Has running out of gas killed my hybrid battery?

Glad you got it going wideslider.

BTW, are you currently in Sydney or LA?

 

Ok, then in that case you're super lucky that you didn't need to take it to the dealer for repair.

 

I'd be interested in one of those chargers Eric, what are they going for ?

 

....ingenious! But put your locale in your profile and don't run out of gas next time!

 

If that's the case, and you've managed to revive the car with no lasting ill effects, there's something wrong with Toyota's engineering.

Anyway, congrats, and yeah: don't ever tempt fate again, fill up whenever it's getting low.

 

Still making last minute adjustments. Aiming for $399 plus shipping for basic unit without discharger capability. Slightly more for one with discharger compatibility. Discharger is separate cost.

 

When I first got my gen III I ran it out of gas on purpose to see how many miles I could go when the low fuel segment started blinking. Car used 10.6 of 10.7 capacity. A very impressive working volume of gas. Anyway, I had a 2 gallon can of gas with me. After running out of gas, I filled the 2 gallons in, went to the gas station 2 miles down the road and filled up. I haven't had any problems since. Been 10,000 miles so far. Getting 45 mpg. I drive with a heavy foot. Like to use the power mode when needed. If your battery is near the top (fairly well charged)and you run out of gas why wouldn't the battery stay at the same state of charge ? You run out of gas the car stops. Traction battery usage is terminated. I guess you could draw down the regular 12 volt batter if you were silly enough to keep the headlight and all other electrical loads on. But that doesn't mean you would kill the 12 volt battery either. Might need to be charged. But that's it.

 

Hi Gary. There definitely should be no problems if you stop straight away after you run out. Where the problems sometimes arise is when people run out of fuel (or otherwise lose engine power) and just keep trying to limp along on electric power until the HV battery is nearly completely drained. With some of the older gen2's, where the HV battery can already be a bit old and tired, some people manage to finish them off completely doing this.

 

"When I first got my gen III I ran it out of gas on purpose to see how many miles I could go when the low fuel segment started blinking. Car used 10.6 of 10.7 capacity."
The 3G Prius has an 11.9 gallon fuel tank according to the Toyota website:
Toyota Prius Interior, Exterior & Safety Features

Since that model's fuel tank does not contain a flexible bladder, it is possible to realize more of the specified capacity in regular use.

The 3G hybrid vehicle ECU apparently offers more aggressive protection of the traction battery compared to the 2G HV ECU which will allow the car to be driven for some distance when the gasoline engine is inoperative.