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Prius and filling the tank

jchshade1969jchshade1969 Member Posts: 3
I have a 2006 Prius and love it. However, when filling up my tank today, the gas pump kept cutting off, only putting 2 gallon in tank that was in need of at least 8 gallon. So I put another 1/2 gal. in and it cut off again. It's cold here in WV, is that my problem?
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Comments

  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    Sounds like this is something that just happened to you rather than a recurring issue. If that's the case, I'd be leaning towards a malfunction with the gas pump/filler nozzle rather than assuming it's a "problem" with your car.
  • railroadjamesrailroadjames Member Posts: 560
    After 3 1/2 yrs with an'04 Prius I've come to understand and deal with the quirks of the "bladder" gastank of the hybrid. Some stations' pumps deliver the gas at a higher volume than others. That being said, you have to gingerly release the gas nozzle slowly. You're right though as to the winter effect on the tank and its volume. I seldom can put more than 8-9 gallons in frigid weather. I suppose that Toyota feels the advantages of the "bladder" tank outway the quirks. Even the gauge can fail to show a full tank when you know its filled to the max.
  • pathstar1pathstar1 Member Posts: 1,015
    The Prius fuel tank bladder requires a little pressure from the pump to expand. As pf_flyer said, the pump you used may be too sensitive. Also, if the nossle is a really tight fit it can cause problems. The Prius fuel bladder does get stiff in cold weather, and will usually accept a few gallons less than normal, but your estimate is too great for that to be the problem.

    Try another pump/station, to confirm which case is the cause.
  • dgw2dgw2 Member Posts: 2
    I have a Prius T4, 05, bought a couple of months ago when it had done only 3500 miles. Have the same problem you describe each time I fill up. Exactly the same problem. I find that if I pull the pump nozzle an inch or so out of the tank, squeeze the trigger slowly to get it started and then gently pull up the trigger to get full flow once it starts going - that usually works. But what a silly damn system, the worst bug on the car. Desined by a moron who never tested it in the real world.
  • pathstar1pathstar1 Member Posts: 1,015
    While I understand your frustration, you can be sure Toyota thoroughly tested the bladder system. The fuel tank bladder is what takes the Prius the final step to being the most environmentally benign vehicle currently in mass production. It severely lessens fuel vapour escape to the atmosphere.

    I felt the same way, BTW, the first time I travelled in Washington State, and attempted to fill up at a station with the "vapour recovery system". Not with a Prius, at that time I had a 4Runner. As I recall, I got 2 gal at a time in the vehicle.
  • acdiiacdii Member Posts: 753
    I just got a Prius, so I have yet to fill the tank, but I do have a 99 F350 Diesel from Ford, and their designers in their great wisdom decided to cut costs and use the same tank for the diesel that they use for the gassers. Well, diesel doesnt have the same properties of gasoline, less vapor, less expansion/contraction, but lots of foam. There is a tube in the tank the extends a good 6-8 inches down from the top, the overflow tube. If they had shortened that tube to about 2-4 inches, it would be much easier to fill the tank. When it gets to the tube, the foam shoots out, and stops the nozzle. I have to stand there and trickle in the last 4 gallons of fuel.

