Fuel Gauge is too conservative?

On my last tank I drove on a flashing pip until the miles to empty showed 0, and then I drove a few miles after that. Tank: 9.5 gallons.

 

I filled up with one pip left and it took 8.8 gallons. I think they made it that way to protect the "procrastinating" driver. If you run out of gas completely you can damage the system. I think that it's a good idea for them to make the tank conservative.

Typically your gas light comes on with anywhere from 1.6 gallons left in a Yaris to 3+ gallons left in a Tacoma truck. It seems like it falls somewhere in the middle and IMO it is a good thing.

 

In the case of the GIII Prius it is a little weird that you can drive 100 miles on the flashing pip. I wanted to get a 600 mile tank but just can't stand to drive it with the pip flashing so I guess I will just be satisfied with 500. Either that or I will have to figure out how to get 60mpg out of a tank. Which isn't very likely since my average day involves short trips at high speed.

G

 

Apparently they (Toyota engineering) want us to leave enough fuel in the tank to keep the fuel pump from overheating. Not a good design in my opinion but that's how it is. I think I'll get used to it, I usually fill up at 1/4 tank or before anyway, I'll just remember I have a large reserve.

 

All three of my hybrids have had this 2 gallon "reserve" built in. I don't really see it as a problem now that we all know. In the early days (for me, 2007 with a TCH) we were guessing about the range. But enough people are immediately testing this to prove it's not varying between vehicles. I would not feel uncomfortable with waiting until the car shows empty before filling up.

 

I wonder what Gladys Knight thinks about the pips flashing?

 

2010 prius III with Navi

In our car when the first click off from the gas pump at slow speed you can still put in 2.3 to 2.4 gallons of gas until you get completely up to the neck.

The tank is well over 11.9 gallons, in my opinion.

Alfon

 

Hmmm tried this on mine on the last fill up and gas went everywhere. I was used to filling the GII where you have to let the gas dribble in and then after it clicks you give it a little more.

If you let it dribble in on the GIII the first click means it is full.

I suspect you filled yours faster than I did mine which would account for the difference. Yours is probably a better way to do it on the GIII

G

 

What are you seeing for remaining range when the last pip starts flashing?

I just did my first fillup after the pip started flashing. It took 9.7 gallons, so there were still about 2 gallons in the tank. However the remaining range just before the fillup was showing as 20 miles. That makes no sense as my average for the tank was 50mpg.

 

you have to realize Toyota also has to compensate for cars that are not parked on level ground. if the car is on a slope, the pickup might not be able to suck any gas if the gas is off to one side. i remeber when i was on level ground, the car would start, as soon as i hit a slope, the engine died. when it rolled back to the level ground, it started okay. found out when i hit the slope, the pickup line was starved for gas....

 

I drove over 50 miles after the bottom bar began flashing. When I filled up I was only able to put in 10.5 gallons before I had gas on my shoes.

Has anyone been able to put in more gas?

 

2 pips 9.04 gals.

 

I guess I'm glad my '04 doesn't have a 'miles to empty' feature. EVERYONE should do a consistent fill/mileage calculation and compare to the car's MPG. Do this over a LONG period of time and find out how far off YOUR computer's calc is. Mine is about 2% generous, or 1 MPG. Then use that to calculate how many miles you have in the tank in any particular situation.

I agree that close to 150 miles 'reserve' is a bit ridiculous. In my normal driving, that is 10 or 11 days. Long time to watch it flash. Other cars I have owned had the 'low gas' light go on when I had about 50 miles left in the tank. In both cases, it is 2 or 3 gallons, maybe Toyota uses that for all vehicles? I think 50 miles to empty (for real) in any given vehicle is more realistic. I suspect MORE people would run out of gas BECAUSE they know the gauge is overly conservative. Flashing doesn't mean 'you NEED gas', it means 'drive another 100 miles and then think about it'.

 

On the other hand, I had a friend who bought a Gen II last year and the first trip he took he ran out of gas on the interstate. He swears the "fuel running low" indicator had only come on just 5 minutes before it choked to a stop; who knows==but I still tease him about running out of gas in a hybrid. Now that I'm interested in a 2010, I think this is a pretty important subject.

 

I live in Oregon and this is a state where you are not allowed to pump your own gas. I was in Washington state when I topped the tank off to the filler neck. Took I believe an extra 2.35 gallons.

I just filled slowly and when it gurgled to the top I stopped and let the tank settle and did it again. Much easier than filling up my 2003 Jetta TDI. Yes, In Oregon you can pump diesel but not gas.

Next time I am in Washington I will fill to the top and record the first click and where the pump stopped and continue to the top of the neck where no more gas is allowed in.

You will have an easy 550 to 600 mile range in my opinion.

alfon