NO fix for Prius Gas Tank Filling Up Issues

There is a sensor that detects fuel leaking out of the bladder. Any kind of physical hole that allows gas to escape would cause an EVAP leak as well. These will trigger the check engine light. Unless the check engine light were already on due to some other problem, the 15 gallon fill should have caused the check engine light to come on due to gas leaking out of the bladder or filling the charcoal canister.

A strategy for getting home is to put in one gallon of gas every 40 miles.

Please review this thread on diagnosing the fuel gauge:

http://priuschat.com/forums/toyota-...fuel-gauge-diagnostic-tips-tsb-0163-08-a.html

 

I'm on my second Prius, second generation, and have had this issue with both vehicles. I understand about the membrane losing shape and not being flexible enough to reshape when fuel is added. I think it's a major flaw with Toyota to not correct this issue after all these years and cars, but they keep selling without the change, so who am I to know. Down to 1 bar flashing...went 10-14 miles before finding a station to fill up (8.4 gallons). Next time (This was occurring on my trip south) at 1 bar BEFORE blinking, I filled and it took 8.7 gallons. I won't buy another Prius if this issue is not corrected on furture models. In the meantime, I have an '09' and will always watch the bars, not the mileage. peace

 

You do realize they stopped making the bladder-style fuel tank in 2010 right? All GenIII models have a regular fuel tank.

 

I didn't (and have friends with a 2010), but I do now!! Mucho thanks! My '04' was traded at 160000 miles...this '09' only has 48000, so it will be awhile before I change again. BUT, I will stay with the Prius, thanks for the "heads-up".

 

As a fellow GenII owner I share your hatred of the bladder and rejoice that it is gone on newer models. Some day I'll be able to afford a GenIII or VI.

 

I have had fill-up problems since I bought my new 2008. Some gas pumps will click off and it doesn't matter what I do...angle nozzle, use lowest setting, etc. The national customer service head lady said she has documented all my many events and says I will never have to pay for any maintenance related to the bladder, filter, etc even though it is not covered after 36k miles. I have found out three things that help me avoid most events now: 1st do not gas up at Hess/Wilco because their pumps are too strong and cause back pressure. 2nd I keep the black rubber flat o-ring clean of slippery stuff and also may clean the nozzle of same (this way I am insuring a best seal condition to maintain the bladder system pressure. 3rd is I never fill up unless the guage is at 3 or less bars (necessary to be a gasup event for the computer.

My last remedy will be to sell my 2008 and get a 2012 model with hard tank. The 2011 model change came with hard tank. And I never buy the first year of a major model change, hence buy the 2012. Now, I must find a buyer. I tried to get Toyota to cover my problem with the LEMON law but that only is effective if I am without my car for major periods of time. I asked if they can change the bladder to another one or a hard tank, they are not willing to do this. So we just got stuck with an unsatisfactory designed car and the company does not back us up....sucks royally. So such is life, not always a bed of roses or peachy.

Hope my comments/experience helps someone,

Jim Shugart
Blacksburg, VA

 

Mostly correct. The change to the non-bladder tank for the North American market came with the introduction of the Gen III, which was model year 2010.

Tom

 

Any other tips to keep this from not happening?

edit, sounds ilke this guy has it right,
"

"Its not how you hold the lever. Its not the pump. Its not the gas station. The bladder works fine. After my first gas belching I thought about the way I fuel and whats forcing the fuel out or refusing to allow fuel in. Its simple in that there is and will be trapped air in the bladder. You cannot fuel a gas tank with trapped air pockets. Because of the extremely tight vapor emissions recovery system in the tank.
Before you fuel let the tank vent.
When I get gas I open the gas cap. I go inside and let the tank vent for at least 2 minutes. I come back out and slow fill only. I cut a piece of wood 1 inch wide to jam under the gas fill nozzle which fills on slowest mode. On first auto click off hang the pump up. It usually now clicks off really close to what it needs. Do not try to top the tank off!!!!!
Works perfect every time...no premature shut off..no gurgling sounds..no gas belching.
I know I'm defeating the car's vapor emissions mission but whats worse..a little gas fumes or a gallon of gas on the ground.
Please try it. It works."

 

There are a lot of different ideas about this. I'm not a fan of the waiting to vent technique, but if it works for you, do it.

Some pumps work better than others. Use a low flow rate, and try pulling the nozzle out just a bit. Sometimes it helps to lift up on the nozzle handle. Mostly you need to experiment.

Tom

 

I had two Gen ll Prius, and neither one had the problems described by the OP. I was always able to get into the tank at least as much as the mpg readout indicated, divided into the miles driven. (In other words, the amount of fuel consumed since the last fill.) It took patience, and some pumps were fussier to deal with than others.
I am happy to have a new plug-in, which I picked up yesterday, and be done with the internal bladder issue.

