Ran out of fuel AND battery!!

To be technically correct if they were to use "on" or "start" they would need to include the word "off" or "stop". I wouldn't want my car to be like a Windows machine that you have to click "start" to shutdown. (Yes I know 7 got rid of the word start and just has the logo)

PS. I'm not picking on you.

 

I knew someone would make the Windows analogy. It's all good.

 

Perhaps we could do as Apple do and simply have the Toyota logo on the button

 

This makes the best sense.

 

Unfortunately, but seriously, I bet you that is why the word "Power"is used. On or Start need Off or Stop to denote the opposite action.

Remember during the height of the "unintended acceleration" scandals and news blitz people were coming out of the woodwork suddenly claiming they had no idea how to shut down their Prius. James Sikes spent 1/2 hour on the freeway, and apparently had selective amnesia in regards to hitting the power button. Simply using the term "Power" would suggest you press it to power up and press it to power down.

Simply putting "Start" or "On" on the button? You'd probably get some idiot claiming they didn't know pushing it would create the opposite reaction.

Putting Start/Stop or On/Off on the same button? Well it shouldn't happen, but the world can sometimes be pretty dense.

I think using " Power " is Toyota's attempt at keeping it simple.

 

Um, what was the topic again?
Aand I thought I was good at going off topic, just an learner!

 

I know someone else who likes to see how far the car will go when it's low on gas...

 

Seems like this individual is unhappy with his car. Its unfortunate but it happens. I read the manual and looked on priuschat in the first weeks of ownership. I read over and over again about how you should always fill up to at least half, that the car may not see that you only put in 2 gallons. I'm not sure if its in the manual but I read that and made sure to follow those rules to a T. I think its kind of cool and helps you be responsible for the car. Its about taking care of what you have, not grinding it into the ground.

 

There is no button for putting the car into a stronger or more powerful mode. PWR mode is really 'more sensitive gas pedal at low depressions' mode. But that won't fit on the button.

 

Comments inserted:
* * * quote * * *
SO I'm notorious for driving my cars when the fuel gauge is in the red, but NOTHING prepared me for what happened with the Prius C tonight...!

My score is nearly 40 gas outages with our 2003 Prius and 10 with our 2010 Prius. These were part of gasoline studies:

• measuring the specific differences of gasoline brands - I found there were two 'groups' of which one set had about 3% efficiency advantage over the other.
• documented the self-tuning of high octane gas - very subtle, it can be found in a maximum power, hill-climb test
• verified the 2003 provides abundant display when gas is gone - this provides a way to manage the remaining power and park in a safe place to add the spare can of gas
• the 2003 has is ~1.2 gallons remaining at FLASH - so I reset the trip meter and use the indicated MPG and miles to trip meter miles and fill-up where I choose, however, the bladder can provide a significant variation, ~25-130 miles with ~65 miles the median
• documented the 'stealth' EV of the 2010 when it has burned the last gas - the car switches to EV mode with no other indication until the traction battery gets too low and a "PS" (power steering) warning comes one . . . the car becomes a rolling, inertial mass and can only coast to a stop
• found the 'missing power flow arrows' shows the last 2010 gas is burned - the only cabin indication requires setting the display to energy flow and monitoring
• the 2010 has 2.1 gallons remaining at FLASH - so I reset the trip meter and use the indicated MPG and miles to fill-up where I choose

SO the bottom fuel bar is flashing, but the car seemed to trundle along OK, I knew I could get an extra km or two to the next petrol station, so I'm driving along, the car beeps, lurches, and I have to pull over, it all happened very suddenly, but seemed to have enough juice to park on the cub, I mean SHEESH! isn't the battery meant to give you the extra km or two?

Sad to say, no and by design in the 2010 Prius. When I first observed the 'stealth' EV mode, I asked our friends at Toyota if the absence of a fuel exhaustion indicator (i.e., not setting the CHECK ENGINE error) was a safety mistake. I pointed out that even the Maryland auto show, MotorWeek, considered this a desirable safety feature when a 2004-09 Prius had a failure and they had to use the EV mode to reach a safe parking place. I was told this was by design.

Anyway I called the RACV to put in petrol and then the real shock, the whole bloody thing WONT START!! . . .

There are reports from the 2004-09 Prius running out of gas and the owner trying three times to restart the car without adding any gas. This sets a code that prevents further attempts to restart the car until the dealer clears the problem. So far, no one has reported if a '12V battery disconnect, reconnect' reset can also clear the code and allow more start attempts.

