I ran out of gas yesterday!!!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TonyPSchaefer @ Jul 24 2006, 02:11 PM) [snapback]291482[/snapback]</div>

"fill at when miles driven == 10 times mpg" is an excellent and simple suggestion to implement -- I have been refilling at 3 or 4 bars since I wanted to make sure I filled in my hore town where gas was cheapest along my 52 m. commute. Using your suggestion , I can probably get an extra day of commuting in before refilling. thanks

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(pocono prius @ Jul 30 2006, 06:04 PM) [snapback]294809[/snapback]</div>

Of course unless you may have accidently reset the consumption MFD display. Then you need to write that number down? When it blinks fill it now! Why fool around. Your MPG for the tank will be what they will be. Your total mile will be what they are. If you have to get 700 miles on a tank carry a gas can! Over the long term the life time MPG is how you do!

 

My new 06 ran out of gas 10 miles after the last bar started blinking!!!

Yes, I had 520 miles already on the tank so I should have known better. I usually just wait for the flashing light-warning and get gas.

Odd thing though, the AAA guy dumps 3-4 gallons in (from a 5 gallon pail) and when I start the car the gauge goes up to almost 3/4 of a tank!!!!!!! WAY WRONG.
After 5 minutes of driving it drops down to about 1/3 tank !!!
TOYOTA are you reading this? Something is WAY off as far as repeatability of the gauge. Is it sticking or what?(bladder?)
This was at the week end of 113 F temperatures.

 

I ran out too. Secretly, I wanted to run out some day, although not the day I did, because...well after a whole lifetime of knowing empty means you’re walking... I just had to see what it was like. Of course people turned their heads and said I didn't hear you pull in.

Me-> That's because I ran out of gas...two miles ago.
Them-> :blink: :huh: <_< "sure you did."
Me-> Yea! It's a Prius Hybrid! They run on electricity too. I almost ran out. Boy was I worried.
Them-> <_< :angry:

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Cheap! @ Aug 2 2006, 10:07 AM) [snapback]296376[/snapback]</div>

That's great, I always love the reactions of people as I coast through the parking lot or up to the fuel pump. Me, I will refill at 2 or 3 bars left, there's really no reason to push the miles driven unless you're going for a personal record. I'm still a Prius n00b (almost a month old now, so in fairness I've only had to fill up once so far) and I'm finally getting the hang of driving to maximize the mpg. Since I reset the display to see my daily commute mpg, I want to fill up the tank more often, actually, so I can calculate the lifetime . . . and get my Green Hybrid signature to actually look impressive like everyone else here

 

I've only had my Prius for 3500 miles and I've been trying to figure out the gas tank and the gauge really work. For the first several times, I had the blinking bar going, then filled up only to put 9-10 gallons in the car. So I start figuring that the car should be able to drive 80 miles after the light starts to blink and certainly at least 40 miles. I basically figure 11x the computed mpg as the range of the car, so I'll have 2/3 of a gallon in safety.


What follows was during ALOT of highway driving in three consecutive days (highs in mid 80's):

So the other week, I just stayed on the interstate after the light came on (and in a place where the walk would be very long). I drove 50 miles with the light blinking and then proceeded to put in 12.5 gallons!!!! Of course I was then wondering how could that be, and was the meter at the station correct? (that was at 573 miles)

On that tank, the car then drove 200 miles before the first bar even dissappeared. Then the last bar started to flash at about 520 miles. My wife then drove and I suggested that it should be good for the 15 mile trip she had......She ran out of gas after just 10 miles. Thus it ran out after only 15 miles of blinking. She then was only able to put in 10.5 gallons, even though (she says) that she kept topping it off.

On the next tank, the car got really bad milage and the blinking started at 420 miles. I waited until 460 to fill up, this time never being more than 1 or 2 miles from a station. I only put in 10.1 gallons this time.

So the gas tank seems to be completely unpredictable!!

When running out of gas and running in EV mode,
she said that she was only able to drive drive a block, make a U turn and back a block in EV mode before all the battery bars were pretty much gone. She was not in a mood to be pressed for details. But it seems like the car doesn't travel very far in EV mode.

How far have people been able to travel in EV mode, either out of gas, or with the EV mod?

 

Good stuff to know...I'm still on my first tank...went from 26.7 mpg to 31.8 now...and have only two bars left with less than 300 miles on the car????

I'm hoping that as I break the car in, I will be going up...that and using all the techniques for better mpg.

Do most people reset the screen every time they fill up??

I plan to do that, but I will log number of miles traveled and then number of gallons put in to fill....that way I can always add up total gallons and total miles from odometer to get lifetime mpg...unless there is a better way...

terri

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(terri @ Aug 3 2006, 07:30 AM) [snapback]296931[/snapback]</div>

Lots of good information of how to improve your mileage on this site for sure. Just poke around and you will find some amazing stuff.

I always reset when I refill my tank, in fact my 2005 resets it's self when I refill it. I don't think your 2006 works exactly the same way? It may reset the miles but not the MPG or something like that.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tumbleweed @ Aug 3 2006, 10:28 AM) [snapback]296970[/snapback]</div>

You're right, Tumbleweed. My 2006 resets the tank mileage and leaves the MPG average.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Groundhog @ Aug 2 2006, 08:32 PM) [snapback]296766[/snapback]</div>

Yep, it's unpredicable. There's a bladder that can cause the capacity to vary by up to 1.3 gallons. It's mentioned in the manual (not sure it says 1.3 specifically as the manual isn't in front of me). http://www.vfaq.net/FAQ-fuel.html discusses it too.

If you fill up too high, you could end up sending fuel in the emissions canister.

If you wanna compute your mileage w/reasonable accuracy, you need to average your distance traveled/gallons used over many tanks.

I would NOT go by 11x the computed MPG. Bad idea. Do not run your tank dry then go to EV mode. To be on the safe side, just fill up when you get to 2 pips.

I'm kinda puzzled why so many people report/post that they ran out of gas in their Prius. I don't see people chancing it with regular cars and posting on message boards that they ran out of gas (from looking at my350z.com and maxima.org among others). If your car wasn't a hybrid, would you take such chances too? A regular car out of gas doesn't move at all.