Hi Everyone, I'm hoping that this thread helps someone else. This is what I've read and know so far, I've got a 2005 Prius which according to my research has a tank that holds 45L (11.9Gal). I have seen videos and have tried the calibration method to reset the gas gauge, I have noticed that when I go an fill up (the last line starts blinking) I usually fill up around 30L (7.9Gal) which means there are roughly 15L still left in the tank (3.9Gal). Does this seem right to everyone else? It seems like a pretty hefty reserve, to me (and I'm not a mechanic or engineer, it's just my thought) I would think maybe 5L may be more like it rather than a third of the tank being left as a reserve. In the summer with the AC off, I've gotten as much as 612KM out of that 30L fill up which is outstanding, I once finished a fill-up averaging 5.2L per 100K which I thought was incredible, as we get into the winter months I've found that it's the efficiency has gone down a bit, I'm still happy, I'd just like to know what you guys think of my gas tank question, should I re-calibrate or is a 15L reserve normal? Thanks!
All North America gen2 gas tanks came with rubber bladders that shrink over time, and don't expand well when filling during cold days. Just don't try to overfill the tank when pumping, as this may cause damage to the tank assembly.
Thank you so much for the tip, I usually don't over fill, when it clicks I will add another fraction of a second click to it but that's it, I never try to force it, I'll keep an eye out for that. In general and from your experience, what is the size of the reserve (in gal or L) what should I expect?
I don't know what the amount of reserve is when the fuel gauge flashes. I just fill up at the next gas station (I assume that I might have 1 gallon left- but I prefer not to count on it) . People here call it the "guess gauge" because it is so inexact. A few who thought they knew how far they could go were wrong and ran out. That can lead to problems like running the high voltage battery down if you try to continue driving as EV or repeatedly attempt to start the engine. Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
While I never owned a Gen2, based on past commentary and on my non-bladdered Gen3, 15L sounds too high for the actual reserve. More likely that is a sum of a smaller reserve, plus air outside a crinkled bladder. 10L would be a much more reasonable 'reserve', similar to the Gen3. But an undetermined amount of that will be just more air outside the crinkled bladder. And each bladdered Gen2 will be different, so you won't know just how much of that is available fuel without testing your particular car. While many Gen2 owners found plenty of reserve, a very significant number got the unpleasant surprise of finding very little, a few even had none. And it may be variable with weather.
Owned my 07 G2 since I bought it new. Here’s what I know. have to let the gas tank vent before fueling. Open the cap go in the store let the bladder relax before fueling. fill as slow as you can on first click hang it up. don’t ever go below 2 pips never ever. This has served me well if you run out of gas in this car it is a royal pia and could become very expensive. never have been able to get more than 8 gallons in the car. the bad news is the bladder issues get worse the colder it gets. as a side note stop worrying about a minor amount of gasoline and begin to think about the hybrid battery failing and what your going to do about it. There all failing now since no one drives much now and that kills the battery.
