What every newb should know

Very useful info here. Now the proud owner of a 2014 Prius v Three. Traded in a RAV4 and am looking forward to much improved fuel economy!

 

Great post and responses here.

 

It doesn't matter how full the tank was before you filled it. A bladder is full when it's full, just like a steel tank. You used exactly as much gas to fill the tank, as as it did to travel the number of miles (or kilometers) since your last fill. Divide the miles by the gallons (or in metric if you prefer) and it will be more accurate than what the instrument panel tells you.

I carry a booster pack also, but I'm not sure what the big concern is with jumping the battery. Once you find the boosting terminal, it's straightforward. I'm not sure what could go terribly wrong, compared to a regular vehicle.

I'm not sure anyone tows vehicles on all 4 wheels anymore. Most FWD drive-trains are not designed to be towed in neutral. Putting the front wheels on a dolly is the best way to do it.


Please learn to multi quote within one post, all 3 consecutive posts merged.

 

Very informative Richard S., Thank you. Our 2014 Prius 2 is a dandy.

 

Great post, but I have a couple of questions:

I've not seen this. Is there a possible explanation?

I've not seen this either. In fact I find the instant torque-response of electric-drive quite satisfying.

 

I've not seen this either. In fact I find the instant torque-response of electric-drive quite satisfying.[/QUOTE]

Clarification. This post is referring to a Gen II. In a Gen II, if the Traction Control kicks in, from a dead stop, as in one or both wheels lose traction, it will actually just stop. Then the wheels will reengage. It is a scary experience if, for example, you are pulling out into traffic and trying to beat oncoming vehicles, you give it too much gas, and instead of the wheels spinning momentarily, the car just stops for a second, then tries to continue. I experienced this quite a few times over my six years of ownership. I learned to not give it too much gas from a dead stop and then step into the accelerator for more speed if needed to overcome this.

From posts I've read in the past, this "quirck" was because the Gen II electric motor produced TOO MUCH torque and the engineers programmed it this way so the transaxle wouldn't encounter so much torque that it would fail... Subsequently, the Gen III motors produce less torque then the Gen II, so, in a Gen III, a launch too fast off the line will momentarily spin a tire, but not reduce forward momentum as in the Gen II.

 

I've seen the traction light come on when that happens, and the power is reduced as a result.

 

I've noticed a similar thing, especially if one of the front wheels is on a slippery surface (e.g. painted line/man-hole cover); it's a bit surprising the first time it happens but not so bad if you're expecting it!

 

Thanks for all of the great info. I got the "add fuel now" warning on my first drive home after picking it up; seemed like the last third of a tank went fast, and I will try to avoid making that mistake again! :-P

 

I do know that you aren't in trouble when your distance to empty drops to zero. I've noted on several fill-ups that I'm a good 1/2 gallon or more before I'm out, but yes, when that last pip starts flashing, you should gas up at the first opportunity.

 

In the Gen III, both the fuel light/beep warning and the Distance to Empty (DTE) are very conservative.
When the fuel light/beep warning sounds you have about 9 litres in reserve. (2 gallons or 2.4 US gallons) That is a 20% reserve for a 45l tank; my previous cars had a 10% reserve. That might be why the last third of a tank seemed to go fast... you still had half of that third to go!
The DTE will hit 0 well before you are empty; on my previous cars 0 meant 0! On the Gen III it means "full up whenever." My record is 185km after DTE=0km, but leave that behaviour for the 600-, 700- and 800- mile club.

So, don't panic when it goes beep and be only mildly concerned when DTE=0. You have enough juice to reach the service station on your way.

 

Since the low-fuel warning consists of one modest beep, and one small flashing bar, I'm considering carrying a spare fuel container. Technically, gasoline is classified as Dangerous Goods, therefore a law-enforcement officer in a bad mood could issue a hefty fine. Is it worth the risk?

 

In the US it would be OK. It's reasonable to carry spare gas in a car. As long as it is in a DOT "Approved" container.

 

I don't know what the concern is. My fuel warning came on today having traveled only 415 miles. I know from previous experience that if I filled up right at that time, it would take about 9 gallons. That leaves 2.9 gallons to spare. Even if you only get 45MPG, you would still have 130 miles to find a gas station! Now, if you live in no man's land, carrying fuel makes sense. But, in populated areas with cell service and gas stations, not so much...

Bottom line, it is the driver's responsibility to be familiar with the basic operation and necessities of operating a motor vehicle. If you run out of fuel in a Prius, and you are not under duress or in some type of extraordinary circumstance, you are a hazard to yourself and others... Surrender your privilege to operate a motor vehicle!

 

You won't regret it. I love my little "ninja" car. Lady bosses at my last job site dubbed my car that name.

 

But zero should mean zero.

I just drove 1018km on 41.75l of a 45l tank. The low fuel warning was at about 830km and DTE=0 at about 910km. Through experience and 72 fill-ups I knew that I had a safe amount left; nowhere near fumes.

How much better it would be if the DTE had read 65km, which would be accurate with a small margin of error. (I could have squeezed a 1100km tank being careful.) I would never run to zero as modern cars hate running on fumes; there's sensitive gubbins that need the soothing feel of petrol.

 

Can the plug in Prius continue on after the gas runs out, assuming there is ample charge left in the battery? I've read that the regular Prius doesn't give much warning that you have actually run out of fuel, and once you do, you have less than a mile of battery power to get to the next station, and draining it is a PITA.

 

From my experiences, yes. It will not go that far (<8 miles), or very fast (<42mph), however. I took my old 2005 from Orlando to McConnells, SC on a single tank, and subsequently ran out of fuel after arriving at the destination. The tank isnt really "empty" but the ICE will stop running, and you only have battery left.

***DO NOT EVER LET THIS HAPPEN TO ANY GENERATION!!!**** Im probably a newb for not looking for anyone else posting this, but when I ran the Gen II out of gas and only had battery, my catalytic converters were burned out. Whether this was a coincidence, the fuel pump sucking the crud from the gas tank or the engine did something funny that roasted them alive, don't let it happen. I know that catalytic converters are extremely expensive, and I had to resort to the simulator route to keep the CEL quiet.

 

There not as expensive as they were a few years ago......unless you pay dealer retail price maybe.

Yours failed because the last few minutes the engine was running, some cylinders were running very lean and the exhaust temperature went WAY up and burnt up the stuff inside the CAT.

 

I suppose. But $700 for an OEM from Adv Auto (I do the work myself) vs a $5 spark plug anti-fouler, Ill take the cheaper route. My new car was a big chunk of change, itself.