problem putting gas in Prius
 

I've had my new 2005 Prius for about 2 months and the only problem I'm having is when I put gas in it I can't put the pump on auto, I have to regulate the gas flow at the very smallest rate or the pump stops. Then when it is just about full gas spurt's out all over the side of the car. This makes it a real hassle to fill up this car. Is there a gas tank ventilation problem with this car? Is anyone else having this problem?

thanks - Dale

Dale,
With the very first batch of 2004 Prius, there was an issue with the tank that caused capacity to shrink and the gauge to be inaccurate. However, that issue was fixed long ago and I haven't heard of this problem happening -- especially with the latest vehicles. You need to have yours checked out. Keep in mind that spilling a cup or so of gas really undoes the benefits of owning a green car.

As a side note, welcome and congratulations! You're our 1,000th member. I've posted an announcement in the appropriate section and emailed you a few minutes ago.

ummm i dont have this problem, it stops at around 9 and i just leave it that way

Gas Tank
 

What can Toyota do to fix the problem?

Something is definitly wrong
 

I don't think some of you understand my problem. I've owned aprox 30 cars in my life and I've never had one that was so difficult to put gas in. I'm talking about having to hold (can't set on auto or pump cuts off) the gas pump lever at it's very slowest flow rate and even then it cuts off and I have to pull the lever again to the smallest possible flow rate again- this happens maybe 10 times during filling it up. Then when it gets close to full (which I can't tell when that is since the pump nozzel cuts off 10 times or more) it will start spuing gas, maybe a quart until it stops. An entire fill-up takes
maybe 10 minutes of my nursing the pump nozzle to fill this car up and I've filled it at several different gas stations.

Now I love this car, they thought of everything and there is no way that it should be this difficult and so much of a chore to fill up. I called my dealer, they know of no such problem. I guess I'll have to have one of their mechanics take a ride with me to the gas station and let him fill it up. I think it is a ventilation problem.

- Dale

Hi Dale,

My advice would be the next time the fuel level is low, call the service department at the dealer and see if they could have someone go with you to refuel your car.
Let them see first-hand. It sounds like a pain, and should be attended to by Toyota.

Regards,

that is not normal

Dale,

I understand your problem. It's happened to me before I had the fuel tank/gauge fix. One time I had your EXACT problem. Other times it just wouldn't let me put in more than 1/2 capacity or so. Your issue likely lies with the filler tube or bladder. The Prius' tube is made specifically small in diameter to prevent excess gasses from escaping (as I understand it). This sometimes prevents air from coming out as the gasoline goes in. And, once you pull out, all that pressure shoots back at you like you're at a fireworks show.

Show it to your dealer. It isn't normal and can be fixed.

PS Did you get my email?

Re: problem putting gas in Prius
 

Jason,
I do have the same problem on my 2004 Lexus LS430 Sports Suspension. I have not specifically mentioned this to my selling dealer.
I just need to lift the gas pump handle up so it does not create a back pressure.
joe

Re: problem putting gas in Prius
 

i had a similar problem in my old car. it would shut off completely after putting in less than 1 gal into a 13 gal tank.

i started inserting the pump nozzle into the filler tube varying lengths. sometimes i had to only put it half way in or it would stop, sometimes i could go 3/4 way, etc.

it has to do with the air pressure being relieved in the filler tube and the tank, which many people here have already mentioned.

i have a new 05 Prius (28 days old today) and have had no problems during my 2 fillups. it may be an anomaly with your car. either way, good luck!

Re: problem putting gas in Prius
 

I have seen this problem also.

It tends to occur only at a couple gas stations, so I avoid them. I guess that the flow rate is too high and triggers the auto-off, but am not really sure. On two occasions I was nursing the flow slow slowly that I thought I could hear bubbling in the hose. The thought of filling up with air made me non too happy, but I did not see poor tank mpg to confirm it happened.

So far it is but an occasional annoyance. If every fill-up becomes a grind no matter what station I go to, I'll take the car to the dealer.

Re: problem putting gas in Prius
 

I had this happen once, at a Sam's Club. Nursing along at a very low flow rate apparently allowed much more gas in than it should have, since my mileage for that fillup was down in the 40s. Just filled up today at a Sunoco station, and all went well -- normal flow, normal cutoff.

