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Out of gas Prius,- How to recover?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by joe a., Nov 24, 2014.

  1. joe a.

    joe a. Junior Member

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    I'm new to the forum so please bear with me. My wife has a Gen II Prius so that's how I became enamored with them. I recently purchased a Gen II Prius project car. It's a 2007 in good shape, sold reasonably because it needed both batteries replaced. I've already purchased the aux battery, and will pick up the big battery this weekend while visiting my sister over Thanksgiving. Here's the issue. This past weekend I discovered there's absolutely no gas in the vehicle. Lucky I cought on to theis fact before installing the new big battery and running it down trying to start the gas engine. Has anyone out there ever experienced how to recover a Prius that's out of gas? I've read that you need at least three gallons of fuel for the vehicle to recognize it has it in the tank, but how about getting the gas engine started again? Any experience out there in this department?
     
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    just fill it with gas and it should start right up. i ran out in my '08, drove the battery down to the minimum until she quit, put in a couple gallons and she fired right up.
     
  3. joe a.

    joe a. Junior Member

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    I can't believe it's that easy. Will the coded automatically reset when everything is running? I'd estimate the car had been sitting for around three-four months.
     
  4. fotomoto

    fotomoto Senior Member

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    joe, I have no first has experience running out of gas in the Prius but I've done it twice, on purpose, in my CMax hybrid while participating in a MPG forum challenge. Both times, I just put more gas in and it started right back up. Now, just like bisco, I didn't have to deal with a dead HV battery like you.

    GOOD LUCK!
     
  5. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    Since you say that you just purchased a new 12V battery, I assume it has not yet been installed. As you remove the old battery and install the new one, all electronics will have a chance to reset. So there should be no issue with the Prius recognizing the correct fuel level in the tank.

    Suppose you had a working Prius which ran out of fuel, and you could only add one gallon of fuel because that was the size of your container. Suppose further that prior to adding fuel, you tried to restart the car a few times and eventually the hybrid vehicle ECU decided to disallow this.

    Now, you would need to disconnect the 12V battery for a brief period (say 10 seconds) to allow the electronics to power down. Then when power is restored and the car is made READY, the fuel gauge will respond to the actual fuel level in the tank and the car will indeed start.
     
    bwilson4web likes this.
  6. joe a.

    joe a. Junior Member

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    Many thanks to Partick Wong and fotomoto. I will attempt just as you said when my new battery is here. The underlying concern (on my part) is that because the car has been sitting for a while, it won't start and I'll run down my new battery(s).
     
  7. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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    Why should it be otherwise?
    It's more likely that you're going to have more problems from the car sitting idle for several months than you will from the gas having run out.

    One thing you probably have already done.....examine the engine compartment/airbox for chewed wires.
    Other than that, it should fire right up.....and run for a WHILE.

    Good Luck!
    Let us know.
     
    #7 ETC(SS), Nov 24, 2014
    Last edited: Nov 24, 2014
  8. joe a.

    joe a. Junior Member

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    I've already checked everything out closely and will do as you and the others have suggested. Thank you for your input. Joe A.
     
  9. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    It is certainly possible that the car has problems that go beyond the need to replace the two batteries. If you find that the engine does not immediately start after you've replaced the batteries and added a couple of gallons of fuel, I suggest you stop.

    See what warning lights appear on the dashboard and MFD. You may want to get Mini VCI which will allow you to retrieve any logged DTC. This runs on a Windows XP or Windows 7, 32 bit OS laptop.
     
  10. joe a.

    joe a. Junior Member

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    Additional thanks. I will pick one up at Amazon.
     
  11. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i suppose stale gas could be a problem. but when we talk about cars sitting around for a few months, it's usually the 12 volt that is the topic.
     
  12. joe a.

    joe a. Junior Member

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    I put two gallons of gas into my 2007 Prius and couldn't get an ounce more into the tank. Installed a new 12v and a rebuilt traction battery this morning but still couldn't get the gasoline engine started. Got a ready signal but no combustion. The engine went through the motions but didn't catch. Could it be stale gas? This is my project car and I have no idea how long it sat before I got my hands on it. Any suggestions?
     
  13. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    spark? unusual for an engine not to fire if it's being spun over. how old is the gas? fowled injectors? have you pulled any codes?
     
  14. Jon Hagen

    Jon Hagen Active Member

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    The tightwad in me wonders, is the traction battery really defective or just totally discharged from trying to start an out of gas car and being parked for months?? Might be worth a recharge and test.