Accurate Sensors, Not!

[rob_es350]

Here is a funny/interesting anecdote about the es fuel level sensor.

Well, funny/interesting to people like us who enjoy this type of thing.

Been trying since I got the car to get the approx range indicator as close to 0 miles as possible before getting gas,please tell me I am not the only one,lol.

Anyway, had that baby down to 4 miles when I pull into the gas station all proud of myself. Only had 10 bucks on me, so that is what I put in.

Gas gauge moved up accordingly, but what do you know..not enough extra gas in there to reset the approx range and tank mpg, ha!!

At first I am thinking, how annoying it is that the indicators f'd up and did not reset, but then I realized....

I can get the approx range indicator, still stuck at 4, down to 0 easily, and then what, would it go negative, lol..could hardly wait

Watched intently as the sucker went down, and there it was, 0, ha..continued to drive for another 15 miles or so, and no negative numbers, just stayed at 0, mile after mile, after mile.

Admittedly, there is a chance I have to much free time.

[LEXIRX330]

You are not the only one I swear my wife loves to get hers as close to that on the BMW too. Funny everytime I get in the thing is on E with the light on. Me every once in awhile I check to make sure my gas light is still working! :) but when the gas light comes on in the GX and you only get about 14-17 MPGs you start looking for gas stations! :)

[rob_es350]

soon after I got the car I checked how much gas was left in the tank at the moment the gas indicator light went on

for the 2011 es350, it is about 2.5 gallons..

so for me, approx 20mpg, I can still comfortable drive 30-40 miles, though at around 40 miles with the light on, it is not so comfortable, lol

[SW03ES]

You want to be confused, buy a 04-09 Prius. The tank is actually a flexible bladder, its not a hard tank, so its impossible to know how much fuel is remaining when it gets down to the "Add Fuel" warning. Then the last little pip on the fuel gauge starts blinking...best to find a station haha.

One other thing to think about, you don't want to always let the tank get down all the way to empty, the fuel pump is cooled by the gas running through it, and if you always let the tank get low and the pump sputters or gets air when its trying to draw fuel, it can overheat the pump and shorten its life.

[rob_es350]

yeah, never thought of that...just hate getting gas, so always stretching it

that's weird about the expandable bladder in the prius..but wouldn't you do the same thing to know how much gas is remaining when the light goes on

just fill it when the light goes on, and subtract the amount it took to fill from the gas tank size, eh?

[SW03ES]

The problem is the amount of gas it takes depends on a lot of things, the bladder expands and contracts based on the temperature. It "holds" 11 gallons. But I've had it take 8...or 10...or 7 when the light goes on. You'll drive along on full for miles and miles...then it goes down real fast. It'll go from just under half to one pip left in like...50 miles. The bladder also gives the auto shut off on the pump a hard time too, because its based on back-pressure.

They went to a rigid tank when they redid the Prius in 2010...

[pj8708]

The problem is the amount of gas it takes depends on a lot of things, the bladder expands and contracts based on the temperature. It "holds" 11 gallons. But I've had it take 8...or 10...or 7 when the light goes on. You'll drive along on full for miles and miles...then it goes down real fast. It'll go from just under half to one pip left in like...50 miles. The bladder also gives the auto shut off on the pump a hard time too, because its based on back-pressure.

They went to a rigid tank when they redid the Prius in 2010...

Do you know what the logic was behind using the bladder style tank in the first place. I'm wondering if they thought it was safer in a crash setting, i.e.,woundn't rupture as easily as a rigid tank?

[rob_es350]

The problem is the amount of gas it takes depends on a lot of things, the bladder expands and contracts based on the temperature. It "holds" 11 gallons. But I've had it take 8...or 10...or 7 when the light goes on. You'll drive along on full for miles and miles...then it goes down real fast. It'll go from just under half to one pip left in like...50 miles. The bladder also gives the auto shut off on the pump a hard time too, because its based on back-pressure.

They went to a rigid tank when they redid the Prius in 2010...

wow, that sucks...took um a long time to address the problem

[SW03ES]

I think the rationale was environmental, less room for gasses to escape into the atmosphere...

[pj8708]

I think the rationale was environmental, less room for gasses to escape into the atmosphere...

Thanks for the reply.