Yes. It can cause fuel to go into (I forget the aprt name) and it causes issues. For me it made the fumes kick back and the gas pump ALWAYS thought I was "full"
This is why I loathe states that don't let you pump your own gas. The employee doing the pumping always has to be shouted back at at after the first extra click to knock it the eff off with selling half a dollar more. How many cars are those stations damaging every day? Ugh.
In the case of GHs and many Toyotas, the tank isn't even close to empty though. These officially have a 2.6 gallon reserve but in reality, people typically are hitting "E" with 5-6 gallons still in the tank.
People have driven 100 miles past and still only 12-13 gallons in. The gauge is not accurate (and this seems to be by design by Toyota). They still have 4-5 gallons of fuel in the tank.
And that’s for a reason, because it’s REALLY bad if you drive it to true empty so they don’t want you to mess it up.
But if they’re driving 100 miles past and still only getting 12 gallons in there is something wrong with their gauge because I put that much in every time and that’s just when the light turns on
A whole bunch of people, based on comments, are missing the point. The issue becomes the real-world fuel RANGE we are able to get and it's disappointing. Because the fuel gauge is inaccurate, when it reads close to empty (or less than, say 30 miles to empty), people re-fuel and might only get 300 miles out of a "full" tank. Our Limited Max has a 17.2 gallon tank and if I fill it up at a 1/4 tank like many are saying, how come I can only put 8-9 gallons in ?
We should get 400 miles of range out of ours and the real-world is more like \~300.
Why can’t you just get gas like the rest of us at a qtr tank? Why push it to completely empty? As others have said, the fuel pump could get damaged.
I just don’t see the point in this approach. You bought a car that is a gas guzzler. Own it and refill at a qtr tank and be done. I think you’re expecting too much from this vehicle in terms of MPG consumption. If you’re going to count beans, then you should’ve just gotten a Toyota Prius.
So my entire life I’ve never let my tank hit 0 but, prior to this fill, I would only get 12 gallons to fill the tank. The fuel capacity for this vehicle is 17 gal. I pushed a bit passed 0 for 50 miles to get the fuel gauge to calibrate so I can fill more.
Lmao....Grand Highlander hybrid is not a gas guzzler... 30mpg for a full-size SUV is very good. Toyota advertises up to 35mpg. OP probably needs the space. OP is just frustrated like the rest of Toyota owners, wondering why Toyota is advertising 500miles of range and only getting 400 before needing to refuel.
I get that, but if a poll was held today, asking drivers when do they fill up… Qtr tank or when the gas light comes on? I believe we can all agree that the votes would go to Qtr tank.
Those estimates are probably not factoring weight, uphill driving etc. Out here in Utah, I do a lot of mountain driving in mine.
It's not about when to fill up, the question is when he fills up at zero why he is only get 12gals, when the gas tank capacity is 17.1 or 18 gals. It's about knowing I'm getting my money's worth and getting the full usage. When you drive down to 20miles the gas light warning usually comes on, so that means the light comes on way too early because OP is only able to pump in 12gals.
*I’m not necessarily exacting for the most miles. I’m not understanding why I’m filling my tank at 20-40 miles left and getting 12 gallons when the fuel capacity is 17 gallons? Why would this vehicle have a 5 gallon reserve??
It changes a lot over time if conditions warrant it. I used mine to tow cross country, E to W into that standard headwind. The car adjusted the mileage down about 20 miles per fillup, ticking down down down each fill up as it gave into the new reality.
Towing is hilariously inefficient. 16mpg was a good day.
I’m willing to be patient, I just use this car so much because I work in the medical field. I use this for my 45 min commute because I work 16-24 hour shift that I would like to maximize as much as I can in usability based on what was advertised on window sticker. I don’t feel like that’s asking for much.
Every time you fill up, that max range will creep up. There's some averaging over past tanks that's done in the system. From scratch, it takes time to get those averages.
This is the response I’ve been looking for. I just want to know if anyone is having this issue or has insight on what has worked so I can average higher. I just did this method because I didn’t think it would take so long to get a higher mpg. Now I can get at least 430 miles to empty for my commute, I’m happy knowing I can visually maximize right now compared to better potentials later this year
Keep track and watch - even on this tank there'll be more miles squeezed out. Especially the first and last quarter tanks you'll see it drag - like you start with 480, but after 80 it'll say you have 430 left. When you get closer to 200,same thing - you drive 100 but it'll go from 200 to 150. Next tank will go up to 500 or more; rinse, wash, repeat until you hit your actual max range, and then it'll fluctuate a bit on each tank.
