Dash Instruments Come And Go

flynbuick · October 28, 2007

We own a 1999 Siverado 1500 LT with about 140K on the clock. For at least the last 50K miles the odometer digits, the fuel gage and the low fuel light will come and go. You can bring the odometer digits back by pressing hard on the reset knob. The gas gauge usually will show empty after a refill and the low fuel light will illumninate. Thereafter, it will slowly creep back to the correct position. After that it may go back to zero depending on whether you park on an incline. During a drive it will usually come back to what you would expect would be a correct position.

The local Chevy dealer clearly does not want to work this problem saying that it must be in a circuit board and the whole dash must be removed and sent out during which time the vehicle will be down.

If the odometer problem did not seem to be related and capable of being temporarily corrected with an impact on the dash I would say the issue was in the tank sending unit. More than likely someone has seen this issue before. I think our dealer has. The problem is I do not think they have ever repaired such a problem.

Can you pinpoint the source of the problem based on similar squawks from other customers that were diagnosed?

omegafiler · October 28, 2007

The sending units in those trucks are fairly well known for causing the gas gauge to go all over the place. My friends '99 Tahoe had the same issue. But he actually had both a bad sending unit AND the gauge cluster. Sending unit was causing the needle to show as empty sometimes. The cluster was making it jump all over the place and trip odo was stuck as well.

flynbuick · October 28, 2007

The sending units in those trucks are fairly well known for causing the gas gauge to go all over the place. My friends '99 Tahoe had the same issue. But he actually had both a bad sending unit AND the gauge cluster. Sending unit was causing the needle to show as empty sometimes. The cluster was making it jump all over the place and trip odo was stuck as well.

Thanks for that input.

I should also have mentioned that the gear selction indicator in the dash is now out.

flynbuick · October 28, 2007

The sending units in those trucks are fairly well known for causing the gas gauge to go all over the place. My friends '99 Tahoe had the same issue. But he actually had both a bad sending unit AND the gauge cluster. Sending unit was causing the needle to show as empty sometimes. The cluster was making it jump all over the place and trip odo was stuck as well.

Thanks for that input.

I should also have mentioned that the gear selction indicator in the dash is now out.

Today I happened to be talking to another local Silverado owner that says he received notice that based on a rash of defective dashes their warranty for dash problems had been extended from 3 to 7 years. Does anyone have an identification number for this GM action?

psychodad1958 · November 4, 2007

The sending units in those trucks are fairly well known for causing the gas gauge to go all over the place. My friends '99 Tahoe had the same issue. But he actually had both a bad sending unit AND the gauge cluster. Sending unit was causing the needle to show as empty sometimes. The cluster was making it jump all over the place and trip odo was stuck as well.

Thanks for that input.

I should also have mentioned that the gear selction indicator in the dash is now out.

Today I happened to be talking to another local Silverado owner that says he received notice that based on a rash of defective dashes their warranty for dash problems had been extended from 3 to 7 years. Does anyone have an identification number for this GM action?

i have this recall letter and will forward the info.

as to the addition of the missing shift indicator, this brings the body control module into the picture.

torranosaurus · February 3, 2012

I have a 99 sierra and my cluster will sometimes do the strangest thing. While driving, all the gauges with "click" off, and all the idiot light will come on. It is as if I turned the key back to the on position. Then suddenly, you hear that click again, and they all jump back to where they belong. I think it may be an ignition switch or ground problem and not a cluster problem.

Any ideas???

txab · February 3, 2012

The sending units in those trucks are fairly well known for causing the gas gauge to go all over the place. My friends '99 Tahoe had the same issue. But he actually had both a bad sending unit AND the gauge cluster. Sending unit was causing the needle to show as empty sometimes. The cluster was making it jump all over the place and trip odo was stuck as well.

Thanks for that input.

I should also have mentioned that the gear selction indicator in the dash is now out.

Today I happened to be talking to another local Silverado owner that says he received notice that based on a rash of defective dashes their warranty for dash problems had been extended from 3 to 7 years. Does anyone have an identification number for this GM action?

Your '99 is not covered