So my Prius is smarter than me.....

I'm posting this in the Newbie forum because I think I just made my first real newbie Prius mistake.

The other night, I go out to my Prius, I get in press the brake, release the emergency brake, and hit the power button. The vehicle powers up. I put it in reverse...OMG! The flashing warning triangle! The message on the screen tells me to put the vehicle in park! I do. I try powering up again....put the vehicle in reverse...same outcome....

So now I'm thinking "Damn..Brand New Prius and there is something wrong". I'm instantly thinking of Tow Trucks, service departements, warranty coverage...all the aspects of New Car "problem" that an owner wants to avoid.

I turn the vehicle off and take a deep breath and look a little harder.

Guess who didn't quite get his drivers side door closed? Me.

The Prius was just warning me that my door wasn't closed. I close the door, power up...all is well. My Prius is smarter than me.

Semi related Newbie note....

Since getting The Prius I have filled up only 3 times, all less than 10 gallons. The first two times I filled up when the final Pip started to blink. But I noticed that it took less than 10 gallons. This last tank? The final Pip started to blink but I drove past that point until I had reached Distance to Empty as being 0.

I was a little nervous about this, but I did it in an area where I felt safe and was close to many gas stations. I actually drove beyond the point it said distance to empty was zero. When I filled according to the pump at the gas station it still took less than 10 gallons.

I'll probably never purposely do this again. But I just wanted to see what the capability was, and it seems I can easily drive the DTE.

Since I have read all the cautionary tales. And with the great range of The Prius, I see little advantage in pushing it, I probably will continue to fill up at either 2 pips...or the one pip. But I was surprised that I could go over 30 more miles once the last pip started blinking, all the way to DTE Zero, and still according to the pump I put in less than 10 gallons of gas.

Which is kind of amazing, since I had driven a total range of about 460 miles on that tank, and if the gas station pump is accurate, it would of seemed to suggest I could of easily broken a 500 mile tank if I had the "balls" to keep pushing it beyond the DTE.

But one Newbie mistake a month is good enough for me.

 

Ahh...please don't necessarily go with my personal experience. I've read that you could, some people can and do, I did this time...BUT I was sweating bullets if only because the feedback from the screen is that your final PIP is blinking AND you are at DTE ZERO...which at least psychologically is telling you " Fill Up Stupid" you're empty.

I just wouldn't want to hear about somebody running out of gas because they read from my post you COULD go to DTE easily.

Experiment as always at your own risk. ----I did do it on a stretch of highway with easy shoulders to reach, and also multiple gas stations in many directions.

As I said, this isn't a game I intend to play. I don't really see much advantage other than full tank distance bragging rights. From now on? I'll probably just fill up with 2 or 1 pip remaining...I'll just know I don't have to worry about it at that point at all.