"Empty" fuel warning: results of an experiment

Can't say that I was as prepared as you were for my experience of running out gas! I knew that I must be able to go further than what the mpgs were suggesting so I continued to drive after the flashing gas notch. Well I put on about 60 or so miles before the big exclamation mark hit. Well there I was, on my way home from work on a busy thoroughfare in Denver...flat out of gas. I was able to drive about two and half miles on the electric motor and that included going up over an overpass. By the time I got to the gas station the battery was empty. I now take the warning a little more seriously!! :?

 

You all would be amazed at how many pilots run their airplanes out of gas, and, believe, me there is no convenient place to do that.
I agree with DaveG: when the guage says it's time to refuel, then refuel. It's pretty simple. I also think Toyota is very customer driven compared to other car manufacturer's I've dealt with (this is my third new car purchase).
It doesn't bother me at all to go to a gas station when the guage is down to the last square, whether I've gotten 300 miles or 500 miles by the time it gets there.
Drive safely and happily.

 

How many gallons were you able to put back in the tank? How many miles did you get on that tank?

I've never put more than aliitle more than 7 gallons in my tank - that's why I'm not sure how many gallons are actually in there.

 

Please forgive me if I'm repeating myself:

Ideally, what I'd like to see (and should be possible in this electronic age) is an accurate digital read-out of how much gas remains, in gallons and tenths (or liters where appropriate). I would not object if it changed colors or blinked as a low-fuel warning.

The problem with having a reserve of unknown size is that people will try to second-guess the reserve. With an accurate read-out there would be no second-guessing. Run out of fuel and NOBODY could claim it was not their fault.

However, the bladder might make this impossible.

I disagree that the present system is life-threatening. It is, however, a nuisance. Anyone concerned about running out of gas merely has to fill more often. Anyone who decides to second-guess the reserve capacity knows that there is an element of uncertainty, and therefore a risk of running out. I don't like to run out. So I fill at the first gas station after the last bar starts to blink, or sooner where convenient. I filled much sooner on my road trip, not knowing for sure where I'd find gas stations outside the major cities.

 

snuzan:

i would be interested in the data on your experience too. 60 miles on the warning is way beyond Toyota's guidelines for fuel monitoring.

what was the manufacture date of your car.

what was the tank mileage?

mpg?

and to clarify... you say that you drove 60 miles from the time the fuel light comes on till you run out of gas?

 

Mine was built in February and I have never gotten more than 7.5 gallons in the tank even after the last bar blinked.

Jeff

 

My tank before last I went 90+ miles on the last blinking bar. This previous tank, I couldn't have gone more than 20 miles over the last blinking bar (I had 542 miles on the tank, previous fill of 11 gallons, mpg of 50 - didn't start blinking until 530+miles). Mine's built in 1/04.

-m.

 

where are you finding this born on date? i looked all over the inside of the driver's side door and all I could find was a sticker on the end with the VIN number, a toyota symbol and the numbers "718".

 

There is a sticker in the drivers side door jamb. It will have the manufacture date, as well as axle loading limts, and other assorted bits of info.

 

Back to the top of this topic, it's great to know that the Prius tank has a usable capacity (with bladder) of 11.4 gallons. With that information, the Prius gives us TWO ways to determine when to fill up.

The first is the guess gauge, which will tend to err on the side of safety. Not a bad choice for Toyota, nor for those who don't want to bother thinking.

The second is that lovely cumulative tank mileage display on the Consumption screen. If you set odo A or B to zero when you fill up, your current MPG on the screen x 10 gives you the odo mileage at which you should consider filling up. You've used 10 gallons, and can go screen MPG more miles before getting in any real trouble- far enough to find some cheap gas.

I don't know of any other car that gives you sufficient information to make such intelligent determinations!

 

I was only able to go ~35-50 on a flashing bar. I am not sure exactly how much but in between that amount.

Is something wrong with my car or does it just depend on the car.

???

 

Just to add my 2 cents. I have a new 06 Prius and have filled up twice. The first time I had one bar remaining and filled up with 8.17 gallons after traveling a total of 274 miles on the first tank. The second tank the low fuel blinking light came on and I filled up after about 20 miles with 9.78 gallons. I had 426 cumulative miles from that second tank. So it appears that the 06 models might be a little more accurate. What are other 06 owners finding??