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How to Adjust Fuel in Iracing

Answers how to adjust fuel in iRacing for drivers: quick, step-by-step settings and pit tips to fix fuel issues fast and avoid running out or carrying excess weight.

If you’re trying to solve “how to adjust fuel in iRacing,” the short answer is: set the fuel load in the garage before the session, check fuel-per-lap in practice, then enter a pit fuel plan for the race. You’re in the right place to fix it quickly and avoid running out or carrying too much weight.

Quick Answer — how to adjust fuel in iracing

Open the garage or setup screen, change the fuel load (shown as gallons/liters or percent), save the setup, and create a pit strategy that specifies how much to add during stops. Use a practice run to read fuel used per lap and add a 2–3 lap safety margin.

What’s really going on

iRacing separates two things: the fuel load you start the session with and the pitstop refueling strategy used during a race. The fuel load affects car weight and balance: more fuel = slower lap times but fewer stops. Fuel usage varies by track, car, and driving style. If you enter a race with too little fuel you’ll run out; too much fuel and you’ll lose time. iRacing shows fuel remaining and fuel-per-lap estimates — use those numbers to plan.

Step-by-step fix

Enter the Garage or Car Setup screen before practice/qualifying.
Find the fuel load control (slider or numeric field) and set a starting value (gallons/liters or percentage). Save the setup.
Do timed laps in practice: note the fuel used per lap from the fuel display or session telemetry.
Calculate needed fuel: (fuel per lap × planned race laps) + pit loss + 2–3 lap safety margin. Pit loss is the fuel burned during the pit lane in and out; add extra if you’ll run in heavy traffic.
In the pit strategy or fuel & strategy section, set how much fuel to add on each stop (or set a total fuel target for the stop). Save the plan.
Verify in the garage that both the starting fuel and pit plan are correct before leaving the paddock.

Extra tips / checklist

Always do at least a short run in practice to get a real fuel-per-lap number — baseline numbers can be off.
Add 2–3 laps worth of fuel as a safety margin for races with cautions or variable pace.
If you’re low on fuel mid-race, pit and top up; you cannot increase starting fuel once the session has started.
Use the fuel readout and lap counter in the HUD to monitor remaining laps. Don’t rely on gut feeling.
For qualifying, use minimal fuel to be fast; remember to change back to race fuel before the race if the sim or event requires it.

FAQs

Q: Can I change starting fuel after qualifying?
A: Usually you can change fuel while in the garage before the race starts; once the race begins you cannot change the starting fuel. Use the pre-race garage.

Q: How do I know fuel per lap?
A: Run 5–10 consistent laps in practice and watch the fuel remaining. Divide fuel used by laps to get fuel-per-lap. Telemetry or in-sim fuel readouts help.

Q: Does iRacing auto-calc pit fuel?
A: iRacing gives estimates but you should set a pit plan manually. The sim’s estimates help, but real practice data is better.

Q: What if I’m carrying too much fuel weight?
A: Reduce starting fuel and add a pit stop or two. Small reductions (0.5–1.0 gallon) can improve balance; test in practice.

Short wrap-up

Set starting fuel in the garage, measure fuel-per-lap in practice, calculate required fuel + margin, and set a clear pit fuel plan. Do a quick practice run to confirm — that single step fixes most fuel problems fast.