If your first tank of fuel was free anyway, what is the point trying to add it on fuelly? It won't show cost or mpg so won't contribute at all. You don't add data to Fuelly whilst you're driving, you wait until you've driven somewhere and used some fuel, which can only happen after your first fuel up anyway.

I'm not trying to track the fuel as much as I'm trying to track the fact that that fuel got me "X" miles. It's part of the calculations, and being able to identify its presence makes the overall calculations more accurate and overall easier.

So let me get my head around this. Let's say you bought a new car with 12 miles on the clock (assuming it's near impossible to get 0) you add the car and put the odometer reading as 12. Then 400 miles later, you buy more fuel, brim the tank and add that fuel up to Fuelly, odometer reading 412. That's your first fuel up, all miles and fuel accounted for is it not?

Correct.

HOWEVER... There is currently no way to add the vehicle and set the initial odometer reading (presuming full tank). You have to fake the system out with a bogus fill-up.

This is something we plan to take a look at it but the current focus is on getting the mobile apps updates done. I handle all of the data coming in from the webs and the apps so I just don't have the bandwidth to dig into this one right now.

Which currently works, because the recorded baseline odometer reading was(hopefully) recorded with a fill up done by the driver/owner that wants to track this data, and this fill up is done to the manner they will always do. The dealer isn't going to fill the car to the brim, and if you do, then those first two fill ups will be due to the different fill procedure between them.

Which raises another issue, just because the dealer filled it, that doesn't mean the car is still truly full by the time you get into it and record the odometer to Fuelly. Car fuel gauges aren't scientific instruments of accuracy. Most cars can use a fair portion of a gallon up before the gauge starts dropping. Which may be noticable on a dial type one if you are familiar with how far past F it can go, but not at all with a digital one.

Personally, I don't see the purpose of recording the miles travelled for that first fill when you first got the car. Few people buy the exact same model as their previous car, and with those that do may be getting the redesign with the normal 5 year cycle for car models. The driving isn't going to be typical for the person because of that. They are going to be playing with their new car.

Much of what you're "disputing" here was discussed by me previously in this thread.

Your ownership of a vehicle doesn't match mine, and mine doesn't match the next person. We all have different specific needs. Whether you personally want to track those miles driven is ultimately up to you. I -do- want to track them, though. I'm driving them, and I want them tracked. Fuelly keeps track of more little subtle details than just MPG...

Would using the trip meter reading method not suit you better then? Less likely to make an error with the odometer reading, and if you miss one it's no big deal. That's what I use, and I don't miss the 1.3 miles I initially drove to the station to get fuel either ha!

12 to 412 = 400, 9 to 371 = 362, 75 to 583 = 508, what difference does it make what the starting odometer was if you know you went 400 or 362 or 508 miles on that tank? If you use miles since last fill you only need the trip odometer and total odometer miles will never matter.

Trip odometer is not reliable as it can have "drift" that adds up over time.

If you have no interest in the "Initial Fill" option, don't use it. That's the only argument you need to make against it.