So this is what happens when you run out of gas

Interesting: all these warnings which are unrelated to the simple fact you have no gas left.... Did it say that at least?

 

Odd messages - surely it would be better to say - "Please add some petrol".

Hopefully it works out for you just adding fuel - some fuel injection systems in the past (I remember particularly a friend's 1986 Nissan 6 cyl) needed to have a mechanic bleed the fuel system. And my 1980 Volvo with a carburettor - my daughter ran out of petrol, but it sucked 20yrs of dirt and gunk from the bottom of the tank and I had to get the fuel lines and carburettor flushed, and the fuel pump needed a new diaphram. I wasn't impressed - I've avoided running out of fuel since.

 

So, why did you run it out of gas?
Did a light come on that you were low?

I would be really pissed if the low light did not work. If it did just drive to a gas station.

 

Interesting. Did you drive any differently during this last tank?

I've had the "Low Fuel" advisory pop up on the screen once. And it asked if I would like directions to a gas station. I wish it had a bell or whistle to go with it. I barely noticed it.

 

Is it too difficult to fill up at a safe point, say 1/4 tank? I don't get it.

 

Life is too short to spend it on a gas station

 

Remember - It's MPGs that count, not MPTs...

 

Not difficult at all. In my case, the car was brand new and I was trying to see how far I could stretch a tank. But now, all that "Prius fun" has worn off and I refuel when the gauge gets down to the last bar.

 

That's the exact discrepancy I saw when I rented a Prius a couple of weeks ago, a 7% difference between actual and reported mileage.

 

Yes, "idiot you ran the car out of gas" is the proper dash board message to be displayed.

Plus, run the tank dry and the fuel system may pick up all the debris at the bottom of the tank and introduce the debris into the filter, pump, lines, injectors.

Yep idiot (or typical spouse) ...haha

 

thanks for doing the hard work! can you fill us in on how the car reacted, your driving situation etc.? and then, what did you do to get it running again? thanks!

 

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" . . . The energy content of ethanol is about 33% less than pure gasoline. "
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Did you fillup at a different station; one that might have a mix with more than 10% ethanol ?


UCLA ? Athletic scholarship ?

 

this is what concerned me when we were driving through the swamps of florida late at night. with about 50 miles to the hotel, the gas light came on. i know there are supposed to be 2 more gallons, and i only needed one. still, i was nervous the whole 50 miles.

 

Alligator bait!

The mileage of a Prius can vary due to all of the same conditions that affect standard ICE vehicles. However, temperature change can cause much larger swings in fuel efficiency for a Prius. This catches me off guard more times than any.

 

So you thought you'd be like Kramer on that Seinfeld episode... trying to see how far you could go on empty?

 

Mine has never been that far off. But who knows. All 5 have been consistently 2-3 MPG off from what the gas pump says although the 2016's are closer to 1 or less. Gas pumps lie like a politician with their hand in your pocket. The Prius gages are fine folks. As the pollster says., "within the margin of error".
If you get a full gallon of gas or more at the station someone made a mistake.

Only 7% off or more was in a Honda hybrid. 5MPG off has not happened on my 5 Priuses.

Those of you that trust gas pumps to be more accurate than a Prius I have some extra wet swamp land for you to build your next house on. Only a true scientific lab under controlled conditions can test this properly.

Exactly, always fill up at the half point needle. Stuff happens. Crocodiles in Florida these days. People keep throwing their pets out the back door.

 

The big message is "Hybrid System Failure" which is coming up because the ICE isn't running....because it's out of gas.
My guess-speculation is the parade of other messages are born out of that reality and they are probably designed to pop up to protect Toyota from any legal problems. If the computer recognizes a Hybrid System Failure, just to be safe, better throw the net over every possible system that might be affected- under any circumstance. In other words, from the computers P.O.V., all it really knows is that the "Hybrid System" isn't working properly, and so it's going to warn you as if the House is burning down, when really all you have is a burnt piece of toast.
***If any warning returns? Don't Ignore It. Sometimes you can think it's burning toast...and the house IS burning down. The reverse is possible.

As I've always said...seems there is curiosity always to see how far you can push it.
But to me? Just really drive to avoid running out of gas.
I'm NOT admonishing the OP for running out of gas. Doesn't sound like it was done purposely.
Especially with a new vehicle, Prius or otherwise, it takes a while to adjust to what it's refueling "temperment" really is.
Conservative refueling, potentially a little too early....is IMO better than obviously too late.