Has anyone replaced the gas tank and solved the pumping issue?

Can you all write about your experience with putting in a new gas tank please. If the gas pumping issues were resolved for how long?

I can't seem to get a true full tank. I am able to pump 6-9 gallons but then the first 2 pips drop quickly. Last fill up, I was down two pips after driving 26 miles. I topped off two times. I do believe I have more gas in the tank then indicated. I have recalibrated multiple time. Average gas right now is 44. ( extreme cold)

I am seriously thinking of getting a new tank.

Tia

Linda

 

Yes I believe the sender is off. I have driven it many times to 1 flashing pip and put 100 miles on it from 1st time it started flashing yet have only been able to get 6 gallons in there. This makes me believe that I have more fuel in there then it says. I'm not going to run out of gas on this car to see. I can get a tank on line from the dealership for 400.00. The same dealership sells the hv battery for 1,611.08 with a pick up option only. Guess where I'm going when the battery dies.

I can't just replace the sender. It is in the tank. If the sender is off, and I a having pumping issues, Maybe it is time to change the tank. I am planing on driving the car into the ground. I want to take care of my quirky car. If I choose to sell it, Having a car that pumps gas normally is a selling point. I drive a lot that was one reason why I wanted a Prius.

I have owned the car since last May. I doubt the previous owner changed the PCV valve and the coolant. I got those from the online dealer and if it ever stops snowing here, they will be changed. I do not think that would effect the gas gauge. I expect to get better gas millage after.. Over the summer I had suspected, the plugs were not changed. Pulled them. They were so fouled up. They got changed at 160 something. Kicking myself for not doing the pcv valve then.

Shortly after I got the car, I wanted to see the 500 mile cruse range. I was 60 miles short and on 1 pip.I drove it around and as I got closer to 500 the average miles jumped up and up I think I was at 86 when I hit 500. I went to the nearest station and filled her up. Before it got cold, I was getting in the 400 range at 1 pip.

The combo meter recently got repaired, A local hybrid specialist fixed it. I was told the batteries are good and should last a while.

Right now I am 1 pip below the halfway mark with 206 miles. I am driving to see where it is at at 2 pips. I purchases a long neck funnel and will use that to fill the tank. ( It makes a longer path for the gas to flow so it does not back up as quickly) So far I have only used it on a half full tank.

If I know it will fix the problem for a long tie, I don't mind spending the money to fix it. This is the point of my post.

 

Yes tis I. I am also the mystery shopper, gas station auditor who pumps 2 gallons of gas to determine the pump is working correctly. After I fixed the combo meter, I felt I was able to get more gas in the tank. and it was more accurate. If I do not pump the gas in a portable tank, I pump 3 gallons in and it has been registering.

No I do the normal tricks to pump gas. I have never seen it drop 2 bars after only driving 26 miles. I just can't remember how many gallons I put in on the last fill. I remember using the extra long funnel and then topping off. I also kept the trap door open and waited for the gas to go down the neck.Thats why I was suprised to see the pips drop so quickly.

 

Sorry I think you miss understood my ".normal trick" . I meant the normal tricks that we do for a finicky Prius. I was never able to get a good fill if the nozzle was all the way inserted.. What I do is wait until I am on at least 3 pips, open the gas tank. Wash the windows, throw trash away, start to pump. I pump slower than the slow click. As the tank starts filling up start pulling up the nozzle. when I hear a whistling noise, I know it is almost fill. Then I pull the pump out just enough for the flap to open and pump until it clicks.

From my original 1st time post, someone wrote there are 3 valves that work together, if one is off, you get the quirkiness. No one wants to spend the money to put in a new tank so they just do the tricks.

Turning the pump at any angle did nothing. Who knows what the previous owner did. How many times he let it spill out. Maybe the canister is starting to get effected. I have not seen any codes yet. A old time mechanic says a lot of times, when a car spits out gas the hose needs to be air compressed. The mechanic I use says nope that won't work. I believe the combo meter was on its way out when I purchased the car. I think the previous owner sold it because he did not want to deal with the issues that were about to happen.

 

Ok guys More information. I dropped down to two pips at 275 miles. From 3 to two pips I drove a lot more than 50 miles. My average miles has been going from 43.8 - 44.4. It has been cold here. It looks like the second half of the tank is going slower. I called the hybrid expert and asked about the pumping issues. He said most of the time, it is not the tank and one of the values. He was thinking the valve by the canister. I did not change that one. He also said that sometimes the canister hose can get clogged. Bring it in so he can check.

I recently fixed the combo meter. After that if I pumped 3 gallons the gas gage went up 1 pip per gallon. That made me believe I had less issues at the pumping at the pump. I tried to pump it like a normal car but it clicked off before it was full so I went back to the "normal Tricks" . I did notice I was getting more gas in there though.

I normally don't run the heat or if I do I turn it off once the cabin gets warm. last week we had bitterly cold weather. I noticed the cabin was taking a long to get warm. I started to wonder if something did not get connected right wen they took apart the combo meter. It warmed up and heater worked better. I chalked it up to the weather.

Yesterday. I was checking fluids. I opened the inverter coolant res. NO turbulence at all . I'm not getting codes and gas is ok for this time of year. Engine is very quiet. Today I looked at it the coolant again. Still no turbulence. I can hear the pump humming and I can feel a vibration on the hose. Am I correct that this would not make my gas millage change. Right not it looks like I am going through the 1st half faster than the 2nd half.
The PCV value coolant and inverter pump will be changed tomorrow unless you all say no need to change the pump. I am leaning that the pump is on its way out and that's why I the heat was so on those bitterly cold days.

 

I've done that numerous times

 

I had already checked that. Not much has ever been done at the dealer. Brakes oil changes and recalls.

 

I let it go to one pip.I put in tectron injector cleaner in and got 8 gallons in there. ( 1st time with cleaner not going to do it on a regular basis.) If I put the nozzle in all they way the pump shuts off after barley 2 gallons. I have to back off the nozzle. I pump slower then the slow setting which is probably why I get 8 gallons in. My sister has a Honda with almost 300k on it. If I gave her my prius she would sell it because she would not want to deal with the pumping situation.

The inverter pump got changed and coolant. Mechanic is worse then a woman when it comes to talking and his buddies came over and had they started yapping away. He said he would do the pcv on Monday. I can see the turbulence now but it is not as strong as what I see in the videos. Heater is not working as hard and I can hear the inverter pump a lot better. Inverter pump definitely was on its way out. It is hard to say if the heater is working better because now it is 40 F outside but it seemed to be blowing better on the lowest setting.

To own this car you really have to be a good listener.

 

lol