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Refueling question

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by kilton, Mar 11, 2010.

  1. kilton

    kilton New Member

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    I just refueled my IV for the first time. I held off until the last fuel bar was blinking. It said I had 17 miles left. So imagine my surprise when the gas stopped pumping at 9.6 gallons.

    Is the miles-left counter super-conservative, or what?
     
    #1 kilton, Mar 11, 2010
  2. adamace1

    adamace1 Senior Member

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    It's that way so people don't run out of gas. Most have about 2 gallons left when it starts blinking. I think most cars do this. My Impala gave a low fuel light with 4 gallons left. So if someone was driving on a trip and didn't pay attention cars will warn you when you have about 100 miles left so that way you can get to a gas station. I have seen roads that say no gas stations for 60 miles.

    And i can see it now My prius said i had 6 miles left and after 5.6 it ran out of gas why can't toyota make it so it would have warned me sooner.
     
    #2 adamace1, Mar 11, 2010
  3. kilton

    kilton New Member

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    Yeah, I figured it would be a little conservative. But I'm surprised that it says 17 miles left when, if there were two gallons remaining, there were really about 100 miles left.
     
    #3 kilton, Mar 11, 2010
  4. pjksr02

    pjksr02 Active Member

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    Is it "reserve fuel," or just the gas pump shutting off due to back pressure?

    Personally, I'd rather not find out!
     
    #4 pjksr02, Mar 11, 2010
  5. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    That's just the issue. Two gallons will go 100 miles if you are getting 50 mpg, but in stop and go it could be half that.

    With better mileage comes more variability in distance to empty.

    Tom
     
    #5 qbee42, Mar 11, 2010
  6. kilton

    kilton New Member

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    So do you guys let it go down to zero? Does it go negative? :)
     
    #6 kilton, Mar 11, 2010
  7. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    I don't have a Gen III, so my Prius does not have the "miles to empty" meter.

    On the Gen II, you *never* let the tank get close to empty, unless you like to walk.

    Tom
     
    #7 qbee42, Mar 11, 2010
  8. adamace1

    adamace1 Senior Member

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    It just goes down to 0 or something like that. I have driven 50 miles past that and still had 1.5 gallons left.
     
    #8 adamace1, Mar 11, 2010
  9. lunabelgium

    lunabelgium Member

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    Don't worried about that
     
    #9 lunabelgium, Mar 11, 2010
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