How much does a Prius' pip weigh?

Dan · #1 06-13-2008, 09:42 PM

Edit: I've added the Excel file to the files section.

So I've been inspired by Larry to start weighing my pips (kinda hard to get on the scale). Anyway I've weighed the first 4 pips and see a pattern emerging.

Pip Hypothetical Weight

Pip Number	Weight (L)	Weight (gal)	Weight (oz)
1st	15.50	4.09	524
2nd	2.00	0.53	68
3rd	2.00	0.53	68
4th	2.25	0.59	76
5th	2.75	0.73	93
6th	3.25	0.86	110
7th	4.25	1.12	144
8th	3.00	0.79	101
9th	3.50	0.92	118
flashing	2.50	0.66	85
starve	6.00	1.59	203

Pip Empirical Measurements

Pip Number	Weight (L)	Weight (gal)	Weight (oz)
1st	15.41	4.07	521
2nd	2.09	0.55	71
3rd	1.93	0.51	65
4th	2.23	0.59	76
5th	2.74	0.72	93
6th	3.24	0.86	110
7th	4.15	1.10	140
8th	2.95	0.78	100
9th	3.67	0.97	124
flashing	2.47	0.65	84
fillup	6.06	1.60	205

This is all working towards a 47 Liter / 12.4 gallon / 1587 oz tank. The 12.4 is based on the most I've heard of Larry stuffing in a tank. The stuffing is only taken into account in the weight of the first pip. Everything else should be the same whether or not you stuff the tank.

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rweatherford · #2 06-13-2008, 10:20 PM

I am clearly lost....

bestmapman · #3 06-13-2008, 10:32 PM

Dan there are ten pips. You seem to have left out the solid 10th pip. Maybe I am reading it wrong.

Dan · #4 06-13-2008, 11:39 PM

Consider the starting point all 10 pips. "1st pip" is how much gas is gone when the first pip falls. "2nd pip" is how much gas is burned between in the time between the first pip falling and the second pip falling. So I'm counting falling pips so to speak.

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Dan · #5 06-16-2008, 06:45 PM

5th pip dropped today and it was a heavy one.

2.807 L or 0.742 gallons.

I may have to do this over a few tanks to normalize the trend.

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Dan · #6 06-18-2008, 12:20 PM

Another 0.726 gallons into my tank and the 6th pip fell. My spread sheet is telling me that the 5th pip fell when I was 4.980 gallons into my tank, and the 6th pip fell when I was 5.760 gallons into my tank, so the 6th pip has a "weight" of 0.726 gallons.

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Tochatihu · #7 06-18-2008, 09:43 PM

Is is correct to suppose that Prius bladder refill variation is all expressed in the miles one gets from the top pip? I always suspected that but never did meaningful testing.

DAS

Dan · #8 06-18-2008, 11:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tochatihu

Is is correct to suppose that Prius bladder refill variation is all expressed in the miles one gets from the top pip? I always suspected that but never did meaningful testing.

Yes, that is my thinking exactly. I'm now tracking when each pip falls. When it does, I record the FCD tank miles and the FCD tank MPG at the time it fell. Excel then tells me how far (in gallons) I am into the tank at the time of the falling pip.

I suspect over 5-10 tanks worth of data that the trend will be pretty consistent.

Laborious, but its another thing to fiddle with on my daily commute.

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Aether glider · #9 07-05-2008, 08:20 PM

Dan,
I've been keeping up with my pip drops if that data would help any....only on this tank though.

If your right about the .72 gallons per pip i'll probably fall this tank in the 940 mile range

diamondlarry · #10 07-05-2008, 10:46 PM

This may throw a wrench into things but, I got 12.4 gallons in my last 1K+ tank when I filled. Wayne Mitchell(FireEngineer) told me today he has heard of as much as 13 gallons going into a Prius bladder/tank. I've heard of the trick of driving the left rear tire onto a piece of 2X4. Hmm.