. . . The mobile mechanic mentioned that the hybrids are known to have big issues when they run out of petrol, that it's really bad for the car and electronic etc.., he also commented on the venting for the battery causing problems...

The radio worked, the lights worked, but the 'Ready' light didn't come up. I went through the manual and the mechanic jump started the battery under the seat, but still the car would not start!!!!

ANYWAY he basically disconnected the seat battery and car battery - essentially doing a 'hard reset' . . .

Did this allow the car to start? If so, you have confirmed the speculation that a 12V battery reset clears the start inhibition code.

. . . - the BURNING ISSUE HERE is twofold:

1. That pretty bad design logic when the car runs out of fuel and battery that there is no redundancy or fail-over

2. With all the 'smart electronics' you'd think the electronic fuel gauge would have a FINAL warning (something like 'less than 5km please refuel'), much like the battery on an i-pad! I mean lets be honest here, the Prius is like a computer with wheels on it, I mean it fires up like a bloody Mac or Laptop FFS!!

SO there is my two-bobs, maybe Toyota will issue a firmware update to fix this problem!!!

My inquiry to Toyota was unsuccessful. However, a lawsuit from the stranded driver injured or killed due this safety defect may bring them to court. When the plaintiff lawyers share videos of Prius behavior for the different models, I suspect the plantiffs will get a cold-cash compress. Hopefully, all evidence will be turned over to the safety organizations and reporters. After the safety recall and millions of dollars and thousands of professional labor hours, the problem will be solved.

Toyota is gambling that running out of gas in a Prius with no warning to the driver, a not a safety hazard. I disagree with their decision but then . . .

* * * end quote * * *

As you've already noticed, 'running out of gas' is not popular and gets little sympathy. But I believe and practice that things should be engineered to 'fail soft'. This means at least using "CHECK ENGINE" to let us know the last of the gas is finally gone and only the battery remains.

Bob Wilson

ps. Does this make me the third-bob?

 

The regular Prius has a PWR button, the C only has a PWR band that you mentioned.

 

You know, whenever I run across this thread, the more dense the OP seems.

FLASHING LIGHT MESSAGE - "NO, Really, You've Run It Dry, Mate. Pull Over And Park It!"

Anything less and it wasn't my fault. Pffffft.

 

OK, I have read through 6 pages on this post, and dammit Political Correctness aside, it needs to be said, THE OP IS STUPID, stupid for running out of gas #1, then blaming the car, when all he had to do was A, read the manual and B not run out of gas #2, and last, he came out here trying to get anybody, somebody, to agree with him. NOBODY HAS!!!!The only step he missed in killing his car was this...

When the damn PIP flashes, put fuel in, if you ever run out again in the future, don't tell us about it!

 

Why are you driving your car to 99.9% empty? This has been a red flag since the first automobiles hit the streets 150+ years ago. You're whining about the lack of nanny controls to prevent an extreme case of idiocy (yours) when simple common sense would have kept you from having any problems at all.

I've worked on zillions of 200,000 (and even 300,000 mile) Priuses with no such complaints as yours.

Word to the wise: If you go forth, seeking trouble.. you shall find it.

 

hi guys, i've run out of fuel twice and both times been lucky enough to drive on electricity and the last 100 or so meters roll in. my car always cuts out on two bars of battery.

put fuel in and off i go(both times have been from poor fuel quality, it was like 100km less)

 

How does this happen. I do not understand. I can't even.

 

well if your like me and drive 800 km a week you tend to judge by km which more often than not is more accurate than the gauge. go the gauge starts flashing i know i got at least 40km i choose the next staion which is about 5km away and bam! you driving on ev mode and rolling in.

 

It would happen the same way it happens on traditional non-hybrids. Mostly driver inattention, occasionally by pushing luck too far, and rarely by changing conditions where the car would have otherwise made it.

 

I drive 450 miles a week and I have never run out of gas. I know that once the light comes on I have 50 miles as long as I have been driving 50mpg. I have pushed it farther, but I don't like to.

 

Lessee, the last few fill up quantities (liters), from my spreadsheet:

23.337
29.216
18.265
19.003
21.827
24.3

Basically, any time we're rolling past a Chevron, and the tanks below half full, I pull in. No offense, but running it down to empty is a fools game, with no appreciable benefits, lots of downside.