I have had my 08 prius for about 2 or 3 months now and i am about to finish up my best tank yet. :rockon: 52.9 mpg / 537 total miles The last pip on the fuel gage started to blink at me on my way to work today ... around 535 miles. how many more miles can i push it before i run out of gas? can i make it home today (5.5 miles)? or should i stop and refuel. my average mpg to / from work is around 50 - 70 mpg.
Running out of fuel is not only foolish, but you can damage the traction battery. A good practice is to fuel up when you get to 2 pips.
Fill up as soon as possible. The tank bladder in the North America prius makes the fill volume and the fuel gauge much more prone to inconsistencies than in places where no bladder is used. Some people have reported going 50 miles on the last blinking pip and others have reported running out almost immediately. Best not to risk it. Fill up at two pips or at least at one pip before it blinks. If you do run out then don’t run the battery right down trying to get to a service station on electric. You can use electric mode to get the car safely off the road, or even drive a short distance, but be real careful not to discharge the HV battery too much.
thanks for the advice .. there is a gas station right next to my work. so i will fill up there as soon as im off.
I've gone as far as 30 miles on the blinkng pip ... but don't try this at home, boys & girls ... unless you have AT LEAST 2 gallons in a jerry can. I only went that far because that's how long it took for me to reach the next station. Some on PC have discovered (the hard way) that less than 2 gallons will not register, and your prius may not come back to life, strangely enough. That whacky bladder. .
One thing to keep in mind is that when you hear reports of traveling several miles on the last blip, check the "join date" of that member. Hill, for example, has been around for more than five years. Some of us have been driving our Prii for up to 6 years and really know what our individual cars of capable of. Since you say that you've been driving for only a few tanks, it's best to not risk it. Normally, I would say that 5.5 miles would be a no-brainer but like others have said, there's no reason to risk anything. I've run out of gas in my Prius before. Not only is it not fun sitting on the side of the road, it's embarrassing to have to explain to AAA that your fuel-efficient vehicle ran out of fuel. CONGRATS on the tank!!
