DA-40 G1000 Questions

TDoc

Well-Known Member
Ok, Four questions:
1. Has anyone had a problem with the G1000 and starting after having it sit in cold temps? I didn't see any guidance for it in any of the manuals.

2. Is there a way to set the VNAV to be at an altitude at "x" miles prior to a waypoint? I know I used to get that from the 430 and I liked that feature and would have thought that would have carried through in Garmin's line.

3. On the DA-40, what is the reason for the absence of the green arc on the fuel gauges between 15 and 18 gallons (or so). I have noticed the fuel gauge once it gets to 18 will very quickly go to 15 and then sit for a while as it catches up.

4. Is there a way to split comm's like on the 340 audio panel? I tried to get this to work but the G1000 audio panel in the DA-40 didn't seem to have this feature. I used this one a lot before.
 
1. I've never run into any problems in the cold temps but then again here in N. Florida we rarely see the 30's.

2. To use VNAV profiles an active flight plan must be in use. Once it is, you can program in just about anything you want.

3. No clue.

4. No split coms on certain diamonds. You'll have to research your particular plane (serial number) and compare that to what is in your POH and or AFM.
 
Ok, Four questions:
1. Has anyone had a problem with the G1000 and starting after having it sit in cold temps? I didn't see any guidance for it in any of the manuals.

2. Is there a way to set the VNAV to be at an altitude at "x" miles prior to a waypoint? I know I used to get that from the 430 and I liked that feature and would have thought that would have carried through in Garmin's line.

3. On the DA-40, what is the reason for the absence of the green arc on the fuel gauges between 15 and 18 gallons (or so). I have noticed the fuel gauge once it gets to 18 will very quickly go to 15 and then sit for a while as it catches up.

4. Is there a way to split comm's like on the 340 audio panel? I tried to get this to work but the G1000 audio panel in the DA-40 didn't seem to have this feature. I used this one a lot before.

1. never had a problem in the last Two Utah winters

2. Yes, the VNAV profile can be set, a direct to waypoint or flight plan is needed. It is on the third page of the flight plan menu.
on the MFD press FPL, turn the small knob three to the right, push the cursor in and start setting. Easy as pie.

3. never noticed that in 400 hours in type

4. never tried to use it, but I believe there is a pilot and crew isolation at the bottom of the audio panel.
 
It looks like the other questions have been answered, and chime in if I'm wrong, but I do believe that the answer for #3 is that the readings between full (either 20 gal. on STD or 25 gal. on extended) and 15 (or full and 20 on extended) is an unreliable reading (I'm guessing due to the placement of the fuel guage in the tanks), therefore the missing green stripe.
 
The only time I have problems starting airplanes are fuel injected airlines in the summer. Too little fuel, it won't start. Too much fuel, it floods.
 
The only time I have problems starting airplanes are fuel injected airlines in the summer. Too little fuel, it won't start. Too much fuel, it floods.

One summer when I was working in a hangar, we had a transient on our ramp experience epic fail when attempting to start his injected 172. I swear he was out there for 30 minutes trying to get that dadgum thing to go and I have no idea how he managed to not kill the battery by then. It's possible to make 'em go pretty easy once you know the trick to it.
*end thread hijack*

I know the DA-42 has oddities with the tank arrangement/fuel qty. gages that produce an unreliable reading area, however I don't know how similar the 40 is.

Also, both types of G-1000 equipped airplanes I've flown had the split comm feature disabled. I was told that it was because the radios used (15 Watt I think) were more powerful than some older radios, and therefore more likely to interfere with each other during split comm operations.
 
Ok thanks for the replys, I did find that the Direct to button had the option to put the descent x amount of miles prior to the wpt. however there wasn't a third page in the fpl chapter.

At least there is an operational reason that they disabled the split comms, that was a nice feature.
 
3. On the DA-40, what is the reason for the absence of the green arc on the fuel gauges between 15 and 18 gallons (or so). I have noticed the fuel gauge once it gets to 18 will very quickly go to 15 and then sit for a while as it catches up.

4. Is there a way to split comm's like on the 340 audio panel? I tried to get this to work but the G1000 audio panel in the DA-40 didn't seem to have this feature. I used this one a lot before.

3. There are actually 3 tanks in each DA40 wing (50 gallon fuel. the 40 gallon fuel have 2 in each wing). From inboard there's a 15 gallon tank + 5 gallon (+5 gallon if you have 50 gallon fuel). The outboard 5 gallon tank (the middle one on 50 gallon fuel) has no fuel level sensor installed. Therefore the indication drops to 15 gallons, which is the top of the inboard tank, which is where fuel quanity sensor becomes active again. Kind of weird. The newest iteration of the software interpolates the fuel level in this "dead" zone so this indication doesn't occur.

4. If you know how to enter the diagnostic mode of the G1000, you can enable COM1/COM2 split. It is simply a enable/disable function of the software - no hardware changes required. Not that I would ever enable something the manufacturer disabled....
 
3. There are actually 3 tanks in each DA40 wing (50 gallon fuel. the 40 gallon fuel have 2 in each wing). From inboard there's a 15 gallon tank + 5 gallon (+5 gallon if you have 50 gallon fuel). The outboard 5 gallon tank (the middle one on 50 gallon fuel) has no fuel level sensor installed. Therefore the indication drops to 15 gallons, which is the top of the inboard tank, which is where fuel quanity sensor becomes active again. Kind of weird. The newest iteration of the software interpolates the fuel level in this "dead" zone so this indication doesn't occur.

You know I knew there were separate tanks, but didn't really think about it.
You just gave me a great end of course question.
 
3. There are actually 3 tanks in each DA40 wing (50 gallon fuel. the 40 gallon fuel have 2 in each wing). From inboard there's a 15 gallon tank + 5 gallon (+5 gallon if you have 50 gallon fuel). The outboard 5 gallon tank (the middle one on 50 gallon fuel) has no fuel level sensor installed. Therefore the indication drops to 15 gallons, which is the top of the inboard tank, which is where fuel quanity sensor becomes active again. Kind of weird. The newest iteration of the software interpolates the fuel level in this "dead" zone so this indication doesn't occur.

So it is similar to the DA-42 setup. Interesting.
 
So it is similar to the DA-42 setup. Interesting.

Yes, but the DA42 doesn't suffer the same indication "problem" as the DA40. Of course, it has its own shortcoming without quantity indicators for the aux tanks. :banghead:
 
Actually, ours do have a bit of a dead spot. However, it's in the middle tank, as only the outer and inner tanks have probes.
Also, how did they get by with no quantity indicators in the aux tank? Seriously guys...
*uh oh, I've started ranting about the DA-42...someone stop me before I get started about those !#@$% rudder pedals....*
 
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