- #80 of 90
-
Re: Filling, Mileage & Durability
by yermell
-
Nov 10, 2008 (4:53 am)
-
|
|
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.
|
- #81 of 90
-
Re: [jimlockey]
by kdhspyder
-
Nov 10, 2008 (11:05 am)
-
|
|
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.
|
- #82 of 90
-
Re: [kdhspyder]
by sergelbergeron
-
Jan 03, 2009 (9:15 am)
-
|
|
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.
|
- #83 of 90
-
Re: Bye ... bye ... Prius ... no more hybrids for me! [jjohur]
by farmboy3
-
Feb 12, 2009 (6:13 am)
-
|
|
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.
|
- #84 of 90
-
Problems filling up!
by stevegold
-
Feb 12, 2009 (6:37 am)
-
|
|
Replying to: farmboy3 (Feb 12, 2009 6:13 am)
I have a 2004 Prius. I live at 8,000 ft in Aspen, CO. I never had a problem in 04-07 but last winter I had the same problem you and many other described. It went away by itself last spring and just came back again yesterday. I will put a bottle of gas protector in the tank this morning and keep track of my mileage driven so I can estimate what it should take to refill the tank. It is a real pain. Otherwise the car is great.
|
- #85 of 90
-
Re: Bye ... bye ... Prius ... no more hybrids for me! [farmboy3]
by dmathews3
-
Feb 12, 2009 (1:59 pm)
-
|
|
Replying to: farmboy3 (Feb 12, 2009 6:13 am)
I wonder if the vent on the tank is plugged, but I also have to wonder why you spent all the extra money on a Pruis if you only drive 8K a year. Also I have never bought a new car where the dealer didn't fill the tank and I've bought a whole lot of cars.
|
- #86 of 90
-
Re: Bye ... bye ... Prius ... no more hybrids for me! [farmboy3]
by gfr1
-
Feb 12, 2009 (7:32 pm)
-
|
|
Replying to: farmboy3 (Feb 12, 2009 6:13 am)
I'm pretty sure that it was a fueling pump nozzle shutoff that was the culprit, not the car, in this case. You said that it shut off early, the first try and then you jiggled it around. I don't know if your actions might have caused the problem, but routinely, the nozzle should have shut off before the pressure built up. I had this happen once with a nearly new Mercedes S-model. It gushered probably in excess of a gallon and hadn't stopped on its own even then. I just happened to pull the nozzle out to check the level for I thought it was overdue. This was on a indian reservation station and I suspect that the nozzle hadn't been checked or maintained. If I hadn't stopped to check, with the available nozzle pressure, it could have caused some real expensive damage. The car stumbled for awhile after I drove away, but finally cleared and seemed to suffer no lasting ill effects. -- GR
|
- #87 of 90
-
Re: Bye ... bye ... Prius ... no more hybrids for me! [dmathews3]
by farmboy3
-
Feb 13, 2009 (9:29 am)
-
|
|
Replying to: dmathews3 (Feb 12, 2009 1:59 pm)
Well, wonder no more. I have not purchased a new car in 24 years but I have driven 8 new vehicles during those 24 years. All those vehicles were part of the fleet that my employer deploys to the field. We keep them for 3 years and then turn them in for a new vehicle. I am part of a study to determine if we want make the Prius a majority of our fleet (about 3,000 vehicles.) As I indicated in my original post, I fly almost every week so the vast majority of my driving is to and from the airport. The 2006 vehicle I turned in for the Prius had 21,877 miles.
If you buy a new vehicle the dealer may fill the tank, I don’t know because I have never had to buy a new vehicle. If the dealer is only making what is called a “courtesy delivery”, they put the minimum amount of fuel in the vehicle. The subject of the fuel procedure or quirks involving the Prius was not mentioned by the courtesy delivery dealer. The process of taking delivery consists of signing off on the old vehicle, signing paperwork for the new vehicle, accepting the keys and driving away. Interaction with the dealer is for a minimum amount of time because they only get a fee for the transaction and they know they will not be selling a new vehicle to me in the future.
|
- #88 of 90
-
Re: Bye ... bye ... Prius ... no more hybrids for me! [farmboy3]
by dmathews3
-
Feb 13, 2009 (12:15 pm)
-
|
|
Replying to: farmboy3 (Feb 13, 2009 9:29 am)
That explains a lot but maybe the employer could put these to better use instead of having someone like you who puts a small amount of miles on the vehicle into something else. They are paying at least $3K more for a Prius than say a Chevy Cobalt of compatible car and get in the high 30's on the highway. Keeping them only 3 years they will for most of the vehicles never get a return on their investment though I don't know what kind of deduction they get on their Fed taxes. Personally they shouldn't get any deduction on a non american made vehicle but the Prius may or may not be built in the U.S. one of these days.
|
- #89 of 90
-
Re: Bye ... bye ... Prius ... no more hybrids for me! [farmboy3]
by kdhspyder
-
Feb 13, 2009 (5:21 pm)
-
|
|
Replying to: farmboy3 (Feb 12, 2009 6:13 am)
This 'topping off' that you did is something you NEVER should do. There are two reasons..
In the nozzle there is a charcoal cannister to capture the evaporative emissions, clean them then release them into the atmosphere. Topping off can damage this cannister and cause a major expense.
In your Gen 2 Prius there is a fuel bladder inside the gas tank. This is what causes so much variability in the quantity of fuel that will be accepted. In new vehicles this bladder is stiff and new. In very cold areas this bladder will be very stiff and unyielding in freezing weather. The risk of topping off like you did is that raw fuel can get between the gas tank and fuel bladder. Then you've got to replace the whole fuel system.
DON'T TOP OFF..
|
![[F]](http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/townhall/webxicons/site.gif){kind=small}
Forums
Hybrid Vehicles 
