When do you refuel?

All I can say is that if you wait until after it stops blinking, you probably have a problem...

 

I'm nervous about the whole multiply your mileage by 10 thing because it implies confidence that there are at least 10 gallons in the tank to start. I've never been able to get more than 6.6 gallons in at the blinking alert. So either there's a very large reserve, or the bladder is keeping me from putting in more than, oh, let's say 9 gallons.

So, my technique has been to just go and fill up when it beeps at me, as long as it's at a convenient time for me (I like to do it on the weekends, when I can wash my windshield and empty out the bits of trash, instead of on the way to work, where I might be worried about my clothes).

With gas prices going up (it's been 3 weeks since my last fill-up, so I lose touch), I'll probably want to wait until I know I'll be near an inexpensive filling station.

I'm still confident I can go at least 50 miles on the beeping alert.

 

I'm afraid I'm with cybele on this. This last tank I got the flashing last bar and beep. It was nerve-wrecking to see the car telling me - "Add Fuel" and flashing bar without filling it up. It only took 7.6 gallons when I filled it up (the most I've ever put in as I don't usually wait that long.) I just don't think it is worth it to take the chance and run out of gas. It would not be fun to be stuck and it is not good for the car.

P.S. I got 51.7 multi-display average on that last tank of gas - I'm sure due to the warmer temperatures (had some 50 and 60 degree days). I drove 376.8 miles on that tank.

 

I usually wait until my lights starts flashing......then I drive for 85 more miles. My light starts blinking between 450 - 470 miles. When I fill up, I usually put 10.5 - 11 gallons in. I usually get 550 miles per tank. Remember, you have an 11.9 gallon tank. If you do not reset your trip display, you should be able to calculate how many miles you have left on your tank.

 

Gee, I didn't know it would beep at me if I ignored it

HFFL, I gotta think either you got lucky and didn't get a bladder, or the higher-than-typical-on-this-board temps in Dallas are giving you better range than most commenters. I hope when the summer arrives here in the NE that I can get 400 miles per tank, like you do

To answer the question, tho, I fill around 1/2 full, usually 175 to 200 miles...

Peace

 

I've been telling people to use this 9 gallon chart:

40 MPG = 360 miles
41 MPG = 369 miles
42 MPG = 378 miles
43 MPG = 387 miles
44 MPG = 396 miles
45 MPG = 405 miles
46 MPG = 414 miles
47 MPG = 423 miles
48 MPG = 432 miles
49 MPG = 441 miles
50 MPG = 450 miles
51 MPG = 459 miles
52 MPG = 468 miles
53 MPG = 477 miles
54 MPG = 486 miles
55 MPG = 495 miles

It simply tells you the maximum non-emergency distance you can expect to travel based on the distance shown on the Multi-Display.

There's no math involved. Just match numbers on the table, which will eventually become old-hat after awhile seeing the same ones over and over again.

Personally, I drive 20-30 miles after the flashing begins. That provides the convenience of just filling up on the way home or the way to work. No big deal. I know there's still a decent amount of gas still available since my routine fills are in the 8 gallon range. (Pre-Trip fills to take advantage of the locally available low-sulfur gas and fills at the end of the month for statistic sake do skew my data though, so keep that in mind when looking at my spreadsheets.)

 

Whenever someone else offers to pay for it.

Me: Lunchtime already? I'll Drive (like it's a hardship playing with my Prius )

Them: Sure, but let us fill up your tank. You drive more than anyone else so it's only fair.

Hopefully using this approach I may never have to pay for gas again.

 

Got to try the "Tempus" approach to refueling. I like that!

John's approach (and chart) is certainly the safe way to anticipate refueling. I prefer to push it a bit more, and my experience so far (though only 3 refills) supports my willingness to risk more miles on a tank.

My most recent experience is as follows:

- Refilled 11 days after previous fueling.
- 553 miles on tank
- 295 miles to 5 bars
- 534 miles to flashing bar
- 10.602 gallons pumped
- Auto shut-off of pump at 9.2 gal.
- Slow fill of additional 1.4 gal.
- Calculated mpg: 52.2
- Display mpg: 53.3
- Temperatures during 11 day tank ranged from mid 20s to almost 60.
- Road conditions: approx. 1/3 Interstate, 1/3 suburban, 1/3 city.

During this tank, I had one segment of almost 200 miles on Interstate when I averaged 61 mpg. I'm reasonably certain I could have driven over 600 miles on this tank, but at the time I needed to refill, the gas stations were too far apart in this rural area of Southern Colorado to chance it.

