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Gas Gauge not showing tank full

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#21 ·
I have a 2022 RAV4 Prime which I received in June, 2022, and have driven it over 24,000 miles. I can state unequivocally that the tank holds 14.5 gallons of fuel. The get fuel idiot messaging begins unfailingly when the tank has slightly less than 4.5 gallons remaining. (This is just one irritating example of Toyata saving us from ourselves by presenting conservative but significantly inaccurate information.) I refuel by letting the pump's nozzle handle automatically shut down the gas flow. The most gas pumped into the tank to date has been 13.5 gallons. Depending on how, where, and how far I drive before refueling, I have averaged between 59 and 37 mpg as indicated by the car's mpg bar graph screen. The 59 mpg trip was 336 miles starting with the battery fully charged. This drive was from St-Anicet, Quebec, to Bangor, Maine, on back roads and highways over wildly veried terrain, including crossing the border into Maine at Coburn Gore. How far you can go when the refueling light comes on depends wholly on how you drive. Although I have never attempted to empty a fully charged battery with a full tank of gas to see how far I could go while driving conservatively, I think 600 miles is not at all unreasonable. My only caution is not that YMMV, rather YMWV.
 
#22 ·
harleywomansoftail said:
May I add that I put just the tip of the gas pump into the gas hole to watch so I don’t overfill.
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That is not a wise process. If you can see the gas, you have overfilled it and gas could get into the evaporative system that should remain dry. You can still experiment with going beyond the first auto shut off, but do so cautiously.

Best to get the dealer to check out the gauge and sender.
 
#23 ·
NickNRav4 said:
Yep! I have atleast driven 20 and intend to drive 30 more miles… I didn’t know if it was a pump issue or car and kept on filling.

One top-off wouldn’t have long lasting damage right?
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I have been scolded by the group for topping off the tank. I continue to fill to the first click and then pull back the filler rubber and free fill it until it foams up to the neck. This nets me a bigger fill. I have done this with 20 other vehicles that i have owned and never had an issue. maybe some manufacturers have a poorly designed filler neck where ANY visible gas drains into the evap system, but i looked online (After being scolded) and saw that the first square opening you see in the white filler neck is actually the edge of the Evap system and it is slow to allow fluids in. So if i fill just short of it and start the ICE engine when leaving the station for a mile or so... i am good.
I have found when at 0 miles remaining i have about 3gal of hidden reserves. i have driven it down to where it notified me to fill within 6 miles (Or was it KM) I got 124 miles past 0. Again, i was scolded by the group, but the engine never sputtered, and i switched to EV mode until I filled up. No issues / No worries. I had run the tank dry on my Prius Prime many time to where it switched on its own to EV "Limp mode" before refueling. Never had a problem. filled tank to visible fuel. no problem. Was still getting better than stated 22-25 miles per charge... (Best EV range at 36.6 miles at 55K miles). Averaged 100.3mpg lifetime. until it was totaled by head on driver at 72K.
You decide if you feel safe with how you fill your R4P. Bragging... i went 3,400 miles before my first fill up, my best range (Heavy steady traffic) 52.5 miles. normal fillup at 0 mile range 10.3-10.6Gal. most i have ever filled was 14.16 gal. (124 miles past empty)

Comment on your filling... are you trying different filling stations? if not maybe you are filling at high speed pumps. In So Cal. the pumps are fairly slow. They have to charge for every drop to get that $6.00 a gallon, so the vapor stop doesn't kick in so early (Short fill). usually takes 3 min to pump 10-12 gal.
I have left the R4P running in EV while filling and watched the fuel gauge (in real time) the pump clicked off just as the tank reached full on the indicator.
your display looks like my 2022 prime. the 23 prime is all digital.
Sorry, just noticed the XSE... Hybrid. I thought i was in a prime forum. i babbled about some items that don't apply to you.
 
#24 · (Edited)
I have this issue as well! I have a 2023 rav4 hybrid XSE I just got it in july and I haven't got a full tank yet. I took it to the dealership so far they did a hard n full reset of the whole computer system. Still didn't fix the issue now they are ordering a sending unit... we will see if that works... already wasted 7.5 hours at the dealership with this issue. They are lucky I LOVE this car!! But not happy!
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#26 ·
Rav4Gurl2023 said:
I have this issue as well! I have a 2023 rav4 hybrid XSE I just got it in july and I haven't got a full tank yet. I took it to the dealership so far they did a hard n full reset of the whole computer system. Still didn't fix the issue now they are ordering a sending unit... we will see if that works... already wasted 7.5 hours at the dealership with this issue. They are lucky I LOVE this car!! But not happy! View attachment 198585
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May I ask where your RAV was manufactured?
 
#28 ·
Rav4Gurl2023 said:
I was told new york...
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Canada, Ky or Japan? Never heard of a NY plant. If you post the first part of the VIN, there is a way to tell. And if you bought new the window sticker would tell you IIRC near the bottom where it lists the US part content..
 
