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Interesting fuel issue, 2016 Three Touring overflowing

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by brockeverly, Nov 15, 2016.

  1. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    Differences in Canadian & US legal requirements?
    In spite of what some in the US think, Canada is not just another US state.
     
  2. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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  3. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    Mendel was quoting 2016 Gen4 Manual above on Post#15, so I am confused, but I think we are saying this is Gen4

    When they say under pressure, I wonder how they pressure it up?
     
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  4. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    Sorry, I got confused. So this is Gen 4 & Gen 1 PIP. Likely Prime too.
     
  5. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    I've been speculating that winter fuel vapors on Gen2 contribute to not being able to get more than 6-7 gals or so in there this time of year on a fill-up. Everyone says its the bladder but even if you fill-up on a warm day you still can't get much in now.
     
  6. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Ah, I see. I say gen 3 doesn't have 30 minute time limit. Then I (intentionally) post an excerpt from the 2016 manual. Sorry for the confusion.
     
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  7. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    AUSTRALIAN (and from what I can see online EU) don't have that 30 minute instruction:
    It says: "Always hold the grips on the fuel tank cap and turn it slowly to remove it.
    A whooshing sound may be heard when the fuel tank cap is loosened.
    Wait until the sound cannot be heard before fully removing the cap. In hot
    weather, pressurized fuel may spray out of the filler neck and cause injury"

    AND

    upload_2016-11-17_8-47-58.png
     
    #27 alanclarkeau, Nov 16, 2016
    Last edited: Nov 17, 2016
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  8. brockeverly

    brockeverly Junior Member

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    So today I got about a mile down the road and my fuel gauge dropped from full to 7/8 of a tank immediately. Typically it drops in 1/16 increments and it was on full (previous to this overflow it was down 1/16th). Something is off. Running the tank low the next couple of days and taking it in for the EVAP test, but something certainly isn't right here.

    Down to 1/8 of a tank today so it is going in for the EVAP test hopefully tomorrow. Travelled 395 miles, 89 miles to empty according to the display so I am calculating between 1-2 gallons of fuel lost based on my normal 550/600 range. The fuel spot in my cinder driveway was still there this morning but finally dried out throughout the day today. I guess we will see where this goes.
     
    #28 brockeverly, Nov 16, 2016
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 21, 2016
  9. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    OK lets us know...I'd hazard a guess, but it could be wrong.
    We should hear what they say.
     
  10. brockeverly

    brockeverly Junior Member

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    So the EVAP test passed. They are leaning on the radical temperature change causing expansion of fuel. Either way, I am not happy. I have never had a vehicle that has had an issue of overflowing with changing temps. Guess time will tell.
     
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  11. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Yeah, if you shut off fueling at first click-off of the nozzle, and then had driven some distance (60 miles): not good. o_O

    Any compensation for the messed up paint?
     
  12. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    Well thanks for keeping us inofrmed. As far as expansion, the main thing is the temp of the fuel the station gave to you. So I do not see expansion at the moment. What maybe I can see (still maybe a fuel quality issue as I proposed first) but conceivably at 20F the vapors condensed on the other side of the Gen4 cut off gate so maybe you had vapors condense to liquids in the fill tube. So either this is a fuel issue or a generic design issue for which you are the unlucky first to experience.
     
  13. ATHiker

    ATHiker Senior Member

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    Does
    Hardly a radical change.

    Many thousands of drivers come bring their cars from sub-zero conditions into heated garages all he time.
     
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  14. Coast Cruiser

    Coast Cruiser Senior Member

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    Sorry to hear of your fuel problem. Regardless of the temperature swings, I think it's ridiculous that you're having gas overflow. I've never heard of any other vehicle having that type of problem.

    I will add this to my growing list of Prius Oddities, and it just reaffirms my opinion that my Prius is the strangest (and most complicated) vehicle I've ever owned. When refueling, I usually always squeeze in another gallon after the pump clicks off; up to the point of accidentally overflowing the tank several times on my Camrys, and now my Prius. But it's never led to any problems in the last 27 years. (The largest Temp swing I've experienced after filling up, would be 53 in the morning to 90 in the afternoon. No where close to freezing like you had.)
     
  15. brockeverly

    brockeverly Junior Member

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    Nothing thus far. I reluctantly filled it again today, approximately a gallon shy of what my mileage has been over the last 5000 miles. Here is to hoping tomorrow it has all the fuel in it that it did when I parked it.
     
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  16. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    When are you going to share that list of oddities?
     
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  17. Coast Cruiser

    Coast Cruiser Senior Member

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    Too numerous to list! :LOL: (And the diehard Prius lovers would toss me out of the forum). Actually, all we have to do is check this website a few times a week, and all the oddities are pretty evident.

    But the "clicking brake pedal" in this thread moves to the top of the chart. And the "overflowing gas tank" is another new oddity. Strangest car I have ever owned.
     
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  18. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    You only have just over 2000 posts. (See, I included all the oddities). I believe you can list the in the forum. Search may be your friend too.

    You could start a thread with links to the oddity posts.
     
  19. RCO

    RCO Senior Member

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    IMHO the clicking brakes and fuel spill are less 'oddities' and more like 'anomalies.' They don't seem to have happened to more than one or two cars out of, how many...?
     
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  20. William Redoubt

    William Redoubt Senior Member

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    The answer to the issue is simple. You have THE MOST EFFICIENT PRIUS EVER! Rather than consume fuel, your car produces it. The only viable explanation is shown below. Your challenge is to lay low and avoid Big Oil assassins.

    vortex wira scc  new.JPG