Fuel guage stays full

Yes. That's why it's called a "Guess Gage".
:lol:

Seriously, it's a Prius idiosyncrasy. Mine usually loses one bar ~150 miles.

Not to worry. The best thing to remember (as I've learned of late) is to power down the Prius when filling up. Oh, and don't have the attendant top it off. (That's always a fun verbal exchange.)

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(lemlich @ Jul 19 2007, 08:53 AM) [snapback]481597[/snapback]</div>

It's completely normal operation. Mine typically doesn't tick off the first pip until 175 miles or so.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(lemlich @ Jul 19 2007, 11:53 AM) [snapback]481597[/snapback]</div>

It happens to just about everyone.

If you still have a regular car with a needle based gas gauge, go fill it up and see if the needle sweeps past the "F" on the gauge and then stops on a peg. I bet it does this as every car I've ever driven has. Now imagine that instead of a needle, your other car has 10 little light bars to show the gas level and that 10 light bars indicates the level where the "F" would be on the needle-based gauge. Any position of the needle past the "F" would be displayed as 10 bars. That's what's happening on the Prius.

Should it be that sloppy? Probably not. But it is really no different than any other car. It's just that on the Prius, you can't see just how full above the full mark it is.

 

I'd like to be the first to say:
"Welcome to good gas mileage!"

 

Well, the anti-Prius (2001 Pathfinder) used to do it too. Fuel gauge pinned for 100 km or so after filling. My Prius stays full for about 150 - 200 km. If I completely fill the tank and fuel pipe (don't do this - it was a faulty fuel nossle when I did it - twice), then the car will go 250 km or so before the first pip darkens.

This can damage the fuel tank, so as I said above, don't do it intentionally.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(lemlich @ Jul 19 2007, 10:53 AM) [snapback]481597[/snapback]</div>

My last tank took 130 miles to lose the first piup and 40 for the second. :blink:

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(iDonna @ Jul 19 2007, 12:00 PM) [snapback]481601[/snapback]</div>

When I drive to NY to see my parents, I always get gas in NJ because it's cheap. But I hate the fact that you have to wait for some surly guy to fill it up for you and get yelled at if you dare to finish it up.

I think I once heard that the no self-serve in NJ is because the oil companies are such a huge part of the economy there. Does anyone know the real reason?

Edit: I found the answer to my own question.

http://www.infoplease.com/askeds/bans-gas-pumping.html

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(NoVaSnow @ Jul 19 2007, 02:03 PM) [snapback]481703[/snapback]</div>

Ah. I have no complaint about the "don't touch that nozzle" and actually *love* the fact they pump it for me. I don't want to smell like gas or even touch the nozzle. Yuck.

To each his/her own I guess.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(iDonna @ Jul 19 2007, 02:12 PM) [snapback]481711[/snapback]</div>

As I read a little more about this issue, I was surprised to see that Corzine's effort to end the ban last year was met with such resistance. I have been pumping my own gas for so long, I hate having to wait for someone else to do it.

 

On the hightway I get 145-150 miles on the pip of the gas gauge. The second is only about 35. In town it is some what less. Yours is most likely running true to form.

 

Mine keeps dropping the first pip at 140mi on the nose. It just means that the bladder and pump didn't argue and you got a good fill. In sub-zero temps I was lucky to go 30mi before it happened.

 

OK

I had one pip this morning and put 6 gallons in and it showed full. It holds 11.9 and adding six doesn't add up to a full tank. So yes, the gas guage is a guess guage.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(lemlich @ Jul 19 2007, 11:53 AM) [snapback]481597[/snapback]</div>

Welcome to the site. You are experiencing normal operation. When the "guess gauge" goes down to 2 pips, think about buying gas. At 1 pip, buy gas. When the last pip starts flashing, BUY GAS NOW. This will save you lots of anxiety and starting another thread about running out of gas. Just relax and enjoy the car.