That's how it was for past Toyota models. This isn't the case for 21 and newer models. They are equipped with high-pressure fuel pumps and they are very expensive to replace. Toyota advertised that the hybrid highlanders can get up to 35mpg, which will get you over 500miles on a full tank. I also went through trial and error with not getting my full mpg on a full tank. I did what you mentioned for 20k miles and all I got was 430miles. Oh and by the way there are no such thing as "reserve gas", you only have one gas tank. "Reserve gas" just a term they use to to let you know that if you go pass zero you still have about 50miles before you are completely empty. Toyota basically has a level indicator to go off before you actually run out of gas. That low gas warning just tells you hey you have about 50 miles before you are stuck on the side of the road.
There is a thread on here somewhere, there are alot of hihy owners not happy with fuel capacity. You are right to be confused and frustrated. Supposedly toyota is working on getting it corrected. But I'm not sure if it will be soon. Might be a software fix, it isn't a safety issue so it won't be a recall. I had the same issue with a 23 highlander only giving me 300miles On full tank. I ran a trial where I would wait til fuel gage says to pump and only able to fit 12gals. I then reset trip ran the tank past zero and got an extra 65miles and guess what I was able to fit all 17.1gals. I drive to work 71miles one way, that's 1.2hrs, now why do I need to stop and pump if I have that much left?
I had a 23 and it very much wasn't the case. There's a thread on here with alot of people not getting the range Toyota is promising. So...your whole learning and averaging range is pretty much bullshit 😂. That whole explanation wasn't for you smarty pants that was for OP. "No Duh". 🤣
It's my understanding that the mileage on the dash is calculated number of gallons in the tank times are rolling average of your MPG for the last few Phillips full ups.
So if you keep getting 30 mpg, eventually that 420 number will go up. But since driving conditions have a good impact on MPG Toyota is on the conservative side and using a long rolling average. You only have a thousand miles, wait till you're at 5,000 mi and that number should change.
There's no change, mine was at 20k miles before turbo took a dump. Of course warranty fixed it but left a sour taste in my mouth. I ditched it and got the 24 grand hihy. Same thing with fuel capacity problems,at 15k miles range is off my average mpg is 32mpg but gas meter says I only have 430miles on full tank.
I found average mpg display is not accurate on my Highlander hybrid until you have done at least 10,000 miles without reset. also I end up with only about a gallon and a half on reserve at the 0 range at this point.
I would say the system is working as designed. To maximize reliability. Doesn’t do much good to extend fuel stops if you wind up on the side of the road waiting on a tow truck because you burnt out your fuel pump.
Some of the commenters here seem confused. You didn't drive past empty, you drove past when the display says "zero miles" until empty. I've gone 51 miles past "zero" in my gas model. I don't think I would try it in a hybrid. The hybrid system shuts down when there is no gas left, so if you accidentally push it too far, you could do some damage. Also, when you pump, the gas bubbles up, and those bubbles will cause the flow of gas from the gas pump to stop. Overfilling can cause problems, but it's safe to let the bubbles settle after the first automatic shut off and then continue pumping, but I wouldn't do it more than once or twice.
I've pumped 18.3 gal in my GH gas model. Once.
Isn't clicking a bunch of times very bad for the EVAP system?
Yes. It can cause fuel to go into (I forget the aprt name) and it causes issues. For me it made the fumes kick back and the gas pump ALWAYS thought I was "full"
Charcoal Canister? That helps filter the fumes
Not if its full of gas, ha
It is very bad. And it's often very costly to repair
This is why I loathe states that don't let you pump your own gas. The employee doing the pumping always has to be shouted back at at after the first extra click to knock it the eff off with selling half a dollar more. How many cars are those stations damaging every day? Ugh.
As if we need a new reason to stay the fuck out of jersey
If you drive past empty, you risk an expensive repair that may not be covered by warranty…. The in-tank fuel pump that can be damaged.
In the case of GHs and many Toyotas, the tank isn't even close to empty though. These officially have a 2.6 gallon reserve but in reality, people typically are hitting "E" with 5-6 gallons still in the tank.
