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How good is Silverleaf?

Yahoo Message Number: 71637
I've seen many users sing the praises of Silverleave but I never get that same warm feeling from ours.

Silverleaf is always high/better on fuel consumption.
Here's some comparisons from the past 6 tank fulls.
Gallons I know from the receipt and pump.
Mileage between the gauge and Silverleaf is always just 2 or 3 miles.
So -

My calculations followed by Silverleaf.
8.36-9.45mpg.
9.04-10
8.98-9.5
8.31-10.1* wow!
9.46-9.9
8.35-9.5

So what's going on? And before anyone says that my maths is out I double check everything. I have an accounting background. And anyway how easy is it to dived miles by gallons?
What has bought this on is that we 'almost' ran out of fuel today. Put 81 gallons in a tank that should hold 110. (The motor hesitated twice just before we found an exit and 80 gallons is the most I've ever put in). So what happened to the other 30 gallons? We haven't used the generator for 2 years so that's not the issue.

So is there a common error that someone can see?

Bruce

20011 Intrigue #11278

Re: How good is Silverleaf?

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 71640
All diesel fuel tanks maintain a reserve by placing the end of pickup tube above the bottom of the tank. The amount of the reserve will vary based on the size and shape of the tank and the placement of the pickup tube. I learned this lesson the hard way in San Antonio 7 years ago. I was about 5 miles from the Flying J I was headed for when the engine sputtered and quit. I was lucky enough to coast down an off ramp and stop by the curb on the frontage road. My coach has a 1250 gallon tank. It was dry. I could only squeeze 115 gallons including the fuel can I used to replenish enough to continue to Flying J.
I keep a log and I knew I had 10 gallons to go the last 5 miles. NOT.

Your tank seems to provide a greater reserve than mine.

Bob Wexler
SOB

Re: How good is Silverleaf?

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 71643
Bruce, my thought is the information the SilverLeaf is using is different from the actual original component configuration of your coach. Something has changed. Tire size?
Some detective work is in order. One way to check calibration is, on your next trip determine accurately the distance of your day drive (nearest mile). A GPS would do it nicely. A one day drive of 200-300 miles would be sufficient. Your SilverLeaf should give daily miles traveled. Do a comparison. If there is a difference of a few % . . . Bingo.

You'll need to do some kind of calibration adjustment.

--

Lee Zaborowski

07 Intrigue 12153, Cat C-13

Re: How good is Silverleaf?

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 71644
What coach has a 1250 gallon fuel tank?

Chuck Penque

03 Intrigue with a mere 100 gallon tank

Re: How good is Silverleaf?

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 71645
The Silverleaf only takes data from the ECM and does the math to get MPG. If there is inaccuracy , the issue is in the ECM. Lee is right, maybe tire size has been changed. The ECM counts revolutions, of the output shaft of the transmission . I had some work done at HWH and they had to make sure that the coach was going faster than 8 MPH to allow the suspension system went the FLY mode, on the Active Air. I saw the ECM output where they counted drive shaft revolutions, and adjusted accordingly. There may be issues with the fuel measurement systems, as well. The ECM measures fuel to the engine . a well as fuel returned to the fuel tank ( the injectors are cooled by the fuel ). If those sensors are not calibrated properly , then, garbage in and garbage out. The Silverleaf does NO measurement or sensing so therefor it can't be the Silverleaf's fault

Ron Baran 09 Magna 7025

Re: How good is Silverleaf?

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 71646
I can't speak to the "accuracy" of the Silverleaf, (I don't have one), but I seem to recall a lot of discussion on this forum a while back relating to the habit that CC had of switching the fuel pick up hoses for the Gen-set and the engine. This would cause the engine to run out of fuel when the tank still had roughly 1/4th tank of fuel, and, conversly, the gen-set to be capable of running the coach tank completely dry. You might check that out.

Jim hodges

2007 Inspire 360
#51969

Re: How good is Silverleaf?

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 71647
I had an SOB with a 130 gal fuel tank. I ran out of fuel with the gauge reading 1/4 and my Silverleaf equivalent (can't remember what it was called) saying I had used 95 gals. Put 5 gal in and drove about 5 mi to the station. It only took 98 gallons. I called the manufacturer to complain, but they said it was normal. I did NOT agree, however they won the argument and wouldn't have the system checked under warranty. I had about 30 gal of fuel I couldn't use.

Dan 06 Intrigue 11936

Re: How good is Silverleaf?

