I filled up my tank today. I was glad to have a full tank of gas again. I cruised around to different places and was holding a 50mpg + average. I was rather happy today. Then my car got mad. Tonight , with only 14 miles on the new tank of 9.5 gallons, my fuel gauge went to E. I was driving away from a friends house and the car beeped. I know that if the car randomly beeps, it's usualy the fuel gauge. I looked up and saw it was blinking, and the Add Fuel sign came on. I was completely surprised. I kept driving to see if it would correct itself. After another 3 or so miles it started to really bug me. I was also keeping track of another potential "problem". My MPG average was dropping. I keep the screen on the Consumption screen ( bar graphs ) so i can watch my average on the right hand side. The instant mpg bar was not going above fifty. I kept feathering the pedal to get it up to around 70 ( where i had it before ) but it wouldn't go. It was stuck around 48mpg. I had no clue what was going on. I decided to test the sytem, so i pulled order and stoped. I turned the car off and waited a few seconds. I turned the car back on and the fuel light was still blinking. I even saw the "Add Fuel" display. My thought were "ok.. i'll keep driving because it takes time for the bladder to register full." To my expectations the fuel light did not stop blinking. The rest of the trip home i was only able to average around 48 while cruising around 40-50mph. Not only was i only able to average that high, but my mph kept dropping. I had to keep getting the car back up to speed to test the featuring technique. It did not work at all. I was extremely suprised that this point. usualy i can get MPG up by 20 when feathering. Has ANYONE had any experiance like this or close to anything like this?
I just went outside again and tested to see if the situation has changed. Everything remains the same. A friend recommended i try to put more fuel in. If i can add a lot of fuel, then maybe i have a whole in my bladder. I think in order to get an E reading all of a sudden my bladder would have to split or something. The tank was full but not overfilled.
I think there's a dealer visit in your near future involving TSB EL010-04 (fuel filler pipe and fuel tank computer replacements).
Richard, what do you see in my future? Will I get that big promotion? Will I ever break 500 miles on a tank? Will Marsha ever become a teenage model?
Ommmm.... Ngngngngnggg..... oooWEEEEoooo.... Yes (you are self-employed, right?) Yes, just before you run out of gas Not professionally
I had something similar with my last fill up. I was doing well 53 .6 on the last tank but I went from 3 bars to 1 blinking in 50 miles at the end I was expecting a 550 mile tank and ended up filling at 520. Up to then I thought the fuel gage was working like any other car. I filled the tank and my MPG ‘s were awful. Started off at 41 and went up to 49 over the first 50 miles or so. The weather has cooled off and now is in the low 50’s in the morning rising to low 60’s sometimes 70’s. The rain is back and it is defiantly fall. Checked my tires and they were low 34-35 front 32-33 rear. I had been keeping them at 38/36 so I pumped up my tires and have been watching my MPG become more normal but still a bit low. I figure it is sabotage all those jealous SUV drivers letting the air out of my tires, or it got colder. Remember you are not paranoid if they are all really out to get you. Could those few degrees make such a difference in air pressure? Let us know how this gage thing rolls out and is resolved.
I talked to a head technician at Capital Toyota. He was very knowledable. He mentioned that there was a replacement of the filler tube. It could possibly be that but i need to bring the car in. I use it every day, so i have to plan to have it gone for a day. If they keep it, i should get a car to compensate. As for gas mileage <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hdrygas\";p=\"40927)</div> When i fill up, i always get low mileage. I was nicely suprised to get a reading of 51mpg average for the first 14 miles of this tank. slowly it will go up if i keep driving it right. I'm trying to keep my normal style ( speeding ) but optimizing my mpg while holding speeds around 50mph. 52mph seems well for a 60mpg readout.... if only i could accelerate using only electric. My numbers while running would be low 50's at first.. but the average would raise a lot. I could get the EV mod to help.. but i don't have cash right now. I'll keep everyone informed of what's happening/changing. BTW.. i would consider your temps perfect. I like the mid 70's or 60's here.. i can keep my mpg up.. no AC.. and i always get a good warmup because it's a straight 2.5 miles to the nearest stoplight. I'm usualy warmed up about half way there.
Accelerating using only electric would hurt, rather than help, your mpg. Best mpg comes from moderate acceleration. Not too hard, not too gentle. This is not an electric car. It's a hybrid car. It does best when gas and electric can work together, as they were designed to do.
Would any of you wiser folks like to comment on the tire pressure. I check it within a day or two of filling up, so I had checked it one to two weeks ago. I am filling up about every week and a half. Could the drop in tempature have such an effect on the tire pressure?
My fuel gauge went back to normal around 10pm last night.. all of a sudden, while driving, i had a full tank again. I still need to get that service done though. Or, have it checked.
