NO fix for Prius Gas Tank Filling Up Issues

[glsooter]

I have a 2005 Prius and I have had the same problem. I have gone so far as to overfill the tank to assure that I have a full tank. I average between 40 to 45 mpg and I have a lead foot and have had the Prius up to its electrically set top speed of 105 MPH. The winter is the worst time if I stop pumping when the punp stops I at times only register a half to 3/4 tank of gas and as I do a lot of driving ( I have 107,000 on this Prius and I put 102,000 on my classic Prius which I bought in 2002) so this is very inconvenient. Yes I understand that I might be damaging the Evap system and tank but I want a full tank of gas.

[Matt Herring]

Originally Posted by tkil

The best answer seems to be:
1. Keep track of how much fuel you put in at the last fill-up
2. Reset the MFD MPG or l/100km calculator at each fillup (I've a 2005, so this is done for me)
3. Use (1) and (2) to calculate minimum range.

It takes a bit of attention, but it's really not that hard. Keep track of whether your driving style changes towards the end of the tank, and consider filling up every time you hit two pips. (2004-5 might get away with waiting until one pip, but they seem to have tightened that up on the 2006-2008 models.)

If that's not sufficient, then please do post more info. When you say you can't fill it up, how much *can* you add in? How many pips were lit on the guage when you tried to put that in?

My fills are typically between 8-9 gallons:
Gas Tank History

Your point #1 is exactly spot on. First, if you're not keeping a fuel log you are driving a vehicle tank to tank with no relevant info. to improve your mpg (maybe you don't care about mpg). There are plenty of websites that will do this for you for free or use good ole pen and paper to do it. (Miles driven divided by gallons filled into tank = mpg). Compare tank to tank and use it as a guide as to how many gallons you filled with vs. past mpg numbers and you know about how far you can travel on the current tank. With every tank you have more and more info. to use.

Information is power! A car is the second biggest purchase (next to a home) you will make and the more you know about it the better off you are. Would you not keep track of how much electricity, natural gas/oil, etc. you use in your house on a monthly basis and just write a check when you get the bill without monitoring usage?

Second, I highly recommend you use some type of instrumentation besides your in-car controls to monitor mpg, fuel usage, etc. A scanguage II or an MPGuino are excellent instruments to use.

[dwm]

Hey folks ... the owner's manual says 11.9 gallon capacity ... anything less constitutes a breach of the contract between me and Toyota. My family has 3 Priuses ... 2/2006 and 1/2008. I frequently run my 2006 10+ miles past the blinking last fuel square. Tried to do that recently with my Son's 2008 and ran out of gas. Enough juice in the battery to get to a gas station! Phew! Took about 10 gallons.

To be fair to the dealership ... the salesman told my son and I that there might be an issue and his suggestion was to open the rear door and rock the car by jumping on the car frame while filling the tank.

I hate taking the time to fill the car ... any car ... so I like the last two gallons to be my safety margin ... I track miles since fill up and expect 10x the average mpg to be safe. Always has been in my Prius ... apparently not my son's 2008.

To summarize ... see if rocking the car during fillup helpsl.

[qbee42]

Originally Posted by dwm

Hey folks ... the owner's manual says 11.9 gallon capacity ... anything less constitutes a breach of the contract between me and Toyota.
<snip>

Don't be silly. The owner's manual is not a contract. Furthermore, tank capacities are generally specified in gross, not net values.

I agree that the specification is misleading, and I think Toyota was stupid to use that number, but I wish you luck with your breach of contract claim.

Tom

[xsmatt81]

tank capacity has improved as the tank stretch's out more with age and more fill ups. I was able to get in 10.4 gal last night, granted this was on a blinking pip with 479 miles on the tank. Avg around 9.3g. I don't force fuel in the tank, after it clicks off, i will squeeze the pump twice and that's it..nothing crazy.

when i first bought the car it was really bad, it's gettin better though. Also as said a million times, the weather has the largest effect.

[F8L]

Originally Posted by dwm

To summarize ... see if rocking the car during fillup helpsl.

That sounds dangerous and should not be recommended. If the fuel nozzle pops out while fueling because you are jumping up and down on your car like a damned monkey then that evaportated fuel just ate through any emissions saving you did in the last xxx miles of driving a Prius.

Just fill the damn tank when it gets down to 2 pips and call it good. I swear people are just so darn weird when it comes to fuel tanks.

[F8L]

Originally Posted by xsmatt81

tank capacity has improved as the tank stretch's out more with age and more fill ups. I was able to get in 10.4 gal last night, granted this was on a blinking pip with 479 miles on the tank. Avg around 9.3g. I don't force fuel in the tank, after it clicks off, i will squeeze the pump twice and that's it..nothing crazy.

when i first bought the car it was really bad, it's gettin better though. Also as said a million times, the weather has the largest effect.

Matt, mine didn't seem to stretch with time/miles. I still only get about 8-9ga. in the tank if I make it to a flashing pip. Admittedly I've only got the flashing pip twice I believe. I generally fill at 2 pips and I manage to squeeze 7-7.8ga. in the tank after the first click of the nozzle. I've got 92,000 miles on the car now.

[zonie911]

"Still on subject"

I purchased my '09 in Nov. I had heard stories about getting so many miles on a tank (I had not been a member of Priuschat or others, so did not know of many facts concerning gas tank).
I thought on my first tank I would get down to 1 pip and see how many miles "I" would get on a tank of gas-----first tank. Then I read in my manual about poss. prob. with running out of gas---so headed for a fill-up, quickly.
It would only take barely 5 gallons---I freaked--so I started checking out online questions about the gas tank.----------To make a long story short---It took me about 4 or 5 fill-ups to stretch the tank back out to it's capacity. Whenever the pips get down to about half empty------then I fill up and usually put in about 5 to 6 gallons. This satisfies any worries completely, and keeps me more sane.
Now, I never worry about how many miles on a tank-----I worry about how many mpg's.
You're making more of a problem out of the tank than should be necessary. FILL UP AT A HALF TANK.....I guarantee you will worry a lot less.

Oh, and the seal aound the mouth of the entrance of the tank is tight for a reason.

[lrynwnab]

Tonight I had 3 pips left after driving 250 miles or so. When trying to fill up, it only let me put in 2.5 gallons and the gas gauge did not change at all (to 5 pips, e.g.) I drove across the street to the gas station and it didn't want to put any gas in at all, I put in maybe .25 gallons. Any suggestions?

[zonie911]

Originally Posted by lrynwnab

Tonight I had 3 pips left after driving 250 miles or so. When trying to fill up, it only let me put in 2.5 gallons and the gas gauge did not change at all (to 5 pips, e.g.) I drove across the street to the gas station and it didn't want to put any gas in at all, I put in maybe .25 gallons. Any suggestions?

"The incredible shrinking gas tank".... no worries, just keep putting gas back in the tank every so often and it will stretch it back out. I never let it get below 1/2 tank any more before filling up, and never plan to unless for unforseen circumstances.----just keep working it----- and it will stretch back out.
Sounds like exercise, doesn't it?