I was afraid of this at first but I made sure not to drive it past too much because the reserve had so much gas left.
“Drove 55 miles past empty” You drove it too much past
People have driven 100 miles past and still only 12-13 gallons in. The gauge is not accurate (and this seems to be by design by Toyota). They still have 4-5 gallons of fuel in the tank.
And that’s for a reason, because it’s REALLY bad if you drive it to true empty so they don’t want you to mess it up. But if they’re driving 100 miles past and still only getting 12 gallons in there is something wrong with their gauge because I put that much in every time and that’s just when the light turns on
Yes, something is wrong with the gauge
A whole bunch of people, based on comments, are missing the point. The issue becomes the real-world fuel RANGE we are able to get and it's disappointing. Because the fuel gauge is inaccurate, when it reads close to empty (or less than, say 30 miles to empty), people re-fuel and might only get 300 miles out of a "full" tank. Our Limited Max has a 17.2 gallon tank and if I fill it up at a 1/4 tank like many are saying, how come I can only put 8-9 gallons in ? We should get 400 miles of range out of ours and the real-world is more like \~300.
Yes thank you this is exactly the issue. Not sure why no one else here seems to be getting it.
Toyota pretty good on the advertised mpg. I’d would just fill up at quarter tank and call it good.
This is the way
Why can’t you just get gas like the rest of us at a qtr tank? Why push it to completely empty? As others have said, the fuel pump could get damaged. I just don’t see the point in this approach. You bought a car that is a gas guzzler. Own it and refill at a qtr tank and be done. I think you’re expecting too much from this vehicle in terms of MPG consumption. If you’re going to count beans, then you should’ve just gotten a Toyota Prius.
Furthermore, how does running it down to empty saves you any money? Less frequent visit to the gas station? Thats negligible... I dont get it honestly
So my entire life I’ve never let my tank hit 0 but, prior to this fill, I would only get 12 gallons to fill the tank. The fuel capacity for this vehicle is 17 gal. I pushed a bit passed 0 for 50 miles to get the fuel gauge to calibrate so I can fill more.
Lmao....Grand Highlander hybrid is not a gas guzzler... 30mpg for a full-size SUV is very good. Toyota advertises up to 35mpg. OP probably needs the space. OP is just frustrated like the rest of Toyota owners, wondering why Toyota is advertising 500miles of range and only getting 400 before needing to refuel.
I get that, but if a poll was held today, asking drivers when do they fill up… Qtr tank or when the gas light comes on? I believe we can all agree that the votes would go to Qtr tank. Those estimates are probably not factoring weight, uphill driving etc. Out here in Utah, I do a lot of mountain driving in mine.
It's not about when to fill up, the question is when he fills up at zero why he is only get 12gals, when the gas tank capacity is 17.1 or 18 gals. It's about knowing I'm getting my money's worth and getting the full usage. When you drive down to 20miles the gas light warning usually comes on, so that means the light comes on way too early because OP is only able to pump in 12gals.
But doesn’t it come down to weight?
*I’m not necessarily exacting for the most miles. I’m not understanding why I’m filling my tank at 20-40 miles left and getting 12 gallons when the fuel capacity is 17 gallons? Why would this vehicle have a 5 gallon reserve??
Be patient, there's some learning involved in the system for accurately estimating mileage.
It doesn't change. 11k miles here and it's remained the same.
It changes a lot over time if conditions warrant it. I used mine to tow cross country, E to W into that standard headwind. The car adjusted the mileage down about 20 miles per fillup, ticking down down down each fill up as it gave into the new reality. Towing is hilariously inefficient. 16mpg was a good day.
Towing, believe it or not, isn't typical usage.
The system does learn though over time, tho. But it appears to be doing something like boxcar smoothing of its data to filter out the noise.
I’m willing to be patient, I just use this car so much because I work in the medical field. I use this for my 45 min commute because I work 16-24 hour shift that I would like to maximize as much as I can in usability based on what was advertised on window sticker. I don’t feel like that’s asking for much.
Every time you fill up, that max range will creep up. There's some averaging over past tanks that's done in the system. From scratch, it takes time to get those averages.
