vehicle base odometer data
 

Feature request: add vehicle base odometer data

No one obtains a vehicle, new or used, with an odometer reading of zero. If one could enter a base starting odometer reading for a vehicle, it would circumvent the need to work around this by entering the first fill up marked as "missed".

No need to mark your first as missed. If you car had 30,500 miles when you got it, then you add that as the odometer reading, then say you did 600 miles on your first tank, you put 31,100 when you fuel up.

I'm sorry but I don't see how this works. When you put in your very first entry for a vehicle, it cannot calculate valid fuelly data. In your example, if I put 31,100 as the odometer reading for my first entry, how does fuelly calculate the trip data for that entry? It can't. You must mark it as "partial" or "missed" to have it ignore the invalid fuel data calculations but preserve the odometer reading to use on the NEXT fuel up entry.

My work around is, when I first get a vehicle, to put a dummy entry in first with the odometer reading and some invalid fake fuel up data and mark it as "missed".

I think you're getting confused. Your first fuel up is when you've filled a tank, used some or all of the fuel, then refilled again. Your first fuel up is not when you've bought fuel for the first time. You have to use the fuel you buy, and refill for fully to make the calculation. Make sense? ;)

It appears the first fill up entry using odometer readings isn't calculated for fuel economy, but just there to get the initial odometer reading with a full tank. There isn't anything special that needs to be done.

Entering a base reading when the vehicle entry is created could lead to a false calculation on the first fill up if the base entry is from a point in time after it was last filled, which is likely.

I suppose it may lead to confusion or incorrect usage. I was looking for a more elegant way for the first entry to work from a known data point but as it is now, my work around is tolerable: when I first get a vehicle, to put a dummy entry in with the current odometer reading and some invalid fake fuel up data and mark it as "missed".

But you don't have to do that.
For cars set odometer for tracking, the first fuel up entered isn't used for calculating fuel economy. It's purpose is just to get an odometer reading at the time the tank is full as the start point for future fills and calculations. The system is just ignoring(most likely) your dummy fills, and just using your first real fill as the first entry, or possibly being thrown off by them.

If I can jump in here....

I just signed up, and I'm already FRUSTRATED OUT OF MY FREAKING MIND about just this thing. I think I'm going to just bail on this and stop wasting my time. I'm sorry, but I bought a new car "with a full tank of gas," which was topped off after it had only nine miles on it. I'm going to include that with my first fill-up. I went 366 miles on x gallons of gas, and what am I supposed to do, just TOSS THAT WHOLE FILL-UP AWAY?????? And then everything thereafter ISN'T THE FILL-UP I ACTUALLY DID?????

THIS IS FREAKING NONSENSE. I think I give up already. Is there some kind of intelligent way to use this site, or should I walk away tonight?

thoots

Thoots, just fill in the odometer reading on each fillup and the amount you filled it up with.

The only important thing is that you filled it up @ 9 miles. It will calculate correctly for the first big fill up then. No drama needed.

If you are using the odometer for the distance traveled for a new car, you have to do a complete fill, not partial, and record the odometer reading for that fill. The system can't calculate any data from that; this is just to set the zero point for future entries. You will get calculated fuel consumption and all on the next complete fill.

If you must have data on your first entry, you have to use the trip odometer for recording entries.