I've run out of gas three times

[drew999]

am i just a moron or what. I have ran out of gas three times and have been seriously low countless other times because i don't notice the gas meter....it seems to go from 2 bars to nothing really quick and the fact that it's not in front of me is a factor\

has this happened to anyone else?

i wish toyota would have added better technology to the dash like letting you know how many miles left until you need to refuel.

[Betrivent]

it's hard for the fuel gauge to be correct because of the shape of the tank and the mechanism that calculates fuel left. When you hit two bars directly go to a gas station, simple.

[nazier]

am i just a moron or what. I have ran out of gas three times and have been seriously low countless other times because i don't notice the gas meter....it seems to go from 2 bars to nothing really quick and the fact that it's not in front of me is a factor\

has this happened to anyone else?

i wish toyota would have added better technology to the dash like letting you know how many miles left until you need to refuel.


if u watch your last bar will start flashing really fast then u know u in the crap again, but the last bar should give you about 15km dont let the happen to offen as the fuel filter seal gets damage, then u got petrol smell in the car, and u wont be able to fill up because it leaks, then u need to change it, and the dealers take the whole day doing this,

yes it would have been nice if they put a beeper to the last bar

[DevilGirl]

if u watch your last bar will start flashing really fast then u know u in the crap again, but the last bar should give you about 15km dont let the happen to offen as the fuel filter seal gets damage, then u got petrol smell in the car, and u wont be able to fill up because it leaks, then u need to change it, and the dealers take the whole day doing this,

yes it would have been nice if they put a beeper to the last bar

The problem is seeing when that last bar starts flashing. When I'm driving, I pay more attention to the road in front of me rather than looking at the gauges all the time. If there was a seperate light, that would have been good. Then again, what would have been even better than that would have been to stick with the analog gas gauge. I find them to be a hell of a lot better.

[nazier]

The problem is seeing when that last bar starts flashing. When I'm driving, I pay more attention to the road in front of me rather than looking at the gauges all the time. If there was a seperate light, that would have been good. Then again, what would have been even better than that would have been to stick with the analog gas gauge. I find them to be a hell of a lot better.

reset your miles counter then keep an eye on the gas guage then u will know when to fill up more or less, also do u drive with the aircon on

[thebarber]

i too reset my trip whenever i fill so i have a good idea of how far i can go

[127.0.0.1]

am i just a moron or what.


probably.

it is not rocket science.


Toyota did all they could putting a gas gauge in that
blinks when YOU NEED TO GET MORE


no one can help you after that, except take your keys away

[IllusionX]

Well, even if you pay more attention to the road.. you should learn to somehow check how much gas is left BEFORE you start driving??!?!?

and you should get the idea how many miles you can go with whatever's left...


also, You probably are someone who don't pay too much attention do the speed you are going at. And you probably is someone who forgets to turn on the headlights at night??

[Kal-El]

I don't know what's so difficult. The gas gauge is clear and set right near the speedometer and clock which I imagine most people take a look at regularly. No?

There's 8 bars. How does one not notice those bars disappearing over the course of 400 miles or so. How do you drive that far and not check your gas level? Personally, I make a mental visual of my gas level like every 5 minutes.

Don't wait to go much pass the last 2 bars unless you can plan well and are around numerous gas stations. The Yaris can go at least another 40 miles when the 2nd to last bar disappears and leaves you with a blinking bar. Running out of gas boggles my mind.

[DevilGirl]

reset your miles counter then keep an eye on the gas guage then u will know when to fill up more or less, also do u drive with the aircon on

I always reset my trip every time I fill up. But again, with the point that I already made, I don't look at my gauge every second. I only turn on the air conditioning when it is too unbearable to drive without it on at highway speeds. When not on the highway, even on the hottest day, I open the windows. But the higher speeds on the highways make it too noisy to have them open.


Well, even if you pay more attention to the road.. you should learn to somehow check how much gas is left BEFORE you start driving??!?!?

Do I look at my gas gauge when I get in my car and start it up? Yeah I do. I'm not an idiot.

and you should get the idea how many miles you can go with whatever's left...

I know generally how far I can go. On occassions it's a matter of I need to get somewhere at a certain time (usually an appointment), and therefore don't have time to stop beforehand to fill up. I know that I can make it there on what I have left in the tank. I just don't exactly when that last little bar starts blinking in the issue because I'm not staring at it while I drive. There are too many truckers on the road as well as idiots that you have to watch for.

also, You probably are someone who don't pay too much attention do the speed you are going at.

I watch my speed so that I am not going much above the limit. I keep it to about 65 on the turnpike (speed limit = 65), and about 60 on other highways where the speed limit = 55. I don't need to actually "watch" the speedometer though to know how fast I am going. I can generally feel how fast my car is traveling by how hard it is working while traveling on either flat, uphill, or downhill.

