Confused About How Low To Let The Tank Go.

The 3rd gen Prius (2010+) does not have the quirky bladder found on 2nd gen (04-09) US Priuses.

I have no Gen 3, but personally, I wouldn't let it go lower than 1 pip. I'd get gas ASAP at 1 pip. If I got down to a blinking pip, I'd drop everything and get gas.

 

0 miles to go seems to be, maybe, a 9.7 gallon fill so there's no need to panic.

I work off a 10 gallon fill: if I estimate my current trip will take me past 10 gallons I need to fill up.

 

You have nearly a 2 gallon reserve after the last pip starts blinking. No rush.

 

Read at least the first post of [WARNING] Running out of gas (Gen III). While the complete story of what happened is not discovered until very deep into the thread (just search for Bob's postings), this post has the 'typical' numbers.

And beware that not all individual cars will go the same distance as a typical (i.e. Bob's) car. Variations will create a statistical distribution, and some people have to be unlucky enough to the short end of it.

 

My First week with a used 2009, I read all about the gas gage concerns, and filled up yesterday at 4 lines. 328 miles @ 5.21 Gal=65 MPG!!! No way, I must have done the math wrong!

 

^^^
You have a Gen 2 w/the quirky bladder. 328 / 5.21 = 62.96 mpg.

On your Gen 2, if you find your manual calculations to be way off in one direction (e.g. much higher) from the MFD (multifunction display) on one "tank", it's pretty likely it'll be way off in the other direction on the next.

 

I don't really understand why people flirt with the bottom of a tank. I try never to let a tank go below a quarter. Fuel in the tank keeps the fuel pump cooled and averts disaster, and if your routine is such that you can fuel your car any time you wish I say don't tempt fate.

But that's just me. YMMV.

 

+1
When I used to stop for gas, I would do so at any time that was convenient after reaching 4 pips. If I ever reached two pips, I would make a point of it as you never know if it would be really inconvenient when you reached one pip.

Even if you refilled it immediately anytime you reached 4 pips, it sounds like you would be visiting the gas station the same, or less often than you did before

 

I think the lowest I went was 1 pip, but note, I also plan most of my drives, usually it is back and forth to work, but when it isn't, I pay attention to the gauge and plan to fuel up close to home, but rarely have I pushed myself to below 2 pips total.

 

I usually fill on 1 pip solid or flashing (Gen II no bladder) and 500 miles + travelled

 

Well I was letting the gas go down to flashing pip before I fueled up to see how much the tank would actually hold. But I did get down to 0 miles to empty & rode another 2 miles to the gas station. Won't do that again! I was on interstate & didn't realize how far the gas station was.I only hold 9.7 gallons.

 

I was at a gas station once, and a guy drove up in a VW Beetle that ran out of gas as he coasted to the pump. He was amazed, it just coughed and sputtered dead right at the pump. Unbelievable.