Driving Past The Add More Fuel Beep

That seems to be pretty rare based on all of the threads I've read on the subject. If I could get 11.6 gals in at the blinking pip, I sure wouldn't want to try running past that for more than a handful of miles. The most I've gotten in after the flashing pip (usually filling within 10 miles) is 9.95 gals, the least is 8.4 (twice). My current average is 9.00 gals at the flashing pip.

 

i think it all boils down to how much you want to top off the tank. i have driven 100 miles past the blinking bar and have never gotten as much as 11 gallons in. a few times, i got 10.8, couple 10.6's...

overfilling can ruin your vapor recovery cannister which is a spendy replacement, so i stop when i have put in what i took out. or just a few clicks past the auto shutoff point. on the 2010, i am getting over 600 miles on a tank and last time only had to go 20 some miles on the blinking bar to get 622 miles so my range is good enough for me, i dont need to get anything better than that

 

That's the maximum possible amount that could be left in the tank, with strong emphasis on "could". Someone who continually relies on that assumption is likely to run out eventually.

As Dave mentions and as Galaxee has described in detail elsewhere, topping off can cause expensive damage to the fuel system. Not to mention that it increases hydrocarbon pollution, which is certainly not why anyone bought a Prius.

 

its also possible that the pump you used was not accurate as it would be nearly impossible to add 11.6 gallons in a 11.9 gallon tank that wasn't flashing or empty.

 

Does the Gen III risk damage to the cannister by over-filling too? Haven't been able to get a response yet from the Gen III forum. Maybe no one knows? yet?


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At the very least it will still saturate the canister and again add to hydrocarbon emissions. That alone is reason enough not to do it.

 

it would be great if Toyota had figured out a way to prevent overfilling from ruining the cannister, but considering that it is part off the ventilation system, it would be difficult.

as i stated before, i drove about 25 miles past the blinking bar. so i started blinking at 598 miles...the only advantage to overfilling is getting a few more miles on your tank... to be honest with ya, getting 650 instead of 600 miles between fillups??? what are you willing to risk for that inconvenience of visiting the gas station ONE EXTRA TIME each year???

as for me...not very much

 

I have on 4 separate occasions put in over 11.9 gallons in my '07: 6/20/08-12.4 gallons at 1069.6 miles, 08/09/2008-12.4 gallons at 1143 miles, 06/15/2009-12.1 at 1100.7 miles, and 07/13/2009-12.9 gallons at 1184.2 miles. My best tank ever was on 09/06/2008 when if filled with 8.56 gallons at 867.4 miles in preparation for a road trip the next day. On one of those 12+ gallon tanks, I drove ~170 miles after the last pip started flashing. The car is not a PHEV.

 

Larry;

very very impressive performance you have there... but was the last pip flashing?? after all, that was the only statement made here

oh!! nm, you stated that it was...

 

The only possible use of having a "zero-tank" to figure with is to get the vehicle's range... not its MPG.

MPG is determined by dividing the miles driven by the gallons used. Fill the tank completely, drive a few hundred miles, and then fill the tank again. The amount of gas it took to fill it is what is important. Having consistent fills is also important. Use the same gas station/pump for both fills to get closer results.

Speaking of which, I'm down to two pips. Gotta get gas today.

 

I should add that on the latest tank it had been flashing for 4 days before I filled up.

 

My last tank was 64mpg UK and I had about 20 miles on the last pip before the add fuel ping. It is worth saying that the fuel station I made for was empty and had to drive on to the next, making just over 20 miles on the flashing pip. I am confident of doing 30 miles on the flashing pip with a UK specification Prius but prefer to avoid it, and I set the trip counter when it does ping and also take on fuel as a priority without letting the engine cool off, when the mpg will drop.

 

Ooh, I'm glad you mentioned that the beep occurs at ~12% (1.4 - 1.5 gallons). I always thought such warnings typically occurred with ~2 gallons left, so that sure does explain a few things...

The other day I kept driving past the warning. I thought that I had about 2 gallons left, so I was sure I could simply find a station near my destination. In fact, I did try to find one a little while before I got there, but I didn't know the area, and the stupid 2007 nav pointed me at TWO different stations that no longer existed...

Anyway, when I was less than a mile from my destination, I ran out of gas... the funny thing is, that I most likely would have made it if I hadn't been running all over looking for those two gas stations a few minutes earlier. I knew that it was safe to keep driving on the battery to find a good place to stop, as long as I didn't completely deplete the battery. Sadly I was going up a hill, so it was tough going, but I pulled off at the first side street and parked in some neighborhood.

It didn't turn out to be a very big deal at all though. All I did was call the Toyota Roadside Assistance, and in less than 30 minutes they put about 1.6 gallons of gas in my tank for free!

