Fuel Gauge Problems

Radon · August 3, 2009

My truck is now 9 years old and still runs like a champ but it is beginning to show its age. Suspension squeaks, interior rattles and power mirror and seat failures I can live with. My Silverado has been a faithful if not dimwitted friend over the years. Recently, however, the gas gauge has been intermittently not working, most of the time it happens sometime right after a fill up. It will bottom out with a full tank and then dance around erratically until it settles on telling the truth at full. While I'm on the subject the oil temp gauge also shimmys and shakes but within a much more tolerable range. Any ideas on what the heck is going on with my gas gauge? I know well how many miles I can go on one tank on the highway but in the city I rely on my gauge a lot more and as you can guess I'm asking because I do a lot more city driving these days. Thanks guys.

Dmas · August 3, 2009

it sounds to me like you need a new sender unit, that's the one that measures how much fuel left you have and it's inside the fuel tank.

jhm · August 7, 2009

My truck is now 9 years old and still runs like a champ but it is beginning to show its age. Suspension squeaks, interior rattles and power mirror and seat failures I can live with. My Silverado has been a faithful if not dimwitted friend over the years. Recently, however, the gas gauge has been intermittently not working, most of the time it happens sometime right after a fill up. It will bottom out with a full tank and then dance around erratically until it settles on telling the truth at full. While I'm on the subject the oil temp gauge also shimmys and shakes but within a much more tolerable range. Any ideas on what the heck is going on with my gas gauge? I know well how many miles I can go on one tank on the highway but in the city I rely on my gauge a lot more and as you can guess I'm asking because I do a lot more city driving these days. Thanks guys.

I got the exact same problem with the fuel guage on my '01. I know it is the sending unit but it comes as one peice with the pump so we are looking at about $350 for the part aftermarket, I am going to keep using the trip odo until I need a pump or get tired of watching the guage dance around.

wbr1583 · August 9, 2009

My truck is now 9 years old and still runs like a champ but it is beginning to show its age. Suspension squeaks, interior rattles and power mirror and seat failures I can live with. My Silverado has been a faithful if not dimwitted friend over the years. Recently, however, the gas gauge has been intermittently not working, most of the time it happens sometime right after a fill up. It will bottom out with a full tank and then dance around erratically until it settles on telling the truth at full. While I'm on the subject the oil temp gauge also shimmys and shakes but within a much more tolerable range. Any ideas on what the heck is going on with my gas gauge? I know well how many miles I can go on one tank on the highway but in the city I rely on my gauge a lot more and as you can guess I'm asking because I do a lot more city driving these days. Thanks guys.

I got the exact same problem with the fuel guage on my '01. I know it is the sending unit but it comes as one peice with the pump so we are looking at about $350 for the part aftermarket, I am going to keep using the trip odo until I need a pump or get tired of watching the guage dance around.

Same thoughts on the fuel pump/sending unit. When I pulled the old one, the metal "pickups" that move with the float on the sending unit had worn off. Sadly, GM still hadn't fixed this "quality design" when I bought a new one from the stealer. Might try www.Rockauto.com for the pump. Might get a delco pump for the same price as an aftermarket one from the local parts yahoos.

On the oil gauge, not too unusual for some movement when the engine gets older. Typically see mine drop a bit while at idle, then jump up to normal with any throttle.