Ran out of fuel AND battery!!

I found the problem. Get gas at two pips if you never want to run out again. There is nothing Toyota can do to protect you from yourself.

If you DO run out, pull over and turn it off immediately.
Then get at least 3 gallons in it before you try to start it.

If you try to start it without gas, it set a code the dealer needs to reset before it will start.

If you drain the HV Battery, not even your dealer has a charger for that, they will have to borrow one from Toyota Regional.

 

You not only failed to learn about your car but you have shortened the life of your HV battery. If I were Toyota and your HV battery failed, I would say that the battery warranty is void due to abuse.

JeffD

 

You're given a book with the car and in it there'll be a section on what to do if you run out of fuel.

How is that a design flaw? There is a fuel gauge so you know when it's getting low. Not only could you have damaged the HV battery, but running out of fuel can also damage the expensive catalytic converter - and that applies to all petrol cars. The fuel gauge and range remaining have safe guards built in to prevent running out. I believe that when the range indicates 0 miles left, that in fact there is about half a gallon.

I think you may have learnt a very expensive lesson here.

 

I am sorry you are flawed, I doubt you can get your creator to fix it, as I said 3 gallons before you try.

"I am an idiot" is not equal to "The car is flawed".

I did not put "People who have running out of gas as a lifestyle" in my post about who should not own a Prius, I should.

considering a Prius | PriusChat

 

Im sorry but why do u think the beep & last bar was flashing......let's think for a min........oh yeah......"Final warning"

The prius has a failsafe.....why do u think it won't start anymore. The computer still doesn't see enough gas. Put in at least 3 gallons & disconnect the neg bat lead. When u reconnect it, put ur foot on the bake peddle & power up. Car will turn on but not in ready. Now power down & power back up....it should now be in ready mode.

 

I like the OP's first line in this thread.

Anyways, hope it's a good lesson learned. I'll make sure I don't run out myself as it seems pretty serious.

 

If you run out of fuel, pull over as quick as is safe. Put 3 gallons of gas in the car before you try to restart. Then it may need to be power cycled once, my Gen 2 did. (The Gen 2 had a variable sized gas bladder that made it very hard to predict when you were going to run out of gas, other Prius are much more predictable)

 

I am sorry, was it not on empty?

 

What's wrong with it?

The beep & flashing bar was its way of saying ur about to run out of gas (petrol). The fact that u kept going is a fault of ur own......not the Prius or Toyota.

 

Firmware update.

 

Then don't do it.

No.

What happens if you run totally out of gas in a regular car?

Yep.

I will admit that needing to possibly add 3 gallons for it to register is goofy. OTOH, I don't know the behavior or minimal amount needed on the Prius c.

FWIW, the official response from Toyota back when the Gen 3 was new at [WARNING] Running out of gas (Gen III) | Page 10 | PriusChat

She's now the Prius Product Manager.

 

Because you know, the car runs on gas. Swear to god.

 

I would also love to see more accurate and detailed fuel gauging. But the gauging uncertainties and huge fuel consumption variations (depending on conditions) don't mix well with our surplus of product liability and personal injury lawyers, and rural highways with "Next Gas -- 100 Miles (or 150 Kilometers)". Precise gauging will tempt some drivers to reply on the gauge, push closer to the margin, get caught by changing conditions, get stranded far from assistance, and sue.

Our industry norm of vague gauging with a large but uncertain safety margin doesn't guarantee that customers never run dry, but does leave them with no basis for blaming the car maker.

 

It's not just a Prius that's vulnerable to damage. All petrol cars with a catalytic converter are. Also, and this might not apply in the US, but it's not good for the modern diesel cars to run out of fuel as it can really knacker the high pressure diesel pump (think $2,000) and also get air in the system which can be hard to bleed out.

The Prius fuel gauge will go to 1 bar, then it'll beep and start flashing, then the miles remaining indicator will work its way to 0 miles, and you will still have a tiny bit of petrol left, but ignore all the warnings and pay the price. Not just paying the price for possible damage to the car, but if you break down in a bad area; anything could have happened to you!

 

Why should I pile on?
It's been said.
Not too much sympathy for the OP here. Uneducated decisions about how to handle the vehicle and invalid perceptions about how it should work.

 

If you drove in EV mode with out availability of the petrol engine you run the risk of over speeding MG1 so the car did you a big favour by not allowing you to drive.

If you have a habit of running very low, why not carry a gallon of fuel in a can at all times

 

Sounds like you have the design flaw. How does one let their car get THAT low on petrol? REALLY!? HELLOOOO!? Common sense comes into play here. Why do people like to run their tanks down to fumes? Zeesh... SMH