Hi, fireboss,

#4 : Well, admittedly I'm not an expert here, but I don't think the computer for the MFD MPG can be recalibrated. Its calculations are based on the amount of fuel metered through the #1 (?) injector times 4 (for actual fuel used) & that is usually a lot more accurate than the manual calculations of miles driven divided by gallons pumped (theoretically replacing gallons consumed to travel those miles). However since there is not much consistancy of the full level when you re-fuel each time, manual calculations of MPG are only good if averaged over many tanks. You probably had a very low fill last time you re-fueled, so this time it replaced the empty space from that previous low fill & you filled the filler neck too (as well as spill'g about a gallon). Your 33 MPG was derived from includ'g the gas spilled. If you divide the 330 miles by 8.9 gals instead, you get 37 MPG & if you take out about a gallon more for the filler neck (that you normally don't ever fill that high), then that 7.9 gallons comes out to 41.7 MPG [if that filler neck holds closer to 2 gallons, then your MPG will come in around 47.8 (divid'g 330 miles by 6.9 gallons)].

Since your car is a 2008, it does automatically reset the MFD miles driven [if enough gas (at least 3 gallons) has been added], but your MPG read'g is a lifetime average (unless you reset that manually when you re-fuel). Priuses in '04 & '05 automatically reset the MFD MPG too (again, if at least 3 gallons is added) when it resets the MFD miles. If I had a 2006 or newer Prius, I would make it a habit to manually reset the MFD MPG, because I want to know how good the mileage is on THIS tank (not my present tank combined with what I was getting 2 years ago). The MPG on this tank could be way worse than normal because of extreme climate chg or terrain difference (CLIMBING up into higher mountainous elevations) but it wouldn't affect a lifetime average very much. Was your 53 MPG read'g your lifetime average or do you do manual resets at each refuel'g? If it was only the MPG for THIS tank, then I would only expect to pump in about 6 gallons of gas (330 divided by 53 = 6.22). If your pump doesn't shut off automatically when you get near what you expext to take on, then shut it off yourself. The auto-shutoffs are known to fail from time to time, so I'm always there with my hand on the trigger & watch'g the gallon counter closely. I've never had an auto-shutoff fail on me, but I'm always ready just in case. My wife (without me present) one time watched as a woman in front of her put the nozzle into her car & turned it on, then got into her car to touch up her makeup. She was totally oblivious to the fact that the shutoff failed & was pump'g gas all down the side of her car. By the time my wife got out of her car & over to that woman's car & pounded on her window to get her attention (the lady's stereo was blast'g), about 4 gallons was all over the ground. What a waste & an environmental issue too!! They then had to shut that pump down & spread speedy-dry to absorb the gas & shovel it up for proper disposal (all with only one person/cashier for the eight pumps), so that kind of screwed up everybody's time at the station that day.

#3 : The fuel gage or inclinometers can be recalibrated, but based on what I have already mentioned about using a "per-tank" MFD MPG reset & divid'g THAT into your miles travelled for a more accurate estimate of the amount of fuel used (& thus need'g to be replaced), I don't think that recalibration here will be necessary.

#1 & #2 : I think the material of the fuel bladder is very strong & wouldn't worry about having ruptured it. During an overfill, gas can get into the charcoal canister & go back down between the outside of the bladder & the inside of the metal tank wall. You will usually very shortly get some error codes & warn'gs then you will have to have the entire tank & filler neck replaced (expensive), but since you didn't seem to get any of those yet, you're probably safe THIS time. So do your math BEFORE you start to add gas & be ready with your hand on the trigger to stop it yourself, & do a manual reset each time you gas up.

 

well at this time i have riven 230 miles on the last fill the fuel guage has not moved i dont know what to think

 

The 'guess gauge' will drop. I've driven up to 200 miles before the first pip disappeared. You managed to get more gas into the tank than I did. I doubt that you did any damage. Just be a little more cautious when filling the tank.

 

300 miles no movement to gas gage

 

I just had something similar happen to me with my '08 Prius. Two weeks ago I was down to about 2 pips on the fuel gauge with about 400 miles driven. I went to fill up and the pump clicked off after only putting in about 6.5 gallons which would give me an average MPG of almost 60! (The MFD was saying ~48). So having heard the stories about people over filling their bladder I decided not to try topping it off and stopped there. When I started the car the fuel gauge pips went all the way to a full set of pips. I've driven about another 150 miles since then and it's down to 5 pips... so I went and filled up at my local Costco since I was there. This time the pump didn't click off till 5.5 gallons and when I pulled the nozzel out some gasoline spilled out (!!). I put the nozzel back and started the car, and again the fuel gauge went all the way to full pips. If I average the MPG from both fill ups together then it says I have ~47 mpg which is pretty close to what the MFD says. I am just a bit concerned about the pump not clicking off till some gas spilled out. I might have to start underfilling the tanks to avoid this problem.

 

Hey, fireboss,

In your 1st post you said at 330 miles you had only 6 or 7 pips show'g, but this time at 300 miles they are all still there. Something definitely seems to be amiss. Although it is not unheard of to get around 200 (or as much as 230 or 240 miles, I think, in one instance) before the 1st pip disappears. I would expect to see only 4 or 5 pips left on my '05 by the time I get to 300 (or your earlier 330) miles. And I would NEVER consider 5 pips as 1/2 tank. That would mean I might expect to see close to 600 miles on a tank, but the one time I let the gage get down to one pip I only had about 440 miles on that tank. I usually re-fuel at 2 pips left & the MFD miles on my tank are around 400 (a little less in the winter & a little more in the summer) & approx fuel added is around 7 gals in the winter & a max ever of 9.6 gals in the summer. Yesterday when I got down to 2 pips my MFD read'gs were 395 miles & 44.7 MPG (I've been using the A/C a lot lately) & I took on eight gals of gas (just round'g off the $ amount after the pump clicked off).

Unless somebody is play'g a trick on you by adding gas without your knowledge on THIS tank, I would go to the dealer (show'g them your current tank MFD miles & your gas gage read'g) & ask them to reset your inclinometers 1st. Since you are complain'g of a problem, this should be free under warranty. If they check for codes (& find something bad) & the dealer blames you for overfilling & says the tank needs replac'g, maybe they'll replace it under warranty (since your gage probably already wasn't read'g correctly at the time of the overfill), but make them aware that the overfill (if they accuse you of that) was NOT that you tried to top off your tank, but that the pump's auto shut-off didn't work. However, if they demand you pay for it out of pocket, I would take the bill to the gas station manager (where you had the shut-off failure & overfill) & demand that they pay for your damages. At this point I would either expect their insurance to pay the bill (which may take a while & a lot of haggling with their insurance company) or suggest to the manager if he doesn't want his insurance rates to go up (because of this claim) to just pay the bill out of his petty cash account.

If he balks at either one of these choices then I would tell him you're going to report the faulty shut-off valve/nozzle to the attorney general of your state or that you will report his station & the offend'g pump to the inspector of weights & measures (or whatever your state may call the office). I think he will get a fine for the defective equipment (since your instance & repeats of it cause environmental damage), so he may try to convince you he will pay the entire bill then if you don't report it. Get your repayment 1st & then let your conscience be your guide. If you don't like environmental harm & you don't want anybody else to experience the damage that happened to your car, I WOULD report the bad pump (but I hope he doesn't have your address if you promised not to report him). I would not go to that station any more, but if he should ever see you & confront you about break'g your promise, I would simply say that you had a change of heart because of the environmental impact (NOT because of your personal damages) & he should be man enough to understand that.