Re: problem putting gas in Prius
 

I have a 2005 Toyota Prius, four months old, and have just started seeing this exact same behavior the last two times that I have gone to the gas station. Mind you, after noticing this, I only fill the gas tank to what I assume is maybe three-fourths the way so it doesn't erupt gasoline from the nozzle.

Still kinda weird. Called a Toyota service rep in the evening, and he had heard of this happening, but had no idea what was causing it. He recommended calling back during normal work hours to catch up with one of the more knowledgable people in-house to see what they thought. I guess I'll be doing that and seeing what happens.

Otherwise, the spaceship is so much fun.

Re: problem putting gas in Prius
 

I have had the problem with the gas eruption once on my first new 2005 early on after I purchased in Jan 05. Have another one purchased in Aug 05, but have not gotten gas yet, only 230 miles, but will have something to compare it with now.

Re: problem putting gas in Prius
 

I have a 2005 Prius purchased in late Dec. 2004. I have had no problem with filling the gas tank and it has been driven from MA to FL and back, plus all the driving at home. I do not try and top off the gas.
LL

Re: problem putting gas in Prius
 

I must admit that I do try to get as much in as I can. Unless you can get the fuel in consisitantly the same, the MPG is basically a crap shoot since you really don't know the amounts from fill up to fill up. I never had a problem with the 2002 I had.

Re: problem putting gas in Prius
 

Slightly off-topic, well -- a whole lot off-topic-- but I'm wondering how you went from your 2002 to the 2005. Did you trade at a dealer, sell the 2002 privately, etc., and irregardless of the process, what were the economics of the deal? I've got a new 2005, seriously considering moving up to a 2006 for wholly unjustifiable reasons.

Re: problem putting gas in Prius
 

I purchased my first Prius in Fayetteville NC and after reading about Prius II decided to request the newer technologies that it offered. Started in Aug 2004 with my request and in early Jan 2005 was called with one that was in my ball park of options that I wanted. Traded the 2002 with I think around 45,000 miles. In August 2005, my wife and I had talked about trading our 2000 Ford Windstar in on another Prius. Made the required inquiries of dealers and then on a whim stopped by the dealer in New Bern NC where we live. Low and behold they had three on the lot and so we haggled a bit and the deal was done on my wife's Prius.
We had done some homework on the 2002 and the range throughout the US was from 15,000 to 23,000. We had set a figure of the tradein we would accept, which we got. It was not the top figure of 23,000 for one in CA, but was what we thought was agreeable to us. On the new one the tradein of the Windstar was ugly in our extimation, but the van was 5+ years old and we did not want to miss the chance. The tradein was 5,000 and someone got a good vehicle with 40,000 miles on it. You do not have much wiggle with a older non Toyota vehicle and we didn't want to try and sell it ourselves, we are not sales folk. Hope this gives you some insight on how we did.
Joe

Re: problem putting gas in Prius
 

I own a 2004 Prius, which I purchased in Feb 2004. I have experienced problems filling my tank and with the accuracy of the fuel gauge. I think it got really bad on the day I drove around Denver and it was 102F. I went to fill up before I headed home (60 highway miles and 3000ft elevation gain to get home) that day and I could only get 1 gal in before the filler stopped even though the gauge read 1/2 a tank. I then drove about 150 miles or less and the gauge read empty. Before I made another trip to Denver, I added about 3 gallons to the tank. I drove another 150 miles to and around Denver. After which, the gauge only read 1/3 full. I attempted to top off the car again and could only get in 1 gal. The gauge then read 2/3 full. I drove home 70 miles and then the gauge read 1/3 full again. Oh, and my car started hesitating during slow speed acceleration. Now, I never add more gas after the filler stops and my car usually gets 50 mpg in the Summer and 40/45 mpg in winter, based on miles between fillups/gallons added at fillup. The trip home never uses more than one bar on the fuel gauge. Clearly there was a problem!:omg:

I contacted my Toyota dealership and they scheduled an appt. After checking out the car, they replaced the filler nozzle and a computer for the fuel gauge. They also performed some other "recall" type repairs. These included an update to the engine control program and replacing a switch for the brake lights. I'm not sure I completely inderstand all of their repair codes. If anyone wants to see the report, I'd be happy to share it. Be prepared that you will have to give up your car for a few days. It took 3 days to get the parts and 3 hours to complete the repair. But, if it's warranty work, Toyota keeps your car until they finish the job. They did give me a rental at their expense.

