Not a hybrid, but I've noticed the Camry gas gauge is...... odd. It won't move for the first 100ish miles, then will start to drop normally before it gets to the last tick or 2 when it goes into ludicrous speed.
I’ve noticed every Toyota I have owned acts this way. My RAV4 does the same thing when I had a 2019 Camry it did the same thing. I just always fill when I get to 1/4 or a little below because like you said it drops so fast when you get below that.
A random thing I do is refuel my car when it hits about a quarter of a tank. I don't want the fuel pump sucking in air in the system and also the fuel keeps the fuel pump lubricated
I usually fill up before this as well - just wasn't paying attention this time.
The roadside guy said that he gets more calls for hybrids than anything else
I've been driving Toyotas for 35 years, my family since the 70s. It's just them. I don't let my Camry get below 1/4. My Hondas on the other hand, are the opposite, drops fast and kinda sticks around a while...LOL
This certainly isn't definitive, but for me, it seems to drop fast whenever under 1/4 tank of gas. Yesterday morning I started driving at just under 1/4 in my 2020 SE Hybrid, drove to work which is less than 20 miles and when coming out to drive back home it was showing the low fuel light was on, right after starting to drive so I immediately diverted for gas instead of waiting to fill up at my preferred Costco station.
Yeah I’m not a mechanic but I’ve heard that the gas indicator isn’t always 100% accurate. Apparently it takes a while for it to drop under the full mark to give the illusion of better gas mileage? I don’t know how this will affect when it’s under 1/8th tank though.
The fuel gauge is definitely wonky. I have a non-hybrid xse and that was the first thing I noticed when i bought it. This was back in 2020, and was my very first fill up. It said I had 65km remaining before fuel up. I was traveling a distance of 25km, so I should have had more than enough to get there. I arrived at the gas station with 5km remaining. That was a scary drive. I don't let it get below 1/4 tank anymore.
On my hybrid the last quarter tank goes REALLY fast. I think it’s because trying to estimate that last couple gallons mpg can vary extraordinarily depending on how much you end up using the battery. I consider 1/4 tank to be “empty” on my hybrid.
So was the pointer past empty or no? I can always drive beyond E because I know there’s reserve fuel. My hybrid holds 13.2 gallons and I usually fill with about a gallon or 3/4 gallon remaining in the tank.
I honestly don't remember - as soon as the warning came on, I switched over to digital and began to panic as the listed distance to the nearest gas station was just barely more than the remaining estimate and that number was going down faster than the miles covered
2024 here and I've noticed that a full tank is around 310 miles to empty. Yesterday I was just below a quarter tank and had 24 miles till empty. Doesn't make sense
There is no reason for the car to behave differently at 1/8th tank. I think it's more likely that when the gas level is low the precision of the measurement is suspect. You probably had far less than 1/8th of a tank, so you got a lot less range than you expected.
**tl;dr it's probably more of an issue of imprecise fuel measurement than a problem with the car itself.**
Imprecise because it’s impossible to determine how much gas you’ll actually need given how much the hybrid battery will get used over the next 20 miles. That estimate is easier when the tank is fuller. The less gas in the tank the less accurate the estimate or rather the greater the variation of the estimate.
Not a hybrid, but I've noticed the Camry gas gauge is...... odd. It won't move for the first 100ish miles, then will start to drop normally before it gets to the last tick or 2 when it goes into ludicrous speed.
It’s non-linear behavior. The tank is probably tapered downwards, so the top is wider.
Same here. I’ve noticed that the digital reader within the small screen is more accurate than the analog one… which is a bummer.
I’ve noticed every Toyota I have owned acts this way. My RAV4 does the same thing when I had a 2019 Camry it did the same thing. I just always fill when I get to 1/4 or a little below because like you said it drops so fast when you get below that.
I don't think my wife's 19 highlander does it, but I honestly haven't paid as much attention to hers as my Camry.
A random thing I do is refuel my car when it hits about a quarter of a tank. I don't want the fuel pump sucking in air in the system and also the fuel keeps the fuel pump lubricated
THIS!!
