02 impala fuel gauge question

[jetmech]

I have an 02 impala w/ 180k on it. The fuel gauge is moving up and down spuratickly. Any one have experience w/ this issue. I dont want to buy a sending unit until i find out if this is the most probable cause. Thanks. When the tank is full it does go to full but as i use the gas it starts to move around..

 

[chopped39]

When it gets between 1/2 and 3/4 is when the sender takes a beating. If you have a scanner sweep the guage. If the guage sweeps I would pull the tank and look at the sender. You will see the little fingers broken off the potentiometer. with a 180k I would get a delphi pump and call it a day. You know if you change just the sender, In a week the pump will die. the sender is real common on any gm car or truck

 

[jetmech]

Thanks, i will see if i can get the gauge swept.

 

[Pronto]

My GMC truck's fuel gauge was doing a hula dance too. I read on a truck site that the methonal in the gas oxideses the contacts in the sending unit. They recommended Chevron's Textron II. I put 2 bottles in and after a few tanks the guage is behaving much better. Worth a shot.

 

[chopped39]

Thanks, i will see if i can get the gauge swept.

If you come out to Addison I will scan it for you and sweep guage .no charge

 

[jetmech]

Thanks, how can you sweep the guage w/ out moving the sending unit.

 

[chopped39]

The scanner will do it throught through the instrument cluster or bcm . Is there an engine light on? Alot of time it will throw a code for fuel level sensor.

 

[jetmech]

oh, body control module. no light just the gauge flucuates especially when i accelerate the guage goes towart full and brake it move toward empty. sometimes just a couple of bars on the gauge but other time it moves like a quarter tank at a time. thanks

 

[Pronto]

That's very much like my needle guage was doing. Now it's much more stable. Although I never met a GM fuel gauge that didn't stay on FULL too long and then drop like a rock to 3/4 or 1/2 suddenly.