fuel tips

Mostly Urban Legend - check Snopes, who have just added this myth to their list.

Gasoline temperature is an issue in hot places like Arizona where I live. Unfortunately, the temperature of underground tanks doesn't vary much with time of day. However, the gas is sold at a temperature hotter than the standard, so we pretty much get stiffed all the time.

The only possibly true part is to avoid tanks being filled, although I would hope that any filters would get out any debris.

Mike

 

The Prius has an internal bladder inside the fuel tank that minimizes the free air space above the fuel. So this tip really doesn't apply for the Prius.

 

Urban legend and useless tripe. There is a grain of truth behind some of it, but it has no practical impact. Underground temperatures are very stable, the Prius has a sealed tank with a vapor bladder, and all pumps use a filter system. If the filter is overwhelmed with dirt from a tanker fill-up, it's still going to be plugged hours and days after that tanker leaves.

I really don't understand how these urban legends keep circulating. It must be related to perpetual motion.

Tom

 

something interesting happened to me today.

my tank was three pips from full today, i decided to fill up because i was gonna travel quite a distance. when i reached the station, i filled up, i drove about 130 miles, so i figured to use about 2-3 gallons. my prius took about 1.7 gallons (my average was 46mpg). i topped off once, then that was it.

when i drove off, strangely enough, the THREE PIPS were NEVER replaced. i shut off the car, then restarted it and drove, thinking that it would come back. it never did. after driving about 130 miles, one bar went DOWN from the original position.

is there a flaw in my gauge? did the first three pips burn out?

your comments and suggestions please.

 

I think there is a part in the owners manual that says that 3 gallons need to be added for the gas gauge to move.

 

Correct. That is why you have to add at least three gallons after running out; otherwise the computers won't allow the car to start again.

 

OH WOW! is that true?

good grief.....OK. thanks again......i was worried for nothing. you guys are really very well versed indeed. :flame:

 

That isn't true because I ran out of gas once and the car restarted after I poured no more then a gallon from a can on the side of the road. Although the red triangle light stayed on until I filled up at the gas station 3 or 4 miles up the road.

 

What the other posters intended was that you need to add at least three gallons for the Prius to notice the fuel. That's why your red triangle stayed on until you filled up.

Tom

 

"Red Triangle"??? Hmmm... Never seen it! I guess I have been a good boy!

 

Another fuel tip..

Don't buy fuel during rush hour.. It's a pain in the butt when you leave the station to get back on the road due to the traffic.

 

That is called an idiot light, I wonder why?

I fill up when the price is at the lowest in the cycle. Price varies by 10 to 12 cents a litre each week, The price slowly falls from Thursday to Wednesday when it jumps back up again.

 

I knew there was a similiar tip earlier on PC so did a search:
http://priuschat.com/forums/fuel-economy/37345-4-hints-save-money.html
pretty much the same but an extended version this time ... HMMM I'm waiting from the one from Nigeria next

 

today, i filled up at the LAST two pips, and once again MORPHEUSX, you are right.

thanks for your very accurate advice. :clap2:

i dont know why it only took 1.7 gallons on my last fillup, but this time, on the 2nd to last pip, my car filled up with 6.75 gallons...........all the pips showed up....what a relief.

however, i tried to look in my manual about the pips not moving unless the vehicle intakes 3+ gallons. where is that stated? good grief, i can't find it!

cheers:flame:

 

I must have gotten that email for the 4th time now.
First time about a yr ago so I've had time to think about it.
the first it temps. As you go under ground and down the 5 or 6 ft that the tanks are put the ground stableizes the temp. Not likely for there to be much variation. The vapor recovery, what is recovering this vapor? the hood over the pumps. There is nothing in the nozzle and nothing going thru the hose. How does it get back to the tanks? The only one that might merit truth is the filling while the truck is emptying. But if you figure how often that tank is filled and how long it would take for things to settle out i probably wouldn't help much to worry about it. Thats what gas filters are for.