Posted by PriusGeek on June 21, 2006, 6:17 pm
Well, that's certainly true vs. the published fuel capacity of 11.9gal
I'm not saying that there might not be an isue with the gas station.
OTOH, because the Prius fuel bladder is somewhat flexible and because
it is possible to overfill any car, including the Prius, it is possible
that you could get more than 11.9gal into it by pressurizing the
bladder a bit and filling the "neck" to the tank before the pump shuts
down. It could happen. ;-)
Bill wrote:
> Hmmm. I routinely put around 11gal in mine (and have put 12 in) with
> up to 2 bars left. I've had 2 Prii now (02 & 06) and love both of
> them, but I have to say the gas guage is not one of their high points.
> It tends to be erratic and just plain useless. Also, the gas tank
> bladder is affected by temperature and will accept different amounts of
> gas depending on how hot it is. When its cold out, its less flexible
> and accepts less fuel. Sometimes I can go 200+ miles before the first
> bar shuts off on the guage. Sometimes it will show 4 bars when I start
> it up and I can go 20 miles and get a ding with the flashing bar. Go
> figure. It is possible that your gas station has a problem, but don't
> discount the Prius completely.
> He put in 12.395 gallons, which exceeds the prius capacity.
> Bill wrote:
> > > For three years my 2003 Prius has never taken more than 10.8 gallons for
> > > a
> > > single fill. It's only reached that amount once. I've filled the tank in
> > > all different climates and altitudes.
> > > Imagine my surprise while I'm watching the pump go beyond 11 gallons and
> > > finally click off at 12.395? I was pissed and confused too. I mean, the
> > > weather has been great. I've kept my speeds to less than 55 and many
> > > other
> > > things happened that should have resulted in fantastic mpg.
> > > The damn nozzle was all the way inside too!!! Was I driving on fumes??
> > >
> > > Anyway, not only did I say something to the station manager, I called
> > > the
> > > Weights and Measures guy here in town. He's going to check it out but
> > > noticed the station's last check was "recent" (6 months ago recent?). I
> > > also mentioned that another gas station (Sunoco) has pumps that jump up
> > > 3
> > > or 4 cents before any gas flows. Sounds like the gas is flowing back
> > > into
> > > their tanks (how convenient) after it shuts off.
> > >
> > > What do you think about this 12.4 gallon fill up? Has anyone ever ran
> > > out
> > > of fuel and filled the tank beyond 11.9 gallons?
> > >
> > > TIA
> > > mark_
> > I've been at one blinking bar and never managed to squeeze 10 gallons into
> > mine. His pump is off and you can prove that by going back with a gas can
> > that holds a measured amount of gas.
Posted by Bill on June 21, 2006, 7:13 pm
Well, that's certainly true vs. the published fuel capacity of 11.9gal
I'm not saying that there might not be an isue with the gas station.
OTOH, because the Prius fuel bladder is somewhat flexible and because
it is possible to overfill any car, including the Prius, it is possible
that you could get more than 11.9gal into it by pressurizing the
bladder a bit and filling the "neck" to the tank before the pump shuts
down. It could happen. ;-)
From what I understand, the fuel bladder is inside a rigid steel container.
I'm thinking the capacity is figured with the bladder stretched to conform
to it's confinement. But you may be right, the filler neck might hold 3/4
gallon and he may have shut the car off just as it was running out of gas.
Posted by =?iso-8859-1?Q?mark=5Fdigital= on June 22, 2006, 5:31 am
> Well, that's certainly true vs. the published fuel capacity of 11.9gal
> I'm not saying that there might not be an isue with the gas station.
> OTOH, because the Prius fuel bladder is somewhat flexible and because
> it is possible to overfill any car, including the Prius, it is possible
> that you could get more than 11.9gal into it by pressurizing the
> bladder a bit and filling the "neck" to the tank before the pump shuts
> down. It could happen. ;-)
> From what I understand, the fuel bladder is inside a rigid steel
> container. I'm thinking the capacity is figured with the bladder stretched
> to conform to it's confinement. But you may be right, the filler neck
> might hold 3/4 gallon and he may have shut the car off just as it was
> running out of gas.
The nozzle was all the way inside the filler, and once it automatically shut
off at 12.395 gallons that was that. I probably would have been spitting
bullets if I had waited another few seconds and it took more in the filler
neck.
Speaking of the gas gauge bars, I figured the first bar would disappear
after many more miles than I'm used to because of this fill up. Fat chance.
First bar disappeared after 90 miles. I've seen it disappear after 130 miles
many times. Hmmm... 90 from 130 is 40. Maybe I was still short 3/4 of a
gallon from a totally full tank.
I should be hearing from the W&M inspector soon.
mark_
Posted by Bill on June 22, 2006, 5:10 pm
>>
>> Well, that's certainly true vs. the published fuel capacity of 11.9gal
>> I'm not saying that there might not be an isue with the gas station.
>> OTOH, because the Prius fuel bladder is somewhat flexible and because
>> it is possible to overfill any car, including the Prius, it is possible
>> that you could get more than 11.9gal into it by pressurizing the
>> bladder a bit and filling the "neck" to the tank before the pump shuts
>> down. It could happen. ;-)
>>
>> From what I understand, the fuel bladder is inside a rigid steel
>> container. I'm thinking the capacity is figured with the bladder
>> stretched to conform to it's confinement. But you may be right, the
>> filler neck might hold 3/4 gallon and he may have shut the car off just
>> as it was running out of gas.
