Filling up is a real pain

OK I will try to be serious. Over time you will get to know how much you will fill for a given "gauge" reading. The "gauge" is "approximate" at best. Mostly I go to familiar stations I trust. I put the nozzle in an fill at the lowest setting till the first click. IF I am a "strange and untested station" I will look at the gallons and if they are in a reasonable range I stop there. If the fill is totally off I will top off to near what I think it should take minus about half to three quarters of a gallon. Some of the pumps are two sensitive, by a lot! I do not go back to these stations. I will then look at the "guess" gage in the car to see it is full. Usually in my primary stations it is. I fill up with one pip left and always as soon as it blinks. Why run out of gas? Your milage will be what it is. Yes it is nice to see that 600+ mile tank but why risk running out of gas? Now if I get a 700+ tank that may be another story. I will buy a one gallon gas tank put it in the trunk and run the sucker into the ground!! :lol:

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Taco Mel @ Sep 5 2006, 11:16 PM) [snapback]314995[/snapback]</div>

huh?




<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tideland Prius @ Sep 6 2006, 12:16 AM) [snapback]315016[/snapback]</div>

Huh!?!

We're getting kinda personal here, aren't we?




<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(quagmire0 @ Sep 6 2006, 04:30 PM) [snapback]315417[/snapback]</div>

Oh for cryin out loud... See a doctor .... a counselor... get help!

 

OK today I filled my tank in MA with no problems. From click off I topped up but it never clicked off a second time even.
This has never happened here, but has in other states.

I was at a station with newer pumps and I realized the design was totally different.

1 nozzle was very short.
2 handle was easy to control to fill at a slow rate.
3 There was no conventional click off feel. When it stopped the fuel flow just stopped but there was no clikc and no handle release.
4 The nozzle had none of the little vent holes sucking on the side. I guess they were inside the end of the nozzle?

Then I realized this kind of pump nozzle is very rare here but each time I've used one the Prius has filled up easily.

It is the pumps with the holes on the side that click and release pressure on the lever that never seem to work right for me.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tomdeimos @ Sep 6 2006, 07:50 PM) [snapback]315487[/snapback]</div>

Maybe it is the North East US stations, but my experience is close to Tom's. I ALWAYS do a mental calc based on miles and MFD (known to be 2% generous over 22K miles) MPG so I have a VERY good idea how much gas I have used. If I have used that much, I know I can put that much back in Most of the pumps around here shut off early, sometimes 2 or more gallons early, and after that all I can do is bazillion little clicks (notice how I didn't exaggerate like Tom and say 0.002 gallons. I'm sure it is closer to 0.05 per click ) until I get to my expected fill. I have never experienced spit back doing this.

My theory is the pumps shut off based on back pressure from the tank and the bladder provides a LOT more back pressure than a standard tank. Sadly, I've seen this problem even with brand new pumps. I've not seen any like Tom described in his last post though, I'll be on the lookout.