Nonlinear gas gauge?

No change from day 1 to 15 months later.

I found it takes about 70-100 miles for you to see any downward movement on the gauge and from that point forward it is pretty linear. Full is really somewhere off the chart on the right side I suppose, just as it takes awhile (I would think) to run out of gas once it hits empty. The miles to empty reading (not sure if the two has that?) is fairly close to reality, but reads a bit optimistic until you get to about half a tank.

I've also rented a lot of cars when travelling around, and to me it seems like the way the gauge operates is fairly standard practice.

 

Maybe it's more-or-less linear except for the first pip at the top to go?

 

I think it's similar to every car I've driven (except for the VW without a gauge) - it's relatively linear - apart from both ends.

I assume you're not filling it past the first click of the fuel pump? That would make it worse.

 

doesn't sound right to me, my pip is spot on. no reason for toy to go backward.

 

Good - most car's manuals (incl PRIUS) specifies first click.

I had a car which would take a lot more (prob 8 or 10 litres) if you put the last bit in really slowly - but the fuel gauge sat on FULL for a few days, but when it started dropping it was linear - approx. I only did that if I was going on a long trip - might stretch to the next town. But filling it to the first click, the gauge would read FULL and work down from there.

 

Has anyone else noted a discrepancy in the 2016 Prius fuel measuring systems?
Case in point: As of this evening my miles traveled since last fill up is 590 (I am rounding on the tenths) with 7 miles to go showing. The fuel gage appears to be in sync with this information, however, my mpg for this trip/tank shows an average of 60.4 mpg. With an 11.7 fuel tank plus a little bit in the filler pipe this would indicate a range of around 707 miles. From experience I know when the miles to go goes out I have about 1 to 1.5 gal in the tank or about 60 to 90 miles available for a total of 650 to 680 miles per tank before oops hits. That gives an error of approximately 20 to 50 miles in a tank. While this does not seem like a large error it certainly recommends one use the fuel gage and fill up soon as possible after zero miles to go hits. But I wonder if the error is about the same across the fleet then why not correct the mpg reading. After all if I am getting 55 mpg or so that is fine but do not fake it to 60 something. Has anyone else notice this and is the error about the same and leaning to the higher mpg side?

 

yes, it has been covered many times here. yes, about the same, and leaning to higher mpg's.

 

Why ever would anyone run a gas tank this low? What, precisely, is the advantage? The potential negatives vastly outweigh and benefit I can imagine.

 

To confirm whether or not any usable emergency reserve exists. To get some idea where the real bottom of the tank is, not leaving some wishy-washy 2 or 3 hour uncertainty about where on the gauge the car will suffer fuel starvation.

That depends on the individual driver, and the circumstances. So far, my few intentional out-of-fuel tests have provided very useful information with no adverse consequences.

 

I don't think so - I'm averaging 4.1l/100km, but I only just can make 1000km - not miles out of a tank.

 

But there is no need for a reserve. Fill at 1/2 tank or 1/4 at the least and you're good. (Obviously there are some corner-case uses such as post-natural disaster but knowing the reserve is there doesn't actually help much in those cases. You go until you either find fuel or run out.)

 

Go ahead, pay that half-tank pump unlock fee to the clerk taking advantage of his holiday monopoly, simply because you don't really have a good clue about your true range. Same for very high priced tourist trap rates in remote areas. Knowing my real range lets me thumb my nose at those profiteers. BTDT.

Where fuel prices are uniform, your plan makes more sense. But in my area, the price spread can be $1/gal in even two miles. Knowing fuel range allows much better arbitrage.

Plus, on one of my very common trips, I get a better deal from the Bank of Dad.

In corner cases, I generally have more than just the two choices you list.

When you fly on commercial airlines, your pilots almost always carry less reserve fuel range than you criticize me for. Just because YOU can't figure out fuel reserves and planning, is not reason to demand ME to fill up early at higher priced outlets.

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You're not carrying reserve fuel, you are attempting to define something that is highly variable (useful miles left at various points on the fuel gauge) for what seems to be very limited utility. Airline pilots have the actual data necessary to compute a meaningful reserve. You do not and cannot since you don't have a predictable fuel burn rate as aircraft do nor other factors such as temperature, air pressure and wind velocities over your route.

Gasoline prices, in every place I've been in in the USA, are generally within a few percent of each other. The $1 a gallon you cite, I have never seen. Ever. And I've been driving for 40+ years. The difference between the highest and lowest prices typically makes a difference of $1 or $2 per TANK. But, even at the putative $1 per gallon, you are talking about a maximum difference of $11.40 per tank. If your budget is tight enough that that makes a discernible difference to you, you have my sympathy.

Also, I didn't say that I couldn't figure out fuel reserves, I said the activity was of limited to no percieved benefit.

 

I never risk it.

When my daughter ran out of fuel in my old VOLVO - it cost me $403.95 for a fuel pump overhaul, fuel filters, fuel line flush and part carburettor repair/flush - plus the cost of a flat-top truck, and I was without a car for a couple of days. Admittedly, it was an older car.

 

When it's cold, I always fill it when the tank is half full and I go to the least expensive top tier gas station in the area. Sometimes, it's Valero, sometimes Shell. Quik Trip used to be top tier, but not any more.

It's never Exxon, Chevron or flavor of the month at 7-11 (which used to be Citgo, the pride of Venezuela - Chicago joke).

In summer, I let it go a little lower, because I run the AC for the battery. I can wear polar fleece if I get cold.

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