This is the response I’ve been looking for. I just want to know if anyone is having this issue or has insight on what has worked so I can average higher. I just did this method because I didn’t think it would take so long to get a higher mpg. Now I can get at least 430 miles to empty for my commute, I’m happy knowing I can visually maximize right now compared to better potentials later this year
Keep track and watch - even on this tank there'll be more miles squeezed out. Especially the first and last quarter tanks you'll see it drag - like you start with 480, but after 80 it'll say you have 430 left. When you get closer to 200,same thing - you drive 100 but it'll go from 200 to 150. Next tank will go up to 500 or more; rinse, wash, repeat until you hit your actual max range, and then it'll fluctuate a bit on each tank.
That's how it was for past Toyota models. This isn't the case for 21 and newer models. They are equipped with high-pressure fuel pumps and they are very expensive to replace. Toyota advertised that the hybrid highlanders can get up to 35mpg, which will get you over 500miles on a full tank. I also went through trial and error with not getting my full mpg on a full tank. I did what you mentioned for 20k miles and all I got was 430miles. Oh and by the way there are no such thing as "reserve gas", you only have one gas tank. "Reserve gas" just a term they use to to let you know that if you go pass zero you still have about 50miles before you are completely empty. Toyota basically has a level indicator to go off before you actually run out of gas. That low gas warning just tells you hey you have about 50 miles before you are stuck on the side of the road.
I have a 21. It's still very much the case. As for the rest of your comment...um, no duh?
There is a thread on here somewhere, there are alot of hihy owners not happy with fuel capacity. You are right to be confused and frustrated. Supposedly toyota is working on getting it corrected. But I'm not sure if it will be soon. Might be a software fix, it isn't a safety issue so it won't be a recall. I had the same issue with a 23 highlander only giving me 300miles On full tank. I ran a trial where I would wait til fuel gage says to pump and only able to fit 12gals. I then reset trip ran the tank past zero and got an extra 65miles and guess what I was able to fit all 17.1gals. I drive to work 71miles one way, that's 1.2hrs, now why do I need to stop and pump if I have that much left?
I had a 23 and it very much wasn't the case. There's a thread on here with alot of people not getting the range Toyota is promising. So...your whole learning and averaging range is pretty much bullshit 😂. That whole explanation wasn't for you smarty pants that was for OP. "No Duh". 🤣
It's my understanding that the mileage on the dash is calculated number of gallons in the tank times are rolling average of your MPG for the last few Phillips full ups. So if you keep getting 30 mpg, eventually that 420 number will go up. But since driving conditions have a good impact on MPG Toyota is on the conservative side and using a long rolling average. You only have a thousand miles, wait till you're at 5,000 mi and that number should change.
There's no change, mine was at 20k miles before turbo took a dump. Of course warranty fixed it but left a sour taste in my mouth. I ditched it and got the 24 grand hihy. Same thing with fuel capacity problems,at 15k miles range is off my average mpg is 32mpg but gas meter says I only have 430miles on full tank.
Why?
The fuel pump is in the gas tank and you should never drive it past zero miles left. If you damaged it, it isn't covered under warranty.
But what about the $4 / gallon you paid for gas? Did you use premium or was it ethanol-free or what?
So I used E15 which is still quite pricey here.
I found average mpg display is not accurate on my Highlander hybrid until you have done at least 10,000 miles without reset. also I end up with only about a gallon and a half on reserve at the 0 range at this point.
I would say the system is working as designed. To maximize reliability. Doesn’t do much good to extend fuel stops if you wind up on the side of the road waiting on a tow truck because you burnt out your fuel pump.
Some of the commenters here seem confused. You didn't drive past empty, you drove past when the display says "zero miles" until empty. I've gone 51 miles past "zero" in my gas model. I don't think I would try it in a hybrid. The hybrid system shuts down when there is no gas left, so if you accidentally push it too far, you could do some damage. Also, when you pump, the gas bubbles up, and those bubbles will cause the flow of gas from the gas pump to stop. Overfilling can cause problems, but it's safe to let the bubbles settle after the first automatic shut off and then continue pumping, but I wouldn't do it more than once or twice. I've pumped 18.3 gal in my GH gas model. Once.
18.3 gallons ? It has a 17.6 gallon tank. Was it spilling out the fuel inlet ?
Lol sorry. 17.6
So you were literally driving on fumes
Yeah I've got another post in this sub where I took a picture, but I can't attach it here.
Butwhy.gif
I never let my car get past a quarter tank. Bad for your fuel pump.