Ran Out Of Gas

Well I ran out of gas this weekend (on purpose) and had at least 98 miles on the flashing bar. It started flashing while my wife was driving and through deduction, it was probably closer to 115 miles. I cannot believe the differences that are occurring from car to car with these fuel guages. We have had the fuel filler and fuel guage TSB done and the only discernable difference to me is that the gas tank no longer gurgles and spits up. BTW I was about a block from my usual filling station and when I filled the tank it clicked off at 10.3 gals. The consumtion screen was reading 46.2 mpg and 556 miles. So this would indicate that 12.03 gals of gas should have gone into the tank. I was so ticked that I topped off until 11.9 gals. (Please no lectures on fumes and charcoal filters.)

 

I presume the Prius is fuel injected as there is no carburator.

Running out of gas with a carb is just annoying. Running out of gas with fuel injection can be expensive. The injectors can get plugged.

At the very least, I would recomend to both of you that you get your fuel filters replaced ASAP, and don't run out of gas again, by accident OR on purpose.

A friend of mine ran out of gas and 2 months later his check engine light was on all the time. His catalytic coverter was ruined. It was fixed under warranty even though the dealer said that running out of gas was probably the cause.

Could have been very $$$$$$.

 

running out of gas and driving 2 miles on battery may have long term consequences that will manifest itself in years to come.

draining your battery beyond the set limits could mean a battery replacement is in your future. granted, its under warantee, but it will most certainly will not be a convenient time when the battery goes out.

 

I wouldn't expect it would harm the battery any more than driving in EV mode on vehicles so-equipped (or modified).

The power computer isn't going to let you damage the battery no matter if you run out of gas or not. It will let you use the available capacity to drive some distance, but as soon as you get into the low battery zone, you're not going anywhere.

Toyota just discourages it as not being a very smart idea to do...

Dave.

 

I think the biggest argument to purposely running low or out of gas is - or had been - that all the sediment in the bottom of the tank can get picked up by the in-tank fuel pump.

That can really bugger up the fuel pump, can also plug the filter. I'm not sure if the injectors would be damaged, as the filter should protect them.

My 1990 Toyota 4Runner V6 and 1992 Honda Prelude SR both had drain plugs on the gas tank. Every October I would drive the vehicles up onto a big car ramp at my hobby farm. I made the car ramp out of old treated railway ties, and the vehicle is around 3 ft off the ground. Very handy to work on, especially a car.

I would make sure I had several portable gas cans filled up, and would have the gas tank at around 1/4 or less. I would then drain all the gas out of the tank, through a screened Cluthe funnel, and into a large drum I had cut in half.

Once the tank was empty, I would put another screened funnel in the gas fill and pour a gallon or two to stir everything up in the tank. Then I would put a new crush washer on the drain plug and use the portable cans to fill.

The gas I had drained would be used in the lawnmower, snowblower, and weed trimmer - no I didn't waste it. I would also check the funnel I had put under the drain plug and you'd be surprised at the dirt caught in it.

I've pulled gas tanks out of old cars and trucks without drain plugs. You'd be shocked at the crap at the bottom of the tank, like fine beach sand.

I'll have to check if the Prius has a drain plug. With the bladder, I doubt it.

 

why in the hell would you run your tank that low before filling it especially in the winter. the tank should always be full or as near as can be full to keep the gas tank from sweating (cant spell the proper word but sure you all know what i mean) as you dont need water in the fuel. also drawing the fuel down that low will draw the sediment in the bottom of the tank into the fuel system then baby you better belive you will have a large repair bill to unplug the fuel system. fill the tank once a week whether you need it or not and you never have any fuel problems

 

Well, the gas tank in a Prius won't have a problem with condensation as it has the bladder in the fuel tank. There's no air space, and thus, no space for condensation to form.

The point about sediment is more accurate, although I suspect that there's less of it in a Prius again due to the bladder being nonmetallic (and not rusting), and gas quality being generally quite good these days.

Dave

 

Ironically, Prius owners seem to run out of gas much more frequently than owners of other cars. It has been posted here that the computer stores a code indicating that the car ran out of gas, and a Toyota mechanic will know this, thus giving the dealer a reason not honor the warranty.

 

running out of gas AND running the traction battery real low might

 

NiMH batteries last much longer if kept within a narrow range of charge. This is how Toyota achieves a battery life equal to or greater than the life of the car. Frequently going outside this range will decrease the life of the battery. However, draining the battery once or twice because you ran out of gas is not going to have a measurable impact on battery life.

And Toyota would have a darn hard time denying warranty service based on your running out of gas. There is a reasonable assumption that running out of gas should not cause major damage to the car. If running out of gas causes gizmos to get clogged and need cleaning, they might make you pay for that, but major damage is another matter entirely.

The well-known inaccuracy and variability of the gas gauge would be a strong argument in favor of the customer in any court case or arbitration hearing where running out of gas was alleged to have caused a problem. If running out of gas is that serious, they have a responsibility to provide a dependable gauge.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(quietman\";p=\"59422)</div>

When it's 10 degrees below zero (F) and the wind chill is 30 or 40 below, you fill the tank as seldom as you possibly can.

I watch the weather forecast when my fuel starts getting low, in hopes of finding a day that's not quite so bitterly cold.

 

in weather that cold, a trip to Oregon might not be a bad idea. there the station attendant puts in the gas!!

 

In Oregon I could pump my own gas. I would not need an attendant. I admit, it is tempting, though.

 

i believe that it is now legal to pump your own gas in Oregon now.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DaveinOlyWA\";p=\"60081)</div>

I thought they shot that down? Up till now it was illegal for a untrained person (that means you) who was not employed by the station to pump gas. I heard there was a movement to change that but it did not go through.

 

i really dont know for sure, i know they were thinking bout it. but the last time i was in OR, i could not pump my own gas

 

I was once in Cozumel, Mexico and rented a Jeep Wrangler 4x4. When we went to "the" gas station, the service attendant pumped the gas and stole the gas cap! It probably was a guy that also worked for the car rental place to scam the caps off cars and make tourists pay for new caps at the car rental place. They also probably put the old gas cap (which they stole from the car in the first place) back on the Jeep to scam people. What a pickle.

 

lol!!

that reminds me of a story of a tourist in Mexico stopping at a traffic light. the local kids run up and start cleaning the windshield which had collected a decent coating of dust.

the driver figuring some change was in order, tossed the kids each a quarter. little did he know that the kids just wanted him to stop long enough to steal his hubcaps