The Prius Bladder/Guess Gauge... For Dummies! (with easy-to-understand-illustration)

This may not be a good assumption.

All North American Classic and 2G Prius have the bladder-equipped fuel tank. This includes Canadian models.

One benefit of the bladder if you own a 2G and live in a state that observes California vehicle emissions regs is that you get the longer hybrid system warranty, assuming the car was first sold and registered at a time when your state already had adopted those regs.

If you don't live in such a state, at least your fuel tank is emitting fewer HC emissions compared to a standard design.

 

It's possible to get more than the 11.9 gallons in the tank, especially during hot weather. Here's a screenshot of my gas cubby app with several 12+ gallon fillups.

In some states, this kind of fill-up may not be possible, but here in PA we don't have those vapor recovery nozzles that require being jammed way into the filler neck to operate.

I don't consider my tank to be full until there is gas coming up thru the vent line at about the 11 o'clock position above the filler neck. I usually have the nozzle just barely inserted, and fill as slow as the pump will allow.

[Broken External Image]:https://www.dropbox.com/s/j2wclg1n51y5qij/Photo Oct 12, 7 26 28 PM.png?dl=0

 

Why does the tank stop filling (why does it continuously cut off ) in the normal position? Is it sensing pressure or what?

 

I do not know how the pump shutoff mechanism works, but on the UK pumps there are two small holes near the end and on the underside of the filler nozzle. If fuel covers these holes the pump shuts off.
I can only assume that when the nozzle is inserted in the filler tube these holes come into contact with the side of the car filler tube making it more sensitive to small splashes of fuel and cutting off to early. Some pumps also have very high delivery rates that can make matters worse. Reversing the nozzle stops this happening, and does not interfere with the normal full tank cutoff.
In the UK it is illegal to have the trigger locking mechanism on pump handle meaning you have to stand there and hold the fill lever manually to fill with fuel. You cannot set the lever to fill the tank automatically.

John (Britprius)

 

I am so mad about the bladder gas tank that I am going to take mine out and fill it with water and cut a hole in it and take the darn bladder out of it. Then patch it back together...haha... Laughing but serious...

I might buy one from a wreck and modify it...