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Gas gauge took a long time to mark full?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Arden, Mar 10, 2023.

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  1. Arden

    Arden Junior Member

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    Hello everyone! I hope you are doing well. I was filling up my tank this morning, and ran into a bit of an issue that’s never happened.

    I filled up my tank, and the gas nozzle automatically shut off, which usually means the tank is full right? Well when I got into my car,the gas gauge was one “tick” away from being full, suggesting that the tank is not completly full. However, I drove the car for about 15 minutes, and when I pulled into the parking lot, I noticed that in that 15 minutes, the gauged “reached” full. Basically it took 15 minutes to reach the “full” mark.

    Does anyone know if there could potentially be a larger issue at hand? I realize this seems like essentially a “cosmetic” issue, but with the car being old already and me not being the most knowledgeable about cars in general, anytime something goes wrong, I worry there could potentially be a larger can of worms in terms of potential repairs. Thank you for your assistance!
     
    #1 Arden, Mar 10, 2023
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    Luckily, this is a simple quirk of the gen 2 gas tank bladder.
    Unfortunately, this is a simple quirk of the gen 2 gas tank bladder :p
     
    #2 bisco, Mar 10, 2023
  3. mr_guy_mann

    mr_guy_mann Senior Member

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    "FULL" is a kind of fuzzy concept on a US spec Gen2 Prius fuel gauge. The actual amount of gas in the bladder can vary based on age and temperature. Maybe the bladder shifted a little and that changed the actual fuel level in the sub tank slightly.

    Might be that the level sensor wasn't quite at the "absolutely full" reading, maybe it was just over the 9 pips level. The electronics in the dash can take some time to confirm what angle the car is at before giving a "final answer" on the gauge

    If the gauge reading doesn't get erratic or change rapidly while in normal use (ie, full, 9, 8, 7, empty), then I wouldn't worry about it.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #3 mr_guy_mann, Mar 10, 2023
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