Pip started flashing, but I didn't have much extra time for gas. I found a station I could pay at the pump, put in $7.49, and took off. Apparently it takes the 3 gallons (which I didn't hit) to reset the flashing pip as well. I nervously trusted that I had gas (which doesn't usually seem to end well for people here) even though it told me "low fuel" every time I booted up and the pip continued to flash. I did end up making it to my preferred gas destination and am sure I'll get plenty of comments here. I just would have liked to have known I should have put in a little more gas to make at least make the 3 gallon mark.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jeneric @ Oct 16 2007, 02:39 PM) [snapback]526485[/snapback]</div> wow ! I thought I was obsessive - 111 miles to get to your favourite filling station. .... whats so good about there ?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jeneric @ Oct 16 2007, 03:39 PM) [snapback]526485[/snapback]</div> Yeah basically it is has what I call a $10 rule. (more like$8-$9 depending on the prices in your area) Less than that your guess gauge wont move. It doesn't always have to be flashing for it to do it, but it seems like the less the tank has the more likely for it to not move.
Another creepy scenerio: The pips drop from 3, to flashing, within the span of 5 miles. Now THAT'll send you to the gas station in short order. Only happened once, so I don't know what caused it.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hill @ Oct 22 2007, 12:45 PM) [snapback]528895[/snapback]</div> Mine will also go from 9 pips to 7 pips in a similar span.
Okay, so this 'flashing' pip thing is pissing me off! I was driving along @ a modest 47.1 MPG and had 440 miles under my belt when the gas gauge beeped and started flashing at me. I was tempted to see if I could make it to the 500 mile mark, but the gas geeks have me believing that I have to get to a filling station immediately. So I do. 9.24 or some such gallons to fill. Am I to believe that I've got over two gallons of go-juice in the tank every time the flashing pip goes off? That's 100 miles of driving, easily. "Immediately" seems rather drastic if I've got nearly two hours of drive time left, doesn't it? What's the 'normal' margin for 'flashing pips?"
The "normal" amount varies by year. I know because I've driven a 2004, 2005, and 2006. The earlier ones go for a good bit, maybe even 50 miles. But the newer 2006 goes for exactly 24 miles, and no more, at which point the lights light up. You can blame the bladder in the tank for the unknown tank capacity. The good "rule" for the earlier models is 9 times whatever milage you're getting on that tank, since it automatically resets every tank. On the 2006 and newer the milage is cumulative, which adds another variable and another reason I found out it goes for exactly 24 miles.
All you have to do is run out of gas one time and believe me when it starts flashing is a really good time to start looking :lol:
I have to wonder, if resetting the inclinometers correctly was part of every dealer prep on these things, would we see so many anomalous and different reports? . _H*
I would blame it more on the fact that the resolution of the gauge is what, 8 bars? Not exactly a good indicator, even if it were 100% accurate and linear, neither of which it seems to be. Skguh, and others wondering how far you can push it: if it really matters to you how far you can go on "E" then carry a gallon of gas in the car and use it to get yourself to a gas station after you run the car dry. But don't come back crying about how you ran out of gas on the freeway and had your car totaled when you tried to cut across 3 lanes to get to the shoulder!
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(skguh @ Nov 2 2007, 10:41 AM) [snapback]533856[/snapback]</div> In order: "No", "it would be, if you did", and "there is no normal". There's no good way to know how far you might be able to go once it starts flashing. Any prudent person would immediately buy at least three gallons.
I've given it serious consideration, frankly, as it makes little sense not to be able to use nearly 2.5 gallons of the capacity stated in the specs! With the technically advanced system the Prius has, having a cork bobber or a wooden stick to measure how much fuel is left seems just a wee bit archane.
So I just filled up AGAIN after the pip started blinkin'. This time @ 416 miles and registering 47.4 MPG. 9.5 gallons. Is this standard--to leave 2.4 gallons of fuel inaccessible? Or should I, as one poster suggested, drive it until it runs out of gas? Will that 'train' the system?