    Believe me, I feel your pain. ;)
  • dgw2dgw2 Member Posts: 2
    One other thing .. if you open the car, leave your keys on the seat and then close the door to go back into the house to fetch something, when you get back the car will be locked with your keys inside. Aside from "niggles" like this ( also lousy windscreen wipers ) it is a great car. Excellent engineering. Have fun. Dont try and drive it in the snow - useless. Maybe better with snow chains or studs - we dont use those things in UK.
  • pathstar1pathstar1 Member Posts: 1,015
    The smartkey system is supposed to prevent that from happening. The car isn't supposed to lock unless you do it manually from inside when the fob is in it. There are a few places you can put the fob inside the car that the system can't detect it, but they are hard to find. Of course, if you don't have SKS, you can lock the keys inside.
  • 3screwsloose3screwsloose Member Posts: 116
    Guess what, if the diesel fuel you are pumping "foams up" you may be pumping fuel that has too much sulphur in it. It used to foam up years ( 9-10 ) ago. Then they removed most of the sulphur. As of 15 October, almost all of the sulphur was removed ( 15ppm from 500ppm ) is all that is to be used in any new vehicle. If yours foams, it may be off-road fuel for construction equipment ( diesel #2 ).
  • mickiedemickiede Member Posts: 1
    I have the same problem with my new 2007 Toyota Pruis. I noticed it right away. I took it into the dealership and was told they were unable to duplicate the problem when filling with gas. At first, I assumed it was due to cold weather...but I've had it happen during the summer months too. I'm taking back in to have reviewed again. It's frustrating when you know you need to put in several gallons and the tank shuts off after only putting in 30 cents.
  • snappycappysnappycappy Member Posts: 4
    I have had a similar problem to the one "jchshade1969" described. Twice, while gasing up, the pump has cut off prematurely and at about the same time in the gasing process. I had pumped about 8 1/2 gallons when I really needed about 10. There must be an air-lock problem that makes the pump think my tank is full. I do know that if you pump too fast, it can make the pump cut off. But it stilled happened at a slower pumping rate.
  • sherry9sherry9 Member Posts: 14
    I have a 2007 Prius and have been having problems with the fuel gauge registering correctly. My car will not take more than 6.5 gallons when filling up and my mileage has been cut in half. After having it at the dealer 7 times, having the complete instrument panel replaced 3 times and the entire gas tank replaced once, the problem is still there. After calling Toyota and making my complaint, they tell me it is a regional problem due to weather temps here (WV). They do not want to do anything till it gets warmer to see if it corrects itself. Has anyone else had this problem with this car?
  • yermellyermell Member Posts: 6
    I have a 2006 Prius with 39,000 miles. I love it. I have started having problems filling the fuel tank this winter. I live in the northeast and in December the tank started taking only 7-8 gals or so when filling up even if it was empty. It has continued all winter. I compared this to last year's fillup records and this problem did not occur, I was able to get 10+ gals in last year through the winter. I took it to the dealer and after two different technicians, the only explanation is the cold weather and stiffening of the bladder tank. They said wait until it gets warmer... They also recalibrated the computer. How frequently is this happening? As I said to the technician this is a loss of 30+ % of the tank capacity. The gas gauge shows full when I only get the 7-8 gals in and the computer and manual mileage calcs match.
  • stevegoldstevegold Member Posts: 185
    I have a 2004 Prius with no prior history of tank filling problems. This winter has been unusually cold. A few months ago my wife washed the car on a very cold day. From then on, no gas would go in the tank even though the gage read only half full.
    I tried 3 or 4 times but the gas would instantly overflow. I assumed the tank was full (and the gauge was wrong) and did nothing more until I had driven about 300 miles at which time the tank took 7+ gallons and the gauge read full. It has been working properly ever since. I think it was some combination of the prolonged very cold temperatures and the car wash.
  • sherry9sherry9 Member Posts: 14
    I knew I couldn't be the only one having this problem. This has been going on since November 07. I have not put more than 6.5 in mine every time, sometimes no more than 5 gallons. This is the only problem I have had with this car. Mine has 19,000 miles on it. I bought it the first of April 07. It was still cold then, too. I have had it to the dealer 7 times over this. They cannot fix it. I have contacted Toyota and they don't seem to want to do anything till it gets warmer. The weather may be part of the problem, but something else is going on too. I have sent a certified letter to Toyota arbitration over this. Look in your owners rights book to see the steps for doing this in your state if you want to pursue it. We do have lemon laws and one way or another, they will do something about this. If nothing else, they can replace the car. That mpg is very hard to give up. I don't think any other car can compare to it. Still, I am not going to go through this every winter. I'll post what happens with that. Thanks for your reply.
  • yermellyermell Member Posts: 6
    I think the problem is more common than we know. I love the car and we plan to get a second one. I think Toyota could be more up front on this. My first technician tried to tell me the tank was only 9.9 gals, that the 11.9 was liters! The bladder tank is the most environmentally friendly according to my 2nd tech and they did have serious filling serious problems on the 2004 year. I am going to wait until it gets warmer and see what happens. As I said, last winter I had fills of 10.7 gals, 9.9 gals etc. so this problem with only 6-7 gal fills is new this year.
  • sherry9sherry9 Member Posts: 14
    I love this car, too. I will be more than happy to have a new one. I would be happy with fills of 9-10 gallons, I'm just not getting it. With the yo-yo gas prices, I could always wait this out before. Now I can't. It's starting to get warmer now, so we'll see how it does. You would think if they had serious problems before they would have done something about it in the last three years. I did buy an extended warranty, so hopefully these problems will be covered.
  • chadxchadx Member Posts: 153
    This might be frustrating to some, but is it really worth pursuing a lemon law claim? If you are only able to put in 7 gallons, that means your range is 280 miles (at 40mpg). While that may be 80 - 100 miles less of a range when compared to a summer fill-up (plus summer gas mileage is often higher, which is a double whammy), it's still pretty good miles per tank compared to many other vehicles.

