Prius (2004-09) :: Vehicle Low On Fuel Causing ECU To Shut Down Fuel Injectors
I took my 2008 Prius to Jiffy Lube to have oil changed. When driving away, I made it about one block and all warning lights came on: Master Warning, Hybrid System Warning, Brake System Warning, Malfunction, etc. I pulled the car over and stopped. I started the car again, lights still there - drove 2 blocks back to Jiffy Lube and lost momentum about one block away, with pedal to floor, I could drive about 5 miles an hour into the bay. They looked at it for about 30 minutes and claimed I had bird seed that dropped under the air filter.... I said "goodbye" called AAA and had it towed to my dealer. They said it was because air had entered the system due to my being low on fuel. I have never heard of being low on fuel and it causing the car to shut down nor did I ever get a warning of low gas, still on one bar. Each time I restarted the car at Jiffy Lube, it started fine, drove forward or backward, then lost momentum again. Still no warning of being out of gas. The ticket from the dealer states:
"Vehicle low on fuel causing ECU to shut down fuel injectors when engine started to misfire. Found codes P0A0F, P3190 in system. Added 5 gallons of fuel and reset ECU."
Prius (2004-09) Fuel :: 2008 - Sudden Drop In Fuel Economy - Water Leak?
I have a 2008 prius. Usually it gets me around 52-55mpg, I've had it since January. Since a couple of days ago its not giving me anything above 49. I know thats a normal number, but considering the fact that its usually quite a bit higher I'm wondering what the cause of the drop is. Also around the same time, when I pull out of my driveway I notice what appears to be a bit of water leakage. Its under the vehicle in the front center, and it only happens when I start the car for the day and pull out of my driveway (its on an incline).
View 4 RepliesPrius (2004-09) Fuel :: RPM To MPH / MPG Correlation
I was previously told that, absent a tachometer, I should try to keep my the MPH/MPG ratio at 1.5 to 2.0 for greater efficiency.
I have now bought a scangauge II and assuming that the Prius sweet spot is at 1800-2200 rpm, that translates to a 1.4-1.6 MPH/MPG.
So I try to keep the rpm at 2000-2100 on the highway and around 1800-1900 rpm in the city. MPG has improved...
Any example regarding the conversion of RPM to MPH/MPG has been similar.
Prius (2004-09) Fuel :: MPG Dropping Around 42 Instead Of 49?
=this is my first summer to own a prius, and I noticed this last week that my fuel economy seems to be slipping. I am averaging around 42 MPG instead of my usual 49. Only reason this worries me is I've noticed the car is charging the battery a LOT, and it's not uncommon to have my MPG drop down to the low 20's on a flat road if I am lightly accelerating.
View 8 RepliesPrius (2004-09) Fuel :: Calculation Of MPG At Stop
I understand that the EPA may not consider stops at traffic lights, but when cars are stopped with their engines running, gas is still being used. I suppose this may be one of the reasons why we get worse gas mileage numbers than what they claimed to get. Or is the amount of gas being consumed extremely small and not worth adding that factor in? If you were to calculate your gas mileage with each fill-up, that is taken into consideration.
But with a Prius, or other hybrids, the gas engine is oftentimes off and not using fuel when stopped. Again, when calculating mileage with each fill-up this gas consumption is part of that calculation.
I know that you can't really calculate mpg for a car that is not in motion, but there must be a clear advantage of having a hybrid when stopped at lights, etc.
Prius (2004-09) Fuel :: Consistently Getting 35 - 37 Mpg, Nothing Higher
I have a 2004 prius with 149k on it and can't seem to break into the 40 mpg range. I live in an area with some hills, but nothing too crazy. I have even had trips of 60+ miles on pretty flat freeways/highways/roads and have only hit 38 mpg driving with a very light foot, coasting down hills, coasting to stop lights and using cruise control. I have tried keeping my speeds low and just cant get great gas mileage. I am not sure what else to try.
In the past few weeks I have had the oil, transaxle and inverter coolant changed and the water pump was changed 15k ago. I also had the spark plugs changed, air filter and have new tires.
btw, I bought the car used a few months back and have been getting the same mileage since I got it. I have not noticed any improvement from any of the maintenance I have done.