>>
> The nozzle was all the way inside the filler, and once it automatically
> shut off at 12.395 gallons that was that. I probably would have been
> spitting bullets if I had waited another few seconds and it took more in
> the filler neck.
> Speaking of the gas gauge bars, I figured the first bar would disappear
> after many more miles than I'm used to because of this fill up. Fat
> chance. First bar disappeared after 90 miles. I've seen it disappear after
> 130 miles many times. Hmmm... 90 from 130 is 40. Maybe I was still short
> 3/4 of a gallon from a totally full tank.
> I should be hearing from the W&M inspector soon.
> mark_
Were you at one blinking bar when you pulled in? I've got to believe that
pump was off.
Posted by =?iso-8859-1?Q?mark=5Fdigital= on June 23, 2006, 8:29 am
>>
>>>
>>> Well, that's certainly true vs. the published fuel capacity of 11.9gal
>>> I'm not saying that there might not be an isue with the gas station.
>>> OTOH, because the Prius fuel bladder is somewhat flexible and because
>>> it is possible to overfill any car, including the Prius, it is possible
>>> that you could get more than 11.9gal into it by pressurizing the
>>> bladder a bit and filling the "neck" to the tank before the pump shuts
>>> down. It could happen. ;-)
>>>
>>> From what I understand, the fuel bladder is inside a rigid steel
>>> container. I'm thinking the capacity is figured with the bladder
>>> stretched to conform to it's confinement. But you may be right, the
>>> filler neck might hold 3/4 gallon and he may have shut the car off just
>>> as it was running out of gas.
>>>
>>
>> The nozzle was all the way inside the filler, and once it automatically
>> shut off at 12.395 gallons that was that. I probably would have been
>> spitting bullets if I had waited another few seconds and it took more in
>> the filler neck.
>> Speaking of the gas gauge bars, I figured the first bar would disappear
>> after many more miles than I'm used to because of this fill up. Fat
>> chance. First bar disappeared after 90 miles. I've seen it disappear
>> after 130 miles many times. Hmmm... 90 from 130 is 40. Maybe I was still
>> short 3/4 of a gallon from a totally full tank.
>> I should be hearing from the W&M inspector soon.
>>
>> mark_
> Were you at one blinking bar when you pulled in? I've got to believe that
> pump was off.
Yes. I drove an additional 15 miles so I could get closer to home before
filling.
Yesterday morning I drove by the gas station and the two nozzles from that
one pump were booted (locked out). Now its a question as to how much they
were in error.
About a month ago another pump at the same station failed to stop and
gasoline gushed out all over the ground and subsequently on the bottom of my
shoes. I told the manager and his response was simply to ask for the full
amount. No compensation. Yet it didn't dawn on me afterwards there was a
reason speedy-dri was all over the area when I pulled up to the pump and got
out. So my advice to anyone else reading this is avoid a pump that has some
sort of absorbent on the ground, the station managers and attendants are too
inconsiderate to shut it down.
In the old days it was OK to let the pump be used because it was usually the
customer's fault for gas on the ground. But not nowadays, unless someone
filled a gas can or something else other than a vehicle.
mark_
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> up to 2 bars left. I've had 2 Prii now (02 & 06) and love both of
> them, but I have to say the gas guage is not one of their high points.
> It tends to be erratic and just plain useless. Also, the gas tank
> bladder is affected by temperature and will accept different amounts of
> gas depending on how hot it is. When its cold out, its less flexible
> and accepts less fuel. Sometimes I can go 200+ miles before the first
> bar shuts off on the guage. Sometimes it will show 4 bars when I start
> it up and I can go 20 miles and get a ding with the flashing bar. Go
> figure. It is possible that your gas station has a problem, but don't
> discount the Prius completely.
> He put in 12.395 gallons, which exceeds the prius capacity.
> Bill wrote:
> > > For three years my 2003 Prius has never taken more than 10.8 gallons for
> > > a
> > > single fill. It's only reached that amount once. I've filled the tank in
> > > all different climates and altitudes.
> > > Imagine my surprise while I'm watching the pump go beyond 11 gallons and
> > > finally click off at 12.395? I was pissed and confused too. I mean, the
> > > weather has been great. I've kept my speeds to less than 55 and many
> > > other
> > > things happened that should have resulted in fantastic mpg.
> > > The damn nozzle was all the way inside too!!! Was I driving on fumes??
> > >
> > > Anyway, not only did I say something to the station manager, I called
> > > the
> > > Weights and Measures guy here in town. He's going to check it out but
> > > noticed the station's last check was "recent" (6 months ago recent?). I
> > > also mentioned that another gas station (Sunoco) has pumps that jump up
> > > 3
> > > or 4 cents before any gas flows. Sounds like the gas is flowing back
> > > into
> > > their tanks (how convenient) after it shuts off.
> > >
> > > What do you think about this 12.4 gallon fill up? Has anyone ever ran
> > > out
> > > of fuel and filled the tank beyond 11.9 gallons?
> > >
> > > TIA
> > > mark_
> > I've been at one blinking bar and never managed to squeeze 10 gallons into
> > mine. His pump is off and you can prove that by going back with a gas can
> > that holds a measured amount of gas.