    Many recent vehicles have spoiled us with 350 - 400 mile range, but on a day to day basis, why carry around all that weight and gasoline? You get worse mileage because of the weight, plus, the gas starts to age if it takes you two or three weeks to use it all. I can see this being more frustrating for those that put a lot of miles on everyday, but on a day to day basis, if that is one of the bigger issues with this vehicles, I'd say things are going pretty good.

    Part of it might be just changing our mindset. We are so used to pumping 12 - 20 gallons into past vehicles, that when we only put in 7 - 10 gallons, we feel like we are barely putting in any gas. The fact that fewer gallons gets a prius owner a LOT more miles down the road than other vehicles takes some getting used to. I had to change my mindset similarly on a recent motorcycle purchase. I was used to 5.5 gallon gas tanks on bikes that only got 40mpg. But I bought a bike with a 4 gallon tank. Every time I fill, I feel like I'm just going to run out of gas right away, but since it gets 70mpg, it's range is actually significantly longer on those 4 gallons than my other bike travels on 5.5 gallons.

    And if all that fails, consider what others have mentioned. This is an emissions reduction tool. Make up your mind that it's worth the fluctuation in capacity for the good it does. After all, that mind set is likely a large part of the reason everyone decides to purchase a prius in the first place. "Embrace it" as they say.
  • sherry9sherry9 Member Posts: 14
    Do you own a Prius? You haven't said if you are having this same problem. Yes, as far as I am concerned, it is worth pursuing a lemon law claim. I am not able to put in 7 gallons and get 280 miles. The most miles I have gotten has been 227. I do drive a lot every day. My mindset has already been changed since I bought this car. For the amount of money I spent, I expect it to work correctly. Most people do. Maybe you don't. If I wanted an ordinary car that I had to fill up twice a week, I would have bought one. I will "embrace" a car that works correctly.
  • sergelbergeronsergelbergeron Member Posts: 138
    HI I live in Canada and I own a 2005 Prius and a new 2008 with about 8,000 miles. I think I am having the same problem with both cars. It hit me worse this week because I ran out of gaz with my 08 nodel. Everytime I get down to the flashing light I do 10-15 miles and then tanl up and I find that I still had 3-4 gallons left based on the capacity. So 2 days ago - it was snowing - raining and ugly and I was late so I figured that I had 3-4 gallons left and I had about 55 miles to go so I went for it and I ran out of gaz at 49 miles, this is the first time in my life I run out. So I filled up with a 1 gallon reservoir and then I put in about 8 more gallons and it was full - so my tank is 9 gallons? evidently we all have the same problem. ( this is all with the 08) With the 05, I (which my wife drives) I haven't really stretched it but yes I always thought that I had more left in the tank than appeared to be - but now I see it is the tank that is smaller. I agree with others - this is not acceptable - winter or summer. A small variation might be acceptable but has anybody really measured this summer and winter? They tell us not to overfill and I have never really tried to overfill - what would that do.
    I will follow this forum to see what happens with this problem - did anybody write to Toyota Motors?
    BTW in Canada we are all in litre and the tank is 45 litres per the book.
  • sherry9sherry9 Member Posts: 14
    Your problem does sound like mine but I am only putting in 6.5 gallons. The most I have gone on the empty light is about 20 miles. I also assume there should be more in the tank but I'm not willing to try it. I have contacted Toyota and they tell me it is normal, I don' think so. They are not willing to do anything till it gets warmer. Have you taken yours in for service? I have been asking other people I see if they are having these problems and they aren't. I sent a letter to Toyota arbitration last Monday and am expecting to hear from them this week. I requested a buy back or replacement since it can't seem to be fixed. It is out of Toyota's hand now and they have to abide by the arbitration ruling. It has to be settled within 40 days. I will post what happens.
  • yermellyermell Member Posts: 6