Sorry my first post is so long, but this is definitely an issue that you should make sure Toyota fixes.

Lisa:D

Re: problem putting gas in Prius
 

I have an '04 Prius - bought "new" as the dealer demo with 1300 miles on it about 3 months ago. I have had the same problem filling up the tank to full ever since I got the car. Although I have not gone to the dealer yet (and I will now that some of you posted that this is a fixable problem) I have managed to work around it. When the tank gets within about 2+- gallons of being full the gas pump automatically shuts off. When I fill up the rest at the lowest fill rate possible I listen for a slight whine from where the nozzle is inserted and this tells me that I have just reached full (as I learned from hearing this before and then over flowing). Hope this helps if you have not had the dealer handle this problem already.

Re: problem putting gas in Prius
 

I work for a company that has 20+ Prius ranging from 2004-2007--we regularly have issues with filling the gas tank. We too often have to hold the nozzle at its lowest flow position to prevent it from auto-stopping. It seems to happen more often in the cold and at particular gas stations...but not consistantly enough to nail down the problem.
:confused:

Re: problem putting gas in Prius
 

Sounds like the vent tube is plugged!

Re: problem putting gas in Prius
 

I have been searching for help with the aptly described problem of filling the gas tank. To my amazement, I found on another forum that the Prius has a flexible bladder and not a tank! This explains a lot of problems with erratic fills. If it is cold, you can squeeze less into it. Also the "fuel gauge" is rather unreliable given the nature of the "tank". The message seems to be fill it as much as you can when one or two bars show, don't trust the gauge very much, and don't run out of gas. I learned this the expensive way as others here have! Colleen in Wisconsin

Re: problem putting gas in Prius
 

Welcome to GreenHybrid.com.

Yes, the North American Prius have a flexible bladder in the fuel tank. This helps reduce the gas fume emissions. However, it can result in substantial differences in fill volume. But as a result of my gas studies, it seems to have taken out a lot of the variability (click on my signature to see the record.)

I hope you find useful information here and would be interested in a synopsis of other forums. I've been trying to keep the Prius FAQ current but other than PriusChat and the YahooGroup "Prius_Technical_Stuff," I don't get much.

Thanks,
Bob Wilson

Re: problem putting gas in Prius
 

I have a 3-months-old 2008 Prius and have encountered the same problem several times, usually on gas pumps with high-flow rate. I've noticed that the filler hole is quite tight and hugs the nozzle a bit too snugly which, perhaps, doesn't let the filler tube vent properly.

Last week's Sunday, I filled up the tank at a station with a high-flow pump and the pump kept shutting down every couple of seconds making the fill up quite lengthy, and to top it off, I had an eruption at the end of the fill. It may very well have been a pump problem because gas leaked through the nozzle's handle mechanism, however, I had an eruption a couple of months ago at another gas station.

Re: problem putting gas in Prius
 

I had this exact same problem: the pump wouldn't go 5 seconds without shutting itself off. I finally read online somewhere about the flexible bladder tank that others have mentioned on here. It also said to put the nozzle in, and then wait a bit before you start pumping. I suppose this equalizes the pressure, or something like that. But now I always put the nozzle in, wait just a bit, and then pump, and I haven't had this problem since.

Re: problem putting gas in Prius
 

I'm having the same problem. Almost impossible to fill the tank because the nozzle keeps shutting off. Same problem with four tanks. Also had the 'eruption' problems stated by other drivers.

Re: problem putting gas in Prius
 

I've owned my '06 since Feb. '06, have around 32K. On my last fill-up, on auto and filling slow - it did over fill. I attributed to a bad pump. So, I guess my answer is, no problem.

Re: problem putting gas in Prius
 

You might try bringing the nozzle out a little bit instead of seating as far as it will go. Also, sometimes twisty, a little to the left or right helps. I don't really have a problem with my Prius but from time to time, out of town, I've had problems with pumps.

Bob Wilson

Re: problem putting gas in Prius
 

What a trip.... Took the car in to the dealer today for my radio. Prior to going to the dealer I wanted to be sure that my gas filling problem still existed so I went to a gas station and attempted to put gas in the car. Gas still failed to fill like before. Note that this is a different pump that I haven't used before. I then took the car back after work to get a loaner for dealer to work on the radio. Returned to gas station for sales rep to see what I was talking about. Guess what. D!#!@## thing filled ok without shutoffs. Tried another pump that I hadn't used before.

