How far do you go when the fuel gauge blinks?

I look for fuel when that fuel bar blinks or before. Nothing is gained by going further. I do not want to risk damaging the fuel pump by getting so low that it starts to pick up air as the low fuel level sloshes past the pump intake. I dont want to concentrate the accumulated junk in the tank at the pump inlet either.

 

The Prius fuel pump sucks through the filter so the fuel is filtered before it gets to the pump. BTW, The filter is only available as part of an assembly that lists for over $100 plus I would guess over an hours labor to replace it.

 

Crikey.

So would it still make sense to change it as part of preventative maintenance or does the aassembly include parts that would have been changed when/if the fuel filter fails?

and if you were to change it preventatively, how often would one do it?

 

I buy gas whenever I notice that I'm down to a couple of bars. The small, monochrome, blinking symbol is just too easy to overlook and the radio can easily drown out the beep. I would really prefer the more conspicuous ISO symbol.

 

How about something like...



You guys are far too spoiled. When I started driving, we had analog gauges with NO warning lights whatsoever (in fact, my '74 Gremlin's gauge was a quarter tank off and would run out at 1/4 tank). Be glad you have any sort of warning at all. You have a gauge right in front of your face. Look at it every once in a while.

Next thing you're going to want is a speed limit warning indicator so you don't have to look at the speedometer. *inserts token smiley so people don't get all offended*

 

Actually the fuel strainer screen can become clogged and cause the same effects as a after-pump/down stream filter. If it becomes clogged it will require you to remove the in-tank fuel pump. Unless you happen to be unfortunate enough to fill your tank with contaminated or dirty fuel, you probably won't have to worry about changing this strainer for a long time. At which time you may have a problem, it would be prudent to change the pump as a precaution, anyway.

 

You had a gas gauge? Modern conveniences, bah! For a Model-T you either made your own dip stick or bought an aftermarket one.

 

Actually, in all my previous cars that only got in the range of 16 to 25 mpg, I had to fill up frequently enough that it was never an issue. I just knew I had to fill up every week. Easy.

In the Prius it is more of an issue, since now I only fill up every other week or less. That 450 to 500 mile range SUCKS when it comes to remembering to fill up the tank. It is far less of a habit now.

The battery-level gauge and the instantaneous mpg gauge are also distractors from the fuel gauge. Eyes are drawn to movement, and since those two gauges change a LOT more frequently than the gas level, the poor fuel level indicator just doesn't get looked at.

So when I hear the BEEP that indicates I am low on fuel, I wonder for a few minutes what the heck that beep was from, and eventually notice the flashing last bar.

I like the OMG warning sign--that matches my feeling every time the Prius does this to me.

Damnable fuel-efficient cars!

 

LOL, I hear you on the warning devices.
Actually, a 63 Buick Electra 225 I once owned, had a little adjustable needle on the spedometer that would start a really irritating and loud buzzer to sound any thime you exceeded the set speed.
Also I believe my little Garmin Nuvi 50 GPS unit indicates the posted speed limit on the screen, and I belive the posted speed goes from blue to red if I am going faster than that posted speed.

 

Yup. My LeSabre had one as well. Annoying sound. I think I had mine set at 100mph...lol

 

I guess all it takes is running out of gas once and having starter stick in the on position when you try to fire it up without gas to teach you to keep an eye on the gauge, regardless of any distractions. I'd never seen a starter glow orange in the daylight before, so maybe that sticks out as some sort of warning light for me.

Even with the Prius, I still fill up at least once a week as opposed to 1-2 times a week with the Corolla, so I guess the time between fill-ups is sort of a non-issue for me.

 

I seriously doubt that I'd ever be silly enough to actually run out of gas in a Prius.

It sounds like you essentially need to be totally ignoring your gauges for over 50 miles in order to do that. Most people are neither that stubborn nor ditzy.

My Prius currently only gets to drive 150 to 200 miles a week, so one week is less than a half-tank. A tank goes 2 to 3 weeks, which is why fill-ups are no longer habit, and the last two bars sometimes sneak up on me. It is an uncomfortable feeling when it does, but not a problem for the Prius.

 

I fill up any time it's below half and a station is convenient. Mainly because I'm the weekend driver, and am tracking mileage, so I tend to bogart the refill process.

I recall my dad's gas measuring method on a '58 VW: a stick.

 

The gas gauge is right next to the speedo display, how can a driver not notice when it's getting low?

 

Its a convenience, kind of a hey dummy thing. I never forget the first car I had that had the low gas "idiot light". It was a 67 Camero Rally Sport I bought my SR of HS. She was cherry and I was the most "hated guy in car club". Long story short I decided I wanted to see that modern marvel light up. I ran out of gas leaving the HS parking lot and had to push it out of the road as the buses filled with laughing car less riders went by. I have rarely seen the low gas indicator on any of the rigs I have had since, they don't always work the way you expect

RAL

 

I think there are a few here that have already disqualified that as a universal truth.

Almost every car? Of the current model year? In Japan? Ever made? In your driveway?

I know that out of the 20 or so that I've owned, I think maybe ONE had the "standard" yellow gas pump icon.

It would get even more if sirens and whistles started going off and bubbles starting coming out of the A/C ducts too, but then again, where do we draw the line?

 

I had a '67 Mustang GTA convertible that ran out of gas with about 1/4 tank showing on gauge. I remember running out of gas several times and hitch hiking to a gas station and borrowing a gas can and hitching back... I loved that car and sold it when I had kids... bummer.

 

I am a new Prius driver as well but I have driven past the blinking light to where it says 0 miles left and then I was able to push it another 20 miles before I started freaking out....lol....I don't know how much further I could have gone but I used about 10 gallons of fuel. Hope this helps to get a better understanding. : )