Gas Gauge error bladder issues or something else?

Hi All question for you all.

I purchased this car last May. I put about 10k miles on it. I had the typical gas filling up issues. One thing I do for work is gas station audits. It consists of pumping 2 gallons of gas (to make sure the pump is working properly). I soon discovered the prius does not like these.

1st time I did it, I was on empty The gauge did not register until the 3rd station. So it went from 1 pip to almost full. Then I was having the topping off issue. I decided the car was not a good candidate for this so was using my van instead.

Xmas week my van was not working and I had the opportunity to go to Martha's Vineyard to do 6 gas station audits at a huge premium fee. I ran the gas down to 1 flashing pip. went to the 1st station 2 gallons in, no change. I did not see a change until the 4th station so 8 gallons and then it registered a full tank.

This car is designed for island driving. Long roads no lights and long distances between stop lights. I went from 48 miles avg to 60's.

At the next station, I had pumping issues managed to get the gas without spillage. When I turned on the engine the avg millage went hey wire. down to 10 miles. As I was driving around it slowly corrected itself. The next station I put the gas in a empty gas tank.

I drove around did some sight seeing and went home. Drove the car 400 miles on 1 pip put the gas in from tank. The car started to buck and avg millage went down to 40. I filled her up with 93 octane drove her around and the put dry gas in. Car corrected itself but check engine light would not go off. Avg crept up to 43.7. I figured it was because on the engine light. Got it shut off and put new tires on car. Avg started to go up and now it is at 44.6.

I was on empty again and needed to do gas station audits. Van still out of commission. went to 1st station put in 2 gallons no change.

2nd gas station 2 gallons no change.

3rd gas station no change. Pip still flashing.

drove home drove a total of 15 miles.

next morning drove 10 miles no change. now I am thing I put 8 gallons in should be full. I went to the next station and pump until it topped off . it took 3.78 gallons so in 24 hours driving only 30-40 miles I added 11.78 gallons. gauge says it if full and reset.

Driving as usually and the pips start going down I am at a half a tank with only 150 miles. I did another gas station audit but put in 3 gallons. Gauge registered to 8 pips and reset. I drove 40 miles since last fill up. I tried recalibrating the gauge no change. I plan on going to station to see what happens.

Does this mean the bladder is acting up fuel pump not working? I am not having topping off issues now. Usual at around 6 gallons it starts to shut off. What do you think is happening?

Tia

 

Thanks for the information. The car did not come with a owners manual.

Auditing gas station is a whole processes.
1. pump gas to make sure the pump is working correctly and it spits out a receipt.
2. purchase something in the convivence store to make sure the registers are working.
3. take a bunch of pictures, pumps sign, register area, a whole picture, just the store and anything that needs to be repaired on the building.

They are designed to make sure the station is advertising the current marketing, station is at code, and make any repairs.

 

Yes that is what it is secret shopping. Most people do not know what it is. A secret shopper no matter the industry is really checking to make sure the sales person is in compliance. I just tell people compliance auditor because then u are there for a long time explaining it. I just finished a oil change on at a Chryster dealership. I was livid because they never asked me what type of oil and they put in synthetic. charged me 117.00 Stealership charges 79.99. Then they tried to tell me the car requires synthetic oil. I called 3 Toyota stealerships all said conventional oil.

 

Thanks

 

I went to the gas station again today. Pump took 1.5 gallons and shut off. I had a hard time getting another 1.5 gallons in to make it 3 gallons. It wanted to spill out I just waited for it to go down. The pips went to 9 not ten. .I had to hit the reset button. Avg went down to 9.It was at 44.6. I drove the car around and avg came up to 50.2.

Do you think the bad gas clogged the fuel filter? If I am good and go back to filling her up at 3 pips will the pips eventually go back to 10 pips?

 

I'm sure a lot has changed since the 70's. lol
I do gas stations
cell phone shops ( I can get a job selling them)
dealerships (service & test drives
retail shops electronic and clothing
and because of covid T mobile safety checks ( go in store for 5 minutes watch the sales check and make sure they are following covid proto call.
I bought the Prius because of all the driving I do. My Sienna has a 22 gallon tank and gets the same cruising range as the Prius. It cost half the money to fill the Prius.

 

Hilarious I think of the movie its a mad mad mad world. Ethel Merman as the old battle ax mother in law.

Seriously I already do all the tricks to fill up the tank. Let air out, pump slowly, hold the pump just until it opens the vent. I usually only get 6 gallons before the pump shuts off and then another 2. Sometimes I have to hold the vent open with the pump and wait for the gas to go down otherwise it will spill.

 

Update.I talked with a Toyota geek. I was told most driveways are not flat so that was not a good place to re-calibrate. I would have to go to a garage, gas station (pref with 10 pumps) or a garage at a mechanic. I went to the gas station and re-calibrated it then drove off.I was on 1 pip with 368 miles. I needed to do a road trip so I filled her up. Al 10 pips lite up. It took 8.3 gallons with2 top offs. (slow fill usual tricks). I drove 148 highway miles and am down 2 pips. back to normal.