- #74 of 90
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By By [jjohur]
by railroadjames
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Oct 26, 2008 (8:48 pm)
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Replying to: jjohur (Oct 26, 2008 7:27 am)
I've owned over 50 cars in my life and very few had a gas gauge that I'd trust with certanty. With new technology (ie: bladder-tank) comes unique issues. I have over 91K miles on an '04 Prius and I can honestly say that the filling of the gas tank has usually been uneventfull. Very cold weather has been troublesome but every Prius owner knows that. I actually think it's nit-picking abit to make such an issue but perhaps there are some owners that are experiencing more irregularities with filling up. Lastly ...If you can't deal with this quirk.....Sell it and get almost most of your cash back.
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- #75 of 90
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Re: Bye ... bye ... Prius ... no more hybrids for me! [jjohur]
by kdhspyder
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Nov 01, 2008 (2:59 pm)
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Replying to: jjohur (Oct 26, 2008 7:27 am)
The Cliff Notes (TM) is that in the beginning the fuel bladder can be somewhat variable. Simply ignore it. If it only wants to take 5.5 gal you might try to gently bleed in a little more but if it keeps shutting off the pump it might also be the pump! Just recap it and drive away.
Almost assuredly you will have a less than full tank but over the long haul, meaning 1-5 yrs, this one short tank will be inconsequential. On the following tanks you'll very likely be adding 10 gal as you expected.
Now if you can only add 5.5 gal on every tank then there might be a problem in the filling. BUT.... if you can only add 5.5 gal and you're getting 400+ miles on 5.5 gal then you've gotta tell everyone how you're doing that.  
The fuel bladder issue is well-known and well-understood ever since this Gen2 arrived. It is different and it's been an intentional design parameter. The vast majority of owners have no issues or can work around them. Over 93000 miles I've encountered it about 3 times. I just ignore it and enjoy the vehicle. It's the most minor of inconveniences.
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- #76 of 90
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Re: By By [railroadjames]
by jjohur
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Nov 01, 2008 (7:49 pm)
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Replying to: railroadjames (Oct 26, 2008 8:48 pm)
Well, if you have owned over 50 cars in your life you must have owned quite a large number of crappy cars or you have too much money to waste and as such you might want to make a more objective response next time. If the car manufacturer advertises 11.9 gallons and I can only add consistently between 5 and 6 gallons there's either a design flaw or you're smoking some shit in which case please let me know what it is. You might want to check but there was a TSB with this particular issue and it's nothing I'm dreaming up. With regards to your statement that "every Prius owner knows" that' there's a problem with cold weather that might be the case where you live but NOT in Southern California. I've had the air conditioning on at home for the last week because it's so hot and today is November 1. This weather comment is for the birds ... Come on, face it there's a problem with the design. Don't get me wrong I love the car but the tank is certainly putting a damper on the whole thing. It's not just a quirk as some people besides me have made much more detailed comments about this particular issue. Mark my words, if Toyota doesn't address this problem it will become a larger issue.
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- #77 of 90
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Re: By By [jjohur]
by kdhspyder
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Nov 02, 2008 (1:01 am)
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Replying to: jjohur (Nov 01, 2008 7:49 pm)
Every once in a while some one on one site or another 'discovers' this minor annoyance and goes sem-ballistic about it. It's been present since the Gen2's first arrived and it comes and goes in nearly every vehicle.
It's an intentional design parameter.
Now because it is intentional and since it does annoy some owners, apparently Toyota has modified the fuel tank design for the TCH and the HH. Whether the Gen3s will have the same design or still have the bladder will only be known in several weeks. For the present in the Gen2's it is what it is - intentionaly - and hundreds of thousands of owners enjoy the vehicle every day with little or no annoyance.
As I noted after 93000 miles I've encountered it maybe 3 times and one of those was due to the pump I'm certain.
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- #78 of 90
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by jimlockey
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Nov 09, 2008 (4:40 pm)
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Filling up your tank is not the only problem.
If you leave your Prius at an airport for two weeks you will come back to a dead battery. That is, unless you disconnect your battery.
The highway mileage is based on 55 mph UNDER IDEAL CONDITIONS. So don't expect to get highway mileage as posted on the window sticker. That is, if you want to stick your neck out on a interstate at 55 mph. No me.
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- #79 of 90
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Filling, Mileage & Durability
by railroadjames
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Nov 09, 2008 (7:55 pm)
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Replying to: jimlockey (Nov 09, 2008 4:40 pm)
Look folks. There are various factors that are part of the big picture. I too have well over 93K miles and have experienced the fill-up issue. More often than not it was because the fuel pump was excessive of flow. When I squeezed the nozzel to a slow fill it worked much better. I've never been able to fill to the max (11.9 gallons) The most I ever put in was 11.2 gal's. That was after 26 miles on flashing "E". As to mileage I just know that it varys. I get as good as 51 mpg's in summer and 43 mpg's winter. Head winds even reduce it to upper 30's sometimes. What I think is the most important highlight of the Prius is the overall trouble free hybrid that it has proven to be. I've owned over 50 cars and never had such success and worry free transportation before.
