The Bars and MPG question - Toyota Yaris Forums

UncleMo · 09-18-2009, 08:09 AM

Hi. You know how there are 8 bars that show you how much fuel you have? How is it possible that I went 62 or 63 miles before the first bar went away. If my estimates are correct, I should get 496 total miles out of my entire tank if this holds up(62 * 8 = 496 total miles). If you take 496 and divide that by 11.1, which is the tank size for an 07 sedan, you get 44.68 mpg. How is this possible when fuel economy.com told me I would get 29mpg (city)?

DevilGirl · 09-18-2009, 08:20 AM

EPA estimates are never all that acurate. As far as miles per bar, I'm not positive on how the tank is on the Yaris, but I know on all other cars I've owned, the first half of the tank goes slowly, and the second half runs through pretty quickly, due to the shaping of the tank. I've generally been getting about 350-370 miles to the tank, (refueling when the last bar starts to blink, or shortly thereafter), with an average MPG of about 37.5.

YarisOwnersDad · 09-18-2009, 10:46 AM

You might be over-filling the tank by topping it off after the pump clicks off. This will give you more miles on the first bar, but it is not a good thing to do. They warn you that you can mess up your fuel tank vent system by over-filling the tank. I used to be guilty of that practice, but now I just stop filling the first time the pump kicks off.

Tom

Zaphod · 09-18-2009, 11:07 AM

500 miles on less than 10 gallons is totally possible with restraint in the right driving conditions.

Like everyone says, those 8 digital partitions don't necessarily represent equal measures of gas. That's why everyone just waits to do the division when they fill up.

Still, you may have found a car that just really compliments your driving technique.

UncleMo · 09-18-2009, 11:56 AM

Well I must say I did baby it. I usually drive like I just busted out of prison and there are points to be racked up if I hit pedestrians.

DevilGirl · 09-18-2009, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UncleMo

Well I must say I did baby it. I usually drive like I just busted out of prison and there are points to be racked up if I hit pedestrians.

I hear it was 50 points a ped... 100 for babies in strollers... 25 for old farts (they can't move to get outta your way, and they're at the end of their life cycle)....

b_hickman11 · 09-18-2009, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UncleMo

Hi. You know how there are 8 bars that show you how much fuel you have? How is it possible that I went 62 or 63 miles before the first bar went away. If my estimates are correct, I should get 496 total miles out of my entire tank if this holds up(62 * 8 = 496 total miles). If you take 496 and divide that by 11.1, which is the tank size for an 07 sedan, you get 44.68 mpg. How is this possible when fuel economy.com told me I would get 29mpg (city)?

62 miles on the 1st bar is not bad but you could do a lot better. I average around 80 for the 1st bar. The most I ever got on the 1st bar was around 120 miles. Most fuel gauges are not accurate in the sense that there is an even amount of gas for each bar or for each tick on the old style.

09box · 09-18-2009, 04:10 PM

I usually don't go more than 30 miles when the last bar starts flashing. I've already learned my lesson after running out of gas. Usually now, I fill up 20-25 miles after the last bar starts flashing. I've been getting about 380 miles on a tank lately.

jambo101 · 09-18-2009, 04:39 PM

Not all bars are created equal just like the old analogue gauges each bar will give differing mileages.. 45mpg should be easily attainable in your Yaris..

Forrest · 09-19-2009, 06:07 PM

The bars...are only estimates. You will not get the same amount of miles on each bar. They are only an indication of approximate amount of gas you have in the tank and when you need to refill.

Keith Tinari · 09-29-2009, 09:53 PM

mine has changed since I bought the car and gotten even worse since I have "modded" it. I have a K&N drop in and the TRD axleback and drive fairly conservatively. I went from dropping the first bar at 80-100 miles to last week when I reset the ECU for the filter and axleback and dropped the first bar at 66 and second bar at 89. What gives? I get gas from the same sunoco station I have always gone to for the last say 4 years.

DevilGirl · 09-30-2009, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keith Tinari

I get gas from the same sunoco station I have always gone to for the last say 4 years.

Always possible that the gas station had a bad mix come in. I've had that. Same place for quite awhile, driving habits hadn't changed, but got either waaaay better or significantly worse. Bad shipment I think.

