Fuel hand help!!!

lonnie · 09-30-2008, 08:28 PM

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 · 09-30-2008, 08:40 PM

ya, the float in the fuel tank

rustyballs_69 · 09-30-2008, 09:13 PM

Its the sending unit on the fuel pump.

Ryan from Ohio · 09-30-2008, 09:34 PM

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

surreal_awakening · 10-01-2008, 09:27 AM

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 · 10-01-2008, 10:19 AM

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 · 10-01-2008, 12:41 PM

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 · 10-01-2008, 01:13 PM

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 · 10-01-2008, 01:18 PM

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 · 10-01-2008, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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.

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 · 10-01-2008, 01:32 PM

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 · 10-01-2008, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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.

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 · 10-01-2008, 01:52 PM

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 · 10-01-2008, 01:58 PM

I got a 2000!

Gr1m · 10-01-2008, 02:32 PM

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 · 10-01-2008, 03:29 PM

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 · 10-01-2008, 04:49 PM

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 · 10-02-2008, 02:55 AM

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

lonnie · 10-02-2008, 07:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cliff8928

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 · 10-02-2008, 08:30 AM

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