TSB Released on Fuel Gauge Innacuracies

I suspect what they'd do (what I'd do) is guesstimate the milage based on your current usage for a week or two down the road when the parts would arrive, then subtract a bit from it. Then when you bring the car in for replacement, they could manually advance the odometer until it matched your previous unit (drill connected to the sensor cable, or one of the service guys going on a nice spin on the highway).

Dave.

 

Dave you wanna bet the Canadian models do not qualify for this TSB. Like the 40D we never got the notification. TAC is for the most part run by a bunch of duds. the restrained version.

 

Oh, I believe that we'll qualify for this one. I'm going to call the dealership on Monday and fax them the TSB if necessary.

Dave

 

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I suspect what they'd do (what I'd do) is guesstimate the milage

i'm told what they're going to do is remove my computer and replace it with the new one which will be programmed to match my current mileage, which is why i won't have the car for up to 4 days, unless they "blow" the rest of the computers in the process , which will mean they'll have the car a bit longer

 

we've got the speedo unit in metric and I'll bet we never see this one.

 

Does the # on the VIN range mean any character (number or letter)?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(\"mshappe\")</div>

 

If your dealer gives you a hard time...

An update to my previous post. I called Miller Toyota to confirm bringing in my car for the fuel gauge service update. The "prius service guy" said I would have to bring the car in to have them check it out first. I said I didn't want to leave the car there for a day or two while they test it and then have to bring it back another time while they waited for the part to come in. I repeated that I had reported the problem to Toyota months ago and my car falls under the listed VIN range. Then the service guy went into a spiel about how Toyota intentionally has the fuel light go on when there are supposed to be a couple of gallons left to prevent the driver from running out of gas and burning out the engine which could cost $10,000. Oh give me a break! I read him the Bulletin Introduction and the guy refused to budge saying that this is only for people whose gauge gets stuck at 3/4. Finally I said I was going to call Toyota as I really didn't have the time to waste to keep bringing in my car. My limited experience with 800-GO-TOYOTA has been very good and this one followed in its path. After speaking with two people, I was given a case number and promised a call from the individual who would resolve the case in a couple of days. I fully anticipate that I will get the meter and filler pipe without any more hassle. Unfortunately this incident reminds me of the steering wheel shudder and how I had to argue to get that taken care of, although the big difference is at least there is a service bulletin for this one. Arguing with service people is not something I relish and in this case it is especially ridiculous.

 

Sound like you need a different Toyota Service department!!!

 

Fortunately I have many to choose from in the Los Angeles area, however others are not so lucky and can't simply drive to another service center when they need help.

 

Am I the only one who is having second thoughts about having this service done? The car is great. I'm not sure I care that much that I can't get more than 8 gallons of gas in it.

 

I'm a little unsure about going through it myself - my fuel gauge isn't accurate - sometimes giving the add fuel warning too early, other times later than one would expect (over 10 gallons used). However, as of the past few months, I can regularly get 10-11 gallons of gas in the car, as long as I'm willing to ignore the gauge and drive according to the mpg/miles driven, and fill up after 10-11 gallons are used.

If the "fix" allows for the gauge to more consistently go off at 9 gallons, that would certainly help me as I'd know truly how much fuel has been spent - but at the same time, I'd continue my driving habits as I do now, just with more knowledge on what the gas tank is holding.

But, there's also the fear of the techs screwing anything up with my otherwise flawless car - no battery problems, didn't have the seal problem, etc. I know these guys are trained professionals, but for all intents and purposes, they're working with a new beast and I don't want to drive around with a poorly connected gas tank or computer problems or the fear of either just to fix a gauge I already ignore regularly.

-m.

 

My dealer claimed that when he called Toyota with my VIN number (an early one that should qualify for both fixes), he was told my particular car only needed a fuel gauge calibration, whatever that is. We'll see what difference that made.

rpm

 

Thanks, but to tell you the truth, no dealer is touching my car again unless something is broken or a maintenance is required that requires dealer "expertise."

rob

 

Okay, this is probably very basic, but I'm missing it. So, apologies upfront.

I do qualify according to my VIN...

I usually fill my tank when I've got one or two bars remaining and it takes around 6 or 7 gallons. Will the fix allow me to go further between fill ups -- and then put in more gas at each filling?

This I would not mind, but I'm still a bit apprehensive about having my car dissected for this"update" and then causing some other sort of issue - loose parts, noises, etc.

Again - sorry for the basic question - and thanks for your help.