2001 Silverado fuel guage works less than half the time, can give actual reading as well as low fuel (empty) after a fill up. Goes back and forth, most of the time it reads empty. I use the tripodometer toll know when to pit for fuel based on miles. Anyone else ever have this problem? How is this corrected?
Robert
I had the same problem with a 2006 Chevrolet Uplander. It was the sending unit in the gasoline tank. Fortunately, I was still under warranty and it was repaired by the dealer in an afternoon. Apparently, this seems to be a common Cherolet problem.
If you can get to the wires going into the top of the gas tank on this truck, you can take the connector for the sender off and if your gauge and wiring is working. With the wire completely disconnected, it sould read empty and with it grounded it should read full.
With intermittent and erratic readings, though, it’s probably the sending unit in the tank. It’ll probably be fairly pricey to change because they’ll have to drop the tank, so if you can live with it you might want to wait until they have to drop the tank anyways to do a fuel pump change. I think the dealer might also have some stuff you can put in your tank that might free up the sender.
Sometimes these new tech rheostats are affected by too much sulfer in the fuel supply. some TECHRON sdditive in the tank solves this …if that’s the issue.
I agree with the adivce Ken Green gave about the Techron. If that doesn’t work you may have to clean or replace the sender in the tank.
If you are planning to change out the fuel pump, on a chevy you can just take to bed loose and slide it back enough to work on. Disconnect the brake and tag light wires… On Fords you have to drop the tank. Whether you drop the tank or not, use compressed air to clean the top off before the opening of the fuel tank is removed.