    well my tank problem is improving, I've gone from 7.5 gal. or so last month up to 9.68 gals. today. I was on my flashing light. The temp was 43 F. I too wish Toyota would come clean on this. If the bladder tank is best technology I could probably live with it in the winter, if that is what I was expecting. But as I said in an earlier post, I didn't have this problem last year.
  • stevegoldstevegold Member Posts: 185
    My bladder problem this winter disappeared a few weeks ago but I did NOT have it in 2007, 2006, 2005 or 2004.
  • sherry9sherry9 Member Posts: 14
    I just filled mine up today and it took 5.2 gallons with 1 bar still lit. It has been in the sixties here for the last few days;
  • railroadjamesrailroadjames Member Posts: 560
    Worth mentioning is the method by which the Prius should be filled. My point being: Over the last 4 plus yrs of filling my '04 Prius I found that filling very slowly makes fill-ups attain maximum fill. When I do hit the blinking fuel gauge lite I know I can go approx. 25 miles. With that in mind, I find fill-ups usually are about 9 to 10 gallons. Again I reinterate. FILL VERY SLOWLY. It works for me. Last note...Winter's very cold weather does vary fill-ups about a gallon or so less.
  • sergelbergeronsergelbergeron Member Posts: 138
    Well spring is almost here in Canada. I will watch this closely this summer and next winter. On my 05 and the 08 and I will advise - up here in Canada we are in litres so I will be converting. It is still a great car - I just wish I could depend on the gauge - is full really full?
  • stevegoldstevegold Member Posts: 185
    Does your Prius (or HH) have a spring loaded round metal flap that covers the hole where the filler nozzle gets inserted? My 2004 does not, but it may have fallen in the tank causing the filling problems I experienced a few months ago. I don't remember if there ever was such a flap. Other owners report having such a flap.
  • sherry9sherry9 Member Posts: 14
    Not that I know of.
  • gscheil1gscheil1 Member Posts: 72
    Add gas very,very,very slowly.
  • stevegoldstevegold Member Posts: 185
    There is no flap. The problem must have been caused by very cold temperatures that did something to the rubber bladder in the tank. Once it warmed up, the problem disappeared. I don't know why it never happened in previous winters.
  • sherry9sherry9 Member Posts: 14
    I'm glad your problem disappeared. Mine hasn't. It is now 70-80 degrees here and I still can't put in more than 7 gallons. I went for my arbitration hearing on the 18th and won my case. Toyota will be replacing my car within the next 45 days. It was very interesting listening to the representative from Toyota disputing my claim. According to her, there is no way to measure the amount of gas in the tank ( I thought that was what the gas gauge was for ), you cannot go by what it says in the owners manuel because it is wrong, and Toyota feels that there is nothing wrong with my car, that is how they all perform. I don't think so. Regardless, I love this car and am replacing it with another Prius.
  • stevegoldstevegold Member Posts: 185
    Congratulations on winning your case. Too bad they couldn't fix it but now you will end up with a new car. Not bad.
  • rolinrolin Member Posts: 13
    First, let me say that the input I have read here is most valuable information and it's groups like this that keep us, the consumers, well informed.
    IToday I saw that my gas tank was at half full. Last Friday, I picked the new car up from the dealer (Prius 2008) and they had the tank filled upon delivery. Ok, so we are at 1/2 of a tank of gas and the total miles to date is 117. My first concern in that if a half of a tank is approximately 5-6 gallons, and I went only 117 miles, the gas mileage realized was close to 20 MPG. HOWEVER, the consumption meter shows an average of 44 MPG. Ok, I have read that I need to give this time, etc., which I am willing to do.
    However, today, on 1/2 of a tank, I decided to fill it up. I started filling it in the usual way, and the gas cut off at under 3 gallons. I had read the above posts last night, so I was sort of expecting this problem to occur. I repeated this several time, trying to fill the tank, but it kept clicking off. I then proceeded to fillit ever so slowly, guessing that I had better stop at approximately 5 gallons. I was very concerned of a back-flow, and didn't want to have a mess of gas on the ground.

