Bladder Gas Tank ?

 Heard that my 2001 uses this system. Comments ? ...

 

The good news is that the 2010 doesn't.  It's a nuisance in freezing weather
because it cuts the tank capacity by at least a gallon.

 Was Istoben wrote:

I've never seen one of the tanks cut open but my conceptualization of
the tank is that there is a rubber bladder inside the plastic fuel tank
and the rubber bladder 'shrivels' up as the fuel is emptied from the
tank and then unshrivels when it is refilled.  The idea of the
collapsible rubber bladder is to eliminate the vapor space in the tank
to improve fuel economy and reduce vapor air emissions.  Anyway, a fine
idea but I notice that the refillable volume changes with every refill
because the rubber bladder does not always unshrivel completeley...or at
least that's my concept of how it is working...so that the tank volume
can be 1 to 2 gallons less than maximum if you stop filling at the first
'clunk' off from the fuel nozzle.  I've found that you can still fill
that gallon or so if you continue to squeeze the refueling nozzle
trigger repeatedly to 'top off' the tank as the last few wrinkles in the
rubber bladder pop open.  You should never do that with any car with a
conventional fuel tank and charcoal cannister but with the prius it's
okay...or so it seems.

--
Posted with OS/2 Warp 4.52
and Sea Monkey 1.5a


 

On two occasions I've witnessed what appears to be another bladder related
phenomomena.

The car pukes about 1/2 pint of gas as the nozzle is removed.

Perhaps such a tight seal exists between the nozzle and port to permit
stretching the bladder as gas is forced into the tank and the gas is
puked-out as the bladder relaxes when the pressure is released, much like
what happens when you drink a lot of beer in a very short period.

Perhaps the gas sloshes around if the bladder suddenly unfolds.

 Was Istoben wrote:

MY Prius has never puked gas.  Maybe your prius was up late the night
before.

--
Posted with OS/2 Warp 4.52
and Sea Monkey 1.5a