And you probably is someone who forgets to turn on the headlights at night??

Do I forget to turn my headlights on at night? No. I generally have them on before the sun even sets.



Anyone else have a dig at me just because I state my opinion that having a different style of gas gauge would have been better, in my opinion?

[fnkngrv]

i am not obsessive however I monitor my gauge and know that depending on where the bars disappear tells me certain things. for example when the second to last bar disappears you have used just below 10 gal of gas. If you are an aggressive driver it might behoove you to only drive another 20 miles if you have no way to fill up immediately, or if you are a cautious driver (or at least once you hit one bar) you should be able to go 30 miles in a predicament. I can tell you that I did have 3 quirks where I ran out of gas. Twice my gauge was actually showing 2 bars left and once there was 3 believe it or not. The dealership reset my ECU after the 3 bar incident occurred and things have been smooth sailing since then. I can tell you that I have actually gone over 40 miles on multiple occasions before once the second to last bar disappeared. The biggest thing is to be cognizant of your driving habits and pay attention to when the bars disappear.

[yarrr]

I want my car to automatically drive itself to the gas station and fill itself up when I get low on gas. Driving is too hard - sadface

But seriously, let me get a high speed camera to watch my eyes and I'll tell you how many THOUSANDTHS of a second it takes me to look at my gas gauge and then look back at the road. If you hit someone in that time, you were following too closely or doing something else unsafe. Oh, and last time I was in PA, they still had stop lights you can stop at and maybe, just maybe, its safe to take your eyes off the road then - just for a second.

Also, drive on your last bar as much as you want, your fuel filter will be fine.

[mrb3990]

I think it is just a function of a person's personality. I never let my Yaris go under 2 bars. I'm way too scared of damaging the fuel pump (if I were ever to run out of gas), even though I don't even know if that is possible on a Yaris. I just know that letting your fuel tank go dry is not good for your car and that is enough for me.

[Rain]

I never let mine go beyond the three bar. Set a bar limit. I think that's the simplest way to do it. If you go past the limit that you set, then you know it's time to fill up. No need to wait til your completely out unless of course you're one of those people who intentionally not fill up so they can get "free" gas.

[toad]

i've got a 6 year-old who likes to constantly watch the fuel gauge. i think it's the highlight of her time in the car to keep daddy informed of how many 'bars' of gas i have left! best system out there:laugh:

[tomato]

@ OP : yeah, the last 2 bars don't last as long as the others. There are some threads on here about that. When it starts blinking, start looking for gas! :thumbsup:

[Aothachos]

Usually when you get to the last bar you have about 1.9 gallons of gas left, this is when it is blinking normally, when the bar starts to blink rapidly you have 1.1 gallons of gas left, so basically on how you drive you have about 30+ miles left before you go on E, but yea i agree there should be some sort of beep or noise notification letting you know your fuel is low, like the ticking time bomb seat belt noise lol

[Rain]

i've got a 6 year-old who likes to constantly watch the fuel gauge. i think it's the highlight of her time in the car to keep daddy informed of how many 'bars' of gas i have left! best system out there:laugh:

awww how cute :laugh:

[tomato]

... also, you probably are someone who don't pay too much attention do the speed you are going at. And you probably is someone who forgets to turn on the headlights at night??

and you're probably someone who jumps to conclusions a lot, probably :wink:

probably.

it is not rocket science.


Toyota did all they could putting a gas gauge in that
blinks when YOU NEED TO GET MORE


no one can help you after that, except take your keys away

ahem... *cough* *cough* easy, there, guys. :smile:

[drew999]

i'm not blaming toyota or making excuses. I'm having a go at myself. i'm clearly a moron

[tomato]

^ So you were wondering if you're the only one? :wink:

[Yaris Hilton]

When the last bar first starts blinking on mine, it takes 10 gallons to fill it. If it's an 11.1 gallon tank, that's 1.1 at first blink.

[JumpmanYaris]

Lmao at title

[MadMax]

Whereas I commend you for wanting to keep your eyes on the road and the vehicles around you, I am sure there are plenty of opportunities in Los Angeles to check your gas level with all the red lights and stop signs. Make it a habit to scan your gauges when you're sitting and make a mental note that it goes from two bars to one flashing bar in one step, so once you see that flashing it's time to get gas!

I for one tend to drive the tank near fumes but since I track my consumption and range on a regular basis I have a pretty accurate idea of how far I can push a tank of gas. It's both an art and a science...

Cheers! M2

[mryaris]

When the last bar first starts blinking on mine, it takes 10 gallons to fill it. If it's an 11.1 gallon tank, that's 1.1 at first blink.

