Which Pip on the gauge do you routinely fill your gas tank at?

I fill it with 2 pips remaining. I have gone down to the flashing pip before, and I have filled it with more remaining. I figure by 2 pips, the windshield could use a cleaning, and why push it? You never know when another fool will do whatever it was that caused that power outage in the northeast again and getting gas might be difficult. And prices are trending up, so it's cheaper to fill early.

 

I fill at one solid pip. why? Because my wife makes me. If left to my own devices would wait for the blinking. Have never taken on more that 7 gallons this way and a few midwinter tanks took on less than 6!!! Not sure if this has to do with a cold stiff winter bladder or that the computer takes into account current burn rate (mpg's). Seems hard to beleive but I swear that I have see the guage go from 3 pips to 1 pip in the course of 5 miles when the moment to moment mpgs get down around 40-45 for any length of time.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(cary1952 @ Apr 13 2006, 09:18 AM) [snapback]239044[/snapback]</div>

I have to say that I try to refuel at the #2 pip, but have routinely refueled when the last pip starts flashing.

The last time I set my trip odometer and recorded 10.5 miles from the time the last pip started flashing
to the gas station. Where I'm at it's hard to miss a gas station, so I don't think I'm being very adventurous.

But, that said, I will wait for the return trip home from work to refuel since the price difference is almost 20 cents per gallon.

 

I try to plan so that I'm fairly close to a gas station when the last element of the guess gauge starts flashing.

That's unless I'm out for a 600+ mile tank... then I push the envelope and have been known to carry a small gas can.

I don't understand why people are so worried about when they buy gas, or so concerned about when anyone else buys gas.

http://prius.w8kc.com

 

And I try and refill shortly after last pip, and certainly as soon as last pip flashes. It just happened to me tonight about 1/2 mile from my gas station -- and it took 9.0xx gallons.

Ted

 

2 pips. The dealer gave me explicit instructions to do so saying that basically I should get gas at 2 pips and if I get down to 1, I REALLY better get gas. I think he mentioned a reason why Toyota got rid of the roadside assistance was that Prius owners tended to run out of gas (a lot).

 

I usually try to wait until 1 pip or a certain mileage (~380) to fill up. However, with all the horror stories of people running out of gas, I have been filling up when there are 2pips left. I prefer to keep track of mileage driven vs. looking at the gauge. That is the case with all my cars.

 

Usually at 2 or 3. Depends on the time of day, my mood, and how much distance I plan on covering between now and then. Only once I filled it up with 1 pip left, and the reason being was that I was at 2 pips while on my lunch break and was planning on fueling up immediately after work. Once I began heading back to the office, the gauge went from 2 pips to 1. I immediately stopped off and filled up, just because.

 

It's easy and convenient for me to get gas at either end of my 27 mile commute, but not so easy in the middle. Both of these stations have a carwash, vacuums and air. I usually fill up at two pips. I pushed it until it was blinking one time, and happened to be in mid-commute. This was very stressful, and I'll never do that again. I won't risk running out of gas.

 

Way too nervous when it gets to that flashing pip, I do 2-3, more than that isn't worth the time to pump 4 gallons or wahtever.

 

i wait till i get to one, sometimes until it's flashing. depends where i am and what i'm up to when i see it drop to one bar.

i hate gas stations, i don't bother with mileage figures anymore, and i'd generally rather not deal with any of it.

the only time we fill up early (ie 4 pips or so) is if we're traveling and/or going into a remote area.

 

a bit of a local gas war tonight so took the wife's car and gassed it up and CAN-view said 27% remaining and got $24 in it.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee @ Apr 14 2006, 12:16 PM) [snapback]239818[/snapback]</div>

This is like music to my ears. Two letters for you gas-station haters: E and V. Stick it to OPEC and refuel in the comfort of your garage - while you sleep.

But back to the subject at hand... I refuel the guzzler whenever I find an expensive station. I never fuel at cheap stations to help avoid price wars and the proliferation cheaper gasoline.

 

I refuel when I get to 600 or 650 or 700 or 818 miles on the tank. Whatever my current mileage is times 11 is when I start thinking about getting gas. The only time I've run out is when I hwas well past current mileage times 12 and not in the last 30,000 miles.

I never realized that running out of gas was so traumatic. I hear a frequent reference to the "horror stories of people running out of gas in their Prius". If it were a horrific event to me I guess I would fill up much sooner.

My wife likes to push it as well and went 624 miles on her last tank. I encourage her to fill up sooner but she wants to see how far she can go. I guess it's not a horrific risk for her either.

I have to say though, that we do not drive on any 24 mile long bridges without shoulders. Last time I crossed that bridge was at 5 pm and there was a wreck. It took 3 hours to get across that bridge. It was hot and we turned off the car to not risk running out of gas. Gotta love those bayou folks.

 

In the Winter I was filling up between 2 and 5 PIP's just good winter practice in Michigan. Now that it is warmer and the bladder has expanded I go until the last PIP starts blinking and have never taken more than 9.4 galans. I also watch my MFD for my average MPG and times that by 10 if I go more miles than that I fill up. I just enjoy being able to go farther than my buddies with their SUV's that have 35-40 gallon tanks

 

Welcome to PriusChat johnwdiehl! Just wait a couple of thousand miles when you really start to understand how to drive the Prius, and the car's all broken in, maybe you put synthetic oil in it... you're going to have a ball!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Ray Moore @ Apr 15 2006, 09:32 AM) [snapback]240132[/snapback]</div>

WOW! 818 miles on a tank!?

Now that it's getting warmer here in NE I've noticed my mpg creeping up (got Locutus in Nov.). I've been attributing my low mpg to the cold and inexperience with the hybrid.

I gas up at flashing pip. I've gone as much as twenty miles with it flashing. One of the reasons I bought the thing was less visits to the gas station.

However, I still haven't figured out the whole "pip" thing. I lose the 1st pip after about 95 miles, and then they just seem to go down from there. Average about 400 miles to a fillup. Is the tank shaped like a funnel?

 

<_< Usually, ONE PIP (not blinking) or "AT MY CONVENIENCE!" Still have difficulty comprehending why some Prius drivers are so determined to clock the maximum "miles per fillup" at the risk of running out of fuel at some very inconvenient time or place, perhaps even dangerous.

Hmmm - I suppose it's BRAGGING RIGHTS. At ~17,000 miles I've never run out of fuel.

 

I think I've only seen the flashing once. Usually fill at two or three.

As for the guy who ran out of gas on the bridge, maybe you have a hole in your tank? Scary situation.