Fuel hand help!!!

[lonnie]

I was driving to get my boys today and noticed that all of a sudden my gas hand went to empty which caused a short panic until I realized I recently filled my tank up. Has anyone experienced this, and what should I look for? What kind of problems could I be having?

....I tried just turning the car off and seeing if it would reset, but no go, and I don't know the first place to look.

[[ion] C2]

ya, the float in the fuel tank

[rustyballs_69]

Its the sending unit on the fuel pump.

[Ryan from Ohio]

Keep an eye on the trip odometer and reset every fill up.

[surreal_awakening]

Float or sending unit, both in the tank, both part of the same assembly. Do like Ryan said and keep track with your trip odometer. I do it with my jeep. Gas gauge hasn't worked in a year and a half. As for the Alero, mine was the sending unit. The gauge would periodically work and "come on" and show the correct reading, then it would drop to E on a whim. Gotta drop the tank to fix it.

[lonnie]

Thanks guys appreciate the fast response luckily I know how many miles I get before needing to fill up. Next question is..Are the sending unit and fuel pump on and the same? I was just thinking that I would want to get the fuel pump done while they have the tank down.

[super white alero1]

mmmm. a open in the sending unit causes the gauge to register full, not empty. It may be grounded to the body. I suggest you attempt to open the circuit by cutting the wire first and checking to see if the gauge register full first before replacing the unit. If it register full by cutting the wire you have a short somewhere. you could alway splice the wire back in place but you can't return a sender tainted with gas.

[lonnie]

Good question Super white alero1 but I thought that the fail safe was to register empty when the circuit was open so that the driver would think to fill the tank? I'll have to try that before I get it fixed just to make sure.

[misslindseysue]

I thought this was a joke about the price of gas until I read the replies...

For the last couple years I had my Alero I just set the trip odo and didn't let it get much past 300 miles in winter, 350ish in summer.

[lonnie]

I thought this was a joke about the price of gas until I read the replies...

For the last couple years I had my Alero I just set the trip odo and didn't let it get much past 300 miles in winter, 350ish in summer.
Yeah unfortunately I don't get that in the city and that is all I drive but I'm getting about 190 miles on a tank in the city so I'll fill up at 170 to be safe.... No the cost of a repair like this?

[Gr1m]

im gonna say there could be a short in the actual gauge cluster, i would take it out and reseat the connections and see if that helps at all.

[lonnie]

im gonna say there could be a short in the actual gauge cluster, i would take it out and reseat the connections and see if that helps at all.
The only thing is that I can't remember any condition that would have caused that. When it happened I don't remember the smell of anything burning which is synomonous with a short. I ruled out fuses just because it is moving and the light is on. Whats funny is that when I turn the car to the on position it remains at the top, but once I start the car then it goes to the empty position.

[surreal_awakening]

What year is your car Lonnie? If I'm not mistaken, 99 is a bit more expensive than the 2000+ They changed the style of the gas tank & fuel pumps. I have no idea what a shop would charge. A fuel level sending kit will run anywhere from $75-100 depending on the year I think. Whole assembly (fuel pump, sending unit, housing) can run as much as $275 on 2000+ and up to $600(!!!!) on 99 models, and that's just the parts.

[lonnie]

I got a 2000!

[Gr1m]

replacing the pump is an easy job if u have access to a lift, but you WILL get raped if you take it to a shop

[surreal_awakening]

Are you planning on doing it yourself or taking it somewhere? Pretty sure I have the whole assembly from a 2000 in my garage I could sell you cheap if you're planning on doing it yourself.

[lonnie]

No I would never attempt on my own, although I'm confident I could do it with research and time, but I have neither. Thanks for the offer though.

[Cliff8928]

Does the low fuel light come on? The fuel level can be read from the PCM with an appropriate scanner too.

[lonnie]

Does the low fuel light come on? The fuel level can be read from the PCM with an appropriate scanner too.Yes the low level fuel light is on and the hand remains at empty. Once I start the car it goes up as normal then goes down. I'm thinking it is the sending unit but will have to get some one to read it. The car works fine other then the hand, and it dosen't appear to be any problems with the car getting fuel.

[Gr1m]

its not too hard, took me like 45 mins with my friends lift, you just need to remove the exhaust heatshield, drop the tank, remove the old fuel pump and put in the new one and do in reverse order

[lonnie]

So the sender unit and pump are one and the same?

[super white alero1]

You can get the sender seperately but only from Delco. Try GMpartsdirect.com (http://gmpartsdirect.com/), or the stealership, Aftermarket do not sell those sepeartely.

[surreal_awakening]

RockAuto also has kits for just the sender (ACDelco only, as superwhite said). Might beat the gmpartsdirect price at RockAuto, you'll have to check and see.

[lonnie]

But what do you guys recommend? Because I'm thinking if I have to have that done I mine as well replace everything! Little more costly but wouldn't have to worry about it later.

[surreal_awakening]

Parts will cost less, obviously, having just the sender replaced vs. the whole thing. But I would imagine shop time would be less replacing the whole thing since they just pull the assembly out and drop a new one in. It may be a wash...not sure. You may have to call a few shops and get it priced both ways.

[lonnie]

Going to call tomorrow

[undecided02]

common problem with GM vehicles, dont panic its not a huge deal.

[surreal_awakening]

common problem with GM vehicles, dont panic its not a huge deal.

Until you forget to keep track of your mileage and run out of gas 50 miles from home for the first time :lol:

[lonnie]

Ok this is freaking me out...Damn fuel hand is working now after I left it sitting for a couple of days while I was at a conference. Now this scares be alittle bit.

[cherrington17]

scares you? cuz your car is possessed? if its not working, then working... i'm guessing that more of an electical problem. you got a wire thats "on its last leg"

if its worn, then i'll work in some positions, and not others... come on, lonnie, you know this stuff!

[lonnie]

scares you? cuz your car is possessed? if its not working, then working... i'm guessing that more of an electical problem. you got a wire thats "on its last leg"

if its worn, then i'll work in some positions, and not others... come on, lonnie, you know this stuff!
Yeah, but imagine trying to trace that out. Plus I would still need to get a lift to get to those wires. My car is possessed, it just needed a vacation I guess....LOL I wonder if that harness that runs from the fuel pump runs right up under the car...If so it will have to wait..

[surreal_awakening]

the harness from the fuel pump enters the passenger cabin underneath the rear seat cushions and joins the vehicle wiring harness running along the passenger side of the cabin, underneath the bottom door trims. From there i THINK it goes through the RH IP junction block (on the end of the dash board), but don't quote me on that. From there...not sure where it goes. I'd have to check and see. But I will say that my gauge worked intermittently, and after replacing the pump/sending unit it works fine, wasn't a wiring problem, just a sending unit problem.

[lonnie]

Thankx

[super white alero1]

You can access them under the cover on the driver's side door. It's the C2 connector, color is purple for teh signal wire to the PCM. PM me so more info.

[lonnie]

You can access them under the cover on the driver's side door. It's the C2 connector, color is purple for teh signal wire to the PCM. PM me so more info.
All right I will if I need some more info, this should be enough to get me started...Thanks guys for the help!!

[Steven01]

I donno mine isnt fuel pump :S i gave my dash a NICE SLAP and then it started to work, :S