    I drove right to the service section of the Toyota place where I purchased this car last Friday, and the service Mgr. told me to bring it right in when I get down to 1/2 to 1/4 of a tank, and they would see if their attempt to fill up would be a problem as well. While I was waiting for the Mgr, I asked a fellow who had purchased the same car a few months ago. I asked him if he had the same problem and he said he did not. There is an obvious problem here. I don't think one should "guess" at how much fuel to put into the car. I love the car but I am starting to pray that this is not a lemon situation. I would appreciate any input. Thank you
  • sherry9sherry9 Member Posts: 14
    When I bought my car April 07, I never had a problem filling it up. The most I put in was 10 gallons and that was with 1 bar still showing. My mpg started out at 37-40 and has gradually gotten better. I am now consistent at at least 45 or better. Mileage will improve as the car gets broke in. I did not have any problem till the end of Oct into Nov. As it got colder, the amount of gas I put in went down to 8-9 gallons but my mpg was consistent with the amount of gas I put in the car. That changed in December. I was getting 400-450 miles per tank an I went to under 300 per tank. If you look in your owners manual at the gas tank specs, it will say an 11.9 gal tank with a shrinkage of the interior liner of the tank up to 1.3 gal in temps 14 degrees or below. Needless to say, mine shrank a whole lot more than that. The most I can put in now is 7 gallons and it is 80 degrees here. Do not let them tell you this is normal, it is not. I know this cannot occur on every Prius out there or nobody would be happy. Maybe you have one with the same problem as mine, but I hope not. The benefits of this car still far outweigh the drawbacks. I am replacing it with the same car again and hope I do not have this problem again. If so, we'll just go another round this winter. If I had bought the car used, I would have lived with it. Like you, I bought a new car and expect it to perform like a new car should.

    When you said you put gas in it, did it take 5 gallons to fill it up or only 3 that you put in? There is a problem with the flap in the tank as you are filling up, it cuts off. I haven't had this problem. If that is the case, then your consumption screen with the mpg could be reading wrong. Any way you look at it, something is not right.

    Hope this helps you. Let me know what they tell you. Thanks.
  • rolinrolin Member Posts: 13
    Thanks for the quick response, it is appreciated. To answer your question, the 5 gallons were put in after the gauge displayed 1/2 of a tank. However, the gas pump stopped as I was fueling, only allowing 2 plus gallons. I then slowly added more, and finished at 5 gallons. The gas gauge then went to the full, with all the bars lit.
    After filling the tank, I set the trip odometer to 0 to see track my mileage. Since I have filled up, I have traveled 89 miles, and the gas meter gauge, still displays all the bars, indicating that I have a full tank. The consumption meter is showing an average of 42 MPG. Is this possible that the gas gauge bars have not decreased yet? I am getting sick at heart thinking that between the gas filling up problem and now the gas gauge still appearing full after almost 90 miles, that I have made a big mistake. I hope that there are people here, that know more than I, that can help to ease these fears.
    Thank you again for your answer.
  • sherry9sherry9 Member Posts: 14
    It sounds to me like you have a problem with the flap when you fill up. Your gas gauge is reading correctly because 1/2 a tank should be about 5 gallons. When mine was working properly I could go 100 or more miles before it dropped off full and then about 40-50 miles for each bar after that. If you read back through the other messages, you will see where other people have had that problem. It's not a big problem so much as it is frustrating. Definitely take it back like they said to have it checked. You really haven't made a big mistake by buying the car, it just takes some getting used to. It did for me, anyway. But really, it is a great car. Good luck with it.

    When I first started having problems, I asked everyone I saw driving one of these cars if they had had these problems too. When you see people, ask them about it and if they like their cars or are having any problems. This will also help ease your fears.
  • rolinrolin Member Posts: 13
    Thank you, again, Sherry

    If this is the worst I have to deal with, it's definately worth learning how to fuel-up the car. I must say that I Love this car, and today, I saw my average MPG at 48.6!

    I will bring it to the dealers service people when it needs a fill-up as they requested me to do. I will also keep in mind the "flap" that you mention.. Great Point! My only complaint, is that the "bladder" type of fuel tank is left to us to discover on our own, and worry, perhaps needlessly.

    Many thanks again

    Linda
  • scubadogscubadog Member Posts: 3
    I agree completely with the last post. A car that will not accept the total fuel capacity is malfunctioning. I am now in the process of purchasing my new Prius so have not yet experienced this. I hope I don't. My commute is 450 miles per week and I expect to have to fill up the car just once per week.
  • kdhspyderkdhspyder Member Posts: 7,160
    I agree. After 30 months and 75000 miles I always drive til the last bar blinks then I know that I have 100 miles at max to go. Unfortunately, and not smartly, I have tested this limit of the envelope.

