Low Fuel Warning

[NuShrike]

Originally posted by Schmika@Jan 19 2006, 03:25 PM
        I guess we all have to have a hobby

[snapback]193511[/snapback]

I got more interesting hobbies than this. TiVo hacking, cats, rabbits, Playstation, xvid vs h264, gravity sims, etc.. Then there's WoW, and work at Toontown.com.

Some other people have too much time...

[pgorbas]

The light starts blinking whenever you get down to that last tick mark - right? there are 10 ticks, and the gas tank/bladder holds about 11 gallons - so that puts 1.1 gallons per tick mark.

So whatever gas mileage you are get out of about 1 gallon is probably a safe estimate on how far you can go when the link starts blinking.



This is all just theory - I'm still on my First tank of gas....

[DaveinOlyWA]

best bet is to use the MFD to guess as to how much gas you have left and dont use the 11.9 gallon standard. start out with what you actually put in.

[paco-shalom]

Originally posted by DaveinOlyWA@Jan 25 2006, 12:31 AM
best bet is to use the MFD to guess as to how much gas you have left and dont use the 11.9 gallon standard. start out with what you actually put in.

[snapback]196817[/snapback]

Okay - this is what I tried - I was averaging 47.5 mpg on this tank. The first Add Fuel warning came at about 410 miles. I estimated 10.5 gallons usable fuel in the tank when full, so I should be able to go over 500 miles.

Well, on my way home last night, 2.2 miles from the gas station, on the way home from picking up my tags from the dealer, a big red triangle lit up on the dash along with the check engine light. I only had 460 miles. The accelerator would not work. I pulled to the shoulder of the highway and waited for AAA (couldn't find anyone to bring me a gallon of gas) for almost 90 minutes. The driver towed me (flat-bed truck) to the station I was headed to because here it is illegal for tow-trucks or police officers to carry extra fuel. I put in just over 7 gallons while on the incline, still strapped to the truck. That put the gauge up to 9/10 full.

I'm definitely questioning the gauge, along with the usable volume of fuel. It seems that if the average mpg shown on the MFD is correct, then the engine should not have shut off when it did, or something is preventing me from filling my tank completely. This is especially true because on my previous fillups, which were after the last tick was flashing, I have never put in more than 8.5 gallons at a time.

Anyway, this experience shows that at 47.5 mpg, the limit is right around 50 miles from the first low-fuel warning.

[ken1784]

Originally posted by paco-shalom+Feb 16 2006, 02:24 AM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(paco-shalom @ Feb 16 2006, 02:24 AM)</div>

I estimated 10.5 gallons usable fuel in the tank when full, so I should be able to go over 500 miles.
[/b]

That's the problem.
Because...

I have never put in more than 8.5 gallons at a time.

[snapback]209874[/snapback]

Your estimated volume is 8.5 gallons or little more. It can't be 10.5.
The Japanese model without bladder has 6.5 litter (1.7 gallons) after warning.

Ken@Japan

[richard schumacher]

Originally posted by pgorbas@Jan 24 2006, 10:37 PM
The light starts blinking whenever you get down to that last tick mark - right?  there are 10 ticks, and the gas tank/bladder holds about 11 gallons - so that puts 1.1 gallons per tick mark.

So whatever gas mileage you are get out of about 1 gallon is probably a safe estimate on how far you can go when the link starts blinking.
This is all just theory - I'm still on my First tank of gas....

[snapback]196775[/snapback]

People have found themselves stopped on the road using this theory. The flashing pip means "buy gas right now, damn it".

[patcoghm]

Just filled my new car for the first time . Prius 2006. Got 11.4 gallons in and the last tick never blinked. Was my first tank with a mountain trip to lake Tahoe and got 33.9 MPG. Still working on how to drive and be efficient. The last tick appeared just as I headed home to Reno and after 30 miles I filled up and the light never blinked.

[ken1784]

Originally posted by pgorbas@Jan 25 2006, 12:37 PM
The light starts blinking whenever you get down to that last tick mark - right?  there are 10 ticks, and the gas tank/bladder holds about 11 gallons - so that puts 1.1 gallons per tick mark.

[snapback]196775[/snapback]

The guess gauge is not linear, so the one tenth of volume means nothing.

Ken@Japan

[DaveinOlyWA]

well i am tracking my tank range with CANVIEW and the last bar starts blinking on average at 13%. (i will blog details of how i arrived at this conclusion) so if getting about 40-45 mpg,(13% X 4 miles/%) should have maybe 52 miles to go. if 50-55 miles then maybe 65 miles (13% X 5 miles/%. because of warmer temps, better gas , etc, this is probably more, but no summer stats to look at yet) that should give good idea of what you can go.

i have to apologise for misleading post. do not base your mileage to empty on a full tank. base it on the guidelines above. if you have only filled tank to 95% then you are missing sevearl miles of range and that comes off the end of the tank.

[aaf709]

Originally posted by DaveinOlyWA@Feb 16 2006, 02:38 PM
i have to apologise for misleading post. do not base your mileage to empty on a full tank. base it on the guidelines above. if you have only filled tank to 95% then you are missing sevearl miles of range and that comes off the end of the tank.

[snapback]210737[/snapback]

Very important information! The Prius' bladder (in the US) may prevent you from filling up and you won't be aware of it.