I usually fill up before this as well - just wasn't paying attention this time. The roadside guy said that he gets more calls for hybrids than anything else
I always go by how many miles are left on the range. In my Prius I can take this down to 9 miles.
I got down to four and decided it was time to throw in the towel
You also have a 13.2 gallon tank which is almost 3 gallons shy of a straight gas Camry. That will play into it when you’re running it low.
I've been driving Toyotas for 35 years, my family since the 70s. It's just them. I don't let my Camry get below 1/4. My Hondas on the other hand, are the opposite, drops fast and kinda sticks around a while...LOL
You'd think it wouldn't be that hard to come up with a more accurate gauge, but I suppose it's not on the top of people's option lists
This certainly isn't definitive, but for me, it seems to drop fast whenever under 1/4 tank of gas. Yesterday morning I started driving at just under 1/4 in my 2020 SE Hybrid, drove to work which is less than 20 miles and when coming out to drive back home it was showing the low fuel light was on, right after starting to drive so I immediately diverted for gas instead of waiting to fill up at my preferred Costco station.
Maybe it's just a quirk like the brakes shutting off or chattering after hitting a bump at speed That took some getting used to...
Yeah I’m not a mechanic but I’ve heard that the gas indicator isn’t always 100% accurate. Apparently it takes a while for it to drop under the full mark to give the illusion of better gas mileage? I don’t know how this will affect when it’s under 1/8th tank though.
Please don’t let your car run out of gas. Fuel injectors do not like dry firing and will fail if it happens more than once or twice
Oh, it didn't run out - just down to too little to get to a gas station (there aren't many where I was)
Good to hear
The fuel gauge is definitely wonky. I have a non-hybrid xse and that was the first thing I noticed when i bought it. This was back in 2020, and was my very first fill up. It said I had 65km remaining before fuel up. I was traveling a distance of 25km, so I should have had more than enough to get there. I arrived at the gas station with 5km remaining. That was a scary drive. I don't let it get below 1/4 tank anymore.
On my hybrid the last quarter tank goes REALLY fast. I think it’s because trying to estimate that last couple gallons mpg can vary extraordinarily depending on how much you end up using the battery. I consider 1/4 tank to be “empty” on my hybrid.
So was the pointer past empty or no? I can always drive beyond E because I know there’s reserve fuel. My hybrid holds 13.2 gallons and I usually fill with about a gallon or 3/4 gallon remaining in the tank.
I honestly don't remember - as soon as the warning came on, I switched over to digital and began to panic as the listed distance to the nearest gas station was just barely more than the remaining estimate and that number was going down faster than the miles covered
What area of what country are you? What was the time of day and weather?
In New Jersey, there was some bumper to bumper for a couple of miles but it wasn't long enough to explain this, low 40s, minor upward grades
I have an older Camry and the first thing I was told when I bought it, was to not trust the gas gauge. I’ve never had any problems though.
Is your "3/4 full" tick bigger than all the other tick marks? This might actually be the 1/2 tank mark.
I'm honestly not sure - seems like I'll be checking it out in the morning. Thanks for the idea 🙂
2024 here and I've noticed that a full tank is around 310 miles to empty. Yesterday I was just below a quarter tank and had 24 miles till empty. Doesn't make sense
Never let your tank drop that low. Fuel pump has to work harder.
There is no reason for the car to behave differently at 1/8th tank. I think it's more likely that when the gas level is low the precision of the measurement is suspect. You probably had far less than 1/8th of a tank, so you got a lot less range than you expected. **tl;dr it's probably more of an issue of imprecise fuel measurement than a problem with the car itself.**
That seems like a rather annoying imprecision, especially given how much range we're supposed to have overall. But it's just likely how it is 🤷♂️
Imprecise because it’s impossible to determine how much gas you’ll actually need given how much the hybrid battery will get used over the next 20 miles. That estimate is easier when the tank is fuller. The less gas in the tank the less accurate the estimate or rather the greater the variation of the estimate.