So you DO drive it according to what you presume to be left, correct? I mean, if it's getting around 47 MPG I'm not being too unreasonable to believe i should be able to drive 500 miles on a tank? In ALL others vehicles I've ever driven there's been a good deal more certainty as to when the reserve light would come on base on MPG, as well as how far I had before the tank went dry. Is it unreasonable to presume that one has one gallon, or about 40 miles, to get gas? The simple fact that I have had the blinking 'pip' come on and fill up at 9.24, 9.5, 9.6, etc., would seem to suggest that I have roughly 100 miles left before I MUST HAVE gas (@ 50 +/- MPG). So I can consistently presume that there will roughly be 2-2.5 gallons, is that then the concensus? I must not be articulating my concern correctly, because when the multitude says, "Blinking Pip: Gas Now" I took that to mean maybe a gallon left. I can live with the 2.5--as long as I know I could use it if I needed it. Thanks, S
The "guess gauge" is one of the big complaints about the Prius. At this point, there's no known way of working around it. There's no way, other than approximately, to know how much usable gas is left in the tank. Even going by the odometer+MPG isn't a certainly, because you can't know how much gas was in the tank when you started due to the variability of the bladder. The safest course is to fill up when you get down to one pip, and fill immediately if it starts flashing. You could have 2.5 gallons left, or you could .25 gallons left. There's no way to tell.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(skguh @ Nov 8 2007, 01:58 PM) [snapback]536805[/snapback]</div> I don't understand the question. I typically get gas at my favorite station when I'm down to 2 pips. If for some reason I get to a flashing pip before I've gotten gas, I get gas at the nearest station. <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(skguh @ Nov 8 2007, 01:58 PM) [snapback]536805[/snapback]</div> Are you not paying attention on purpose, or is it something you just can't help? No, the consensus is that when you get the flashing pip, you won't be out of gas yet. As for matters of quantity there are far to many variables to know for sure. 2.5 gallons? This time maybe, maybe not. Next time, maybe, maybe not. If you are having difficulty understanding this concept, I suggest you keep a spare gallon in the car with you. Then you can assume there are 2.5 gallons, and someday when you finally discover that this might not be true, at least you won't have to walk to the next gas station. <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(skguh @ Nov 8 2007, 01:58 PM) [snapback]536805[/snapback]</div> Nope, when the multitude says, "Blinking pip: Gas Now", they mean unless you don't mind the surprise of discovering that this time you only had 0.25 gallons available in the tank, you are better off filling now than hoping that you have as much as you usually have had in the past. You can't know from the blinking pip that you can use 2.5 gal if you need it. But you are welcome to do so if you like. Just realize that if you run out of fuel at an inconvenient time, "we told you so."
Well that was a fairly rude response. Everyone wants to spout metrics on their Prius. All I'm asking is a concrete answer that the 'flashing pip' notification means I've got ____ gallons and ___ miles as a result, based on the mileage I've already traveled and the MPG indicated in consumption.
The 'flashing pip' notification means you've got between 0 and 10 gallons and 0 and 500 miles as a result, based on the mileage you've already traveled and the MPG indicated in consumption. Ok, it's probably going to be closer to zero than 10. The problem is there is no concrete answer. I'm sorry we can't give one, but we can't. The gas gauge is not consistent, so you should err on the side of caution and immediately gas up when you see the flashing pip. Chances are you've gone over 450 miles on that tank and that's a respectable range.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(alanh @ Nov 8 2007, 12:55 PM) [snapback]536867[/snapback]</div> And just to muddy the waters... my 06 will run out of gas at 10 gallons ! I tried to get another 5 miles to the next station and CHP & AAA had to come to my assistance. they gave me 2.5 callons and in 5 miles I filled up at about 7.5 gallons. One scary almost out of gas fill-up I put in 10.1. But, will never run out again ( 11.9 ?? no way ) at least in my car
