Urgent advice needed from PriusChat - should I fill up or not?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Fuel Economy' started by Joe-G, Apr 29, 2013.

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  1. szgabor

    szgabor Active Member

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    I ran out of gas with my Gen 2 :) with wife in the car on highway in snow ... not fun (wife was driving ...) man she tells everyone ... how I was telling her we have enough to get home... my second fill up with Gen 2 ... so I calculated the tank has 11.9 gallon blah blah ...

    Do not try this in the beginning ..

    But we all want to know if you made 500 miles club (I am in the 600) last tank was 521 miles and could only add 9.91 gal...
     
    #21 szgabor, Apr 29, 2013
  2. Joe-G

    Joe-G Member

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    I like this advice. Great post. :cool:

    I also like your signature...I subscribe to that theory as well but I've never seen it put so succinctly.

    I fill up all the way, shutoff, then two extra fills till shutoff to make sure. I'm very consistent with my measurements. So that's good for my prognosis...

    But we have a new wrinkle...weather is looking UGLY at the moment, I don't mind if I have to fuel up from the side of the road, but not so sure I want to do that in the middle of a Florida lightning storm....

    But it is FL, our afternoon storms are normally gone by the time I leave work....
     
    #22 Joe-G, Apr 29, 2013
  3. Joe-G

    Joe-G Member

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    OK as expected, the storms cleared, and I have a spare fuel tank. I'm going to get 1 gallon at the station by work just in case, and strike out.

    Wish me luck!
     
    #23 Joe-G, Apr 29, 2013
  4. Joe-G

    Joe-G Member

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    Success!

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    I filled up, 510 miles, 10.002 gallons using my two extra fills after first shutoff technique. 51.o mpg, not bad considering 180 miles of 70+ with AC and two other gentlemen in the car (probably 450 lbs extra).

    It wasn't without drama. After I stopped for the 1 gallon of fuel in my can one block from work, my DTE went from 12 to 0 in two blocks! I was worried, getting on the highway with 22 miles until I could exit at a reasonable fuel stop.

    But I made it and earned my first 500 mile tank. So one goal accomplished. :D I ran 22 miles on a DTE of 0.

    Thanks for the advice today folks.:)
     
    #24 Joe-G, Apr 29, 2013
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  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    exactly, there's no room up there for things like 'stop and get gas, you're almost out'.:p
     
    #25 bisco, Apr 29, 2013
  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    congrats joe, well done!(y) it's no 'mile high club', but it's something!:p
     
    #26 bisco, Apr 29, 2013
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  7. Joe-G

    Joe-G Member

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    Agree! And thanks. :)
     
    #27 Joe-G, Apr 29, 2013
  8. szgabor

    szgabor Active Member

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    That happens often.... shows 15 and 2 miles later shows 5 another mile 000000 But you could see that you still had probably 1 gallon when you refueled ....Also I do not do this with family in the car :) especially wife .. first beep go get gas :)

    The risk is that for whatever reason your mpg drops dramatically. Big bad traffic jam ON the highway where NOWHERE to go like a pile up 3 miles ahead, weather event etc. Or that several miles construction zone with no exist ... you mentioned...

    Now, I rarely drive on highway so this very unlikely to happen to me, so I just go by my estimate within city/suburb.

    You would have had about 30-40 miles easily at 0 but instead drops half or less and you got a problem. That is more of a problem on highway or rural area than where I live. gas station within a mile not a problem.
     
    #28 szgabor, Apr 30, 2013
  9. p00kienrayray

    p00kienrayray Active Member

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    Smart man. (y)
     
    #29 p00kienrayray, Apr 30, 2013
  10. Joe-G

    Joe-G Member

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    I concur!
     
    #30 Joe-G, Apr 30, 2013
  11. Sparkman 3

    Sparkman 3 New Member

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    #31 Sparkman 3, Apr 30, 2013
  12. Sparkman 3

    Sparkman 3 New Member

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    If you are so hell bent on making the 500 mile club,and afraid of the risk, then drive to the closest gas station and circle the pumps until you're satisfied ..sound dumb Hugh? Just get gas, don't worry about the 500 mile club..by the way I'm sure you can make it..
     
    #32 Sparkman 3, Apr 30, 2013
  13. Joe-G

    Joe-G Member

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    I don't know that I would term my desire as "hell bent", but I do like to set a goal and hopefully achieve it.

    If I can ask advice of those who have already traveled the road I am on, I will do so, hopefully to learn from their success or failure if things to be alert for.

    And I made it as posted above!
     
    #33 Joe-G, Apr 30, 2013
  14. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Congrats! I'm impressed with the mpg and the miles. Get that up to 59mpg indicated at that number (510) will be the distance when the low fuel light comes on!

    The DTE as far as I know appears to try and indicate the range to the low fuel light. The low fuel light usually comes on before the DTE reads zero.
     
    #34 Tideland Prius, Apr 30, 2013
  15. jhinsc

    jhinsc Senior Member

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    In a Prius Liftback, over-500 mile tanks is easy to do. I counted 23 tanks on mine during the 2 1/2 years I had it. What I want to do is a 500+ mile tank on my Prius v! That will be stretching it!
     
    #35 jhinsc, Apr 30, 2013
  16. Joe-G

    Joe-G Member

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    I'm at 60.0 at 70 odd miles into this tank! I learned some excellent tips in my other "Hypermiling FAIL" thread from our fellow PriusChat members.

    I'll never get a 600 mile tank with my commute, but I think 500 will be the norm if I watch it. I never need heat or AC in S fla during commute times with my sunroof so I'm poised to get a consistent 50.
     
    #36 Joe-G, Apr 30, 2013
  17. retired4999

    retired4999 Prius driver since 2005

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    Your almost at 600 mile tank already. You don't have to improve to much to make it, then it's just streiching that last gallon and a half in the tank! You will make it some day!:)
     
    #37 retired4999, Apr 30, 2013
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  18. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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    Congrats. :)
    Keep the fuel can handy for the 700 mile club run!
    I don't think that you'll need it for the 600-mile club. As you drive your G3 around some, you'll get used to going most of 100 miles past DTE=0.
    Remember....when you filled up after your 500-mile run?
    You still had most of 2 gallons remaining. :D

    Good Luck!
    Enjoy the car!!!
     
    #38 ETC(SS), Apr 30, 2013
  19. srivenkat

    srivenkat Active Member

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    IMHO, you could have simply put that same spare 1 Gallon gas into the tank, but NOT reset any of the counters. When you filled up the tank next time, you could have simply added 1 to the gallons it took to fill up in calculating MPG at the pump. I have done it many times when I wouldn't be near my favorite gas station and needed to have some more gas in the tank to get there.
     
    #39 srivenkat, May 1, 2013
  20. srivenkat

    srivenkat Active Member

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    Also, I would be hesitant to pour that 1 Gallon you have in the spare container into the tank, not knowing if that container was free of contaminants such as diesel or what! If I were you I would just use that gas for my lawn mower and such...
     
    #40 srivenkat, May 1, 2013
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