What's up with my Merc's fuel economy?

What's up with my Merc's fuel economy?

Hi, I have a Mercedes E220 2011 auto with 194K miles on the clock. The question is around the fuel economy. The trip advisor shows consumption as 38mpg so I should get around 590miles to the tank but actually I am only getting around 380 miles to a tank. There are no signs of any tank leak. Can you please advise how best to fix this?

Our answer:

Hi Imran,

A few things here. One, it's impossible to use every drop of fuel in the tank without the car cutting out or running erratically, so you can never base your calculations on the quoted capacity of the tank. Every fuel system is different, but you need to allow for a few litres, potentially. Two, the quoted volume is certified at a certain temperature, as is the economy. Any drastic changes from that temperature will throw the calculations out. Finally, you just can't believe on-board computers, especially older ones...

Shane O'Donoghue

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