Menu Sign In Contact FAQ
Banner
Welcome to our forums

Changing fuel units on the DA42 G1000

The DA42 I started flying has it’s fuel units in gallons. It doesn’t really make any sense (/ is detrimental to safety) in Europe so would like to change to the unit in which one refuels, Litres. I’ve changed it on the Aux page, but that doesn’t seem to have any effect on the Engine / Fuel pages. Is there some limitation where these can’t be changed in a regular menu? (Maybe because the placards are in gallons?) or is it a bug?

These are usually set by the installer. Can’t change mine either.

EGTK Oxford

What some people would do is to get hold of a G1000 installation manual. Loads of the various aircraft specific ones escaped into the wild a few years ago and I would think the means of getting into the config menus will be the same for all.

What would concern me is whether the config for the fuel units is in just one place. I know very little about the G1000 because I don’t have the need to know but I believe it is modular. Also, if the G500 is anything to go by, you may need confidential dealer-only codes to get into the lower levels of config. The G500 thus cannot be installed without dealer support and I bet the G1000 is the same. Most of the other “glass” avionics don’t have this restriction.

So you may have no choice but to go to a dealer to get this changed.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Much of the G1000 can’t be configured in the field – unlike the G500/600, Things like V-speed bands and limits are written into the system software which prevents retrofit installations except where STCs are created between Garmin and OEMs. You can manually re-configure data ports to allow interfaces for traffic, DME etc but if a system software update is carried out then it defaults the port settings to factory-standard so they need to be re-entered manually for any after-market changes.

There is no ‘confidential dealer-only code’ for the G1000. The G500/600 does require a dealer SD unlock card for access to maintenance mode.

Avionics geek.
Somewhere remote in Devon, UK.

I’ve yet to see any G1000 installation with Litres instead of USG for fuel management.

Fly safely
Various UK. Operate throughout Europe and Middle East, United Kingdom

Here’s the page from the DA42 pilot’s guide – there is no option available for fuel other than gallons:

Last Edited by wigglyamp at 01 Feb 16:49
Avionics geek.
Somewhere remote in Devon, UK.

which prevents retrofit installations except where STCs are created between Garmin and OEMs.

I have a really great Q for you wigglyamp.

How can that work?

I mean, what stops me from unscrewing a G1000 out of a DA42 and screwing it into a Ford Escort, connecting up the battery, the various sensors (no reason why a Ford Escort can’t have a fuel totaliser), and surely it cannot possibly know where it is. Well, it will know the GPS location but it won’t know it is in a Ford Escort.

The DA42 I started flying has it’s fuel units in gallons. It doesn’t really make any sense (/ is detrimental to safety) in Europe so would like to change to the unit in which one refuels, Litres.

I wonder why that is a problem.

I am in USG too. USG stickers, totaliser set to USG (although that I can change). But all fuel is sold in litres. The potential for error is zero if I always fill right up – which I always do, because there is virtually no cruise speed penalty. I just do the x3.78 conversion when checking the usable fuel, minus the Landing FOB, against the pump reading, and they should be within 1% or so. After each fill-up, the totaliser is always wound all the way up to the “factory configured but I know where” stop of 86.2 USG.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Peter wrote:

How can that work?

Are you serious?

JP-Avionics
EHMZ

Peter wrote:

How can that work?

I mean, what stops me from unscrewing a G1000 out of a DA42 and screwing it into a Ford Escort, connecting up the battery, the various sensors (no reason why a Ford Escort can’t have a fuel totaliser), and surely it cannot possibly know where it is. Well, it will know the GPS location but it won’t know it is in a Ford Escort.

System configuration is stored in config modules located in the aircraft harness connectors of different units. When a new system is installed in an aircraft, the configuration is uploaded via an OEM-supplied software. When replacing some units you also have to reload the system software. If you have a Beech G36/G58 then the SD card is retained in the back of the AFM .

So if you install the system in a Ford Escort and transfer the config module and harness and have the right Garmin-specific sensors on your Ford engine then of course it’ll work but you won’t be able to set ground-speed to statute MPH!

Avionics geek.
Somewhere remote in Devon, UK.

OK, so a ex-DA42 G1000 in a Ford Escort will be fully functional except for the engine parameters page where it shows stuff like % power – correct? Yes I should have thought of that one…

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom
12 Posts
Sign in to add your message

Back to Top