2010 Prius 3 Low MPG

Welcome to Prius Chat .

Do you have any history on the car? How many miles have you put on in the 2 weeks of ownership?

Other than mpg, do you notice anything unusual, like hesitation under throttle, misfire, dash lights, etc?

What mode are you driving in (eco, power, normal)? Clean title (or salvage)? What tire pressure do you have? What gas are you buying (top tier or whatever is available)? Are you running with the AC on full blast?

As you can see, there are plenty of possibilities for low mpg.

Keep us posted.

 

congrats and welcome!

you can't tell anything looking at the dash. after you've put in a few tankfuls and measured at the pump, let us know what you're averaging.

i doubt the horn is related, you're going to have to do some investigating. start with the fuse.
a few things you can check in the meantime:
1) what kind of tires and what pressures?
2) how old is the 12 volt battery, and what does it measure after being off for a few hours?
3) is the cooling fan and intake grille clean?
4) are the air and cabin filters clean?
5) is the oil level correct?
6) are the intake, egr, throttle and maf clean?
7) is the pcv working properly?

all the best!

 

Another thing worth checking in addition to the above would be a brake system check. If you have a brake dragging that could lead to increased friction and lower mpg.

 

use regular gas.

 

i don't see any mpg in this screen?

 

Check post 7

 

yes, i see it on those, thank you.

 

Yeah "premium" gas might even be detrimental to mpg, it is basically higher octane, and it's main function is to better resist ignition. At best it's doing nothing.

It's use is only warranted in high compression engines. It's a waste of money too.

Bisco's list involves some fairly in-depth checks, I would start with the low-hanging fruit: tire pressures for example. What make/model of tire are on there btw? They will have minor impact, but you have to start somwhere.

Also, how long are your trips typically, and what speeds?

 

Absolutely! How many of those 7000 miles are yours? Probably very few, so your personal MPG is swamped by previous use. Clear them out now.

After resetting those trip meters, let us know what numbers are displayed after a few hundred more miles. If they are still low, then we'll have you answer this questionnaire to give us more clues:
Fuel economy complaints/queries? Please copy, paste & answer these questions, esp. if you're new | PriusChat

 

Tire air pressure gauges are cheap, it is very worthwhile having one of your own in the car so that you can monitor it yourself on a convenient schedule.

Also, 'good' is not the answer we are looking for, we want to see actual PSI numbers. Specifically, for your model year, the front tires should be at least 35 psi, the rears 33. Somewhat higher is also fine, if a slightly harsher ride doesn't bother you.

If the tire shop guys are thinking generically for other car models, they might say 'good' for 32 or even 30 psi, which is too low for your car. Plus, these numbers should be measured when the tires are morning cold. Driving them more than a few miles warms them up a bit, complicating the reference back to the requirements printed on the door frame label.