    When I do as you and fill up immediately at the first station after the bar starts blinking I always put in 9.5 to 10.3 gal. All my records are posted at GreenHybrid, every tankful since day one.

    My 'trigger' is the correlation between the miles driven that tank and the average estimate on the MFD. When the miles driven are 10x the average then I know that I have to put in about 10 gal.....then suddenly the light starts blinking .... and I end up putting in about 10 gal, week after week, month after month, year after year.

    2005 Seaside 74,890 mile and 47.8 mpg lifetime average
  • kdhspyderkdhspyder Member Posts: 7,160
    Depending on where you live and drive and how you drive your 450 mi estimate is pretty good.

    But IMO here is why the bladder issue is somewhat of a tempest in a teapot. It is annoying when it occurs. When you can only add 8 gal when you know you should be putting in 10 gal. But this doesn't affect the fuel economy one bit. It just means a slightly more frequent stop at the pump. One would be getting 45-52 mpg on 8 gal iso 10 gal.
  • stevegoldstevegold Member Posts: 185
    I had this issue come up for the first time this winter, since 2004. I was pissed because the meter showed about half full, I couldn't get any more gas into the tank and I didn't know which was incorrect. I think the gauge was under reading and the tank was close to full although it could have been the other way around. I drive very little in the winter, so I waited until I racked up 250 miles, and the gauge was near empty, (by that time it had warmed up outside) and then filled up with 6.5 gallons and the gauge showing full. Had I gone on a long trip, I would have put a 5 gallon gas can in the back just to be sure. It has been a few months with no problem. We're doing a 1,250 mile drive to Chicago in a few weeks and I don't anticipate any problem other than the Mississippi flooding. I will take a full size spare with me since I had a flat in the middle of nowhere last year (on the original tires with about 20,000 miles on them). I had to buy one tire and rim to finish that trip since I already had a set of four new tires that I should have put on before leaving home.
    I do love the car itself and the great mileage. My neighbor has a Lexus. Last night I showed him how to check the mpg. It was 13.9 on the screen since his last fill up.
  • sherry9sherry9 Member Posts: 14
    I have the same problem with the tires on mine. I have almost 22,000 miles on it and my tires are shot. Still, I love this car. My new one is on a ship now and I will have it by the end of the month. Hopefully I won't have the same problem with the gas tank again.
  • descovydescovy Member Posts: 1
    Did I read correctly in the '08 manual that it needs premium fuel? Please advise, because I find that no one mentions anything about it...

    Also, dealer told dh to use "B" to brake at stop lights/signs, etc... for better fuel miliage, from what I am reading here, more like when you go downhill a mountain, not for quick starts, for me it is what is like to put a regular automatic in "low" Seems to me like a waste to go in "B" all the time. No mountains in Houston ;)
  • scottc3scottc3 Member Posts: 137
    I have not read this part of the forum before, but was somewhat aware of a 'gas tank' problem. Yesterday I was down to 1 bar, and on my Prius this means I have 3 gallons left (about) - based on the other fill-ups. I put gas in, but it only took 6 gallons. The pump kept shutting off. I told the service guy at the gas station his pump was faulty, and paid for the 6 gal and left, then went to another station. Same thing, got in 2 gal there, and the pump started shutting off. I was filling very fast, and will try it slower next time, but it's not happened before this, and I fill fast all the time. If this happens again, I will take back to the dealer and see what can be done. I have many records of filling up the car. It's about 75 degrees here in San Jose, so the cold is not the issue. And it's worked fine until now.

    sc
  • stevegoldstevegold Member Posts: 185
    That is pretty much what happened to me except I had 5 bars on the gauge and it wouldn't take any gas so I didn't know if I was full, half full or less. The problem seems to have disappeared as strangely as when it appeared. We going on a long drive soon and I'll keep track of the gas situation and report back.
  • kdhspyderkdhspyder Member Posts: 7,160
    No neither statement is correct.

    The Prius only needs basic clean 87 Octane. Anything else is a waste of money.