I told the sales guy that I will wait alittle longer and try some other pumps and see if we can rule the cause as being the actual fueling station pumps.


bit...

Re: problem putting gas in Prius
 

Hi

I purchased my 2008 Prius 3 weeks ago. I first went to fill it up at 1/2 of a tank, and I could not put more than 3 gallons in. The pump stopped, and so did I. The second time I filled up, (last week) I had 3 bars remaining and the pump stopped at 5 gallons and I slowly added more until I reached 6.6 gallons total. If I do not put gas in VERY slowly, it stops after 3 gallons. This, no matter what, cannot be right. I have read about the "bladder" tank, and I understand why it does this. However, I don't think that filling a tank should be so labor intense. I called the service dept and I was told if it continues, I should bring it in, and the problem will be evaluated. That being said, I love this car, I don't miss my 2003 Pathfinder at all (which I thought I loved) and I will eventually get this issue resolved. I wanted to let you know, however, that this problem is not limited to the 2004 models only, obviously. At first, I was very disturbed about it. But I strongly believe that if there is a certain problem, Toyota will fix it. I'd like to hear more fom anyone out there who can relate. You're not alone, Dale.

Thanks,

L:inda

Re: problem putting gas in Prius
 

Hi all,
I have a 2008 Prius and have experienced this problem a time or two. But I noticed that it was corrected by making sure that I was not parked going up hill at the gas station. Make sure that you are level or with the front of the car going slightly down hill if you can. When I do that, it fills just fine.

Re: problem putting gas in Prius
 

Welcome to the CLUB!
So how long have you had it? Any interesting stories yet?

Bob Wilson

Re: problem putting gas in Prius
 

Welcome to the CLUB!
The fuel tank is pretty sophisticated and there can be problems with some pump nozzles. I've never had the problem but some of the postings suggest changes in nozzle angle in the tank may help. Sorry, I can't help on this one.

GOOD LUCK!
Bob Wilson

Re: problem putting gas in Prius
 

Thanks for the welcome Bob,
I bought my Prius seven weeks ago, it is the silver pine color with the #3 option package. I have had the 3M, non-metallic window tinting installed, and have a K&N air filter to replace the factory filter. I am starting to think about my first oil change, and will probably go with a synthetic. Over all I am really happy with this car. No unusual or interesting stories yet, just several people that want to know if I have to plug it in at night to recharge it.

John West

Re: problem putting gas in Prius
 

I currently has a love/frightened of relationship with my Prius. I could have only seven gallons of gas, the tank shows full ... so I think I can drive further than I really would be able to. I cannot rely on my gas tank, I have to take unsafe steps to fill it up completely, I have a gas guage that is basically useless and need to guess when I have to fill up!
I am writing to express my concern over my 2008 Toyota Prius that I purchased new in January of 2008. I recently returned from a 2300 mile road trip that began in Woodland Washington (20 miles north of Portland Oregon).

During this trip, we stopped in Ashland Oregon to fill up the gas tank on our way to Reno Nevada. The attendant filled the tank (Oregon requires that an attendant do this) and off we went ... next gas fill up was to have been Reno! We headed east, turned off Interstate 5 and onto Highway 89 and switched drivers. After ONLY 83 miles ... the gas tank showed that there was less than 1/2 a tank ... luckily we had not missed McCloud California ... last stop for gas for MANY miles!

When we filled up in Reno, the gas pump shut off WAY TOO soon ... we certainly were not getting over 60mpg! Understanding this, we pulled the gas nozzle WAY out and EXTREMELY slowly managed to fill up the gas tank. During this SLOW process, air and gas would bubble up and at times out of the tank. We repeated this process at EVERY fill up along the trip and since we have gotten home. We can have to add between 3 - 6 gallons of gas after the pump shuts off ... no matter how slowly the gas is automatically pumped in. Temperature, time of day and altitude seem to not have any effect on getting the tank filled ... the pump shut off early at EVERY instance. There are at least two safety issues noted here ... a gas tank you cannot fill up with taking EXTROADINARY measures ... nearly removing the nozzle and having gas spill out as the air and gas fumes escape out of the tank.