2001 Lexus IS300. I got 17mpg with HARD driving
Prius (2004-09) :: Fuel Gauge Never Moves Even When Out Of Gas
2008 Prius Touring. At 86,000 miles I got the red triangle of death and coasted off the interstate. Had the car towed to Toyota and they said there were no codes except it ran out of gas, even though the fuel gauge said it was 3/4 full. After running out of gas two more time I took it in and they unplugged the fuse and said it should be fine. (BTW there is no low fuel warning, just the red triangle and the every sound of wind whistling as you glide). By this point I fill up when I have traveled 300 to 350 miles, which is my fuel gauge work-around.
After running out of gas a couple more times I go back to Toyota, (we're past the 100K warranty now), they charge me $47 to rest the computer. I continue to run out of gas because the odometer has quit resetting when I refuel, so if I forget to manually rest the odometer or someone resets it by accident I mostly likely will run out of gas. Last trip in the Dealer told me I need a new gas tank for $733, I didn't do it because I felt like they are just guessing at what the issue is and don't really know. (these events involve the only two dealers in my city.)
Prius (2004-09) Fuel :: Mpg Readout On The Screen Around 44.7 To 45.0 Mpg
We've only had the car for a week but I'm puzzled by what I'm seeing for the mpg on the screen. At no time has the screen indicated an average mpg of outside the range of 44.7 to 45.0 mpg. This is despite filling it up, resetting the trip meters and immediately heading up the Cajon Pass twice while the instant fuel economy indicated 25 mpg or less. I understand the inconsistency of calculating at the pump because of the bladder but doing that has worked out to 2 fills in the high 30s, one in the high 40s and one of 53 mpg. Yet the car still reads 44.7 to 45.0.
It's not a big thing because I don't depend on it; I tend to fill the car when it goes below 1/2 full and over time I will have enough pump calculations to give me a fairly accurate depiction of my average mpg.
Prius (2004-09) Fuel :: Significant Drop In MPG
After about 2,000 miles I'm averaging about 35.5 mpg on my Energy Savers, down from about 40 mpg on Michelin Harmony's. No change in driving habits. No change in tire pressure. Installer has checked them and doesn't see anything wrong. Balanced and aligned at installation. My 2008 is typically carries close to the maximum rated weight with passengers, dogs and/ or gear, hence the lower than average mpg. Michelin will exchange them, but doesn't consider them broken in until 5,000 miles, which I certainly won't reach within the 30 day guarantee period.
View 12 RepliesPrius (2004-09) Fuel :: Dispiriting Drop In Mpg From 45 To 34
Saw a drop in mpg from 45mpg to 34mpg. Since I was way over 200,000 miles, I began to fear traction battery failure. Toyota looked over codes, did diagnostics, etc. and found nothing. They recommended and replaced the auxiliary battery, which made no difference. I fought with them on aux. battery replacement price since their costs had gone up 50% in two years. Mine was barely out of warranty. So what happened. I replaced the iridium plugs. Mileage jumped back up to 45mpg.
View 8 RepliesPrius (2004-09) Fuel :: Less Miles Per Tank But MPG Same
In the last month, I've been getting less miles per fill up. Previously the gas light would hit 1 bar around 400 miles. Now its hitting 1 bar around 350-360 miles. But when I fill up, I only fill up about 8 gallons so I haven't lost any gas mileage. It feels as if the tank shrunk on me.
View 6 RepliesPrius (2004-09) Fuel :: 2005 - Bad MPG - Need A New Battery?
I have a 2005 Prius that I purchased in 2010 as the second owner. When I first got it, I would average 50-65 MPG depending on city vs. interstate (per trip computer). After about a year, I was usually in the 40's. However, in the past 6 months or so, the MPG has dipped drastically. Based on the trip computer, I average about 30 MPG on the interstate and 15-20 MPG in the city. I have read that often times, a dip in MPG signals a need to change the 12V. I tested the 12V, and it's usually around 12.4V after sitting unused for 12+ hours.
More info: -The poor MPG is consistent whether it's 95, 65, or 35 degrees outside.
-Flat terrain (Washington, DC)
-Usually shorter trips of about 20-25 minutes.
-75% city, 25% highway. Highway driving is pretty smooth, little traffic, average of 55 MPH. City driving is incredibly stop and go due to traffic, constant stop signs and red lights, etc., with probably an average of 15 MPH when I'm actually driving.
-No overfilled oil.
-Had an alignment maybe 8 months ago - nothing unusual about the drive or tire wear.