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 71649
What silverleaf product are you using? Is it programmed for the right engine?
My VMS240 CL is precisely accurate. If I have run neither my generator or HydroHot, the fuel burned is always within one gallon of correct and that is easily within the margin of error from one fueling station to another.

George in Birmingham
'04 Allure 31038
George in Birmingham
2003 Magna 6298

Re: How good is Silverleaf?

Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 71650
I think that was what was wrong on my SOB. According to Monaco, the fuel tank would have to be pulled to check the pick-ups which probably isn't easy or cheap. Probably the same for a CC

Dan 06 Intrigue 11936

Re: How good is Silverleaf?

Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 71654
My Silverleaf is very accurate on diesel used and miles driven. When I fill up I reset the alternate trip. When I stop to refuel I use the gallons used to know when to slow down the truck stop fill. I am always within 1 or 2 gallons. My difference between Silverleaf mileage and calculated mileage has always been so small that I stopped doing the calculate mileage.

I agree with Lee that you need to check the calibration.

Bob

'05 Intrigue 11872

Re: How good is Silverleaf?

Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 71655
Bob describes my routine to a 'T'. I can always predict the diesel fill to within 1 gallon.

This is not rocket science.
Lee
--

Lee Zaborowski

07 Intrigue 12153, Cat C-13

Re: How good is Silverleaf?

Reply #12 –
Yahoo Message Number: 71656
The coach whose driver has verrrry fat fingers.
Should have said 125 Gallons.

Bob Wexler
SOB

Re: How good is Silverleaf?

Reply #13 –
Yahoo Message Number: 71665
My silverleaf is quite accurate, but if yours is off, it can easily be adjusted to compensate for the percentage error, up or down. Call silverleaf. They will walk you thru it

Rich 2002 Magna

Re: How good is Silverleaf?

Reply #14 –
Yahoo Message Number: 71666
Our 1998 CC Prevost had the original CC Digital Dash. Some years ago I got worried about repairs one of these days. Little did I know then the outcome of CC. So I had Silverleaf put in their digital dash & total coach monitoring system. I had to replace the non-working CC liquid gauges with external ones-glad we did. I also replaced the Prevost fuel sending unit with an ultrasonic one-accuracy now "right on" with the 90+160 gal fuel tanks (tied together). It was "expensive" but one of those "toys I wanted" and I'm glad we have it. Now, we are still anal and keep a manual log and do the math the old fashioned way. Then we compare it with the Silverleaf for the trip. Usually within 1 tenth of a MPG so I'm not too worried. When my fuel gauge reads 25%, I'm looking for where we are fueling up when we stop later that day. I've run it down to as low as 10% and I was not out of fuel. Prevost has 3 fuel tank pickups and returns and the one for the engine is a larger hose size. The other 2 are for the genset and Webasto heater and both of them are cut shorter than the engine pickup so we don't run the engine out of fuel while heater or generating. We are still anal and use a paper map too, relying only on GPS for general information. Makes life more interesting with my copilot wife still being able to "tell me where to go!" We've never gotten into a problem situation with the rig and tow car either or low bridges. We hopefully keep out eyes open and watch the road signs.

Bill 'n Barb, Poconos of PA, 1998 CC Prevost 40' XL #30365
 

Re: How good is Silverleaf?

Reply #15 –
Yahoo Message Number: 71669
Unless you have Silverleaf's fuel gauge option which, I think, uses ultrasound technology to sense the actual fuel tank level our Silverleaf instruments read "gallons used" based on the fuel flow to the engine probably adjusted for surplus return. This is not effected by tire size. It also uses this fuel flow number to compute MPG. Since it gets its tire rotation and mileage info from the transmission output to its control module. This is effected by the rear tire size. As several have pointed out when going from full tank to full tank the "gallons used" is generally accurate within a few gallons, but it definitely isn't a fuel gauge. It is handy for having an idea on how much it's going to take to fill up.
Fuel gauges are rarely completely accurate although as a practical matter only the last 1/4 tank is really important. I generally reset my analog speedo trip and secondary Silverleaf mileage to "0" when I fill up and based on the current segment of travel, location of possible refueling sites and fuel cost trend as well as how familiar I am with the route and anticipated stops I make a decision on how many miles I can go before starting to look for a refueling stop. In my case 700 miles is a comfortable distance.
This doesn't mean one should ignore the analog fuel gauge. If it's heading toward "empty" faster than you think it should maybe it's trying to tell you something.

Jim M

'02 Intrigue #11410 ISL400