Mileage on my first tank

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mayathystle @ Jan 11 2007, 08:36 PM) [snapback]374484[/snapback]</div>

did you calculate that 52.3 from the display, or did you do the math yourself?

 

456 miles divided by 9.289 gallons = 49.09 mpg

Still Good.

 

I just filled up for the first time today as well, I got 496 miles on the tank, it took 9.05 gallons, which translates to 54.8 miles per gallon!! I love it!!

 

cbpofficer9813,

Being your 1st fillup, you may not have read about the problem to Fill Up the tank, to get accurate mpg. Keep track of all your fillups and average the totals.

Many pumps trip too easily, making you think your tank is full, but it may not be full. The gas tank has a bladder in it to reduce gas fumes in the tank, but it also make it difficult to pump gas into it, othr than slowly.

For my next fillup I'm going to try to hold the pump handle sideways or upside down and pump very slowly, being careful not to overfill.

 

My first fillup was after 405 miles, at 47.7mpg. Most of my driving, however, is freeway and highway (around 2/3).

Consider it a learning process - my second tank on the same route, I've done 100 miles and am at 50.3 currently.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Achromatic @ Feb 28 2007, 11:55 PM) [snapback]398277[/snapback]</div>

sounds good achromatic, I just love the fact that I am doing my part to take money away from Exxon and Texaco!!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ukr2 @ Feb 28 2007, 05:42 PM) [snapback]398173[/snapback]</div>

I filled up for the first time yesterday and noticed that same problem. It was like 38 degrees. The pump clicked off around 8 gallons, but I knew it was going to need more than that to fill up, so I VERY slowly pumped in 2 more gallons, so be careful about that. I was going to take it to the dealer but it looks like a common problem.
I guess it won't be very easy to track gas mileage cause you never know exactly how much gas you pump in to top it off.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mayathystle @ Jan 11 2007, 08:36 PM) [snapback]374484[/snapback]</div>

My first tank lasted just a week - 2/23-3/2. I filled up 8.2 gallons and the Consumption meter was saying that I was at 43 MPG. So I was a little disappointed. But after reading lots of posts on this forum, I look forward to better MPG. Today I drove about 60 miles on the second tank of gas, with most of it being freeway. Now getting about 48 MPG.

How "accurate" is the fuel gage bars? I ran it down to 1 bar, but was only able to fill up the 8.2 gallons. I even topped it off with about half a gallon. Now the tank reads full. So when there is 1 bar left, does this really mean there is 3 gallons still in the tank? My old RAV4 would flash the yellow pump at about 2 gallons. I assume there is a similar warning with the Prius. About how many gallons are left when the warning comes on?

 

Since October last year when my wife and I bought our Prius, we've driven just over 2600 miles including a round trip from Seattle to Portland, OR. It's been very cold this winter, rarely getting temps over 50 degrees, and it is very hilly around our home. The MFD says we are getting 42.8mpg average, which I think is terrific. This summer I hope it goes up near 50mpg. I am not trying to get good milage, I am driving this car as I would any other. I climb hills fast, I accelerate fast, I go 70-80mph on the freeway. I'm getting better milage than 90% of the cars on the road and I don't even have to try.

Dave

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mike C. @ Mar 3 2007, 02:39 AM) [snapback]399430[/snapback]</div>

Mike, the answer is: Unknown! Welcome to the "Guess" gauge. The amount of useable fuel left in the bladder when the pip starts flashing is very variable. Some people can go very far. Others haven't. The majority opinion is "buy gas when it starts flashing" as running out of gas is no fun. I've heard (but have not experienced) of other warnings as the bladder empties. I have only gotten to the flashing pip and some beeping.

You should have at least 1 gallon left when the flashing starts which should give you some 45-50 miles to find a gas station.

 

Okay, I give.

What is this bladder? When is the best time of day to fill up as I think that I understand that temperature is a factor?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(JimN @ Mar 3 2007, 07:32 PM) [snapback]399678[/snapback]</div>

Thanks Jim - I didn't realize there was a "bladder" involved. I understand the old float mechanism in older cars, so that the idiot light of the fuel gage would be pretty accurate. For my next tank, I'll let it run down until the flashing starts. I'm rarely 15 miles from a Costco or Safeway for cheap gas, so I should be in good shape.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(JimN @ Mar 3 2007, 04:32 PM) [snapback]399678[/snapback]</div>

There may be a gallon, but there's no guarantee you can use it. The one time I ran out of gas was within 15 miles of when the last pip started flashing. And I had been keeping track of it. I did get 525 miles on that tank though. I could only get in 10.5 gallons, and this was in late June or early July with the temperature in the 90s.

Dave M.

 

first tank fillup info should ONLY be taken from the MFD. you are assuming that the dealer filled up the tank as much as you did and that is usually not the case.

i had a difference of 7 mpg on my first tank between the pump figure calculation and MFD figures. largest difference since then has been 2.2 mpg. some give and take differences will happen because the bladder makes it difficult to get the same volume in all the time that is why i recommend making a gas log. you will find out over time that the MFD is pretty much right on

 

So far my first dealer tank is only running me about 33 miles per gallon.. i have driven about 250 miles... a good many of my short trips are less than two miles though... i was running around 47 when i took the car from portland to hood river and back down the interstate.... so i think it will improve... who knows how full the dealer tank really was... i am down to two blips on the gas tank... before the interstate trip i was down to like a crappy 23 mpg... again most of the trips in portland were less than two miles with some being less than a mile...

 

My first tank was around 33.5 MPG (my math)/35.9 MPG (MFD), but given that I'm still getting used to driving the car, it's been really expletive-deleted cold, and my typical trip is only about 6 miles to work, I'm not surprised.

Still better than my old car, though.

 

My first tank was 37.3 MPG in single digit temperatures. I am almost ready to fill up again (down to two bars), and this tank's MPG is 43.7MPG - not bad for a new guy in the great white northeast. Love my Prius!!!