What every newb should know

Being a newbie and not having read this thread and not knowing any better, I recently tested my new 2010 Prius to see how much fuel was remaining when the last pip started flashing. I found a gas station within a few blocks, and it took 9.58 gallons to fill up. According to my calculations, there was still more than 2 gallons in the tank - a more than ample cushion to make it to the next gas station.

 

I just bought a 2010(III) last month & I love it. Still trying to figure out how to improve the mpg. I'm in NYC and it's cold. I imagine the heat being on a lot isn't helping. Or maybe I should be doing something else better

 

The Prius is awesome! The third generation is going to change everything.

 

Cute kitties

 

Just as a point added to this. Gas stations also accumulate water and debris in their tanks. It settles to the bottom and gas is pumped from a level a little above the bottom. A good station will pump this out periodically. But if a tanker is dumping his load this stirs up what usually remains on the bottom, so never fill up when a tanker is dumping his load.
Scott

 

When does the last pip start to flash? The Prius manual says it's when there is about 1.6 gallons left in the tank. Being new I wanted to get to the point that the warning went off but I reached the last pip about 10 miles ago and still no "flashing". I'm going to fill up immediately but I'd sure like to know approximately when the warning light shows up.

Thanks for the good advice in your post though.

 

I'm new, so I'm posting to get to the five posts level, so I can post my miles chart in the MPG thread. Thanks for these discussions.

 

Regarding the low fuel level light, I ran it way down to see what it would do (2010). It beeped once, and the light flashes. I didn't try to run out of gas, just wanted to see what happens with the warning light. The dealer told me that that one beep was all the warning I get. I think it might be better if it beeped every time I started the car when it's so low.

 

Here's a warning to other new users: Do not leave the parking lights on when the system is shut off, they will quickly drain the battery. I thought all the lights would automatically shut off after a certain amount of time (like our van), but no, the parking lights do not automatically shut off (like the headlights do).

I needed to jump the battery to start after the parking lights had been left on for a couple hours. Which meant digging out the manual and reading how to do it properly.

 

Also do not leave the reading light on - it also does not shut off automatically, as I discovered. I pulled into the garage, shut down, and the cabin lights automatically go on. I started writing down my mileage, the cabin lights dimmed, so I turned on the reading light. Finished, opened the door (cabin lights go on), closed door, locked the car (cabin lights go off after a timed delay), went in the house. Came back later to find the reading light still on! Fortunately there was still enough power to start the engine.

So don't assume all lights will go out when things are shut down and locked.

 

Someone asked why people run their tanks all the way down? At the station I get fuel at, they give a $1 discount for the car wash on fill-ups. BUT, you have to buy at least 8 gallons. The Prius only takes about 8-9 gal when the fuel gage is way down, so in order to get the $1 discount on the car wash, I have to run the tank down. Yep, I'm cheap.

 

Remember, on ly the US models (there maybe others) have teh bladder tank in the 04-09 models.
The last pip on my UK spec 08 got me over 65 miles... the bladder tank was a bad idea...

 

When I took my 2010 (which left the factory 11/09) in for the brake recalibration, I asked why, when the last light is blinking, I could only put in 9.6 gallons. I was told that there is a bladder in the tank, which can have a crimp or fold in it, so that the bladder doesn't fully expand to fill the tank. So sounds like the bladder still is present. And I find it annoying! Do you think it will "uncrimp" when the temperature warms up?

 

The 2010 has NO bladder.

 

Then why, when it is on empty with the last pip flashing, can I only put in 9.6 gallons? (Not once, but 3 times.)

 

Bob Wilson reported more than 2 gallons of gasoline left with the last pip flashing.

Ken@Japan

 

Great information.