered out as its audiable. As with a level measurement,every change however smal,lt has to be sampled and again cannot be accuratly measured only guessed at via predictive algorythm's

David