We had minor RR door damage repaired, including removing and replacing the rear bumper during the repainting. The door itself was repaired in place, and also a small ding on the quarter panel just behind. It came out great, happily. Since then (Late Nov, somewhat before the cold weather) we have been unable to fill the tank fully. I know that this is a common issue often discussed, but am wondering about the bladder location and whether the body shop could have done something to it while the bumper was removed and replaced. Is it anywhere near the bumper, or exposed when the bumper is taken off? Our mileage is also down since then, and although I know that this is also a commonly discussed issue and probably just related to tire pressure, the abruptness of the decrease after the body work leads me to ask: could it somehow have had an effect on mileage? OK, I'll have to admit that our mileage is poor (25-30 in the winter, and 30-35 in the summer) but our trips are typically only a mile or so, and our town has a 4-way stop sign and 2 speed bumps on most streets and intersections, and the car rarely warms up. BTW, we know about block heaters (can't do it) and grill blockers already. Thanks for any info, or even leads to a site with a cutaway view showing the tank location.
Seach for affects of cold on gas tank bladder. Check under the car for damage to the under side of the fuel tank.
The bladder is there for a good reason. It is part of the evaporative system on the car, it keeps fumes from escaping into the atmosphere. So removing it defeats a great deal of the greenness of the car.
Those replies weren't exactly on topic, were they? We have a number of stock replies that we use in order to save typing time. I think those were #11 and #122. I'm going to suggest #7, or perhaps you should consider #12. Just kidding, although the same questions get asked so often that we should have numbered answers. Yours has a bit of a twist. The fuel bladder is located inside of the fuel tank. You have to physically breach the fuel tank to get to the bladder, so I don't expect the body shop to have damaged it. If it was the left side, I would suspect damage to the tank hoses; back pressure from the filler hose will cause filling station pumps to stop early. It seems likely that the filling issue is related to cold weather and is just coincidental with the body work, but who knows. As for mileage, you mileage will never be stellar with those short trips. It's just a fact of life with internal combustion engines. A block heater will help if you want to bother with one. On the good side, you use little fuel, regardless of mileage, since your driving is minimal. You might be a good candidate for an electric vehicle. Tom
To be more specific, I suspect -IF- there is a problem it is with the vent hoses. They go from the tank (under the rear seat - under the car) to the fill spigot in the rear fender. If they did work in that area they -could- have kinked a hose. Or left one off.
The fuel tank is under the floor and below the rear seat. Stick your head under the car in front of the back wheels and there it is across the car between the front of the rear wheels and forward about half the length of the bottom of the back doors.
Gas Tank diagram Here's a diagram, rather schematic, that shows the components. Cold weather and short trips are the source of low MPG. And maybe a hose is kinked. The diagram applies to North American Prius 2004+
Thanks for all your help: PC Chat Forums come through again! I will have a tech check for a kinked hose if the issue persists into the warmer weather, but doubt that the body shop could have done anything, especially as the (fairly minor, though not inexpensive!) repairs were on the passenger side, away from the tank filler and vent hoses. The tank diagram is great, and I would love to know: exactly where is the sensor is that generates the Pip information for the "guess gauge", and how does it work? One other question is that the diagram looks mostly like anti-pollution plumbing: how does the fuel get from the bladder to the fuel pump and injectors?
The fuel gets from the bladder to the fuel pump because the fuel pump is in the bladder, in the bottom of the tank. Search this site for a fuel tank teardown by Galaxee.
