i need to replace my unit i was wondering if it is easier to remove the tank or remove the bed to get access to it
Always easier to remove the bed of the truck.
Tester
is this a job for a backyard mechanic
depends on if you have a lift or not - and also how rusted is the bed bolts are - lift take the tank out - no lift easier to take the bed off
Took the bed off on my '97 Z71 (no lift). Just needed a friend to help move the bed. Use a couple of jack stands to rest one end of the bed on and rest the other on the back of the frame. Power washed the frame and reapplied undercoat while I was at it.
when my gauge gets down to a quarter mark, if i turn the truck off, it wont start . but as long as i dont kill the engine, i can run it . the mech said ned to relace sending umit
…which is why you never buy a GM product.
I hope you are aware the sending unit is part of the fuel pump assembly ($$$). The fuel guage on my 2000 S-10 Blazer quit last year. I fill up at 250 - 260 miles in the summer and 240 miles in the winter, this usually leaves a 3 or 4 gallon reserve in an 18 gallon tank.
Ed B.
Sounds like the problem might be a fuel pump situation. You might want to get a second opinion. In fact bring the truck in with the fuel below 1/4 and see what the fuel pressure is doing on cranking.
Since the procedure for changing the fuel level sensor and the fuel pump are almost the same, you would not want to go throught the whole procedure twice if the problem is really the fuel pump.
That’s a stupid statement. It has nothing to do with the OP’s problem. Why don’t you keep your opinion out of this if you can’t give a helpful comment
if i let it get down to a quarter of a tank,i will not be able to turn it off or i will not be able to start it again. it is really hard to get an spur of the moment appointment at the mechanic. i was wondering if there may be a hole in the line around the quarter tank mark
As long as there is gasoline in the gas tank, it doesn’t matter what the sending unit is indicating. The sending unit doesn’t affect running or starting.
A dirty fuel filter can reduce fuel pressure. Reduced fuel pressure can cause difficulty in starting. If the fuel filter in your truck has never been changed, I’m sure it needs replacement. The fuel pressure should be read after the fuel pressure is changed.
What a life saver this site is. I have the exact same issue with a 01 S10. Here is what I have learned so far. A) GMC fuel pumps are known to go out early B) they are very pricey C) the symptoms are very missleading. With gas prices what they are I would let my gas run down to fumes prior to this problem. I would buy enough gas to get me through Friday evening. About a month or so ago I went out on a Sat morning and it would not start. I poured some gas in it from a can in my garage and it started and I drove to the gas station and put gas in it. Then it got to 1/4 tank and it would not start!? I put more gas in it and it once again started. Since (1.5 months ago) I have been afraid to let it go below 1/4. If it starts to get close to a 1/4 it gets hard to start. I told my problem to a mechanic and he said that is not the symptoms of a fuel pump (FP) going out. He said the FP just flat go out and the fuel level in the tank has no bearing. He did agree that GMC FP are known to go out ealry and the FP on the later Colorado are even worse. He also said the GMC FP are know to give false readings for fule level on the dash and that it may be out of gas at the 1/4 mark. He also said there is a filter sock over the end of the FP and he thiks that mine came off or came apart then when I let the fuel get low is it being pulled into the FP pick up. Which kind of made sense to me since a FP can’t half work it either works or it does not. He also said that at hwy speeds I would notice low fuel pressure not at start up. Once started my truck has been running down the road fine. At idel I have noticed a one hit miss. A few times it has done it a few times in a row but not close enough in a row to call it a stutter. It would be like miss…wait…miss…wait…then fine. I now wonder if I have one of those dual problems all at once happening that can really throw a troubleshoot off. I have 82K at 75k I changed the plugs. One of the plug wire ends come off with the plug and to fix it I just crimped the end down hard back into the wire and put it back on. It ran fine like that since 75k but now I wonder is the stumble is a spark issue and poss. related to that wire. Either way I am at wits end here do you guys have any updates to your issue you could send me please b/c your issues sounds just like mine. Thanks a bunch.
Kevin,
You need to start your own question thread. It’s confusing to mix oranges with tangerines.
You can find out which engine cylinder is misfiring. That’s what the trouble codes are for when the check engine light gets turned on. Go to an auto parts store and have the trouble codes scanned (free). Post the codes here (like: P0301, etc.)