SaerinRhoe · 09-30-2009, 11:28 AM

I've gotten 84 miles before losing the first bar so I don't think there's any exact measurement for it. As for fuel mileage, I've gone 440 miles on a tank before the last bar started its slow blink.

One of these days I want to drive it all the way to the end just to see how far I can get on a complete tank but I've not had the time yet.

S.R.

jtcoop · 10-01-2009, 09:56 PM

If you divide the 11 gal tank by 8 you would have 1.375 gallons per bar. Let's say you are getting 40 mpg. Multiply 40times 1.375 to get 55 miles per bar. Since most are getting 60+ miles or above before the first bar goes out it would stand to reason that the bars are not equal. I have even noticed that I can not double the mileage between the first and the second bars. I doubt I will try and drive 55 miles after the last bar starts flashing.
Is it just me or does the flashing get faster the longer you drive?

AlexNet0 · 10-01-2009, 11:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jtcoop

If you divide the 11 gal tank by 8 you would have 1.375 gallons per bar. Let's say you are getting 40 mpg. Multiply 40times 1.375 to get 55 miles per bar. Since most are getting 60+ miles or above before the first bar goes out it would stand to reason that the bars are not equal. I have even noticed that I can not double the mileage between the first and the second bars. I doubt I will try and drive 55 miles after the last bar starts flashing.
Is it just me or does the flashing get faster the longer you drive?

yes, it flashes slow at approx 1/8 tank, very fast at 1/16 tank.

b_hickman11 · 10-02-2009, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jtcoop

If you divide the 11 gal tank by 8 you would have 1.375 gallons per bar. Let's say you are getting 40 mpg. Multiply 40times 1.375 to get 55 miles per bar. Since most are getting 60+ miles or above before the first bar goes out it would stand to reason that the bars are not equal. I have even noticed that I can not double the mileage between the first and the second bars. I doubt I will try and drive 55 miles after the last bar starts flashing.
Is it just me or does the flashing get faster the longer you drive?

So in other words the Yaris's fuel gauge is exactly like the older type gauges. You could drive for miles and miles before the needle would budge even a little but after that the needle would start to drop very fast.

AVIC-U310BT · 10-03-2009, 03:47 PM

All bars are not created equal.

I tested this a while back. I regularly get over 60 miles on the first bar, and less on the others. I too thought that it should accurately represent an eighth of your tank. That's how I lost the bet with the girlfriend. Luckily, she already knows I'm always wrong. :)

jtcoop · 10-04-2009, 05:47 PM

OK. I watched my odometer closely after the last fill up. I am proud to say that I got 83 miles on the first bar. And yes, I stopped filling up when the nozzle cut off. Wouldn't it be nice to get 60 mpg....LOL Oh well I will try and catch the next bar disappearing and let everyone know.

09-18-2009, 08:09 AM	#1
UncleMo Drives: 2007 Yaris Sedan base model. Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Seattle Posts: 12	The Bars and MPG question Hi. You know how there are 8 bars that show you how much fuel you have? How is it possible that I went 62 or 63 miles before the first bar went away. If my estimates are correct, I should get 496 total miles out of my entire tank if this holds up(62 * 8 = 496 total miles). If you take 496 and divide that by 11.1, which is the tank size for an 07 sedan, you get 44.68 mpg. How is this possible when fuel economy.com told me I would get 29mpg (city)?

09-18-2009, 08:20 AM	#2
DevilGirl Drives: 09 3dr LB MT Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Lehigh Valley, PA Posts: 681	EPA estimates are never all that acurate. As far as miles per bar, I'm not positive on how the tank is on the Yaris, but I know on all other cars I've owned, the first half of the tank goes slowly, and the second half runs through pretty quickly, due to the shaping of the tank. I've generally been getting about 350-370 miles to the tank, (refueling when the last bar starts to blink, or shortly thereafter), with an average MPG of about 37.5. __________________ 2009 3dr LB MT Meteorite Metalic. Car bought 8/7/09. Now over 89k miles of trouble free driving, other than user error!!

