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Tank MPG

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Fuel Economy' started by Indyking, Sep 10, 2009.

  1. a priori

    a priori Canonus Curiosus

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    Now THAT'S what I'M talkin' about!!

    Sick, Wayne, sick. To stoop so low as to photoshop the mileage I always wanted onto your screen!!!:eyebrows::bolt:
     
  2. alfon

    alfon Senior Member

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    I believe that the REAL maximum tank capacity is over 11.9 gallons.

    When I was in Washington State where I was allowed to pump my own gas at the first clickoff I managed to put almost 2.4 gallons of gas in the tank until it came to the top of the neck where you could see the gas.

    Also I have heard from this Forum that filling your tank this way is not good because of canister filter absorbtion.

    I checked the owners manual and I may be wrong here but where in the 2010 Prius Owners Manual does it state you can not fillup the tank to the top.

    alfon
     
  3. DrJon

    DrJon New Member

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    LOL! When Wayne averages 20 mph he gets a lot better MPG than you and I! Gotta get a driving lesson!
     
  4. a priori

    a priori Canonus Curiosus

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    He KNOWS what he is doing!

    His Gen2 was filled with instrumentation, so I could see how Wayne had really figured out how to manage the economical driving of a Prius. It appears he hasn't lost a step moving into the Gen3 world!
     
  5. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    I am not worthy

    ... but as we'd say in college judo (when we'd deliberately drop a couple weight classes just so we could take on the best in that class) ... "I'm comin' after ya"

    ;)
    .
     
  6. Indyking

    Indyking Happy Hyundai owner...

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    Not surprised! Look at the MPH... 20!?! :confused: What kind of commute is that??? It looks like somebody is “golf carting" the Prius just to get "unimpressive" impressive numbers! :D

    The real challenge, folks, is to do 60 MPG or better above 30 MPH of average speed, minimum of 500 miles per tank. Try it!

    Don’t you love driving your Prius? :)
     
  7. Indyking

    Indyking Happy Hyundai owner...

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    Unfortunately, my current tank is my last one before I change to my new commute. I think I will definitively beat the 61 mark in this last one with average speed over 30 MPH (very important factor), but when I start traveling with a cargo-loaded trunk, with my 95% hwy commute, my MPG is likely to drop significantly, hoping for low 50's, at least until it starts getting cold along the way...


    Exactly!!! I figured that way of calculating it was wrong and was also afraid many people are doing like that. Thanks, I'm also calculating like you are.

    I wish the Prius had a Trip C option, so I could leave it running forever for lifetime MPG and other data….
     
  8. FireEngineer

    FireEngineer Active Member

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    I'll do your commute if you do mine.

    P1000585.JPG

    Wayne
     
  9. bluemonday

    bluemonday New Member

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    So is there a way to see what your lifetime MPG is according to the car without calculating it somehow yourself? I would think it would give you the lifetime MPG somewhere.
    I tried to keep Trip B as my lifetime but accidentally deleted it when trying to figure out the various display options. :(
    On the bright side this wiped a bunch of bad miles when I first got the car and didn't know how to drive it, so my average has "jumped" nearly 10 mpg over what it displayed before the wipeout. :D (Still not in the same class as you guys though. Well done.)
     
  10. Indyking

    Indyking Happy Hyundai owner...

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    There we go... this last picture of yours proves my point: average speed matters a lot! I'm actually doing better them you in my current tank (63.2 MPG at 34 MPH), but I only drove a little less than 100 miles so far. So, still a long way to go until I reach 1 pip left (that's when I consider recording the tank MPG), but I'm aiming the 62 mark at this time....

    Keep tuned!
     
  11. Indyking

    Indyking Happy Hyundai owner...

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    I'm afraid this is not possible. The lifetime has to be calculated unless you leave trip A or B running forever... nobody does...
     
  12. bluemonday

    bluemonday New Member

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    OK, thanks for the answer. Seems like it would be a cool stat to have available from the MID but oh well.
     
  13. Indyking

    Indyking Happy Hyundai owner...

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    No problem. I like to use one trip for tank MPG and the other one for whole trips (short or long). So, that's why I wish there was a trip C option... it would not add anything to the final cost of the car and most people would appreciate it...
     
  14. banshee08

    banshee08 Member

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    I always put gas at the same station and same pump for my Prius. I have only filled up twice so far.

    Here are my stats for the first two fill ups MPG are calculated:

    MILES GALLONS MPG
    530.9 9.247 57.413 (Dealer Filled Tank)
    572.7 9.795 58.469

    I drive about 90% HWY and average about 35mph.
     
  15. a64pilot

    a64pilot Active Member

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    I have personally gotten 12.5 gl. in my Prius. You see, I'm one of those evil top off people. I stop filling the tank when the liquid level remains in the neck, but I don't drive straight home and allow the car to heat soak in the sun and expand the fuel either. Been doing it for years in other vehicles with no ill effect. If by chance I ruin the charcoal cannister in the Prius, no big deal, it will trip a MIL, they are cheap and easy to replace. Never had to replace one though.
     
  16. Indyking

    Indyking Happy Hyundai owner...

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    57-58 calculated MPG likely means over 60 MPG in the MID. Considering your average speed of 35 MPH, these are good numbers. Well done!
     
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  17. Indyking

    Indyking Happy Hyundai owner...

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    And what is your rationale for topping the tank off?
     
  18. a64pilot

    a64pilot Active Member

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    To get 700 miles to the tank:D
    Unless you can verify the exact fill every time, the only other way to determine actual mileage that I can determine would be an average over several tanks, the more tanks averaged in, the less the error, but if you top off the tank from the same pump, parked exactly the same etc, you reducing possible errors, except the pump error will remain constant within it's level of accuracy anyway.
    And yes my mileage numbers are from the car reporting them, not actual calculations. Actual seems to be as much as 4 or 5 MPG lower. I have not verified the accuracy of the odometer, have you? Irrelevant I assume because I believe we are all working with the same errors, I don't think there is much variation between cars. Apples to Apples.
    Average speed from the dash board isn't meaningful, because it is average speed of the car the whole time it is in ready mode, not average speed of the car while it was moving. So I or anyone could set the cruise on 40 MPH, get an average of say 80MPG. You can't possibly compete with that if your going stop light to stop light because even though you may be running 55 between the lights, your average will be low. Least amount of fuel used over a given distance is in my mind interesting. I don't care if you use a sail to get high numbers, if you do, teach me how to sail.
     
  19. edmcm2000

    edmcm2000 New Member

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    Sooo - When you pulled up to the gas pump your tank was bone dry empty? Don't forget, not all gas station pumps are created equal. They can be set to overcharge you by crooked station owners, or just be measuring wrong due to a malfunction. That"s why dept of weights and measures check them periodically. Edmcm2000
     
  20. a64pilot

    a64pilot Active Member

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    No,
    It was as far as I felt comfortable pushing it though. There is a point of diminishing returns, I wanted to get 700 Miles to a tank, I had done that. I wasn't trying to determine total tank capacity. Yes there is is some inaccuracy in anything, depends on how fine you want to slice that hair. There is no such thing as exact. But you would be surprised how accurate those fuel pumps are. I have used weight to verify the accuracy of a GPI meter I use here at work. It's level of accuracy is within the level of accuracy of the aircraft scales we have and they are supposedly pretty accurate.
    The actual capacity of my fuel tank is somewhere north of 12.5 gallons. Don't know how much more and probably won't find out either, but somebody here knows I'm sure. I think they may even live in Northern Alabama :)