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How to Measure Fuel Usage in Iracing

Clear steps for how to measure fuel usage in iRacing — for drivers who need an accurate fuel burn test. Learn in-car readouts, step tests, and fix this fast.

If you’re asking how to measure fuel usage in iRacing, the fastest reliable method is a short fuel-burn test: reset fuel, run a few laps at your planned pace, then read the remaining fuel. You’re in the right place — below are plain steps to get accurate numbers and avoid running out mid-race.

Quick Answer

Measure fuel by doing a short fuel burn test in practice: fill to a known amount, run a set number of laps at race pace, record fuel used from the in-car fuel display or pit lane refuel screen, and calculate liters (or gallons) per lap. That gives a reliable per-lap consumption to plan strategy.

What’s Really Going On

iRacing shows fuel remaining in the cockpit gauge and on the pit-lane refuel screen. The game reports fuel in liters or gallons depending on the car. If you don’t test at your actual pace (qualifying pace vs. conservative race pace), the numbers will be wrong. Also, setups, track temperature, and drafting change consumption. A short, controlled test simulates real conditions so you can convert fuel used into “fuel per lap” for strategy.

Step-by-Step Fix

Enter practice with the fuel tank reset option off (so you control starting fuel).
Set fuel to a round value you can easily subtract (example: 40 liters/gallons).
Run 3–5 consecutive laps at the pace you expect to use in the race (don’t push like qualifying unless that’s your plan).
After the run, check the in-car fuel gauge or open the pit-lane refuel screen — note the remaining fuel.
Subtract remaining fuel from starting fuel, then divide by laps run to get fuel per lap.
Use that number to calculate race fuel requirement, adding a safety margin (usually 2–5 laps worth, depending on race length and caution likelihood).

Extra Tips / Checklist

Use the same setup and driving style as race trim; aero and engine maps change consumption.
If the car has fuel consumption telemetry in your dash or third-party apps, cross-check those numbers — they should roughly match your test.
Do tests at the same track temp and weather if possible; hotter air often increases fuel use.
For drafting-heavy races, test both in traffic and in clean air — drafting reduces consumption.
If you use boost or higher engine maps, expect higher burn; test with the settings you’ll race in.

FAQs

Q: Can I trust the pit-lane refuel calculator?
A: Yes — the pit-lane refuel screen shows exact fuel needed to fill to a target. Use it to sanity-check your math after the burn test.

Q: Do setups change fuel usage a lot?
A: Yes. Lower downforce can increase lap speed and fuel use. Test with the setup you’ll race.

Q: How many laps should I add as a safety margin?
A: For most sprint races add 1–2 laps. For longer races or variable conditions add 3–5 laps.

Q: What if fuel numbers fluctuate lap-to-lap?
A: Average them. One or two outlier laps (from traffic or mistakes) can skew results; use the mean of the steady laps.

Short Wrap-Up

Do a short controlled fuel-burn test in practice, record starting and ending fuel, and calculate fuel per lap. Use that number plus a small safety margin to set pit strategy and avoid surprises. Try one test this session and adjust if conditions or setups change.