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Oops, lesson learned. Don't trust gas gauge.

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by Fredsimm, Feb 25, 2018.

  1. Fredsimm

    Fredsimm Active Member

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    Weird experience. Gas gauge had 2 dots and it was storming. I was close to home. Didn't want to pump in the cold blowing rain. A few miles from home, she shuts off and gives me the triangle. Checked my code and it was P3190. The code was engine failed to start. Went into ready mode and drove a mile more and she died again. I tried ready mode again and the engine struggled and died. Called my Dad to bring me some gas and all was fine. I ran out at 2 dots. Now I know.
     
    #1 Fredsimm, Feb 25, 2018
  2. kenoarto

    kenoarto Senior Member

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    Never heard of 2 pips being empty. I think it is something else.
     
    #2 kenoarto, Feb 25, 2018
  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    ah, the dreaded gen 2 bladder strikes again. lesson learned the hard way, glad it wasn't a major problem!(y)
     
    #3 bisco, Feb 25, 2018
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  4. Fredsimm

    Fredsimm Active Member

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    Yes, I was warned somewhere on Priuschat that in the cold weather the bladder causes the gauge to read incorrectly. I reset the triangle with torque pro and all seems normal. I immediately filled the tank.
     
    #4 Fredsimm, Feb 25, 2018
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  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    well done!
     
    #5 bisco, Feb 25, 2018
  6. Fredsimm

    Fredsimm Active Member

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    Took her on a trip today. Ran perfect. That was scary. Thought the hv pack died.
     
    #6 Fredsimm, Feb 26, 2018
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  7. jlk

    jlk New Member

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    ACtually, I have been reading threads about the gas gauge failing when drivers are going full speed with 2 bars left. It just happened to me. I got the diagnoses of a faulty gas gauge reader. I had 2 bars left, driving 65mph, then got a "check hybrid system; pull over immediately" (paraphrase there), and there, on the side of the highway, the engine died. Turns out- I had run out of gas. Seems to be a problem happening multiple times. I was not the first.
     
    #7 jlk, Mar 27, 2018
  8. Fredsimm

    Fredsimm Active Member

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    Yes, I was at 65mph with two pips when she died.
     
    #8 Fredsimm, Mar 28, 2018
  9. Erik Owens

    Erik Owens Member

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    Could be the bladder and could be the inclination sensor needs to be intitialized/ calibrated.
     
    #9 Erik Owens, Mar 28, 2018
  10. VFerdman

    VFerdman Senior Member

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    Wow! That must have been scary. Glad it's not a serious problem. I always gauge my tank by the mileage. when I get close to 400 miles on a tank I get ready to gas up. Unelss something goes horribly wrong I should have at least 400 miles of range on the tank. If I shoot for gassing up around 350-380, I should be very safe from running out of gas. So far my gas gauge does the opposite of yours it will blink the last pip for a long time before I get anywhere close to 400. Usually start blinking around 320-350. The worst mileage on a tank of gas I even had was 39.5 mpg when I drove on the highway from Massachusetts to New Jersey and back. I still managed to gas up at 390+ with a blinking pip going since 320. These gas gauges seem pretty inaccurate, so I use the trip odometer or the miles reset every time gas up on the MFD. Comes from years of riding motorcycles that did not have a gas gauge at all :)
     
    #10 VFerdman, Mar 28, 2018
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