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How many pips before you get gas

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Fuel Economy' started by Sparkman 3, Apr 11, 2013.

  1. SoCalBPrius

    SoCalBPrius Active Member

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    I usually have 2 sometimes 1 before I fill up. When I was experimenting max. miles & distance early on I use to wait til 1 or blinking pip but now feel physcologically secure in filling up w/ 2 or more pips showing;) .
     
  2. PriusRos

    PriusRos A Fairly Senior Member - 2016 Prius Owner

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    I don't understand. Why are you putting gas in containers if you don't want to carry extra gas around? What are you doing with the containers?
     
  3. Munpot42

    Munpot42 Senior Member

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    At 3 pips I start looking for a cheap gas station, at 2 pips I start lookng for any gas station, and a 1 pip I fill up at the next gas station I see.
     
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  4. retired4999

    retired4999 Prius driver since 2005

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  5. prius_in_pa

    prius_in_pa Junior Member

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    I leave the containers in my garage.
     
  6. AusTexan

    AusTexan New Member

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    At the time of purchase a dealership employee told me my Prius 2 2012 model has a gas tank that will hold 11.8 gallons. After a complete fill up and then driving three to four days (20 miles round trip to work and back home) with the last PIP blinking the whole time, always with some trepidation, I have still found that I've had one or two gallons of gas left in the tank and have never been able to put in eleven gallons of gas. I always figure that when I hear the beep and the PIP starts flashing that I have at least three gallons left. I would actually like to know what the approximate mileage is when the beep sounds and the PIP starts blinking.
     
  7. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    Nearly all cars have a significant safety margin built into the fuel gauge. This is necessary because the measuring components are cheap and nor terribly accurate, fuel consumption is very highly variable with changing conditions, and a significant number of drivers are not particularly attentive to the gauges. Numerous drivers will run out of fuel, so marketing needs make it essential that the car makers leave no room for these drivers to shift the blame to anyone else. So the low fuel warnings light up quite early.

    A senior contributor here likes to test these things for fun, sport, and engineering curiosity. For an approximation from a typical 2010, read the first post of this thread: [WARNING] Running out of gas (Gen III)
     
  8. Jumping Jehosaphat

    Jumping Jehosaphat Junior Member

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    I pretty much wait until the last pip is blinking. I will fill up sooner if I see that gas prices are about to go up, or I find a good deal.
     
  9. Codyroo

    Codyroo Senior Member

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    The first pip starts blinking after you have used ~9.2 gallons of gas.

    I have found that if you multiply your displayed mpg by 10, that is the range you can drive using ~10.5 gallons of gas. Thus if you are displaying 50.2 mpg, if you drive 502 miles, you would find that you would add approximately 10.5 gallons (+/- 0.2 gallons due to pump to pump variations and as a buffer). You'll still have over a gallon of gas left in the tank.....and you DTE = 0 and your last PIP will still be flashing.
     
  10. Munpot42

    Munpot42 Senior Member

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    I really don't get the point, you folks go thru all this bother to skip going to a gas station 4 "extra" times a year? Wow you all must be very very busy.
     
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  11. B. Roberts

    B. Roberts Hypah Milah! Ayuh.

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    Don't live in a gas station rich environment, so I tend to fill toward the last couple of pips/rectangles/blocks on fuel level indicator gauge thing. My wife will let the thing blink away and one day will not reach the gas station before the poor Prius runs out of fuel. It's that Law of Averages, usually catches up eventually.:rolleyes:
     
  12. CU2MIKE

    CU2MIKE Junior Member

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    I also get gas at 2.... usually fill up about 8 gallons or so.
     
  13. MarcSmith

    MarcSmith Active Member

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    did my first fillup today. dealer actually gave me a full tank on deleiveryof a used vehicle.

    had two pips showing, not flashing 8.2 gallons showing 60mi DTE

    Nice to know that the DTE seems to be fairly accurate.. This tank I'll wait until i see flashing... maybe...
     
  14. Maroon

    Maroon Member

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    DTE = 0 all the way baby! Seriously though, I just use the old multiply the current tank's avg by ten. Fillup is usually 9.5 to 10.5 gallons that way. DTE = 0 is just the starting point of considering getting gas! :D
     
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  15. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    That is reasonable near town, especially in mild weather. But in winter when traveling these roads, I start looking much earlier:
    [​IMG] [​IMG]
     
  16. Maroon

    Maroon Member

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    Yep, my commute from Tupelo to Memphis has plenty of gas stations along the way.
     
  17. bestmapman

    bestmapman 04, 07 ,08, 09, 10, 16, 21 Prime

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    I fill usually after 50 miles into a flashing PIP. In my area Kroger has a gas discount program, so I like to purchase as much fuel as possible when filling. I also usually get .30 cent discount at the pump.
     
  18. The Electric Me

    The Electric Me Go Speed Go!

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    Right now, as I type this, my Prius is on it's final blinking pip. The DTE is 23 miles.

    Experience tells me, I have absolutely no worries I can go at least 23 more miles and more.

    For safety reasons...and just because eventually you DO have to refuel, I'll fill up once the DTE reaches zero. But I'll do so in a relaxed manner, assuming I actually could go farther.
     
  19. MarcSmith

    MarcSmith Active Member

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    second fillup... filled up at one flashing pip. had been flashing for about 15 miles. put in 9.4 gallons still had 2.5 gallons to go...
     
  20. Munpot42

    Munpot42 Senior Member

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    This is really not a game you want to play, I'm thinking of all the fun you will have waiting by the roadside for someone to deliver you 3 gallons of gas so you can start the thing, gee, sounds exciting-anybody turn 17 yet?