After that, I proceeded to my destination, which turned out to be right across the street from a gas station. As I said, I was less than a mile away when I ran out... hahaha. I drove exactly 480 miles on that tank... another reason I thought I could go much further. The damn gauge said I was getting 45MPG. WHAT LIES!

 

i simply cant help my self laugh w/ you input here.. sarcastic but funny! hmmm this thread makes it interesting

 

Dave - You've brought me out of my 'read only' mode with this last post. Too many times while reading your experience I tapped my chest and said "I feel ya" while wiping the tears from my eyes from hysterical laughter.

Just returned from a 5,852 mile jaunt. Washington/Michigan/Colorado (11,000+ Altitude)/Washington. Now have 6,700 total miles on our 2009 Touring. We wanted to use this trip as a true test.. so many different environments and driving conditions, etc. Am considering writing more on the whole trip... but needed to express my empathy for your situation....

We are 100 miles away from home.. having traveled 5,700 miles.. no problems. Had been averaging 44mpg during this last leg of the trip.. had 2 pips left.. gave an easy 88 miles (I figured). Passed Moses Lake, WA .. and all it's gas stations.. heading towards Ellensburg.. about 70 miles away. We would coast in with 20 miles to spare... ahh life is good in an electric car.... (What is that saying about pride and a fall??)

The first pip disappeared at 44 miles out... great.. right as we figured. The 2nd one went into blinky mode only 21 miles later. Yikes.. mild panic... but the math should get us there.... Then came the simultaneous high rev of the engine and the red triangle of DEATH with bells whistles and some cackling laughter... Double YIKES and a spike in my blood pressure!

My travel partner woke up to all the racket and checked our phone GPS for gas stations.. about 3 miles ahead. Pulled to the side, put on the emergency flashers, kept her rolling in Neutral for a bit to buy time so my brain would thaw from the "OH CR*P what do I do now"... while swerving around debri on the side of the road and avoiding all the I90 traffic whizzing by. Realized we could run on battery and was down to 2 purple bars... then one.

We are approaching the off ramp and can see the gas station just on the other side.. yes, we WILL make it! Then I refocus on what is right ahead... a motorhome had pulled over RIGHT where I needed to keep rolling.. too much traffic. I had to stop right behind the motorhome. We did turn off the car.. figuring we could go no further.. but! we were within walking distance and could fill something up and bring it back. Just as I turned the Power button off... the motorhome fired up and pulled back into traffic! Touched the power button, the engine fired up and the gas pedal got a response!!! Woo Hoo... Pulled the off ramp hill fine and coasted down to the station. Took 11.1 to fill it. Stood in the warm wind with my hands on my head airing out all the sweat that had built up in my clothes for those last 3 miles.

Yes, all those scenarios were running thru our heads... You CAN'T run out of gas in a Prius!! All the comments that would come out of that.. so, of course, the first thing we did was to notify family and friends of our great folly... everyone was so kind in that they shared the laughter and irony and kept any other comments to themselves!

About 20 miles after filling up all traffic stopped on Interstate 90. There had been 2 separate accidents that stopped traffic for roughly 45 minutes. We were thankful this all had happened BEFORE getting into stopped traffic. We rolled the windows down, ate homemade cookies, and relished in the knowing that we were not burning any gas while stopped on the highway... and that we HAD gas to burn.. if we needed.

Yes, life is good.

BTW..the death triangle and check engine light went off when we turned the car off at the station (they were still doing their best to get our attention when we restarted once the motorhome pulled away). They did not come back on after the fill up. Whew. Took it in for it's first 5,000 oil change and there were no comments from the mechanics saying the computer had given them something to laugh about.. maybe they, too, kept it to themselves! (I will have to bring it to their attention that when they do the service and rotate the tires.. that the rim covers need to be put back on so they don't pop off! grrr)

Loved your descriptions...

 

In addition to other miscalculations, I think your short term MPG was killed by the climb from the Columbia River at Vantage, 2000 feet up to Ryegrass summit. All cars need more fuel to climb, but it is more painfully obvious in the Prius.

Also, this region frequently has substantial winds that often clobbered the westbound MPG of my prehybrids. But those same winds did help give my Subaru a 38.8 mpg tank eastbound last year.

 

So true what you say. I drive this road many times a year for business and pleasure (Gorge Amphitheatre) and am very familiar with that pull. I had considered it in my calculations.. as erroneous as they were.. but having just pulled multiple passes in Colorado.. I thought it could be done. Yes, the lessons we learn..... I am happy to say that all appears to be alright with the Prius.. and my sense of humor is still intact!