One bar flashing fuel light

"Why are so many people concerned with driving past the blinking light & tempting fate?"

Personally I always drive with the flashing one pipe for 30-50 miles. I only get about 44 mpg on average.
When you have driven your Prius for so long you know how much gas you have in the car by doing the math.
I know the range the dash mpg is off by then actual and reset the trip every tank.
Of course if I was going on a long trip I wouldn't chance it but day to day driving it is no big deal.

I always have around 1 gallon and half of gas left. Last time I had 2 gallons left with one flashing pipe.
I don't see it as tempting fate, just a normal routine for me unless I am about to leave on a long trip.
Why visit the gas station more when it is not necessary?

 

A very few readers have reported lockups preventing a restart. But Bob Wilson, who runs cars out of fuel for fun and sport, reported no engine or fuel system problems. For example, see [WARNING] Running out of gas (Gen III), where the real story that triggered the base posting is buried very deep in the thread.

 

Real issue to me is that the flashing indicator is small and does not contrast with the display in general. So it's very easy for me to overlook. I say "for me" since I'm not a Prius-only driver and I'm sure that this is a factor. I really like the very conspicuous ISO icon of a yellow square with a fuel pump image inside it.

 

If the price of gas is going up, it's more economical to fill up more often with cheaper gas, than to wait until the tank is almost empty and fill up with more expensive gas.

Of course, if the price of gas is going down, the opposite applies. Wait as long as you can so it's as cheap as you can get it.

 

In other words, you like idiot lights.

 

What does that have to do with the comment I was responding to?

 

You said: "Why visit the gas station more when it is not necessary?" I pointed out a reason why it makes economic sense to get gas more often than strictly necessary.

 

I know what I said. It wasn't the main point. You are just a little nit picker.
Also it doesn't always make economic sense to fill up more often. Depends on how many miles a person drives each week which will factor in how often he needs to go to the gas station to fill up, how consistent the prices are changing and what direction they are changing to.

 

As stated, I like standards. I don't see any value in being different just for he sake of novelty. It's like an aircraft with its altitude readout in fathoms.

 

You asked. I answered.

Whatever.

 

You live in Washington as I do & I've traveled all over the western USA. I've never had an issue with getting gas, even in my MR2 that has a range of about half that of my Prius. I'm just curious why anyone would have an issue. If gas is that rare in an area I would fill up even sooner if needed.

 

First, let me admit that I did not read all the way through the posts, only 10-12.

WHY WAIT? If it is getting low why not just fill up. Running out of gas in the Prius seems worse than in a conventional gas car it seems to me. You've had >250 miles since half tank to find gas. Why push it?

 

It's often been said that you can damage the charcoal canister in the evaporative emissions system by doing this. You're getting your extra gallon into the tank by filling it with gasoline!

 

What were you driving before that MR2? I don't recall the mpg of the used '78 the parents acquired for me, as I started paying attention to such things on the next car. But looking at some web specs and translating to the same EPA basis, it appears to have had a fuel range only one-third that of my Prius. Your MR2 would have been a great improvement.

I lived elsewhere during the 1970s oil shocks / OPEC embargo, and sometimes used a road section with a triple-digit distance without service. That segment has since been shortened, but I saw a similar segment in the Canadian Rockies recently, during less than favorable weather.

I haven't seen a similarly long segment during normal business hours in this state. But decades ago, when fewer stations were open 24/7/365, odd hours became an issue on routes away from I-90. This is where I encountered the price gouging clerk. More recently, severe weather has highlighted the fact the gas stations can't sell fuel when the electric grid fails.

Some habits and desire for necessary details of 30-40 years ago hasn't gone away.

 

I didn't ask you. Is your user name SuperchargedM?

 

The 2010 Prius fuel tank has a true capacity of about 13.5 gallons.

When the pump first clicks off on auto you can still nurse
in another 2 gallons until it fills up to the neck with standing
fuel...

So, the mystery is solved.

 

I grew up driving the wide open spaces of New Mexico. There were always plenty of long open roads but gas was available in nearly every town large or small. If I had to worry about it I would top off my tank just like I do in my MR2. I had tanks where after 200 miles I'm on empty.

That being said we aren't talking about 30+ years ago, we are talking about now with a Prius. No need IMO to worry about running the car so low on fuel that you have to worry about running out. Gas stations are way too plentiful these days just about every where in the US, even in the wide open spaces of the west.

 

I.e. preparedness is unnecessary, even ill-advised, because history most certainly won't repeat itself. Yeah, that's the ticket.

 

I live in mild San Diego. I have never been able to put 10 gallons in the tank, even going about 20 miles past 0 miles left in the tank indicator. I agree ssome fuel should be kept in the tank, but I would expect the reserve to be closer to 11 gallons. I purchased a car with a 11.9 gal tank, andd don't feel that when it says I am out of gas I still have over 2 gallons that can never be used, or there is a problem with the tank, where it can't hold the gas, I was told it would when I purchased it.

 

I regularly go at least 50 - 60 miles past the 0 miles and the most I have ever put in was 11.3 gallons. Part of the fun of knowing that is when a passenger notices the blinking light and says "don't you need gas" and I say "Nah, don't worry about it!" Then I keep driving for a while. I think it's a little un-nerving to them.

I think the cruise range on the screen should go to negative numbers, so that you know how far "0" you went. Because, sometimes I miss exactly when I have "0" miles left.