Yesterday I hit my commute home with 2 bars showing... I thought.. if I get far enough with 2 showing, no problem on getting gas about 40 miles into the commute home at my preferred station. As soon as I pulled on the tollway, it went to 1 bar and now I'm nervous that I may not make the 40 miles. I went about 10 and pulled into the 'Oasis' thing on the tollway where gas was 14c higher than anywhere else. Out of principal, I decided to only put in 2 gallons, I'll stop at the other planned stop 30 miles farther along. The gas guage didn't move off of the 1 bar showing. I expected it would go to 3 bars. This made me curious as to how they measure it. I was also wondering if I'd find the blinking bar ("Add fuel") after 20 or 30 miles because it was basing it's reading on what? Obviously not the amount of gas in the tank. It's not getting it's 'amount' from any actual reading of fuel in the tank, so I'm not sure how it's being done.
The fuel guage won't change unless you put in at least 3 gallons. I think that's in the Manual somewhere.
<_< Tempus is right... 2007 Owner's Manual, page 122 "Fuel Gauge" reads in part: "When you refuel less than about 11.4 L (3.0 gal., 2.5 Imp.gal.) the fuel indicator may not change." Although the Owner's Manual is not 'reader friendly,' it does contain a great deal of useful information. With my 2004 Prius traded for my 2007 and my 2007 Manual, I made it a practice of creating my own "Index" on a blank page in the back to help me find information I might need later, or want to share with PriusChat forum folks. I recommend reading the Owner's Manual and using PriusChat's "Search" function. The Guess Gauge peculiarities have been discussed numerous times on PriusChat. ENJOY YOUR PRIUS
If it's blinking, I"m sweating until I get gas. My 06 once ran out 10 miles after it started blinking(dead level pavement, no hills). Other times I've gone 40+ miles. The very first tank on my 04 I went 155 miles and it still showed 100% full (it didn't drop any bars). So, at about 400-440 miles I start considering a gas stop, regardless of what the gauge is reading.
interesting scenerio on my gas(guess) gauge...don't know if anybody else has this situation. The gauge goes down normally as it has over the last 4 years...so im just under 1/2 by one pip...so i go to get gas ...gauge will not go up, after 6 gallons....first time that's ever happened...after 75000miles...so we calculate mileage/distance and the gauge stays under 1/2 for over 275 miles...go fill up again...after the pips go to 1/4 tank...(a couple of pips) showing...same deal...wont go back up...only stays put and goes down...put in 8 gals last time...sooner or later i'll read nothing with a full tank...sounds weird...either the gauge works or it doesnt...not 1/2 way and only goes down...anybody else have this problem?