#32 ·
Rav4Gurl2023 said:
I have this issue as well! I have a 2023 rav4 hybrid XSE I just got it in july and I haven't got a full tank yet. I took it to the dealership so far they did a hard n full reset of the whole computer system. Still didn't fix the issue now they are ordering a sending unit... we will see if that works... already wasted 7.5 hours at the dealership with this issue. They are lucky I LOVE this car!! But not happy! View attachment 198585
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Keep us posted. I have the same issue. Salesman wanted me to bring it in but it was brand new and I just couldn't take it to the dealer so early (I don't like car dealers). One of these days maybe. After all the things I read about it, there didn't seem to be a solid solution. Also the salesman said neither he nor anyone in service had seen this on newer ones. So yeah, that didn't motivate me either. I have a 5k/6mo service appointment scheduled so I may bring it up then. Or I may not. We'll see. Don't want to lose my car for two weeks, then get it back with scratches and interior trim pieces broken like they did on my 2008. Ridiculous.
 
#33 · (Edited)
Yes I will keep you updated. I am not happy about it! The dealership was like we can try to figure it out for you or you could deal with it until enough other people complain about it. I look my car over before I leave if I find anything messed up I will be bitching as well. Right now waiting for them to call that the fuel sending unit was delivered to the dealership. Its sad I barely have 800 miles on my car 🙄 but I LOVE IT! ❤
 
#34 ·
JoeRAV4Hybrid_2023 said:
Keep us posted. I have the same issue. Salesman wanted me to bring it in but it was brand new and I just couldn't take it to the dealer so early (I don't like car dealers). One of these days maybe. After all the things I read about it, there didn't seem to be a solid solution. Also the salesman said neither he nor anyone in service had seen this on newer ones. So yeah, that didn't motivate me either. I have a 5k/6mo service appointment scheduled so I may bring it up then. Or I may not. We'll see. Don't want to lose my car for two weeks, then get it back with scratches and interior trim pieces broken like they did on my 2008. Ridiculous.
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If it is truly the needle not showing full when the pump shuts off (and not the I want 14.5 gallons some expect) then they test, give you the car back, open a claim, order the parts and it is a half day in the shop replacement once the parts are in. Based on my experience with a '19 where they ordered the parts without the initial test once I showed them the paperwork from Toyota admitting the issue. Works as expected but that involved the tank and sensing unit replacement. You should have a good tank but the sensing unit replacement probably takes the same labor hours.
 
#36 · (Edited)
mikefocke said:
If it is truly the needle not showing full when the pump shuts off (and not the I want 14.5 gallons some expect) then they test, give you the car back, open a claim, order the parts and it is a half day in the shop replacement once the parts are in. Based on my experience with a '19 where they ordered the parts without the initial test once I showed them the paperwork from Toyota admitting the issue. Works as expected but that involved the tank and sensing unit replacement. You should have a good tank but the sensing unit replacement probably takes the same labor hours.
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It's truly shutting off with the needle below F (taking only 9 gallons). It's just odd that it would be the sensing unit when the sensing unit seems to accurately be reflecting a less than full tank. It seems to be mechanically shutting off the pump which would imply the tank is artificially full, like the fuel is backing up in the fill neck of the tank. Were you able to get more fuel in your tank after the fix? Like 9 gallons before, and 12-13 after? I realize there is a 1.5 gallon reserve. I'm not looking to get 14.5 gallons in a fill. That would be a bone dry tank and makes no sense to expect.
 
#37 ·
JoeRAV4Hybrid_2023 said:
It's truly shutting off with the needle below F (taking only 9 gallons). It's just odd that it would be the sensing unit when the sensing unit seems to accurately be reflecting a less than full tank. It seems to be mechanically shutting off the pump which would imply the tank is artificially full, like the fuel is backing up in the fill neck of the tank. Were you able to get more fuel in your tank after the fix? Like 9 gallons before, and 12-13 after? I realize there is a 1.5 gallon reserve. I'm not looking to get 14.5 gallons in a fill. That would be a bone dry tank and makes no sense to expect.
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There is a reserve both below and above the usable area. It is when the fuel reaches the boundary between the usable area (perceived capacity
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9.5 gallons per Toyota) and the upper reserved splash area that the pump is supposed to shut off.

Here is the diagram from the SAE that they are following. NIST uses the same descriptions. And in a customer support letter I received, Toyota cautions against overfilling.

To answer your question, I have never filled from the Empty mark. After the fix, my gauge after auto shut off sits a needle width beyond the Full mark. Long before I hit empty, I either see cheap gas, need a bio stop or hit my favorite gas station for a lottery ticket. I fill one slow automatic shutoff beyond the first automatic shut off but even if I don't my needle registers beyond the Full mark. I have no need to go 500 miles between fills even on longer trips.

In 65 years of driving, I ran out of fuel once. Borrowed my wife's car and didn't check.
 
#39 ·
Rav4Gurl2023 said:
Yes I will keep you updated. I am not happy about it! The dealership was like we can try to figure it out for you or you could deal with it until enough other people complain about it. I look my car over before I leave if I find anything messed up I will be bitching as well. Right now waiting for them to call that the fuel sending unit was delivered to the dealership. Its sad I barely have 800 miles on my car 🙄 but I LOVE IT! ❤
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Hang in there. I know it is a PITA. They are doing the correct steeps on the TAS case at hand. This will only aid in helping people with the same issue in the future. If they find a product has some issues and multiple claims then a TSB will be made.
I have the same Rav4. 2023XSE. Different color.(y)
 
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