How to get a bigger fuel tank?

There is no aftermarket source that I know of. If you are able to design and manufacture a replacement tank of suitable capacity then you could do that upgrade.

If the replacement tank does not contain the same emissions control / fuel vapor sensors as the original equipment tank, then the check engine light will turn on. In particular, the space between the flexible bladder and the tank outer shell has a sensor to detect the presence of a fuel leak.

Seems much easier to visit the gas station more frequently than you might otherwise prefer.

 

Design is all about trade-offs. If they designed a larger tank, that would have meant less cargo/passenger capacity. A heavier tank with more fuel to carry around would mean less miles per gallon. A larger tank would mean more fume headroom in the empty portion of the tank, so higher emission levels.

If for your personal usage you need more range between gas station fill-ups, you can always carry in the back of your car a ten-gallon jug of gas, which you can then dump into your gas tank when you run dry. The ten extra gallons would weigh over 60 lbs, which according to the fueleconomy.gov (Gas Mileage Tips - Driving More Efficiently) that extra weight could knock 1% off your mpg.

Tom

 

Poo is exactly what I shit, except that one time when my 'roids were acting up.

 

I have an 07 nissan altima hybrid. It has a 20 gallon tank. Gets filled about every two or three weeks sometimes once per month. The range is about 600-700 miles before the low warning light comes on. It is nice to have that kind of range. 2010 Prius comes in between 400-500 mile range. My 4x4 pick-up comes in about 200-300 mile range (also a 20 gal tank)

 

Can you guys really drive farther than 500 miles without stopping to stretch or pee, (or poo)? Unless you live where the gas stations are a lot farther apart than they are around here, I don't see the problem. I like to stop every 3 hours to stretch and fill up with coffee and return the last cup of coffee, so I don't mind getting gas at the same time.

 

This is the 'classic' answer

Tanks at www.hotrodsusa.com Online Store Home

 

i get 5-600 miles per tank. usually sufficient.

 

Would a bootleg Japanese domestic tank fit?

If your car is subject to emissions tests, all bets are off. Any modification is likely to be flagged by the ECU and reported when the test station plugs in to read the codes.

 

may I ask why?

if this is a case of driving 30mi to Cosco once a week to get cheap gas (10c off) bring a 5gal gas can or stop by at any pump and top off with extra 2-3gal

It would be really cheaper then replacing tank.

 

A JDM tank in principle would fit but its capacity would be an honest 11.9 gallons. So if you are lucky you would pick up 1-2 gallons capacity vs. the original equipment US tank.

 

Or in my case 3-4 gallons since I can never get more than 8.5 gallons (average is 7.5) in even after running with the low fuel light blinking for awhile.

 

What ?? ... you mean there are some Prius drivers that don't get 700+ miles to a tank?



Must need a tune up!

Sorry ... couldn't resist. It aint easy being the resident weisenheimer. But seriously ... it's not the gas tank that prevents you from doing 700+ miles per tank. It's mind set ... whether it bothers you more to NOT be the 1st one to the next red light ... or whether it bothers you more that you're blowing through too much gas.
Just something to think about.

 

I'm happy going a month between fill-ups. If I went longer, I'd forget how to use the gas pump.

 

It shouldn't be too hard to give the ECU the parameters required to make it think it's sensing a bladdered tank.

 

I seemed to remember that between different tanks, jacking up the rear corner of the car, and carefully filling to the top of the filler tube, some Japanese GenII competitors were pushing 60 liter refills. Can't find the picture of the jacked up car right now, but here is an example of a 60 liter refill that went over 3000 km: Prius New World Record: over 50km/L(117mpg) tank.

Modifying a US market car with a JDM tank will likely run afoul of US evaporative emissions requirements, so I would discourage this on any car in an area with air quality problems, emissions tests, or in an car likely to ever be resold before being scrapped.

 

I think your question is great. I am an engineer, and I see how it would be complex to do this. However, I am eager to find out if you've made any progress toward a larger gas tank. Thanks.

 

OP was last seen 8 years ago.....

maybe others have made progress

Here is a current thread Corolla to Prius gas tank swap