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Gas Tank

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by Vernon, May 4, 2005.

  1. Vernon

    Vernon New Member

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    The Toyota dealer service department infomed me today that there are approximately 3 gallons of gas remaining in the tank of my '04 when the last bar on the fuel guage starts blinking. And that it is intended by the manufacturer as a safety feature to reduce the chances of running out of gas. This seems to be confirmed by the fact that I can only add 8 gallons at this point before the pump clicks off.

    However, I read in this forum that there is only 1 gallon left when the guage starts to blink. Which is correct? At 54 mpg, can I go another 50 miles - or another 150 miles on "empty?"
     
    #1 Vernon, May 4, 2005
  2. randalla

    randalla Member

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    Vernon, you'll find tons of posts in Priuschat addressing the woes of the gas tank/fuel guage issue. Bottom line is, the guage is not linear. There is no way to accurate equate the number of bars showing on the guage to be a certain number of gallons remaining.
     
    #2 randalla, May 4, 2005
  3. Ray Moore

    Ray Moore Active Member

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    About 100 miles. Your Range May Vary.
     
    #3 Ray Moore, May 4, 2005
  4. Vernon

    Vernon New Member

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    Thanks. (That's a lot of reserve - almost 1/4 tank?)
     
    #4 Vernon, May 4, 2005
  5. DonDNH

    DonDNH Senior Member

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    I routinely can put in 9½ - 10 gallons into the car when showing the last bar not blinking. I refuel as soon as I get to my gas station. If I'm down to two bars and have my commute (88 miles), I fill up first.
     
    #5 DonDNH, May 5, 2005
  6. mypri

    mypri New Member

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    Hi. This is my first time in this forum. I've just bought a 2005 and have the same 8-8.5 gallon head-scratching question. Does this mean that I should not count on any particular reserve amount when the light starts blinking?

     
    #6 mypri, Feb 28, 2010
  7. Rokeby

    Rokeby Member

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    Vernon, mypri,

    It is possible that the fuel tank/system inclination sensors need to be
    recalibrated:

    Inclination Sensors.

    There are two inclination sensors located in the [fuel] meter ECU to
    detect vehicle longitudinal and latitudinal inclinations and to correct
    the fuel level calculation. Corrections are made by the signals from
    the inclination sensors and the ambient temperature sensor located
    in the fuel tank.

    The inclinometer must be reset if the customer complains that they
    can only pump a few gallons of gas into their tank or if they run out
    of gas with three or four bars left on the fuel meter. The inclinometer
    must also be reset if the Prius is refilled on an excessive slope or if
    the fuel gauge becomes inaccurate. Please refer to the Prius Repair
    Manual for the inclometer calibration procedure.

    This is from the Toyota tech training manual.

    Hope this helps.
     
    #7 Rokeby, Feb 28, 2010
    1 person likes this.
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