Sudden troubles with fill up

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by hdrygas, Nov 11, 2005.

  1. hdrygas

    hdrygas New Member

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    For the last three fills I have been having trouble filling the tank. I have really had little problems with that since getting the car in August of 04. I have found a few pumps that the cut off switch would not let we put in more than a few ounces at a time but on the whole I did well. I did most of my fills at a Union 76 near my home and always used the same pump. Three tanks it gave me a short fill and I lost 1 bar after driving 50 miles with 57mpg on the MFD. The last two times it cut off and I tried topping it off but no go the amount was near by guess of how much it should take but on the low side. When I got into the car it was not full one bar low. I went to another station and got another gallon or two in a few ounces at a time. Temperature is down but now low and I fill up in the afternoon when it has been in the mid to low 50s. I had no trouble last winter when it was much colder. I guess my biggest problem is that it represents a sudden change. I do not like sudden change with out a clear explanation for it. Any ideas?
     
  2. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    Join the club, things have been status quo for the past year or so since getting the TSB done. Then last month about 2/3rds of the tanks have cut off WAY early....like 3-5 gallons in. Then I play the trickle in the next 4 gallons game hoping I don't over-fill. There seems to be some pump variability for me, but not always.

    I thought I was past my gas fill moans and groans, but now I'm getting the 'pleasure' of those frustrations yet again.
     
  3. Schmika

    Schmika New Member

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    I have not yet had a problem here in my '05. Occasionaly it cuts off with, what I suspect, is one gallon short, but; I don't consider that a problem even worrying about. Of course, I am not even concerned with reaching the 500 mile tank.
     
  4. mikepaul

    mikepaul Senior Member

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    I thought I'd filled the tank last time, but if 4 gallons to make the first bar go out is reasonably accurate, I was a gallon short. Not cold at all when I filled up...
     
  5. hdrygas

    hdrygas New Member

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    There must be a reason for this. Things don't just happen. My car was built at the time the TSB was released, and I guess that I had it done at the factory. Why would it change like this. All of us in NA are dealing with lower temps, some more than others. OK because of my training I want an explanation. If efusco has noted the same problem I am suspicious.
     
  6. Wayne

    Wayne Active Member

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    I have a pretty fresh car, and filling up has always been a problem for me. I attributed it to a tight seal, but who knows what is responsible. Do I think it is a bad design? Absolutely. Do I think it can be overcome? No problem. For the non-anals, just fill slow until the pump cuts off. For the anals (like me!), slowly add gas until ANYTHING appears at the nozzle...

    BTW, the gauge will indicate 'full' when up to 4 gallons are missing from the tank, so that's no indication of full...
     
  7. benighted

    benighted New Member

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    Excuse my ignorance. But what is the TSB?
     
  8. hdrygas

    hdrygas New Member

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    Before this recent problem I have never had a fill up that the car did not give me a fill up on the gage. efusco has noted a change in the function. Now I have 3 fills that did not fill the car and I have to add 1.5- 2.2 gallons to get the gage to go to fill. When things like this change there is a reason. If there are enough of us noticing the change then we should try to deduce the reason for this.
     
  9. Wayne

    Wayne Active Member

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    "Technical Service Bulletin", usually a change made by Toyota.
     
  10. Wayne

    Wayne Active Member

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    I agree, hdrygas, this is not what I was talking about. I was talking about a 'full' indication when it was not full, you are talking about a 'not full' indication at pump shutoff.

    Sorry 'bout that!

    Curious though, that the new production runs and the TSB seem to differ...
     
  11. hdrygas

    hdrygas New Member

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    This is confusing. Either the station made a change or the car changed. I do not like the idea of the latter. I agree that a full tank on the indicator may or may not be a "full" tank, but why the change. I really had very little problems with fillips, now I have a problem. I do not like it that efusco has noted a change. Anyone else out there with a late summer 04 or tank TSB who has had problems, particularly with a moderate drop in temperatures. Efusco could not have had a huge winter drop quite yet. In the PNW we are having a "typical" fall (thank god) so our lows are in the low to mid 40s and the highs around 50. Lots of rain, and the streets are wet and occasionally with puddles. Milage going down as expected.