My Yaris is the same way. I keep records of all my fill-ups and know that my mileage is usually 38-40MPG, so I monitor the trip odometer as well as the fuel guage. Knowing that it takes 10 gallons to fill up when I hit the last bar, I look at the odo and see where I'm at. That let's me know how much further I can go before I run out.

For example, on my last tank the last bar started flashing at 392 miles, so I knew I was getting around 39 MPG that tank and could confortably drive another 20 miles without fear of running out of gas. Generally speaking, I don't fill up until the last bar starts flashing.....I see no reason to fill up earlier than that. One perk of driving a Yaris is not having to fill up so frequently, so why do it voluntarily?

As for the OP, I have no real criticism for running out of gas, but would suggest (as others already have) that you pick a point to fill up at.....whether it's the second to last bar or a certain mileage and stick with it.

[fnkngrv]

As for the OP, I have no real criticism for running out of gas, but would suggest (as others already have) that you pick a point to fill up at.....whether it's the second to last bar or a certain mileage and stick with it.


yup and if you mod don't forget that may impact your results.

[bronsin]

I fill up when the tank hits half full. Never ran out of gas in over 30 years. That means buying gas every two weeks.

[Rain]

I think I kinda get you now.. do you forget to fill up because you don't have to do it as often as you did with your other cars?

[N9QGS]

Aothachos,

So there is two blinking modes and there is not a mode where the gauge is blank before running out? Cause I have reached the normal blinky and I was always under the impression you have 1.5 gallons left. si I figured I could go about 50-60 miles cause I get about 38 mpg, but after about 15 to 20 miles it starts blinking fast, and I had filled up shortly after that cause I wasn't sure if something more woudl happen after the rapid blinky before you were out... Cause even then I still was only able to put 10.2 gallons in, so I still believe I could have gone more than the length of the original normal blinky.... but what you say supports the fast blink last longer.... hahah Did I confuse anyone yet.. Im just looking for confirmation. Ron

[mryaris]

I fill up when the tank hits half full.

On your next tank, fill up when the tank hits half empty and see if it helps. ;)

[nemelek]

has this happened to anyone else?


To me no. Not in 37 years of driving. I did data a girl who ran out of gas a few times. She also never changed the oil. After 80,000 miles the car stopped working. She drove until the steel belts came through the rubber and had a blow out before she bought new tires. The sad part was that she was never at fault. There was always someone or something else to blame. It has been 25 years since I've seen her. I hope that she grew up and now takes personal responsibility for things in her life.

[bronsin]

Half empty?:iono:

[mryaris]

Half empty?:iono:

You know the old saying....is the glass half full or half empty? If you say half full then you're an optimist, half empty means your a pessimist. Me? I see the tank (or glass, if you will) as varying levels of emptiness....it's only full at the beginning, any other time and it's just more empty than it was. So if you fill your tank when it's half full then you also fill it up when it's half empty.....that was the joke. <insert rim shot here>

[IllusionX]

and you're probably someone who jumps to conclusions a lot, probably :wink:



yeppers :P

i don't know what's getting on me lately, but oh well!!

to OP: i think taking a few minutes to pass by a gas station and be late than TRYING not to be late and run out of gas. Your opinion on the needle gas gauche is ok, your choice, but i mean.. will the needle help you look at your gauge more?

[bronsin]

OK...I just never contemplated the expression "half empty" before. It doesnt make sense!

[jambo101]

am i just a moron or what. I have ran out of gas three times and have been seriously low countless other times because i don't notice the gas meter....
.

The gas gauge is there, if you dont want to look at it to the point that you are continually running out of gas :iono: maybe automobile driving should be replaced with public transit in this case

[nazier]

I always reset my trip every time I fill up. But again, with the point that I already made, I don't look at my gauge every second. I only turn on the air conditioning when it is too unbearable to drive without it on at highway speeds. When not on the highway, even on the hottest day, I open the windows. But the higher speeds on the highways make it too noisy to have them open.




Do I look at my gas gauge when I get in my car and start it up? Yeah I do. I'm not an idiot.



I know generally how far I can go. On occassions it's a matter of I need to get somewhere at a certain time (usually an appointment), and therefore don't have time to stop beforehand to fill up. I know that I can make it there on what I have left in the tank. I just don't exactly when that last little bar starts blinking in the issue because I'm not staring at it while I drive. There are too many truckers on the road as well as idiots that you have to watch for.



I watch my speed so that I am not going much above the limit. I keep it to about 65 on the turnpike (speed limit = 65), and about 60 on other highways where the speed limit = 55. I don't need to actually "watch" the speedometer though to know how fast I am going. I can generally feel how fast my car is traveling by how hard it is working while traveling on either flat, uphill, or downhill.



Do I forget to turn my headlights on at night? No. I generally have them on before the sun even sets.



