I took delivery of a new 2013 prius 4 that now has 5400 miles. I changed oil at 1200 miles and had the dealer put in 4 qts. I am running 40psi in front and 38 psi in rear tires. I am unable to get more than 43-44 mpg on the display no matter what type of driving I do. The dealer tells me there is nothing wrong with the car and the problems lie with the gasoline and the amount of ethonal that is added. I traded in a 2010 Prius with 55000 miles and was getting 47-48mpg on the display and actual 44-45 mpg doing the math. Any suggestions??
(If this really is a Prius v and not a Liftback, then a drop of 4 MPG is really good. Toyota estimates an 8 MPG drop between the v and Liftback) Of the items you list that only one that seems worrisome is the 4 quarts, it is often only 3.5 to 3.8 quarts need to fill the crankcase. Check your oil level when the car is level and be sure it is not over filled.
LNG724 - Please clarify. Is the "43-44 mpg on the display" the running Lifetime MPG Display read out at your 5,400 miles point, or the Trip A/B Display(s), which are typically manually reset by those tracking MPG at every gas tank fill up?
I find the display fun, but to calculate real MPG I use fuelly.com and only pay attention over a series of fill-ups as pump shut-offs vary. Compare your mileage to what other real world folks are getting and reporting there. The variations you are citing are small and could even be accounted for by temperature variations, tire brand and condition, running through rain, gas, driving style, routes, etc. Simple things like only driving in summer with A/C and then winter with heat/defrost and not having a spring with neither can skew the averages.
I track every tankfull but I have 3800 running miles averaging 42.3 mpg on the display and 39.5 actual doing the math. this is a liftback and the oil is at the top mark on the dipstick. It should have been a little lower on the dipstick but this will have to do until my 10K change.
You may wish to have the moderators move it out of the Prius v technical issues forum. If you are unwilling to fix the problems we point out, why would we point them out?
I could be just the break in period. Even if its starting to get better, the cold would make it difficult to notice.
Fuel economy complaints/queries? Please copy, paste & answer these questions, esp. if you're new | PriusChat
Have you replaced the Spark plugs, Air Filter, Fuel Filter? Have you checked for vacuum leaks? Is your engine compression within spec? Do you have any codes on your dashboard? Do you have a lead in your foot? Tire pressure will help, but your drop in milage is bad but not terrible. Expect to get 48 MPG while driving normally.
LNG724- Your bio says that you have a 2013 Prius model 3 which is what I have. I get anywhere from 46-49 mpg on the display and anywhere from 45-47 mpg by calculator. I only have 1300 miles on mine so I assume mine will get better. Sounds like you drive differently than I do or you may need to have your Prius checked out. There are MANY variables so it's hard to tell.
A lot depends on your typical drive, too. If you have a mostly flat 10 miles at 45 mph with no lights you mpg is going to be great. If you have a lot of ups and downs where you're unable to coast off the hills because of lights or stop signs (e.g. wasting momentum due to braking a lot), your mileage will take a hit.
I can't see the oil being at the top mark as being a problem. If it was 1/2" over, yeah, but... Coming from experience with a 2010, this is puzzling. If you're doing the same routes and so on, doubly puzzling. Raise the rear, and see that the wheels are close to free turning. Being discs there will be a little drag, but should be minor. I'm kinda stumped.
My fuel economy jumped about 4-5 mpg (like a switch was flipped in the car) at 10000 miles. It was very weird. Got to work one day often a typical drive at 10002 miles (50 mile commute). On the way home, much better mileage for no other apparent reason. Has persisted since then (now around 16000 miles). Have had a little slip the last month or so, presumably due to a change in the gas blends being sold.
If you are in a cold climate the mileage is lower in the winter than summer. Also in our area our gas changes to a winter mix with 10% ethanol and that makes a difference too. Short trips around town in the winter drop your gas mileage a lot. On the highway for a long trip (300 miles or so) the winter drop is only 2-4 mpg.
Assume you changed the oil to the correct spec oil and not something thicker? My experience of my car (a gen3 not a V) was that it took about 15,000 miles before the car started to return its best (and consistent) economy figures. The gen3 requires expensive 0w20 oil (not sure if its the same for the V) and that if 5w30 was erroneously used, the top end economy dropped. I do wonder if that may be the cause of your issue?
There is a change to gas in winter, and it is detrimental to mileage, but I believe that 10% ethanol is a year-round thing. It's something else added in winter (methanol?), and/or a reformulation. It is hard on mileage.
