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PiP Owners - Own Up: Out of Charge, AND Gas?

Discussion in 'Gen 1 Prius Plug-in 2012-2015' started by hill, Sep 7, 2013.

  1. davekro

    davekro Member

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    Duh, being part of this community with all vehicles 'just like mine', I do not need to run it out of gas, just notice what other's have experienced, and like Mark, what rule of thumb they use for normal cue to fill up. I would also like to find the 'push it to the limit' rule of thumb for those times/ circumstances that may incline you to need to know more accurately how many HV mile you have left, only for (semi?) emergency purposes.
     
  2. markabele

    markabele owner of PiP, then Leaf, then Model 3

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    I think the PiP holds 10.6 gallons. So if you are sure you got it pretty full in theory you should be able to go until the ratio screen hits 10 gallon. The ratio screen is pretty accurate (although not precise, it rounds down) if you catch it right when it turns.
     
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  3. davekro

    davekro Member

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    I'd like to hear more about the Ratio Screen's accuracy on gallons used.
    My first tank 'fill up' after purchasing from the dealer showed "7 gals used", but I actually put in 7.791 gals at the pump. Is the first tank not like other fill ups??

    Can you give an example of the rounding up you describe (esp at nearer tank empty)? Thanks
     
  4. markabele

    markabele owner of PiP, then Leaf, then Model 3

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    You can't go off the dealer tank. Those are always messed up.

    It rounds down actually. So even if you use 8.8 gallons the ratio screen will show 8. Won't go up to 9 until you actually use 9 gallons.
     
  5. giora

    giora Senior Member

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    I always fill up when the gauge shows 3 bars, I am not allowed to drive below that.
     
  6. markabele

    markabele owner of PiP, then Leaf, then Model 3

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    Have to dig deeper into the last phrase.
     
  7. giora

    giora Senior Member

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    By SWMBO.
     
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  8. Lourun

    Lourun Member

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    I start to look for gas station when last pip flashes, and deffenitly stop for gas when computer says 0 miles remaining.
     
  9. davekro

    davekro Member

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    . What 'PIP'flashes?
    So, has anyone gone past zero? this is where I would always test a new to me car. With a gas can in car, I'd See how many miles it went on 'zero'!
    Anyone know that answer from experience? :)
     
  10. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

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    I have never run out of charge in my LEAF or my ZENN and the funny thing (not so much at the time) is that the only time I ran out of gas (3X) not counting my broke college days was in a truck that had a 36 gallon 2 tank capacity to carry gas...

    normally, I would drive one tank down to near empty switching over to the other tank more to check to see if gas was in it. if it went to empty, i knew I had already used it. but the gauge stuck so much i would flip over, it would start to sputter 5 miles later so I switch back to the other tank with only a few miles left and ran out of gas 3 times this way. the only 3 times I ever ran out of gas and yes, I am the guy who drove their 2010 Prius over 100 miles on a blinking bar!
     
  11. Astolat

    Astolat Member

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    The "flashing pip" is either one of our cars modified to pop the hood briefly, to titillate oncoming vehicles or, more commonly;), what happens if you keep driving with only one bar left on the fuel gauge - it eventually starts to flash.

    Haven't actually got past zero, no, but I had one trip trying unsuccessfully to get to a 1,000 mile tank where I was down to 7, I think, before I chickened out. My Fuelly log says I put in 37.58 litres at that refill. The tank is listed here in the UK as 40 litres, and given that Japan is metric and that is a round number, I'd suggest it is probably the true figure (which means the US 10.6 gallons would have been rounded up from 10.56688707431956, approximately...).

    So I had just over 2.4 litres left, assuming it was all usable. Given that I do about 30% EV, and I had none left, I had about 35 miles, so say 28 once it got down to zero. However, I was actually in inner city, stop-start, traffic, so I doubt I would actually have got anything like that far. I seem to remember others listing higher figures previously, even up to 50.
     
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  12. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i ran out of fuel in my '08, then drove on the battery until it quit. fortunately, 2 or 3 gallons of gas and i was back on the road again. some have had to be towed, and it isn't exactly known why. some say it's not good for the battery to drive it until it runs out. not something i would do on purpose.
     
  13. jdk2

    jdk2 Active Member

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    Mine's been on 6 miles to empty for the last 40 miles or so since the last pip started flashing. Have the battery fully charged so will go today and see what it takes for a fill-up. I'm tempted to throw the gas can in the back and just drive it 'til it runs out however I'm not really sure of the mileage when the light started flashing so it wouldn't be a very scientific experiment.
     
  14. markabele

    markabele owner of PiP, then Leaf, then Model 3

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    For the record, yes, you can drive many miles past the point where the DTE says 0.
     
  15. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

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    many were towed because the tank wont reset itself (and turn the fuel pump back on) until it senses a sufficient volume of gas in the tank. you put in enough, but others did not.
     
  16. davekro

    davekro Member

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    That's good to know that too little gas, Say 1 gallon, is not enough to reset the computer and hence let the fuel pump run. For emergency purposes it would be very good to know the number of gallons that "is required" to that reset the computer and fuel pump. I could easily see a scenario where you're out of gas in the boonies, and you hitchhike to a gas station that sells only 1 gallon gas cans. How many would I buy??
     
  17. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

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    dont know and guessing the amount is not exact. some have reported a gallon.5 worked while others said they put in about two gallons and it didnt. but one thing "seems" certain is that what you put in still has to correlate with what is still in the tank. rarely is the last drop sucked out when the car conks out. so best bet? 2 gallons should be plenty
     
  18. DianneWhitmire

    DianneWhitmire High PRIUStess

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    I agree with Mark. You can drive MANY miles past the range meter saying 0. Many. Ahem. What one may learn to do is to pop the EV button OFF and leave 2 miles of range in the average commute areas where a gas station tends to be right off a freeway or within 2 miles. Based on what I know of my driving habits, when my tank is full, I drive till the range leaves the car and switches itself. Unless I am on the freeway goin' faster than 60, then I opt to conserve it for when I am trapped doing under 60.
    When I get down to a couple bars, and don't wanna stop for fuel yet, I pop off the EV at 2 miles left. Just in case! Between the Rav4 EV that I have and my PHEV, I so seldom see a filling station anymore, it's not a normal routine anymore. ;)
     
  19. PeteSJCA

    PeteSJCA 2013 Prius Plug-In Base in Winter Gray

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    Has anyone actually run out of gas in their PIP? What happens to the car? Will it run on EV until the batteries are drained?
     
  20. PeteSJCA

    PeteSJCA 2013 Prius Plug-In Base in Winter Gray

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    Has anyone actually run out of gas in their PIP? What happens to the car? Will it run on EV until the batteries are drained?