09-29-2009, 09:53 PM	#11
Keith Tinari Scrubble with a poke. Drives: 2009 Yaris LB Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Holland PA. Posts: 166	mine has changed since I bought the car and gotten even worse since I have "modded" it. I have a K&N drop in and the TRD axleback and drive fairly conservatively. I went from dropping the first bar at 80-100 miles to last week when I reset the ECU for the filter and axleback and dropped the first bar at 66 and second bar at 89. What gives? I get gas from the same sunoco station I have always gone to for the last say 4 years. __________________ "If you cannot find truth right where you are, where else do you expect to find it?" Dogen

09-30-2009, 11:28 AM	#13
SaerinRhoe '09 Yaris View User's Garage Drives: '09 Yaris Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Dallas, Texas Posts: 346	I've gotten 84 miles before losing the first bar so I don't think there's any exact measurement for it. As for fuel mileage, I've gone 440 miles on a tank before the last bar started its slow blink. One of these days I want to drive it all the way to the end just to see how far I can get on a complete tank but I've not had the time yet. S.R. __________________ 2009 Yaris 3-Door Liftback MT Black Sand Pearl

10-01-2009, 09:56 PM	#14
jtcoop Drives: 07 Yaris, LB, MT, Bayou Blue Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Clemmons, NC Posts: 14	Another way to look at it If you divide the 11 gal tank by 8 you would have 1.375 gallons per bar. Let's say you are getting 40 mpg. Multiply 40times 1.375 to get 55 miles per bar. Since most are getting 60+ miles or above before the first bar goes out it would stand to reason that the bars are not equal. I have even noticed that I can not double the mileage between the first and the second bars. I doubt I will try and drive 55 miles after the last bar starts flashing. Is it just me or does the flashing get faster the longer you drive?

09-18-2009, 10:46 AM	#3
YarisOwnersDad Is now a Corolla S Owner View User's Garage Drives: 2010 Corolla S Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Western Kentucky Posts: 460	You might be over-filling the tank by topping it off after the pump clicks off. This will give you more miles on the first bar, but it is not a good thing to do. They warn you that you can mess up your fuel tank vent system by over-filling the tank. I used to be guilty of that practice, but now I just stop filling the first time the pump kicks off. Tom

09-18-2009, 11:07 AM	#4
Zaphod Drives: Big Yellow Join Date: May 2009 Location: Somewhere in the vacinity of Betelgeuse Posts: 179	500 miles on less than 10 gallons is totally possible with restraint in the right driving conditions. Like everyone says, those 8 digital partitions don't necessarily represent equal measures of gas. That's why everyone just waits to do the division when they fill up. Still, you may have found a car that just really compliments your driving technique.

09-18-2009, 11:56 AM	#5
UncleMo Drives: 2007 Yaris Sedan base model. Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Seattle Posts: 12	Well I must say I did baby it. I usually drive like I just busted out of prison and there are points to be racked up if I hit pedestrians.

09-18-2009, 04:10 PM	#8
09box Drives: 09 grey Yaris hatch Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Doylestown, PA Posts: 35	I usually don't go more than 30 miles when the last bar starts flashing. I've already learned my lesson after running out of gas. Usually now, I fill up 20-25 miles after the last bar starts flashing. I've been getting about 380 miles on a tank lately.

09-18-2009, 04:39 PM	#9
jambo101 Drives: yaris 08 sedan Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Montreal Canada Posts: 1,286	Not all bars are created equal just like the old analogue gauges each bar will give differing mileages.. 45mpg should be easily attainable in your Yaris..

09-19-2009, 06:07 PM	#10
Forrest Drives: 08 LB BLACK Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: NY Posts: 244	The bars...are only estimates. You will not get the same amount of miles on each bar. They are only an indication of approximate amount of gas you have in the tank and when you need to refill.

10-03-2009, 03:47 PM	#17
AVIC-U310BT Drives: 2007 Yaris Hatchback Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: United States Posts: 4	All bars are not created equal. I tested this a while back. I regularly get over 60 miles on the first bar, and less on the others. I too thought that it should accurately represent an eighth of your tank. That's how I lost the bet with the girlfriend. Luckily, she already knows I'm always wrong. :)

10-04-2009, 05:47 PM	#18
jtcoop Drives: 07 Yaris, LB, MT, Bayou Blue Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Clemmons, NC Posts: 14	OK. I watched my odometer closely after the last fill up. I am proud to say that I got 83 miles on the first bar. And yes, I stopped filling up when the nozzle cut off. Wouldn't it be nice to get 60 mpg....LOL Oh well I will try and catch the next bar disappearing and let everyone know.

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