Tideland AM - Colorado

 

So, the short answer to the original question is that it's looking like I'll be willing to drive as far as display mpg x gallons at last fillup. Of course, I'll see how realistic this is as I gain more experience.

Tideland AM - Colorado

 

Wow - I'm finally glad to hear more real-world examples of this. I live in Phoenix, and currently am at about 44.3mpg with 405 miles on my tank - the light started flashing and I'm getting the 'add fuel' indicator - actually it popped up at 376 miles. I'm going to try to risk it and go until 450 miles! Then I should get more gallons, right? The good thing about Phoenix is that we're such a huge grid-city that there literally are gas stations every 1/2 mile, so you're never more than 1/4 of a mile from one.

So, since your average mileage x 10 = refueling time, why not your average mileage x 11? Please, someone be daring enough to do this for me!!!

What's really funny is this: I live on the top floor of an 11-story mid-rise condo building, and from my balcony I can check gas prices at 14 gas stations with my binoculars! How ridiculous is that?!

-Ben

 

See, this leads me to believe that I'm not getting a full tank when I gas up.

My light started flashing on Monday after 246 miles ... with 45.2 MPG.

I only put in 6.7 gallons last time (I think that was early February ...) which would give me about a 300 mile range. I'm at 278 now and will probably fill up at lunch today.

I fully support John1701a's chart, except for the fact that I don't know how much gas is in my tank to start. I didn't fill it the first time (delivery) and I've never, after 1,600 miles, put more than 7 gallons in it.

I am only sure there is the amount that I have put in ... so I will continue to drive just the amount of my last fill-up. I find it very difficult to believe that the reserve is more than a third of the capacity of the tank and I'm not willing to test that. So I'll just take whatever I put in last time (if it's blinking) and multiply that by my current mileage and that's my range for that tank.

The good thing, though, is that I only drive about 50 miles a week for my commute ... so I'm still not obligated to fill that often.

 

The problem is that I don't KNOW that I have 11.9 gallons of gas in the tank. I don't know how many gallons that the dealer put in initially and the most I have ever put in (one bar flashing) was 7.6 gallons. If you are in a consistently warm climate like Arizona or Florida, maybe you have a better estimate. We know that the bladder expands and contracts depending on temperature so if I fill up when its 30 degrees or 50 degrees, that could make a difference in tank capacity. I'm not willing to run out of gas as Toyota says that will be determental to the car. Why take the chance? Besides when my baby pleads with me- Beep, Flash, flash, flash, "Add Fuel", please "Add Fuel", how can I say no? :wink:

 

I'm only on my second tank, but I went 509 miles averaging 48.5 MPG (based on the consumption screen). The last bar started blinking at 465 miles, so I drove about another 55 miles before refueling. I only filled up to the autommatic shut-off and put 9.99 gallons into the tank. I could have easily gone another 50 miles before refueling, but wasn't sure how much was added when the dealership fueled the car.

Being in a warmer climate (Tucson), I'm going to modify John's 9 gallon rule and go with something closer to 10.5. And I may try 11 if I think I have the chance to break the 600 mile mark.

Yeah, I know the range isn't what's important, but it's just one more thing that impresses me, as well as everyone else who invariably asks about the mileage.

 

When do I refuel?

When I hear that the price of gas will jump 27 cents in a couple of days, like I heard last night...

 

what is this bladder in connection with the fuel tank, how does it work and how does it affect filling speed or tank capacity???

 

The bladder is inside the fuel tank. It's purpose is to seperate the fuel from any contact with air as the fuel is consumed by the vehicle. As far as I know, the capacity of the tank does include the bladder. Yes it does affect the filling procedure. I always fill my car at the lowest flow setting. I then trickle in the last two gallons after the pump cycles off. Temperature also affects how the bladder behaves. Colder temps make the bladder stiff, which reduces your total fuel capacity.

 

Since October, the most I have ever gotten in the tank is 8.73 gallons.

44.8 lifetime, 7,300 mi., 40/38psi,

Price

 

I had the same experience yesterday. The last bar started flashing at only 300 miles. I was right next to a gas station so I filled up. The pump stopped just under 7 gallons. I was able to put a tiny bit more in to round up to $16.00. The display read 51.5 but the actual was only 43.2. I was in Ojai and never would have made it home to the Valley if I didn't fill it up first unless I could drive 60 miles with the last bar flashing.

Jeff