Help: Random Fuel Loss

[cavcpt 4]

Peers,

 

 

For no reason I can readily identify, my 777 and 737 NGX is randomly losing anywhere from 2-4 pounds of fuel at various and random stages of flight. Today it happen while taking the runway, yesterday it was while reaching cruise and while level at 37,000 feet. Sometimes it only happens once, sometimes several times. I will be flying along, not touching anything, and then my fuel will suddenly drop. Most of the time I notice it when all of a sudden the INSUFFICIENT FUEL suddenly flashes up on the MCP. 

 

I've used FSUIPC log to try and find some kind of errant command but nothing is standing out. Im almost always flying for a VA, but I've tried two separate ACARS and it happen on both systems. This is incredibly frustrating since I can't launch a long flight and leave for work for example. Its not happening to other aircraft, just my two big PMDG tubes. 

 

Any ideas??? I am open to brainstorming. 

[demarr55 3]

cavcpt:

 

Had similar issue only with PMDG 777 and NGX.  Problem turned out to be the ASUS motherboard, some problem with the clock.  If you have the ASUS board you might want to check their web site for more info.

[cavcpt 4]

I have it with both aircraft as well. You are the second person to suggest that. What was your solution? 

[mcbellette 145]

Please log a support ticket for random help! (Sorry, couldn't help myself, lol). But seriously - you'll get better and faster support via the PMDG ticket system.

[Tabs 2,790]

This is almost assuredly the motherboard BIOS/UEFI clock issue described above. The more recent Asus boards have a lot of trouble with this and I've stopped recommending them for that reason. There's complaints all over the big hardware forums about the issue too. A lot of the systems in our airplanes rely on the HPET - high precision events timer - in the BIOS. If the BIOS clock stops working or otherwise malfunctions then the signal we use to sync all the systems (fuel burn, pressurization rates etc) becomes erratic and invalid and that causes weird issues like sudden loss or gain of fuel, pressurization failures, autopilot issues etc.

[77west 139]

Ryan is quite correct and whilst I myself would not recommend ASUS or other consumer boards for business use, I (as owner of an IT company) have had to deal with many, many ASUS related issues recently due to 3rd party supplied ASUS boards - DVR, alarm systems, automated farm equipment, the list goes on. The HPET is key to many software packages and I would believe the PMDG product range probably relies on it even more.

[Japo32 52]

But this is a dissaster!!! I have same problem.. and I have the problem of the clock and the bios. There is no fix for this!!! I tryied several times in their forums but they don't find the solution... So I had a solution.. once windows is loaded I have a program to catch online the hour.

So you are saying me that I have to buy another computer to fly the PMDGs planes?

Can't you give us an option to calculate what you have to calculate via the clock of windows? (and if the user want to choose the other option of bios.. ok?)

 

Like it says here in this link. There is no fix. I tryed the first one.. but it only fixed for some days. After that the fix don't work anymore.

 

http://rog.asus.com/forum/showthread.php?36676-Frozen-Time-Clock-in-UEFI-The-Fix/page36

 

please put that option to control the fuel via the normal clock. Once the clock is started in windows, it runs normally.

[scandinavian13 5,192]

But this is a dissaster!!! I have same problem.. and I have the problem of the clock and the bios. There is no fix for this!!! I tryied several times in their forums but they don't find the solution... So I had a solution.. once windows is loaded I have a program to catch online the hour.

So you are saying me that I have to buy another computer to fly the PMDGs planes?

 

Posts are required to be signed with your first and last name. Please do so in the future.

 

As far as the fix goes, you don't need to buy a new computer. One option is to update the BIOS. For some computers, I think it's as simple as replacing the CMOS battery.

 

 

 

Can't you give us an option to calculate what you have to calculate via the clock of windows? (and if the user want to choose the other option of bios.. ok?)

 

No. It's really not that easy.

[Japo32 52]

Sorry about the name.

 

No the solution don't comes with the battery.. if you read the post is not as easy.. is a fault in design in the asus mainboards. 

 

But I discovered how to fix this one. I have a program that pickup the time for internet so when it starts with windows it update the lost clock that will run (the time again) when windows is on.

Ok.. it was updating every 1h. So every hour is when I have the issue with fuel.

Now I put more update time of the flight and don't have the problem anymore.

 

For future reference for people

 

Javier Rollon.

[scandinavian13 5,192]

 

 

No the solution don't comes with the battery.. if you read the post is not as easy.. is a fault in design in the asus mainboards. 

 

Javier,

 

I fully understand the issue here as I have an ASUS computer that has the issue with the motherboard. I wasn't simply guessing with no idea of what's really going on here - I have actual experience with this issue. I was repeating information I've found regarding the various fixes for the issue. The actual fix is through one of the following:

1. Replacing the CMOS battery
2. Updating the BIOS
3. Replacing the motherboard (probably not the best solution as it's pretty expensive)

Depending on the machine, one of the first two will fix it. At the very worst, the last one obviously would.

 

 

 

But I discovered how to fix this one. I have a program that pickup the time for internet so when it starts with windows it update the lost clock that will run (the time again) when windows is on.
Ok.. it was updating every 1h. So every hour is when I have the issue with fuel.
Now I put more update time of the flight and don't have the problem anymore.

 

This isn't a fix. This is a workaround. The fixes are listed above. The Windows clock isn't truly the issue. The issue is a lot deeper. Trust me.

[Japo32 52]

The last time I managed with the bios.. i brick a computer... bufffff so much bad thing.

I know is a workaround but for now it seems to solve a little.

One thing I saw also depending on the bios stuff was the pressurization part. when the clock updated it jumped the low press alarm also once I was descending.