Low Fuel Level Light - How much Left? Not much!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(silver squirell @ Aug 3 2007, 09:07 PM) [snapback]490251[/snapback]</div>

Welcome to the site and to the Guess Gauge. You just joined the "out of gas club". No permanent damage if you don't make a habit of it.

 

Sometimes I buy gas when I have 3 pips, sometimes when I have 2. I don't think I have ever let it get to one.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(silver squirell @ Aug 3 2007, 07:34 PM) [snapback]490304[/snapback]</div>

They seem fine to me. Visibility is good. They have an automatic leveling device which is attached to the rear axle to adjust for loading etc. Its controlled by the Headlight Leveling ECU (no lie)

There is an adjustment procedure in the service manual:

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<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(silver squirell @ Aug 3 2007, 09:07 PM) [snapback]490251[/snapback]</div>

Yep. I chalk it up to new drivers that are bad at math. They can't figure the product (miles left in the tank) from the number of gallons from the last fill-up and the current miles per gallon. It's easy.

I think you need to see this thread... Hahahhaha...

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(silver squirell @ Aug 3 2007, 08:07 PM) [snapback]490251[/snapback]</div>

 

3 bars=begin planning where and when I'm going to get fuel
2 bars=get fuel at the next available "favorite brand" of station, even if it means stopping when I don't want to
1 bar=get fuel IMMEDIATELY, from the NEXT station (even if it's a splash and dash)

I've never seen the low fuel indication and am doing my best to keep it that way!

 

I'm curious, how many gallons did it take to fill your tank after running out? We almost always wait until the last pip starts to flash before filling, but still only get around 8 gallons in the tank. We fill on the slowest automatic setting on the nozzle and then top it off another half gallon after the automatic shut off. So I am wondering whether you actually got to add 11.9 gallons when filling?

PA P

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(silver squirell @ Aug 3 2007, 10:10 PM) [snapback]490280[/snapback]</div>

Cinnaminson

 

Well I did it today also. Making a long story short.
After watching the last bar flash for 40+ miles the Warning light & a few others came on. I pulled over off the freeway, looked at the owners guide. Called AAA, got 2.5 gallons of gas, went to the nearest gas station added 9.2 more gallons. BTW, I set the pump for auto fill/stop and when it stops, that's it.
That tank was about 450 miles before the warning light went on.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(forman @ Aug 14 2007, 10:33 PM) [snapback]495823[/snapback]</div>

I also ran out of gas (on the Garden State Parkway in NJ) - but I just tried to go too far with that blinking bar. I must have gone about 45 miles from the beginning of the blink. But when the big red triangle with the exclamation point came on, and the car when to electric only, I drove approx. 2 miles to the next rest stop and got $3 of gas to get me to work. (Great expression on the station attendant when I asked for that much gas- he immediately glanced down to the 'Hybrid' logo).

And to JimN - I work in Lakewood, so I've probably passed your Prius on the Parkway many times... Power to the Prii - !

 

To do a gasoline energy test, I have to run out of gas with a 1 gallon spare can in the trunk. So I've run out of gas over half a dozen times and typically:

130 miles - longest run on flash
~60-70 miles - most frequent
~30 miles - shortest, very hot day

My estimate is there is about 1.1 gallons. But if I wanted to stretch it, I'd drop my speed to 18 mph and be very surprised if I didn't get at least 100 miles down the road. Even at 24 mph, I'd expect to get at least 80 miles and use cruise control to hold it.

Bob Wilson

 

"6 Bars of energy took me about 2 miles at 53 mph, then up an off ramp at about 25 mph, and then barely moving with 2 Bars (purple by the way) at about 5 mph into a gas station that was a 1/4 mile off the ramp.

I don't believe eight bars will take you two miles at 20-25 mph much less @ 53 mph.

 

This has really been quite informative. As a relatively new Prius owner, I am still trying to figure out the Guess Guage.

I have been disappointed at how inaccurate the PIP bar seems anyway.... My calculations show I should have 8-9 bars, but it still shows 10. Then after it starts dropping it goes down more quickly that my calcs show.

For example, there are 10 bars, so each bar represents 1.19 gallons, roughly. After having burned 3gal of fuel I should show 6.43 bars [which we'll say is six] but it actually shows 7. So, it's not an exact readout, which is frustrating to me.

It gets particularly frustrating as I approach one or two PIPs. My calcs show I can go another 200+ miles, but then I'm sitting on one bar.... So I get gas at my earliest convenience, knowing full well I shouldn't need it for another day or two.

The whole gas bladder thing is just confusing and frustrating. I'm too scared to let my gas light come on because I don't want to run out of fuel on the road. I wish we had a static idea of how much fuel we had left from the car itself, which we could compare with our own calculations for confirmation.

That is my only frustrating with the Prius. Aside from that, it's the world's best car!

I guess I have to use the tactics that others have suggested here and use the added gallons on last fillup as a basis for how far you can go when multiplied by your current MPG.

 

Just last weekend I let it go about 30 miles after it started blinking, with no problems. (I'm cheap and wanted to get over the NY border into MA where the gas is much cheaper) I was on the interstate and didn't slow down at all. Just kept goin'.