Hello, I have been filling my 2007 prius up when it hits 1 'pip' on the fuel gauge. I average putting 8.1 gallons in at this point, very slow, not using the first click on the pump, rather very slowly filling trickling the fuel into the tank. I do a top off once (I know, not a good practice...but I have been doing this once each fillup). Now that leaves about 3 - 4 gallons left in the tank at 1 pip, assuming there are 11 - 12 gallons capacity. I am surprised at this, so I am curious of your experience. Thanks, Chris
It's normal. The fuel tank does not hold 12 usable gallons. On a good day you may get 11, but I figure 10 to be on the safe side. Search PriusChat for "bladder" or "guess gauge" for more information. Tom
Hmm.. well hubby did our first fill up yesterday, right after the gas gauge hit one bar. He used the same process he's used to fill all our previous cars - turn the nozzle on full speed, wait for it to click off on it's own, and don't top off. Register measured 9.8 gallons.
I usually wait until the last pip starts to blink, then fill up. When I do it usually takes 9-9.5 gallons which I then assume I still have 1.5-2 gallons unused (meaning I could have gone atleast 60-80 more miles assuming a low end of 40mpg, just to be safe). but if what qbee42 says is correct then I am flirting with running out of gas because I am assuming that I have 11.9 usable gallons.
To be safe, in your case I'd assume 11 usable gallons instead of 11.9. But personally I have no worries at all, as I will fill up some short time after I reach 2 pips. ZC1
Hopefully you will not soon be posting about how you ran out of gas because you calculated that you had X gallons left so you had to drive on electric power until the battery died and now you're wondering if you damaged the car . . . I've read many such posts, and other people are not very sympathetic. C'mon, fill up at two pips or at least one solid pip. Don't "calculate" how much the tank "should" hold. The bladder makes the tank's capacity variable.
My experience filling up at one pip is a little over 8 gallons. Yesterday I noticed that I traveled 101 miles before the first pip disappeared. Seems strange?
i just dont understand the essence of these fuel/bladder threads...it just makes me laugh, simply put, if i drink too much beer, my bladder is full
So I have spent the day reading hundreds of post about the fuel bladder,how many gallons you can get in a prius,why you don't try and over fill.I even read post of a guy wanting to put a vent tube out of the filler pipe to vent fumes into the atmosphere so he could get more fuel out of tank,ugg! I have spent time doing research but I don't have a good answer to the reason when the last fuel blip comes on I will drive 5-7 miles,and when I go to fill up I cant only get 7.8 gallons of fuel,I have learned the tank capacity and have seen people get 10.0 gallons when empty.I live in Northern Cali so its not below zero.I have only owned my 2008 for 3 months,worked for Toyota for 12 years,so not completely incompetent when it comes to cars.So when it goes last blip im at 300 miles,fill up and I cant get 8 gallons in vehicle.3 different stations.So bottom line is I belewive my fuel mileage is fine,i just don't want to have to fill up every 6.5 gallons of fuel used.
have you read the suggestions for turning the handle 90 degrees, opening the tank and waiting a few minutes, pumping slowly and etc.? i never had filling issues with my gen II's, so i have to suspect some defect on a few of them.
Hey Bisco,yes I had read that yesterday,thank you.SO I had filled with 7.8 gallons of fuel and I did wheat I had read which was I filled like normal for about 4 gallons,and then pumped slowly,even pulled out nozzle pumping slowly,turned handle and got 7.8.I drove for about 80 miles went back to gas station,and put in 1.7 gallons.
