Managed to get >500 miles out of one tank in my gen 2 for the first time this year, thanks to the increase in temp. The mpg doesn’t reflect it truly though, for some reason.
congrats! the readout has always been optimistic, but that's a bigger discrepancy than usual. but often times, you have to average a number of tanks together to get a truer number.
I used to get about 600 miles out of a tank on my 1985 VW Golf N/A Diesel, or about 10 gallons for 600 miles. Of course diesel holds more energy. Still, if it were gasoline, at the same efficiency, I'd still have gotten around 540 miles out of a tank.
I'm not sure a Gen 2 can get 20mpg and not have a CEL for something, unless you have a fuel leak, which would be the suspect if you're showing decent mpg (40+) on the mfd, but having to refuel often at 8-10gal a pop. If you're getting 200 between fill-ups but only putting 4 or 5 gal in the tank, that's another issue.
I'd much rather track mpg (more succinctly, liters per 100 kms, being in Canada), than play chicken with a down-to-the-dregs tank.
Well, currently I learned that my fuel gauge is not working properly. It drains too fast, in other words by 275 miles I am already at the one dot blinking. So I have begun to to rely more heavily on the average displayed on the MFD. Two tanks in and the MFD is about dead on balls accurate when compared to the Fuely calculations .. FYI, I recently purchased this vehicle and it is currently on its third tank. I don't know much history behind it, but I do know it sat for a while. Sparing you guys the tune up details, my first tank went to 386 before I chickened out, the second to 457, more for convenience. This tank I am pushing for +500, and carrying a gas can just in case. Eventually I am going to run it dry to get a relatively accurate idea of how far i can push the car since my commute is very consistent. Then I can relax and not sweat having to change what I believe is the fuel pump which is connected to the sender correct? Much like other Toyota's?
Nope, completely incorrect. You have to swap the entire fuel tank assembly. No individually replaceable fuel pump / level sending unit on a Gen 2.
Fuel pressure can be checked at the fuel rail (you need a 'special service tool' LOL, that is a fuel pressure gauge, t-tube fitting, and a short length of fuel tubing), and the sender can be tested at the connection under the rear seat. Most of the time, those items are not faulty. I'm of the opinion that most of the problems attributed to the fuel bladder are, in fact, nothing to do with the bladder. Most likely, it is some component of the ORVR and/or EVAP systems playing up. See this post > No Fix For Prius Gas Tank Filling Up Issues ff < and this post > Gas Pump Does Not Want To Pump Gas And Spills Out Gas ff <, both by ChapmanF, to understand more of how these components interact.