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- #80 of 90
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Re: Filling, Mileage & Durability
by yermell
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Nov 10, 2008 (4:53 am)
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Replying to: railroadjames (Nov 09, 2008 7:55 pm)
I agee with the previous post. The car is very reliable, gets great mileage and most important of all has 70% less greenhouse gas emissions. It also is a lot of fun to drive. Getting ready for my 5th round trip to FL from MA in my Prius and I am really looking forward to it. In the winter the bladder tank does not take as much as it does in the summer, and in the winter the mileage is lower, this is something that is a fact. It would be interesting to find out if the bladder tank functions like it should for Toyota engineers in spite of the issues we may have from time to time. New Prius owners should give the car a chance for you to understand its capabililties. If in the end you'd prefer something different, go back to one of the other car companies, but remember this is 2nd-3rd generation technology while Ford is using Toyota's first generation.
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- #81 of 90
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Re: [jimlockey]
by kdhspyder
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Nov 10, 2008 (11:05 am)
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Replying to: jimlockey (Nov 09, 2008 4:40 pm)
Filling up your tank is not the only problem.
If you leave your Prius at an airport for two weeks you will come back to a dead battery. That is, unless you disconnect your battery.
The highway mileage is based on 55 mph UNDER IDEAL CONDITIONS. So don't expect to get highway mileage as posted on the window sticker. That is, if you want to stick your neck out on a interstate at 55 mph. No me.
Two inaccurate statements above....accuracy is important in all discussions.
If you leave your Prius at an airport for two weeks the 12v battery will NOT be dead if you return....and....you DO NOT have to disconnet it before leaving it unattended for a period of 2-4 weeks.
This is the accurate information: If you are going to leave your vehicle undriven for up to FOUR weeks then disabling the 5 proximity sensors in the SKS is recommended. This is done by pressing the 'KEY' button under the steering wheel it takes about one third of a second.
IF you are going to leave the vehicle undriven for more than 4 weeks it is recommended to disconnet the 12v battery.
The highway mileage was NEVER estimated at 55 mpg. At no time. Under the original EPA figures it was always estimated at 51 mpg if one drove according to the EPA test parameters. This is absolutely accurate. I've done it every day for the last 3 yrs and 95000 miles.
However...if your personal preferences or driving situation have you driving at 65 or 75 or 85 mph then you cannot get 51 mpg in a Prius - or any other vehicle at the moment, the laws of physics cannot be superceded.
Your preferences may be for another vehicle, just keep your complaints accurate.
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- #82 of 90
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Re: [kdhspyder]
by sergelbergeron
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Jan 03, 2009 (9:15 am)
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Replying to: kdhspyder (Nov 10, 2008 11:05 am)
Thanks for clarifying - the battery concern - I've left my car in cold Canada weather for about 10 days and never had a problem - I will remember to press that button in the future if I leave the car for 2-3 weeks.
I also didn't know that we were allowed to drive 75 - 85 mph on the highways - I would be concerned more with an accident than running out of gaz.
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- #83 of 90
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Re: Bye ... bye ... Prius ... no more hybrids for me! [jjohur]
by farmboy3
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Feb 12, 2009 (6:13 am)
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Replying to: jjohur (Oct 26, 2008 7:27 am)
I live in south Florida. I took delivery of a 2009 Prius on 2/11/2009. The air temperature was 82 F. The gas gage had one bar and began blinking as soon as I left the dealer lot. I took it to the station where I have been filling various cars (8 different makes and models) since 1995 without incident. After pumping 5.4 gallons, the pump shut off like the tank was full. I moved the nozzle around in the fill tube neck and got 11.9 gallons in the tank before the pump shut off. When I removed the gas delivery nozzle from the fill tube neck, gas began back flowing out of the tank with such considerable force and speed that my shoes and pants were soaked with fuel. I estimate one quart of fuel spilled on the driveway. I stuck the fuel pump nozzle back in the gas tank fill tube neck to reduce the back flow. That stopped the geyser effect but some fuel continued to bubble out. It took several minutes for the fuel to stop bubbling and drain back into the tank.
I only average 8,000 driving miles per year. Most of the time my car sits in the airport parking lot for 5 days a week. It will be some time before I have an opportunity to fill the tank again as I fly almost every week. I will post on this issue after I attempt a second fill-up.
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