Odd warning

[Jonty]

Hi all

This morning my phev flashed a warning saying "to consume old fuel refuel 15l or more". I don't see this warning in the manual anywhere. I havn't filled the car since I bought it 3 months ago and have used about 1/4 of a tank (I don't drive far these days).

Also, my wife accidentally hit "charge" last night. If the vehicle is fully charged by mains power and the charge button is used will that flash up a caution exclamation triangle??

 

[Steel188]

Sorry Jonty, this is most definately in the hand book and is a regular discussion topic on here.

As petrol goes stale, the car forces you to put in a minimum of 15l of petrol every three months to keep things fresh. Without checking the hand book, it will force the ICE to run until you can do this

For low mileage drivers, who run almost exclusively on battery, this is a problem as you are now going to be forced to waste fuel in order to keep the car happy! Not a problem I have, as my lease is set at 35,000 miles pa for 4 years.

With regards to your second problem, sorry I can't help, but I would suggest that turning the car off, waiting about 30 seconds to allow everything to shut down, then starting it again should reset any issues.

 

[Jonty]

Thanks Richard

That's strange I downloaded the hand book and ran a word search with no joy. Must be my techical deficiencies. Thanks for your post that's helpful.

Cheers

 

[Regulo]

This is in the 2014 handbook:

Doesn't say much more than that, I think.

 

[Kesto]

As previously said and also mentioned in hand book. You have to use petrol in between , if last refill is 3 months the ICE will start . Remember there is an ICE in there , the fuel degrades, the fuel pipes and pumps with have sediments and clog and the engine oil needs to circulate. A car (ICE)that runs regularly is better than one that stands.

 

[Jonty]

Thanks guys

Just to clarify though - the manual says fill 20l every six months And run the ICE every three months by hitting charge. If I run the engine for a while every three months does that mean I can hold off filling for six months? I'm unclear as to why it it telling me to refill after only 3 months. You may say why not fill it and be done with it but I like to maintain a low fuel volume to save weight given I hardly ever use the ICE

 

[Regulo]

That's the way I read it. Regardless of whether you run the engine or not, it would seem you have to put in 20 litres (in total) every 6 months. Is that how others see it? I don't have this problem as I do regular long runs necessitating refuelling anyway. Not very clear, is it?

 

[Jonty]

Thanks - I wonder if the answer is that it has actually been six months since last fill if it was filled in Japan and shipped filled? I bought it 3 months ago new but may not have been filled by the dealer?

Probably a rare issue for most of you guys as I'm lucky enough to live in a city where I can do all I need in under 40kms a day.

 

[Jonty]

Hi all

Interestingly I have now noticed I'm not able to turn the charge button off so looks like the car automatically engages the ICE after 3 months if you don't fill up. Anyone else confirm there's has done the same. May have to give into its protesting and fill it up.

 

[greendwarf]

Hi all

Interestingly I have now noticed I'm not able to turn the charge button off so looks like the car automatically engages the ICE after 3 months if you don't fill up. Anyone else confirm there's has done the same. May have to give into its protesting and fill it up.

Correct - despite what it says in the manual, mine does this 3 months after putting in the last lot of fuel. If you don't want to carry too much fuel, just drive it around with the ICE until almost empty - you'll get another warning :lol:

 

[AndyInOz]

I'm pretty certain it is set for six months for Australian vehicles (mine at least).

I just make a point of going for a country drive once every couple of months, and that means that I'm putting in enough fresh petrol to keep this behaviour at bay.

Andy

 

[TRT]

I'm pretty certain it is set for six months for Australian vehicles (mine at least).

I just make a point of going for a country drive once every couple of months, and that means that I'm putting in enough fresh petrol to keep this behaviour at bay.

Andy

Sensible driving AndyInOz. My readings show the fuel degrades over time. Old fuel can cause engine damage including clagging the fuel pump, filter and injectors as well as potentially clogging filters and fouling fuel lines. How long? In a sealed drum it can last up to 12 months (depending on brand, octane rating, etc - lower octane lasts longer). In a car usually it's safe to keep fuel for up to 3 months in cool conditions (less if hot). After 6 months you'd be lucky if it wasn't doing damage. BUT if you mix in 25% or so of fresh fuel every 3 months, then life expectancy can be considerably extended.

TRT