the weather is getting cold here and i noticed the gauge is saying there is less gas in the tank then there really is. i had 3 bars today and just went the the store(about 6 miles round trip) and the gauge went down to 1 bar. i stopped at the gas station and filled the tank up with just 6.5 gallons. it now reads full. on the way to work this morning i get about 20 miles down the road and it already has dropped one bar. is this a normal thing with this car in the cold. during the summer it was reading correct as i go by miles/gallon and not by the gauge for fill ups. i average around 44 mpg so i know the car is working correctly.
It's because of the bladder tank. When it gets cold it doesn't expand as much when filling with gas. I can get 3 - 4 more gallons of gas in my 2G Prius during the summer at its warmest than the winter at its coldest. That's Wisconsin weather for ya. Haha. Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
so when i fill it up is it really taking a full tank or am i running with less gas in the tank then i think? i would hate to be riding down the road with 3 bars and then run out of gas.
You are running with less gas but just go by the gauge. You won't be able to drive as far but the gauge will still be relatively accurate. Sometimes when it's really cold my prius gas gauge will read one bar below full after a fill up. Just follow the gauge. Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
Most likely the later. Based on past discussions about Gen2 fuel tank bladders, I think it is much more likely that you are not getting a full refill. The bladder becomes less flexible and more finicky when cold.
