[Ed Jones]

I filled my car up for the first time since they replaced my computer and filler, and:

Previous BEST Tank Volume: 8.30

After Fix Volume: 10.5 !!

It will be interesting to see what her real range is... I am betting that 500 Miles should be no problem now...

Ed

 

[bizzywizzy]

Which dealer did the work? I am in Clearwater and need the work doing on my Prius purchased back in Nov 03. I bought the car at Clearwater Toyota, 1st one the sold.

Thanks.

 

[Diana_04Prius]

I am having mine done this Thursday. Hopefully it won't take to long and it will be done in a day.

 

[Thomme]

I took my car to the dealer for the fuel gauge issue, and he did a software upgrade, but didn't yet have a part needed to complete the job.

He now has the part in, but I already notice that my gauge is more accurate with just the software upgrade. So, I'm wondering if I should even bother with the hassle of going back for the part installation.

Any opinions?

 

[KURT]

Fuel Gauge

Guess I'm coming in on the tail end of a conversation. TSB/Fuel Gauge problem?

I was down to one bar yesterday when I refilled. I was only able to put in 8.5 gallons. Is this what you are referring to?

 

[Ed Jones]

Bizzy, I go to Stadium Toyota in Tampa, they have always treated me well.

Kurt, yes that is the notorious "guess gauge" problem. The TSB fixed mine...

Ed

 

[smtrader]

what is 'TSB'?

 

[Ed Jones]

It means "Toyota Service Bulletin" (sent to the dealers to inform them of fixes for known problems).

 

[KURT]

tsb

Thanks for the info!!!

Did Toyota notify you of the TSB or did you find it here online?

Does the TSB have a number assigned to it? Title assigned to it? Can I view and print it? (sorry for all the ?'s)

Thanks again!!

 

[Ed Jones]

Kurt, I had been asking my service manager everytime I went for service, oil changes, etc. , so when the bulletin came out, he called me.

The number is EL010-04

Good Luck!

Ed

 

[NoWr2Go]

I got mine completed last week and was in for quite a surprise. Apparently the filler neck was not tightened properly and when I filled the car with gas many gallons spilled from under the car. So took the car to the dealer and they fixed it by the next morning. Although this was initially scare, just a caution for those of you that have the work performed to fill the tank up after you pick up the car...just to be sure.

All in all, the net result has been a huge improvement. With one bar flashing in the past, I could only get 7.5 gallons in the car....now, it's a cool 10+.

 

[Joel]

Actually, TSB is Technical Service Bulletin - not specific to Toyota, this is an industry standard term.

It means "Toyota Service Bulletin" (sent to the dealers to inform them of fixes for known problems).

 

[Diana_04Prius]

I had the TSB done on my car last week and after one full up; I find that the fuel tank problem is fixed. However, the gas gage is still erratic. I had 3/10’s left on the gage when I glanced at the gage and 4 miles later when I glanced back at the gage only a 1/10.
I don’t know if the dealer actually replaced both the fuel tank and the fuel gage computer board. When I asked for a copy of the paperwork the dealer said that they were submitted to Toyota. I am a little suspicious because they did the work in less than 5 hours.

 

[melgish]

What all is this supposed to fix? Is it supposed to decrease the 'empty point' on the guage or completely fix the guage.

My current tank took 8.992 to fill with 2 pips lit. so:

:mrgreen::mrgreen: ~= 9 gallons used.

However based on previous fill ups...

:mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen: ~= 5 gallons used.

Which isn't even close to linear.

 

[richard schumacher]

This TSB applies to my VIN but to me it looks to invasive and risky to be worthwhile.

 

[woodworks]

TSB fixed my car's problem

I haven't read any other reports of my particular fuel gauge problem. But I have run out of gas twice since July. In both instances I had two bars on the gauge just before heading up a long uphill grade--on I-5 up the grapevine in So Cal. and up Siskiyou pass in No Cal. Both times the gauge quickly went from two bars to one bar, to blinking, to erratic surging accompanied by warning lights and the battery draining quicker than s--t through a goose. Fortunately I was able to coast to a stop in both cases onto a relatively level spot by the side of the freeway, and after a pause I was able to restart and drive a short way to the next off-ramp and into a gas station. Also in both cases the warning lights disappeared after a fill-up.

My VIN number fell within the filler-tube only fix range and so I had the TSB performed last week. My dealer preordered the filler tube so the whole thing only took a couple of hours. I didn't have to worry about the key fob fiasco.

Today I went up and over Siskiyou pass both ways after waiting for the gas gauge to get down to two bars. By the time I came back I had burned enough gas to get the gauge down to one bar--not yet at the blinking stage. But the decline from two bars to one was even and predictable. It's only one sample, so I suppose I shouldn't declare victory yet. But the TSB seems to have solved my car's particular problem. I give it a thumbs up!

 

[hyperion]

Do you set your odometer to "O" at fillup and look for a station when you hit 300 miles? You'll never run out of gas again!

 

[woodworks]

Do you set your odometer to "O" at fillup and look for a station when you hit 300 miles? You'll never run out of gas again!

Yeah, and if I don't drive the car, I won't run out of gas either. :roll:

I don't know how things are on your planet, hyperion, but on the planet Earth, when the gas gauge indicates 2/10ths of a tankful remaining, drivers here generally don't expect to run out of gas just because we've started up an incline. It's obvious from your other posts on this issue that your car doesn't suffer from the gauge problems. Bully for you. But realize that the problem I ran into didn't happen because of a desire to push the limits of gas consumption. There's a TSB from Toyota about it. So that means that there's a recognized problem. Is there something about this that escapes you? Now crawl back into your cave, troll!

 

[efusco]

Easy Woodworks, I think Hyperion was honestly trying to be helpful. I agree with your position here. The fuel guage should be reliable and predictible and the problems you had are unacceptible.

Hyperion, your advice is poor, at best. The Prius should have a range of 600 miles at 50mpg...I get close to 55mpg and have never gone more than about 525 miles and that was with the guage flashing for the previous 60 miles. One of the best things about the Prius, and an advertised benefit, is the range you can travel b/w fill ups. If I filled up every time I drove 50 miles I'd never run out either...or 25. The point is I should be able to drive 550 or even 600 miles without running out based on fuel economy and tank capacity, but that's been, in my case, unachievable and a real pain.

FWIW, my post-EL010-04 guage behavior.

At first fill up, 5 miles after the last bar started flashing, tank took only 8.3 gallons. 'Bout the same as before the TSB.

My first bar dropped off at 90 miles, second at about 124, third around 160. The 5th bar (1/2 tank supposedly) at 214 miles. There are still 5 bars showing with about 260 miles on the tank. I'm averaging 57mpg this tank.

I'm praying that the second half of the tank the guage behavior will be a bit more accurate/predictible and that I will get somewhere around 10 gallons in when the last bar flashes...that would make me happy. That and getting my SKS working again!!

 

[alnvilma]

guage

Thanks to all of you for the heads-up on the TSB!
I'm making the appointment for the fix today. Wahoo. Hopefully, no more 6.7 gallon fills when it says I'm near empty.
As an aside; My mileage keeps getting better. About 50mpg avg. now.
I hit 59 on one 100 mile jaunt.
Package #1, 11 months old already!