    The dealer is wrong. That's not too uncommon. Most sales people are as aware of the Prius as they are of the Space Shuttle.....and I sell Prius'. 'B' is only for engine braking in downhill situations so that you don't ride the brakes all the way down. There's no other purpose.
  • rolinrolin Member Posts: 13
    Hello to all

    I have concerns about my MPG and I would appreciate any help you might offer.
    Here's the deal. I purchases, and love, my 2008 Prius with package #7 3 weeks ago. Since that time, I have gained insight into the "Bladder" type of fuel tank, etc, and understand how to fill the tank, which by the way is very different than filling my Pathfinder, which I do Not miss...

    When I bought the car, the gas indicator had all bars lit, indicating a full tank. At 5 bars, I filled it up, with 5.013 gallons and set the trip A odometer to track my MPG. At 3 bars, the next week, I was able to fill it with 6.06 gallons and noted the Trip A odometer at 323.3 miles. I thought that I was supposed to divide the miles driven (323.3) into the 6.06 gallons. I was under the impression that I was getting approximately 53 MPG.

    What I am seeing now on my trip odometer is 168.7 miles driven, with now bars indicating 1/2 of a tank (5 bars). My consumption meter is showing today an average of 47.2 MPG at the 47 miles that I drove today.

    I am confused and I hope I don't sound a a bit ignorant here. How do I track my MPG, based upon the above MPG information, what does it seem to you that I am getting MPG? Can I be getting only 30 mpg? I don't think so, but the wisdom and knowledge I have see here is impressive.

    Many thanks

    Linda
  • cheryl06priuscheryl06prius Member Posts: 50
    On occasion I have filled my tank('06 model)to the brim and the bar gauge has read 2 bars below maximum. It usually reverted to the correct level but I never established a correlation as to how many miles I drove before it did. I don't understand why it happens, just a quirck I suspect.

    If you filled the tank before the fuel level gauge reverted then that might be the cause of your low mpg reading. Absent a major change in driving conditions it is unlikely you would go from 47MPG to 30MPG. Whenever the "quirck" happened to me it wasn't reflected on the elapsed consumption gauge. Hope it makes sense to you.
  • sergelbergeronsergelbergeron Member Posts: 138
    Firstly - I am now filling it up v e r y s l o w l y.
    I just returned from Florida (Ontario - Florida) - so I did about 3,500 miles - - my highest fill-up was 9.559 gallons and I know I was on the low of bar 2 - I never let it go to bar 1, since I ran out of gaz. Most of my fill-ups are around bar 3-4 and I was putting in about $23 - or 6.4 gallons - on my total trip - going between 55MPH and 77MPH - I took 72.7 gallons for an average of 48MPG. I think this is higher than the indicator was showing. On one occassion, I did over 100 miles before the first bar disappeared.

    Anyway, I love my Prius, I know I have the most ecological green car out there - (even better than those Smart Cars or those Mini's)

    I am not happy with big SUV's burning all the gaz. I don't mind $4. a gallon - maybe there will be more smaller cars out there - more hybrids. When we look around - with all the big SUV's - with only one person in the car - it is a shame.

    Some day, driving a big car alone, will be like - smoking in a restaurant - it will be forbidden. We need to take care of this planet - Sorry - now I will go with the TreeHuggers web sites ....
  • scottc3scottc3 Member Posts: 137
    I posted above (sc) and now again. In my last tank, which did not fill up 'on it's own' (shut off around 7 gallons - and I know it should have taken at least 9), I kept putting in little bits of gas, until I thought it was full. Today I was on 420 miles and had 2 bars left. This has never happened before, at 420 miles it's usually on the last bar and it's blinking at this mileage. (and I think I have 2 gallons left in the tank - which I know now I do not). So, this clearly means the tank was not getting full in all previous fill-up attempts. Today I filled up, and I filled slowly with the gas nozzle barely in the tank. The gas overflowed, onto the ground - just a bit, but the tank was totally full. It took 10.8 gal today, with 2 bars left on the indicator. We are all assuming when 'we think' our tank is full, we are at 12 gal. I think this is a mistake.. many of us are not getting 12 gallons into the tank when the pump stops letting gas in the tank and shuts off. Here's what I have been monitoring.. each bar and how many miles.

    Bars.... Miles
    1....... 130
    2....... 158
    3....... 183
    4....... 209
    5....... 257
    6....... 310
    7....... 353
    8....... 420 Filled up here 2 bars left and it took 10.6 gal.
    9
    10

    It will be interesting to see how many miles I get on this 'full' tank. I'm not sure the tank has ever been full before.

    sc
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