Another issue is the fuel gauge. The car would travel 200 miles before even one guage indicator would click off. There are 10 indicators and the tank suposedly holds nealy 12 gallons of gas. I bet that the car does not get 200 miles per gallon!!!

I spoke the owner of a 2005 Prius. He indicated he also has challenges filling his tank. He was told that this has to do with the ambient temperature. I have talked with a Toyota Prius technician. He stated that there are no parts that can fix this issue. He noted that this has been going on since the first Prius, that there is no fix available. He also noted in the winter that at least one Prius owner comes in each and every day with this same gas tank concern. I also did some research on the internet and this appears to be a LONG outstanding safety hazard!

Re: Something is definitly wrong
 

I totally agree with you ... I cannot fill my 2008 Prius ... the issue has NOT been addressed. Toyota technicians are unable to correct the problem ... the issue is the design of the tank ... STILL!

Re: problem putting gas in Prius
 

Hi,

Welcome to the CLUB!

However, your concerns about the fueling the Prius and the "guess gauge" are the result of a fuel tank with a complex system to minimize gas fume loss. But it can be hurt with a very expensive, non-warranty repair bill if someone overfills the tank:
The most common technique is to fill the tank using the lowest speed at the pump. This minimizes the mix of fumes and gas so you tend to get a good fill. After the first "click," fill to the second and STOP! Now you'll never get perfect tank filling but this is the safest way.

A more 'radical' technique is to carry a 1 gallon, spare can and run the car until it totally runs out of gas. This seems to 'reset' the system and after the first time, all subsequent fuel exhaustion tests resulted in nearly the same fill-ups. But it is a 'radical' technique since running out of gas is recorded in the control computers and in theory, puts your warranty at risk. We can 'clear the codes' by disconnecting the 12 VDC battery for a couple of minutes.

Running out of gas is a trip in this car. A whole bunch of lights come on but you can still use the traction battery to move the car to a safe place ... at a low speed. You want to use the slowest possible speed to reach a safe place within a quarter of a mile so you don't run the traction battery down too much. Folks have gone further but this is not a good idea. Just get to a safe place to add 1 gallon from your spare can and drive to a gas station within 50 miles at the slowest safe speeds.

Bob Wilson

Toyota Prius a SAFEY HAZARD
 

:cry:

I have just read several stories of concern on: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/autom...ota_prius.html. There are MANY other websites that speak to Prius problems: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news0...us_winter.html - http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f1205be - http://www.hybridcars.com/forums/200...-capacity.html - http://priuschat.com/forums/prius-ma...fuel-tank.html - https://www.greenhybrid.com/discuss/...as-prius-1611/ - these are just the ones I have stumbled across.

I am SICK to my stomach. I have TRUSTED Toyota for YEARS to provide a SAFE and RELIABLE vehicle. I traded in my 2007 Toyota Touring Avalon on my 2008 Toyota Prius ... NEVER even giving ONE thought that I was buying an UNSAFE and HAZARDOUS car. (Boy do I ever wish I still had the Avalon ...)

I have personally experienced the FAULTY gas tank design, fuel gauge that is ONLY at best a GUESS gauge, gas and air bubbling out when you TRY to fill the tank and the sheer fright of WONDERING if you are going to run out of gas when your tank shows a few bars left on the gauge.

Now, I am TOTALLY DISGUSTED to have discovered that my car very well may QUIT functioning in snow or slick conditions!!! I live where snow happens rarely, but rain happens ALL the time! I do drive in snow conditions often ... luckly is seems, not yet in this HAZARDOUS car.

I was SOOOO very EXCITED to take my new Prius on our recent road trip!!! Now I am nearly in tears realizing that I am driving, "literally" ... AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN ...

Luckily, as of today, there has not been any physical damage. Unfortunately, emotional damage and loss of faith in Toyota has happened.

:thumbs_do

Re: problem putting gas in Prius
 

What we have been seeing is that the two sensors in the tank that measure the actual level of the fuel in the bladder have become out of adjustment and need to be reprogrammed to set the proper fuel level. chances are that the tank is actually full and is just reading emtpy or low. once the sensors are reset. you might not have the problem you are describing anymore.

you might also have a restriction in the vent system that lets the air around the bladder escape through the charcoal cannister to the engine to be burnt.
we have not seen alot of these cases but I'm sure it is possible that this could happen.