Fuel Level Gauge Problems

[supercharged666]

Anyone ever run into any problems with there fuel level gauge reading wrong? I got a 98 T/A and it seems like the fuel gauge will fluctuate to full alot of times. When I fill my car up it is fine. Then about when I drive 75 miles or when the fuel gauge needle reads about 3/4th of a tank it will go back to full? I know I don't have a full tank of gas. I drove 150 miles already and it is still saying i have a full tank. Anyone ever have this problem?

[blackbirdbrain89]

dude i have a 95 and a 00 and they move about 1/4 tank from green like to red light

[2001NBMZ28]

Keep an eye on it for another hundred miles or so, if it's still reading full the sending unit is probably bad. Happened to two friends of mine with LS1s and they replaced the sending unit.

[supercharged666]

Is the sending unit hard to replace? Do you have to drop the tank down to replace it? Is it seperate from the fuel pump or is it all together?

[2001NBMZ28]

Yeah it's inside the tank. He was able to purchase it separate from the pump, but initially they told him he had to buy the whole unit. He had a local shop do the trap door method.

[supercharged666]

Trap door method? Does that include cutting a hole in the rear of the car so you don't have to drop the tank down?

[2001NBMZ28]

I guess access panel method would've been a better term. If you decide to go that route remember the '98 tanks are different from '99 and up.

[supercharged666]

Well this should be a fun winter project. Never really did like having to remove gas tanks from any kind of vehicle. The syptoms of the irrantic fuel gauge seem to be getting wosre. The gauge finally moves off of full but still doesn't read correctly. Its always saying I have more gas in the tank than i do. Almost seems like a calibration problem. When i'm almost empty it shows like a 1/4 tank. Seems to be that way the whole time.

[bigrondownhiller]

My 96 has the same problem. It stays at full most of the time. I do know that when it says 1/2 of a tank it is actually closer to 1/4. When full it is usually past the full mark a good amount. Since I know when it is low it is not really a problem.

[supercharged666]

Yea that pretty much how mine is. It stays at full for about the first 100 miles then after that it slowly starts to come down. Seems to be off about a 1/4 tank just like yours. Mine just started doing that a couple weeks ago. Was always fine before that.

[bigrondownhiller]

It has been doing that for a year or two with no changes. I dont really want to drop the tank for it.

[supercharged666]

Anyone know if there is a step by step post on doing the trap door method. If not, how do you know exactly where to cut at to be right over the pump?