Anyone else have a dig at me just because I state my opinion that having a different style of gas gauge would have been better, in my opinion?


ok here is what u can do, try and find a heads up display that also gives u your fuel guage on it, then u can keep your eyes on the road and on everything else like your speed, gas, car temp, if not u will need to try and look at the dash, becoz when your car's temp goes up for what ever reason, you are going to blow your engine, and that would be worst then running out of gas, sometimes the distance u travel might change, if u drive or get stuck in traffic

[127.0.0.1]

ask CTScott to wire a 20,000 volt shock to your arse when the last bar blinks

[Kal-El]

Create a direct link from the ECU to your cerebellum, preferably wirelessly. This will provide continuous real time updates.

[slothman86]

The Gauge Cluster tells you more than gas... If you're not checking it at least every 30 seconds..... you're wrong.

[CKaelin]

probably.

it is not rocket science.


Toyota did all they could putting a gas gauge in that
blinks when YOU NEED TO GET MORE


no one can help you after that, except take your keys away


:thumbup:

[Canuck]

You are supposed to scan all 3 mirrors and gauges every few minutes.

[CtrlAltDefeat]

No offense, OP, but I think it's nearly impossible to run out of gas, especially in a Yaris (or other gas sipper). I don't constantly monitor my gas, but the flashing gas bar is very noticeable. 30+ miles to go when it's flashing is plenty of gas to find a gas station.

On a side note, I once had to drive home (about 30 miles) on a rapidly flashing bar, because payday was the next day. I drafted a semi at 55-60mph all the way home and still had gas the next day to get to the station... I love my Yaris :thumbup:

[Fifthrate]

Yea, it took a little time to get used to but I would always catch it just as the bar started blinking. The first time was harrowing until I realized that the blinking did mean I was low but usually I had around 12-15 miles left of fuel which was usually more than enough to find a gas station. These days I usually don't let it get lower than 2 bars.

[landrym28]

You are supposed to scan all 3 mirrors and gauges every few minutes.

+1. Most times I'm checking even more frequently than 30 seconds.

[Thai_Dang]

As for the OP, if worst comes to worst, have a spare fuel tank in the trunk, like this http://www.walmart.com/ip/6-Gallon-Fuel-Tank-See-Thru-No-Gauge/11071221 . But seriously though, lol its a gauge, you're being told how much gas is left, and it actively blinks when it's low. I don't think any car tells you how much miles you have left, that's impossible, because that is really dependent on how fast you drive/driving conditions. It would seriously be a palm face fail moment if Toyota has to recall the Yaris because people can't read what is essentially a bar graph.

[yaris2010RS]

everyone has good points but not gonna lie, i kinda have to agree with the OP. i have never run out and i prob never will.

the problem i find is ill look at the gas level and it will say 2 bars, then say a min or 2 later ill look back and it will be flashing, i personally think they should have put 10 bars or more in but its something to get use to

now on the other hand if u dont notice it flashing and flashing quickly for about 50km (thats usually how far i go on the flash) wtf were u looking at for that aprox hour on the highway? lol

[BluYrs]

I don't think any car tells you how much miles you have left, that's impossible, because that is really dependent on how fast you drive/driving conditions.
My Yaris does. It takes the average mileage for that tank and approximately calculates how far you could go with the said mileage. However, it's cautious, so when it reaches 0, you actually have some 20-30 miles to go.

[ChilliwackGuy]

I usually drive about 450-460 KM'S before I re-fuel my Yaris - so that means I usually buy gas every 2 days - since my commute is about 250 KMS a day. That winds up being at least 50% of what it used to cost me to drive my 09 RAV4 LTD V4 the same distance - I rarely ever watch the fuel gauge - I do watch the KM counter though.

[PETERPOOP]

lol. never had this problem.

[RedHatch08]

Me neither.

I guess they could add a warning sound or something once it gets below a certain level, but most people at least check the gauge often enough to keep from running out.

Plus one would think that the first time you ran out of gas, it would make you more vigilant in the future. 3 times though is quite a bit.

[IllusionX]

^^ hahahaha...
it should beep for 1 min for each bar the gauge goes down.

already people find the seatbelt beeping annoying.. geez. :)

[Zaphod]

You could try taping a suggestive photograph of your favorite model next to your gas gauge. :wink:

[ChilliwackGuy]

Personally - after a month and a few days of owning a Yaris - I've given up staring at the gauges and tracking my gas mileage - I just buy gas every 2 days - usually $10-$15 CDN at a time.

[33OH]

Instead of this 5" tach with a shift light, just put in a huge gas gauge with a "gas low" light.

http://www.slantnosefox.com/picturehosting/jeremy/66%20Mustang/autometer%20gauges.jpg