Range Indicators Are Set to Scare Drivers

A reader sent me this pic and notes: Welp, time for my regularly scheduled bi-monthly “am I gonna make it to the gas station” panic.

My advice:  Find out how large your gas tank is and how many gallons of gas are required to fill it when your range indicator says 0 miles.  Act accordingly.

When I’m not running the air conditioning, my Prius gets 51 – 52 MPG, and my range indicator says 0 miles when I still have 1.9 gallons in the tank, meaning almost 100 miles.

When the range says 0, I reset my trip odometer to 0, and fill up when I actually am running low.  Saves time spent pumping.