Fuel gauge reset to full with 376 miles on resettable odometer

koa · 04-19-2006, 01:31 PM

My wife says the gas gauge was down to two bars and now the gauge shows totally full. The resetting odometer has 376 miles on it so the fuel gauge should not be on full. She is adding gas this morning to see how much it takes. We are getting approx 42 mpg.

I did a search and didn't find anything about this except a mention of "resetting the inclinometer". We do have a sloped driveway and usually back in (front higher than back). Since part of our normal route road is block because of a landslide I turned the car around and parked it on the sloped driveway with the front down, maybe the first time I did this. I powered it off and then my wife drove it 10 min later.

Could this somehow trigger the gauge to reset to full? Anyway to reset it? Thanks.

koa · 04-19-2006, 03:16 PM

Update: When my wife got to the gas station, the fuel gauge was one bar down from full. She was able to add 8 gallons, so something had fooled the gauge into thinking there was more gas than there actually was in the tank. The odometer reset and the tank shows full now. I wonder how the gauge would have read as the tank got close to empty and if any warnings would have come on before running out of gas.

galaxee · 04-19-2006, 03:37 PM

it probably had to do with the incline your car was parked on. sort of like if you're driving up a mountain the gas tank reads empty.

koa · 04-19-2006, 04:16 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee @ Apr 19 2006, 03:37 PM) [snapback]242228[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

it probably had to do with the incline your car was parked on. sort of like if you're driving up a mountain the gas tank reads empty.
[/b]

Except it continued to read full after 10-15 miles of driving on level surface.

galaxee · 04-19-2006, 04:21 PM

i'm quite sure it reads at startup, which is probably why it read full at first. then as you leveled out and drove on even surfaces it decreased the reading on the gas gauge. it does try to confirm the change in gas level for the meter to change. it's done to avoid having your gas gauge fluctuate every time you hit a bump.

the electronics are probably fine.

koa · 04-19-2006, 04:36 PM

I understand what you are saying and I assumed that it had something to do with powering off on the incline. But my wife drove to work and parked level and then came home and backed in and parked level again. So I am surprised it never reset when powered off on level ground to somewhere close to the amount of gas that was in the tank. It continued to show a full tank when in fact it was 8 gal low.

galaxee · 04-19-2006, 04:39 PM

if it doesn't go down as quickly as usual with this new tank, you might try the inclinometer reset procedure- who knows, maybe parking on an incline can also throw it off?

priusnuts · 04-19-2006, 08:12 PM

Have you done the last recall? I had similar problems and I thought I was going crazy. I was driving from SF to LA and it said the tank was empty but I had refuelled only 50 miles before. And then more problems (the indicator said I had a full tank for a long time and then it went down to zero all of a sudden).

While in LA I suddently had a warning symbol saying to take it to the dealership for immediate service. So I did, and it was just that I hadn't taken it in for the last recall.

After they took care of the recall I didn't have any more problems with the fuel gauge indicator. I hadn't even told them about it, so I know that they didn't repair anything else.

koa · 04-19-2006, 10:30 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(priusnuts @ Apr 19 2006, 08:12 PM) [snapback]242364[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

Have you done the last recall? I had similar problems and I thought I was going crazy. I was driving from SF to LA and it said the tank was empty but I had refuelled only 50 miles before. And then more problems (the indicator said I had a full tank for a long time and then it went down to zero all of a sudden).

While in LA I suddently had a warning symbol saying to take it to the dealership for immediate service. So I did, and it was just that I hadn't taken it in for the last recall.

After they took care of the recall I didn't have any more problems with the fuel gauge indicator. I hadn't even told them about it, so I know that they didn't repair anything else.
[/b]

I have a 2006 with about 3000 miles. I don't think there is any recalls that apply to me or the dealer where I purchased it.

galaxee · 04-19-2006, 10:37 PM

if it does it again, let us know.

good luck

04-19-2006, 01:31 PM	#1
koa Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Hawaii Posts: 794 My Car: 2006 Prius Package: #8 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	My wife says the gas gauge was down to two bars and now the gauge shows totally full. The resetting odometer has 376 miles on it so the fuel gauge should not be on full. She is adding gas this morning to see how much it takes. We are getting approx 42 mpg. I did a search and didn't find anything about this except a mention of "resetting the inclinometer". We do have a sloped driveway and usually back in (front higher than back). Since part of our normal route road is block because of a landslide I turned the car around and parked it on the sloped driveway with the front down, maybe the first time I did this. I powered it off and then my wife drove it 10 min later. Could this somehow trigger the gauge to reset to full? Anyway to reset it? Thanks. __________________ 06 Silver 8 minus Navigation BT Stiffening Plate Weathertech cargo liner Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S 205/60 15

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04-19-2006, 03:16 PM	#2
koa Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Hawaii Posts: 794 My Car: 2006 Prius Package: #8 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Update: When my wife got to the gas station, the fuel gauge was one bar down from full. She was able to add 8 gallons, so something had fooled the gauge into thinking there was more gas than there actually was in the tank. The odometer reset and the tank shows full now. I wonder how the gauge would have read as the tank got close to empty and if any warnings would have come on before running out of gas.

04-19-2006, 03:37 PM	#3
galaxee running WOT until out of fuel Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: central NC/ western WI Posts: 9,081 My Car: 2005 Prius Package: #5 Nominated 5 Times in 3 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 21	it probably had to do with the incline your car was parked on. sort of like if you're driving up a mountain the gas tank reads empty.

04-19-2006, 04:21 PM	#5
galaxee running WOT until out of fuel Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: central NC/ western WI Posts: 9,081 My Car: 2005 Prius Package: #5 Nominated 5 Times in 3 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 21	i'm quite sure it reads at startup, which is probably why it read full at first. then as you leveled out and drove on even surfaces it decreased the reading on the gas gauge. it does try to confirm the change in gas level for the meter to change. it's done to avoid having your gas gauge fluctuate every time you hit a bump. the electronics are probably fine.

04-19-2006, 04:36 PM	#6
koa Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Hawaii Posts: 794 My Car: 2006 Prius Package: #8 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	I understand what you are saying and I assumed that it had something to do with powering off on the incline. But my wife drove to work and parked level and then came home and backed in and parked level again. So I am surprised it never reset when powered off on level ground to somewhere close to the amount of gas that was in the tank. It continued to show a full tank when in fact it was 8 gal low.

04-19-2006, 04:39 PM	#7
galaxee running WOT until out of fuel Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: central NC/ western WI Posts: 9,081 My Car: 2005 Prius Package: #5 Nominated 5 Times in 3 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 21	if it doesn't go down as quickly as usual with this new tank, you might try the inclinometer reset procedure- who knows, maybe parking on an incline can also throw it off?

04-19-2006, 08:12 PM	#8
priusnuts Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 3 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Have you done the last recall? I had similar problems and I thought I was going crazy. I was driving from SF to LA and it said the tank was empty but I had refuelled only 50 miles before. And then more problems (the indicator said I had a full tank for a long time and then it went down to zero all of a sudden). While in LA I suddently had a warning symbol saying to take it to the dealership for immediate service. So I did, and it was just that I hadn't taken it in for the last recall. After they took care of the recall I didn't have any more problems with the fuel gauge indicator. I hadn't even told them about it, so I know that they didn't repair anything else.

04-19-2006, 10:37 PM	#10
galaxee running WOT until out of fuel Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: central NC/ western WI Posts: 9,081 My Car: 2005 Prius Package: #5 Nominated 5 Times in 3 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 21	if it does it again, let us know. good luck