New h250 owner - 750 miles total

I recently ran the fuel level down to the point where the perfomance screen indicated I had 10 miles left for range.

I pulled over to gas up and the tank only took 11.5 gallons of gas

Shouldn't I have had 3 + gallons left an dover 100 miles of range?

Is this something wrong with the car or just the way tehfactory sets the warnings?

 

from what I heard,, even if you run it down to 0 miles remaining,, there is still a 2 gallon reserve in this car.. Yeah,,, I know,, it doesnt make sense at all... the point of the mileage indicator is really pointless the way they have it set up from the factory.. Tell me about it.. lol

 

When you filled up, did you stop pumping gas after the first click of the pump? If so, you can actually pump in more than 2 additional gallons after that. I've calculated that I have approx 2.9 gallons left when my low fuel light comes on and approx 2.3 gal left when the cruising range (distance til empty) hits zero.

 

Hyperme - Do you still top off? If yes with no problems? If yes - right to the very top?
Thanks in advance . James

 

Yes, I still top off and no, I have never had any problems. I don't think I've ever topped off to the very top because it seems like you can keep adding more fuel and could probably stand at the pump for 30 minutes letting the gas trickle in. But I'm pretty sure I come very close to the top.

 

Car companies factor in a reserve of fuel, typically 2-3 gallons, when calibrating fuel gauges, low-fuel lights, and distance-to-empty meters. Because they know a lot of drivers will drive until "E", and they don't want this to cause fuel pump damage when driving on a hill or around a sharp turn. 11.5 is about what I get when I refill my HS, typically with about 10-20 miles left to "empty".

Just be advised that topping off gas tanks is potentially harmful to your car, your wallet, and the environment. There is really no benefit, other than bragging rights, so why chance it?

http://www.epa.gov/donttopoff/

http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii-...our-prius.html

http://repairpal.com/blog/is-it-okay...p-off-gas-tank

and don't get caught doing it in Oregon:
http://www.oregonlive.com/environmen..._now_bann.html

 

Personally, I've let the gas light come on 3 times now and all 3 times, I've had varying results. First time the light came on, I drove a couple of miles to my usual gas station and put in just over 12.6 gallons of fuel.
Second time the light came on during a very slight incline and then it went off again and I was able to drive another 8 miles before the light came on again. Then I drove to my usual gas station, about 3-4 miles away and put in only 11.4 gallons.
Just the other day, light came on, drove about 4-5 miles and put in 12.1 gallons.
So far, I've had very large discrepancies as to when the light comes on and how much gas I put in. And I don't top off (and also use the same gas station and pump every time).
I've also noticed that the miles left to empty also varies greatly and it hasn't matched the amount I put in. So all in all, I've learned not to take chances and run the tank too much more after the light comes on, *thinking* I have at least 2-3 gallons left to empty because it's not always the case.
The trip computer fuel economy rating thus far has been understating/under estimating fuel economy by 8.5-9.5% compared to actual calculations based on miles traveled and the amount of gas I put in each tank.