-Goodyear Viva 2 Tire P185/65R15, maybe 15k miles put on them. Tire pressure unknown at the moment.
-I drive like a grandma in D mode.
-I don't warm up the ICE.
-HVAC is off.
-In terms of whether any significant changes occurred around time I noticed the drop: none. I was living in Florida at the time, doing a highway commute of about 2 hours roundtrip every day with a small bit of city driving when the mileage drop occurred. I have since relocated to DC, and the problem is the same.
Prius (2004-09) Fuel :: Mileage Has Gone Down Dramatically
I have a 2006 Prius with 165K miles. My MPG suddenly went down 20% (47 to 38). Tires are fully inflated. I did change to high-mileage oil at last service, could this be the cause?
View 4 RepliesPrius (2004-09) :: Fuel Gauge Stuck At 1 Won't Go Up?
I inadvertently pulled the fuse which controls the fuel gauge yesterday while looking for the fuse that controls the AC outlets. I put the fuse back but now the fuel gauge is stuck at 1 (blinks) and it will not go up - I know I have a full tank.
I called the dealer where I bought it and the guy said to leave the car off for an hour to let it reset, that did nothing. The dealer is an hour round trip for me and I'd rather not have to hike out there, what I can do to reset the gauge?
Prius (2004-09) Fuel :: 2005 - 40 MPG In 50F Weather?
I just got a 2005 Prius, it is getting about 40-43MPG in 50F weather. This is my first time with a hybrid, much less a Prius. Is this normal for this car in this weather, or does something seem wrong.
The 12V seems to be getting about 11.7-11.8 under load.
Tire pressure is about 33PSI, going to increase it most likely from the sounds of other people having it higher.
Prius (2004-09) Fuel :: 2005 - Low 49 Mpg With 900 Miles?
I bought a 2005 Prius with 128k miles on it a month back. I have driven around 900 miles on it and the average shows as 49 mpg. Is it okay or am i getting less? I normally drive 40 miles a day(20 miles either way) to office and back home, total of 50 minutes with 25 minutes either way, including both Uphill and Downhill both ways. Driving includes 10 minutes on city with frequent stops and 15 minutes on highway either way.
View 7 RepliesPrius (2004-09) Fuel :: Can't Decide Whether To Use Gas When Coast With Neutral
I'm very puzzled by how prius (2008) decides whether to use gas when I coast with neutral (I only do that if there is a long stretch of the road that is going down the hill). Same roads, same driving style, but sometimes, the gas usage goes to 0 but sometime it continue to use gas. Sometimes if you just let it in the gear a little longer or just press the gas pedal, it would go 0 after switching to neutral. There is no consistency that I can come up with the best method to get it to not to use gas and just slide using the gravity and momentum.
I can understand if it has to fill up the battery but when it uses gas at neutral, no transfer of energy among all parts. The diagram (wheel, engines, battery) shows standstill but it still uses gas. I don't have air on and turn the fan to the lowest and it doesn't make any difference.
A few conclusions I had:
It will always use a little gas at highway speed (55 to 70mph).
It appears to use gas at higher humidity (not sure but the MPG is higher when it's humid).
Prius (2004-09) Fuel :: MPG Has Gone Down, Battery Behaviour Is Irregular
So my wife's MPG has gone down from mid- to high-40s to barely 40. We've taken it to the dealer and they run a check and said there was nothing wrong, adding that if there was something wrong with the battery I'd get a warning light, anyway.
So, took her car to get some gas for it and coffee for me, Battery meters was about 75% full when I took off. About a half mile later I noticed it had dropped to 40 percent. At that point I filled it up.
When I started it up, I noticed it was now in the purple range. It stayed that way until I got home (after stopping for coffee, too).
Total trip is only about 1.5 miles.
This has been a fairly typical scenario lately, but this was certainly more extreme.
So I think there is something wrong with the way the batteries are charged or the batteries themselves. Toyota disagrees .
Prius (2004-09) Fuel :: Difference Between Actual And Displayed MPG
I recently purchased a used 2007 and have since driven 308 miles on it. There are currently 3 bars left on the fuel gauge, and the computer reports that I'm averaging 45.8 mpg.
However, I don't see how that mpg is possible because if I have been averaging 45.8 mpg over 308 miles, I should have used only 6.27 gallons...and 6.27 gallons is only 56.5% of the 11.9 gallon tank size, compared to the 70% that I've used based on my current fuel gauge status.