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Number of miles possible after fuel gauge hits zero?

Discussion in 'Prius v Main Forum' started by texasshawshank, Mar 14, 2017.

  1. rdgrimes

    rdgrimes Senior Member

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    These threads should always carry the reminder that if you run out of petrol and the hybrid system attempts to restart the ICE more than twice, the system shuts down completely and you have to get towed to a dealer. Makes no difference how much traction battery is left, you're done driving.
     
    Air_Boss likes this.
  2. Air_Boss

    Air_Boss Senior Member

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    That is a rather important disclaimer. Never heard that one before.
     
  3. Sooner Al

    Sooner Al Active Member

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    This is with a Prius v?
     
  4. muelled

    muelled Junior Member

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    I have never rub out of gas, and I normally go up to 50 miles after the fuel light comes on. on my 11,
    I normally can add about 10 gallons, leaving a gallon and a half still in the tank. I average about 40 mpg.
    I just got a 17 and mpg seems to be higher, but I have not yet done a fill up to calculate my actual mpg
    The 11 was consistently about 4% optimistic.
    All being said there not really a good reason not to fill up when the gas light comes on, if a station is
    convenient, I suppose
     
  5. wrprice

    wrprice Active Member

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    My gen2 could routinely go 20+ miles past the low fuel warning (no DTE estimate back then) except that one time when it went 8. In the middle of nowhere.

    My rule of thumb disregards the DTE. Get to a filling station before the distance travelled on the current tank (miles) exceeds the current tank MPG multiplied by 10 (gallons). In other words, shift the tank MPG decimal point one position right and make sure it's less than the tank's trip counter.

    This assumes that you always fill the tank and that you always reset the trip counter when you fill. It leaves a 1-point-something gallon margin of error, to account for MPG variances, the fact that not all of the rated capacity is useable, and that you don't want to run air through the fuel pump/line.
     
  6. FBear

    FBear Senior Member

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    Why push it? What are you attempting to prove? If you run the car out of fuel you can go about 1--2 miles on the traction battery and then you will need to get towed to a dealership to get the traction battery checked. Do that often enough and you'll be spending allot of money on a new battery, as they don't particularly like to be drained down to nothing. Get some gas when the warning light and chime go off, don't be stupid

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
  7. mikefocke

    mikefocke Prius v Three 2012, Avalon 2011

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    There are many things in life I don't understand. Loud mufflers. Fascination about the volume of the fuel tank. Spending thousands to "upgrade" a utility vehicle. Fancy wheels. Boom box stereos in cars.

    I almost always gas when it is convenient, not when the gauge forces me too. Other than its first fill up, I have exceeded 10 gallons only once and that recently when I was shocked at the price of gas on the PA turnpike and trying to get off where it surely would be cheaper (it wasn't). There must have been many times when my schedule, the price at the pump, the location of a pump and the stars aligned and I filled up when some would consider early.

    To each his own.
     
    Raytheeagle likes this.