 

How to fill a fuel bladder... took me 2 (2003+2008) to figure this one. For both cars, I fill to cutoff and nurse in the last gallon to gallon and a half and after doing this for the past year or so I can say that the fuel "Bars" at this point are almost exactly 1 gallon. The down side is that last gallon as the bladder reshapes - very slow, but satisfiying when done. The up side is no Evap, no Charcoal filter, no Expansion tank to worry about, just pack it with fuel... and I mean up into the filler neck (it does not stay long because the bladder finds room, somewhere)... 2-bars, 2gallons, 5-bars 5gallons, 8-bars same.
Since I started this process I have seen last bar flashing one time, it took 9.9 gallons after 7 clicks.

 

I have the same problem with a 2009 Prius. The problem seems temperature related - with the problem beginning around freezing temps and getting worse as it gets colder until around 10-15 degrees F it becomes impossible to add fuel to the tank unless the tank is heated first from underneath.

I have documented this in detail and presented all the evidence to the Vice President of Customer Service (Toyota USA. I have also worked with two Toyota dealers who say they can find nothing wrong and cannot duplicate the problem.

To make a very long story short, Toyota USA has now told me that they cannot do anything until their Dealership finds a problem. Clearly Toyota has decided to ignore the problem as I have sent them reams of documentation already showing the nature of the problem. (The Service Manager at Toyota told me it was the best documentation he had ever seen come in to his shop...)

Toyota Corporate tells me that I can take it to Arbitration, which I am not interested in doing. I am ready to organize a class action lawsuit against Toyota. But before I start down that path has anyone already begun such a process already? If so, where do I sign on?

 

hey jim, welcome to priuschat. what are you trying to say here?

 

I've had this problem twice in the past month. It is extremely frustrating and I think it is out of line to tell someone that they are over-stating the issue. My Prius is a 2008 that I bought with 83K. Now at 95K, I have my first issue/concern with this gas tank problem - and it is not even winter where I live.

How ridiculous is it that an owner cannot simply fill up their tank? -Particularly if the point of the vehicle is great mileage - and Prius owners love to monitor it by the tank. The last time I went I got 6/10 of a tank in 70 degree weather. I stopped again the same day hoping I would get lucky - didn't. This isn't just an issue with the car - it is a waste of my time. Based on the last month, I will have to stop for gas twice as much as I normally should.

I am also a huge fan of Consumer Reports and would love to see them adjust their ratings and specs in regards to this problem. I HATE the old, "Well there is nothing we can do". I bet if Consumer Reports knocks the ratings down and it affects sales and mean prices, Toyota would figure out how to deal with it.

If you are having this issue, I empathize and wish you luck at the pumps.

 

they fixed it in 2010, time to trade up!

 

Same issue for me here in Hawaii...my ʻ08 Prius has this Bladder /pressure system which is so poorly design from the standpoint of accurately interfacing /tracking the fuel level vis-à-vis itʻs gauge & gallons remaining or needed.

 

I also have this same problem. I have a 2008 Prius, I drive it daily to and from work, and on weekends the routine is nearly as mundane. I fill up when I hit the last pip and it starts blinking... every time. My gas mileage varies by the season... not calculated by what I think I have in the tank, or by what the computer says, but by how much gas I pumped and the number of miles drove to fill up. The variation in mileage is because of the need to run heating in the winter, and probably also because it just takes more energy to get the engine to operating temperature.

My problem is that from a blinking last pip in the summer, to a the pump shutting off is usually just over 10 gallons. In the dead of winter here in NY, I have had the pump shut down at 5 gallons, and it always shuts down by 7.5. If I take the time to drizzle the fuel into the tank, I can get it up to the 9 or 9.5 gallon level, and it yields the miles driven to my next fill up that I would expect for that time of the year.

Is it frustrating? Yes, drizzling gasoline when it is 5 degrees below zero is not pleasant... but it is still better (in my opinion) than paying to fill a 20 gallon tank at the same frequency. I will keep my Prius and continue to log mile after mile of otherwise trouble free driving. I now have 150K on the vehicle and have had very few problems other than regular maintenance issues. (headlights, the 12v battery, etc.). My hope is that by the time I do decide to get a new one, Toyota will have fixed this bothersome bladder issue, or that the next time I will get one of those units that doesn't exhibit the problem.

 

done. get yourself a 2010, no bladder, no issues.

 

Toyota discontinued the bladder tank in 2009 (for 2010 Gen3 model. The purpose of the bladder tank is to eliminate vapor escape on re-filling which causes smog. There are better ways to do that now, apparently.

Many recent threads on this. Some of us have starting rotating the pump nozzle 90-180 degrees (sideways or up-side down) to get another gallon or so in. I have not done the 180 yet but maybe 120 I do.