Gas gauge

did you fill up on an incline? sometimes if you don't fill on a level surface the mechanism that determines the gas level gets calibrated wrong and needs to be reset. if you run out of gas with 2-3 bars on the gauge, this is the problem. but it's probably unlikely as most gas stations are level.

second thought, maybe you didn't fill up all the way? considering the bladder and all, getting a really full tank doesn't happen all the time.

otherwise, chalk it up to the "guess gauge"

 

Lola'05

I'm new to the forum too, so let me tell you what I've learned.

First, the other members call it the "guess" gauge, because it's so sensitive to temperature, speed of the gas pump and setting of the auto shut-off gas pump handle. It also sounds like it's not very consistent from Prius to Prius.

My work-around is to use the same pump at the same gas station, pump slowly, then add one gallon of gas after the first click-off. I don't think I'm hurting anything and I consistently get around 150 miles before the first bar on the "guess" gauge goes out.

Hope this helps.

 

Well guys, I might agree with you all about the bladder and such if he hadn't mentioned that the guage registered FULL, then dropped to half in 50 or so miles. However, that also depends what the guage showed before it was filled.
At an average of 55 MPG, each bar for me equates to 30 miles for the first half of the tank (and the bar just after half). Therefore, that should be 120 miles, plus the 'full' miles before the first bar comes off, which for me has been as low as 150 miles, and as hight as 230.

 

Lola, I've had one tank like that.

I'd bet that your bladder (in the gas tank, not yourself) had 'stuck'. The Prius gas tank has an inflatable bladder lining. It may not have inflated all the way. did it appear to take far to little fuel on that fillup?