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How does my Prius know I got gas?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by camner, Nov 11, 2007.

  1. camner

    camner Junior Member

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    My wife just got gas in our (relatively) new Prius...third tank. After filling up, she did not push the "RESET" button on the MFD. But the "Miles" indicator was back at 0. How does the Prius know she got gas?

    Also, does the MPG indicator also reset automatically when getting gas, or does that only reset when the "RESET" button is pushed (which is what I speculate).
     
  2. darelldd

    darelldd Prius is our Gas Guzzler

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    I'll let others give you the answers you seek... but will take this chance to warn you that with December right around the corner - that the Prius also knows whether you've been good or bad. So be good for goodness' sake!
     
  3. Sufferin' Prius Envy

    Sufferin' Prius Envy Platinum Member

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    How does your Prius know you got gas?

    The smart-nice person answer:
    When the Prius rolls down all four windows on its own. :lol:

    The smart answer: The same way it knows when to add more pips to the fuel gage. ;)
     
  4. omgitsroy326

    omgitsroy326 New Member

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    sensor sees the difference and resets... if you put in small amount of fuel.. sometimes it won't see it therefore it won't reset... i'm talkin bout less than a gallon
     
  5. camner

    camner Junior Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Sufferin' Prius Envy @ Nov 11 2007, 08:34 PM) [snapback]538206[/snapback]</div>

    Points for your answer (and sense of humor)! I definitely walked right into that one!

    Thanks for everyone's reply.
     
  6. paprius4030

    paprius4030 My first Prius

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    Since you have an 07, the mpg's do not automatically reset unless you hit the reset button, the 04 and 05's did automatically reset(I just found this out recently).
     
  7. rharper

    rharper New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(paprius4030 @ Nov 12 2007, 06:18 AM) [snapback]538313[/snapback]</div>
    I have an '07 and mine automatically resets. In fact, last week after filling up and automatically resetting thend riving to work - about 42 miles. When I went to leave work in the afternoon it automatically reset again. I assume the sensor may have sensed a full tank with the fuel volume expanding during the day - cold morning, warm afternoon.

    Roger
     
  8. David Beale

    David Beale Senior Member

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    The miles traveled resets but not the running MPG. Or in my case, the kms resets but not the l/100 km. ;) On the second screen, the one with the five minute bars. The odometer trip gauges are not affected.
     
  9. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    It uses the fuel level sensor. In some cases it can take up to three gallons before it will register.

    The 2006 and later models do not automatically reset the MPG total.

    Tom
     
  10. FBear

    FBear Senior Member

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    Does no one RTFM anymore. That kind of information is in the manual. You would think, (OH! excuse me I guess it is some people try and avoid at all costs) that when you drive a new car that is slightly out of the ordinary with so many wonderful magical functions that you would want to learn how they all work.
     
  11. kimgh

    kimgh Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(FBear @ Nov 12 2007, 09:08 AM) [snapback]538447[/snapback]</div>
    You make a good point, but you have to admit that the manual is difficult to read (and I tried!) and difficult to find any particular topic in.

    Toyota would do well to hire a really good manual writer (and one that can write an English sentence woudn't hurt, either...).
     
  12. judymcfarland

    judymcfarland Queen of Moral Indignation

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    It took me 2 days to read the manual when I first got the car & after almost a year I am still learning things that others say "are in the manual". It's a lot of absorb when you first get the car & are blown away by the video-game atomsphere of the screen & trying to remember which buttons to push when. After 2 months I still don't have the bluetooth capabilities of my new cell phone set up correctly - and I was a technical analyst & software programmer before I retired. :p
     
  13. hoop

    hoop On The South Texas Coast

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    My 07 resets automatically when I fill up.
     
  14. camner

    camner Junior Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(FBear @ Nov 12 2007, 09:08 AM) [snapback]538447[/snapback]</div>
    I think the comment is uncalled for, particularly the sarcastic "OH! excuse me...". Yes, I've RTFM. I read it cover to cover when I first got the car. I reread several sections cover to cover, and I try to look things up all the time. The manual is extremely poorly written (clearly not written by a native English speaker). The index is incomplete. There are many topics that one cannot find by looking up what seems to be a reasonable topic title in the index. I've tried to find things, failed, only to find it by accident a week later when I was trying to look up something else. If the manual were available in electronic form (and was searchable), far fewer questions would be asked on PriusChat whose answers are in the manual.

    This is NOT a case of "I'm too lazy the read the manual, I'd rather ask online." Frankly, had I been able to find the answer in the manual, it would have taken less elapsed time than to wait for someone to reply to the email.

    There are times I find myself getting annoyed at a question I read in online forums (this or another). I shake my head, mutter under my breath, but in the spirit of civil discourse I don't vent at the person posting the question.
     
  15. Canuck

    Canuck Member

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    camner,
    I've been around this great forum awhile and can vouch for the fact that 99.9% of the folks here are first class but like everywhere else in life we have a few who spend their lives being rude and miserable. Actually it is better to just consider the source and move on.
    Great to have you posting here ;)
    Gary
     
  16. mxvet

    mxvet humble

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hoop @ Nov 12 2007, 02:16 PM) [snapback]538478[/snapback]</div>
    after 23 fill-up and a daily commute of 140 miles, My 07 does NOT automatically reset. Nor does two other friends who have 07's also.
     
  17. camner

    camner Junior Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Canuck @ Nov 12 2007, 10:55 AM) [snapback]538500[/snapback]</div>
    Point well made and taken to heart. Thanks.
     
  18. dhancock

    dhancock 2 Prius Family

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(humble @ Nov 12 2007, 02:03 PM) [snapback]538505[/snapback]</div>
    We've got abot 16K on our 07 and only recently did we (once) see the MFD reset at fill-up. However, I believe the manual says that it automatically resets when it consumes 10.00 galons of gas. I've seen that heppen once or twice (I usually reset when I fill up, but the wife does not).
     
  19. SaintStephen

    SaintStephen New Member

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    RTFM read the friendly manual....sorry, couldn't resist.

    ss
     
  20. Spike Jones

    Spike Jones New Member

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    I have a 2007 Mod 2 Prius.
    I record all my fill ups.
    I have to hit the reset button every time. I now have 6000 miles.