Problems with fuel system in 2008 Prius?

[howardbc]

I belong to the Better World Club (an alternative to AAA) and they are reporting that 5 different 2008 Prius owners reported problems with the fuel system in the 2008 Prius. The complaint by the owners was that the fuel guage does not work and the driver cannot completely fill the gas tank due to a faulty fuel bladder. Has anyone else had this same problem?

[potomtoo@aol.com]

I have had trouble filling up my 08 prius. It is sometimes difficult to tell when it is actually full. The nozzle shuts off so much that I have to pull the nozzle out some. Once I actually overfilled it and the gas was spilling out of the tank. It doesn't happen all the time though. It also seems like some stations pumps are worse than others.

[qbee42]

If you spend a little time reading the threads on this forum, you will find this is a common area of discussion. The problem is mostly a lack of understanding. People read the specifications and think the Prius holds 11.9 gallons of gas. It doesn't. The tank is 11.9 gallons gross, but the usable capacity is closer to 10.5. It varies with temperature and the age of the fuel bladder. Since the usable capacity varies, the readings from the fuel gauge are not spot on. The fuel gauge still works fine, just don't expect to know exactly how much fuel you have. When the gauge gets low, add fuel. That's all you need to know.

Tom

[qbee42]

Originally Posted by potomtoo@aol.com

I have had trouble filling up my 08 prius. It is sometimes difficult to tell when it is actually full. The nozzle shuts off so much that I have to pull the nozzle out some. Once I actually overfilled it and the gas was spilling out of the tank. It doesn't happen all the time though. It also seems like some stations pumps are worse than others.

If you don't pull out the nozzle, you won't overfill. With a properly working fuel pump, all you have to do is set the pump on the slowest setting and wait for it to click off. When it does, you are done.

Tom