ran out of gas or recall?

amberlea · 06-17-2005, 11:44 AM

Last week I was on the interstate driving home (about a 2 hour drive) and my fuel light started blinking. I thought I had gone ~35 miles before when the last bar started blinking but I had gone about 19 miles and my Prius started de-accelerating and all these lights came on the dash and screen- the red car with the exclamation point and the red triagle with the exclamation point. I was able to accelrate again and I made it off the interstate to a gas station and re-filled. When I turned my car back on, the screen said "Problem" but the exclaimation points went away. I took it to Toyota and they said I had simply run out of gas.
Has anyone out there run out of gas and had this happen to them? I thought it might have something to do with the recall I heard about.

kidtwist · 06-17-2005, 12:02 PM

I'd bet that you ran out of gas, and that that was because of the inconsistency of the gas guage. I've noticed on my current tank that I went from from to 10 bars to 9 after about 110 miles, then I went from 9 to 8 in just another 25 miles, and 8 to 7 in about 50 more miles. This doesn't seem to follow any consistent pattern.

Personally, I refuel when I get down to 3 bars, no matter what.

galaxee · 06-17-2005, 12:07 PM

-if the dealer says you ran out of gas, you ran out of gas. if it were anything else, they would be happy to charge you to replace the problem part.
-people are pushing these cars too far and personally i think that's why people's engines are "stalling"
-there is no "recall" as of yet. it's still being investigated. don't believe everything you hear on the news.

the bladder makes for inconsistent miles-on-last-blinking-bar so don't count on getting the same amount each time. just stop and fill up. we don't have to do it too often anyway :mrgreen:

Ray Moore · 06-17-2005, 01:33 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(\"galaxee\";p=\"99344\")</div>

Quote:

-people are pushing these cars too far and personally i think that's why people's engines are \"stalling\"
:[/b]

Hey, I resemble that remark.

No stalling Prius here. Just a string of 700+ mile tanks.

ross33 · 06-17-2005, 01:48 PM

last time i filled up at 4 miles after the last bar started to flash and she took 11.4 gals.

evander · 06-17-2005, 03:36 PM

I've never waited until the last bar started blinking to fill up. I have waited until the last bar, however. How many miles from final bar until final blinking bar? Just curious.

ross33 · 06-17-2005, 04:53 PM

not sure but will post when i get to that point again.

KTPhil · 06-17-2005, 05:00 PM

It varies, so don't count on it, just fill up!

DanMan32 · 06-21-2005, 05:05 PM

How old is the car? It might need the fuel TSB.
The guage is not off for me. About 170 miles for first bar, 30 miles until 4th bar remains, then about 50 miles for remaining bars until blinking.
No guages on cars are linear, but since ours is digital, we tend to expect it.

It is possible you got the stall problem specified by a TSB, but since you were in an Add Fuel condition, the ECU will flag that as Out Of Gas. Sounds logical doesn't it? After all, that would be a reason for ICE not to run. ECU makes the first check why ICE won't run: Low fuel. Gee, must have run out.
Even if there was a legit failure causing ICE not to run, ECU has no choice but say it was because there is no fuel.

Devil's Advocate · 06-22-2005, 06:24 PM

The only real problem is that it is absolutely impossible to know how much fuel is in your tank at any one time due to the bladder's ever fluctuating size.

06-17-2005, 11:44 AM	#1
amberlea Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 13 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	ran out of gas or recall? Last week I was on the interstate driving home (about a 2 hour drive) and my fuel light started blinking. I thought I had gone ~35 miles before when the last bar started blinking but I had gone about 19 miles and my Prius started de-accelerating and all these lights came on the dash and screen- the red car with the exclamation point and the red triagle with the exclamation point. I was able to accelrate again and I made it off the interstate to a gas station and re-filled. When I turned my car back on, the screen said "Problem" but the exclaimation points went away. I took it to Toyota and they said I had simply run out of gas. Has anyone out there run out of gas and had this happen to them? I thought it might have something to do with the recall I heard about.

06-17-2005, 12:07 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	-if the dealer says you ran out of gas, you ran out of gas. if it were anything else, they would be happy to charge you to replace the problem part. -people are pushing these cars too far and personally i think that's why people's engines are "stalling" -there is no "recall" as of yet. it's still being investigated. don't believe everything you hear on the news. the bladder makes for inconsistent miles-on-last-blinking-bar so don't count on getting the same amount each time. just stop and fill up. we don't have to do it too often anyway :mrgreen: __________________ black 2005 prius, tweaked just the way i like it my diagnostic guy on electronics: "lack of troubleshooting ability is due to a high common sense rejection ratio."

06-17-2005, 03:36 PM	#6
evander Join Date: May 2005 Location: Ill Posts: 22 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Re: ran out of gas or recall? I've never waited until the last bar started blinking to fill up. I have waited until the last bar, however. How many miles from final bar until final blinking bar? Just curious.

06-22-2005, 06:24 PM	#10
Devil's Advocate Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Las Vegas, Nevada Posts: 906 My Car: 2005 Prius Package: #9 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Re: ran out of gas or recall? The only real problem is that it is absolutely impossible to know how much fuel is in your tank at any one time due to the bladder's ever fluctuating size.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Yet another GM recall	JackDodge	Other Cars	8	06-09-2006 04:08 PM
New 06 Recall ?	TCA	Prius Main Forum	12	02-04-2006 11:20 AM
recall	duanerw	Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting	10	10-30-2005 05:26 PM
Recall??	FloridaShark	Prius Main Forum	2	07-29-2004 08:40 PM
Recall?	jeffrey	Prius Main Forum	20	02-24-2004 05:17 PM

06-17-2005, 12:02 PM	#2
kidtwist Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 183 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	I'd bet that you ran out of gas, and that that was because of the inconsistency of the gas guage. I've noticed on my current tank that I went from from to 10 bars to 9 after about 110 miles, then I went from 9 to 8 in just another 25 miles, and 8 to 7 in about 50 more miles. This doesn't seem to follow any consistent pattern. Personally, I refuel when I get down to 3 bars, no matter what.

06-17-2005, 01:48 PM	#5
ross33 Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: hampton bays, ny Posts: 43 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	last time i filled up at 4 miles after the last bar started to flash and she took 11.4 gals.

06-17-2005, 04:53 PM	#7
ross33 Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: hampton bays, ny Posts: 43 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	not sure but will post when i get to that point again.

06-17-2005, 05:00 PM	#8
KTPhil Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 1,213 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	It varies, so don't count on it, just fill up!

06-21-2005, 05:05 PM	#9
DanMan32 Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Tampa Bay, FL Posts: 3,775 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	How old is the car? It might need the fuel TSB. The guage is not off for me. About 170 miles for first bar, 30 miles until 4th bar remains, then about 50 miles for remaining bars until blinking. No guages on cars are linear, but since ours is digital, we tend to expect it. It is possible you got the stall problem specified by a TSB, but since you were in an Add Fuel condition, the ECU will flag that as Out Of Gas. Sounds logical doesn't it? After all, that would be a reason for ICE not to run. ECU makes the first check why ICE won't run: Low fuel. Gee, must have run out. Even if there was a legit failure causing ICE not to run, ECU has no choice but say it was because there is no fuel.