Fuel gauge problem
03-24-2006, 07:49 AM
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Fuel gauge problem I was on my way to work this morning with a 1/4 tank of fuel left on the gauge, then I came to a stop all of a sudden my gauge went to empty and the range blanked out and the low fuel warning came up. I was wondering if anybodys had this problem before or what it could be? By the way its a stock 2000 Corvette. Thanks.
03-24-2006, 08:39 AM
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Common problem and no one has come up with sure fire fix. Try switching gasolines. Try techron for a couple of fills. No guarentees, and they havent worked for me but have for some vette guys.
03-24-2006, 10:09 AM
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Well, I've tried shutting it off and then turning it back on but the needle still points to E. 
I did fill up at a local gas station because the super was cheaper than shell, 
maybe thats my problem. I'll try filling it up elsewhere. Hope that works.
I did fill up at a local gas station because the super was cheaper than shell, maybe thats my problem. I'll try filling it up elsewhere. Hope that works.
03-24-2006, 12:13 PM
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You cannot reset the computer and fix it. It wont let you. Restart it and it will go away for the time being sometimes. I've heard the gas change can cause it. Switch back to your reg gas and maybe you will be lucky. Like I said no one including GM knows how to fix it. Some guys report using Chevron gas will fix it I cant get it up here so i dont know. I've used techron and that works for a tank or 2 then pow there it is again.
03-24-2006, 03:07 PM
#6
are you guys f'ing kididng me? gm has no idea why it happens? and chevron gas MAY fix it? wtf its a fuel level sender. its a freakin metal rod with a bouey on it. it could be the contacts in your tank are bad and its not sending proper data, so you could remove it and clean it. i refuse to belive gm has "no idea" how to fix it as well as chevron fixing it.
im not calling you a liar, im calling the people who gave you that info liars. the chevron thing could totaly be a concidence or it could be somethin in the gas tahts helping to clean the contacts when its used. that would make more sense.
im not calling you a liar, im calling the people who gave you that info liars. the chevron thing could totaly be a concidence or it could be somethin in the gas tahts helping to clean the contacts when its used. that would make more sense.
03-24-2006, 03:29 PM
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Originally Posted by Camaro_Zach
are you guys f'ing kididng me? gm has no idea why it happens? and chevron gas MAY fix it? wtf its a fuel level sender. its a freakin metal rod with a bouey on it. it could be the contacts in your tank are bad and its not sending proper data, so you could remove it and clean it. i refuse to belive gm has "no idea" how to fix it as well as chevron fixing it.
im not calling you a liar, im calling the people who gave you that info liars. the chevron thing could totaly be a concidence or it could be somethin in the gas tahts helping to clean the contacts when its used. that would make more sense.
im not calling you a liar, im calling the people who gave you that info liars. the chevron thing could totaly be a concidence or it could be somethin in the gas tahts helping to clean the contacts when its used. that would make more sense.
Corvette's have two fuel tanks, a left and right side one, in a saddle arrangement, joined at the top. Each tank has it's own fuel level sensor. The computer correlates the readings from the two sensors to determine how much total fuel is in the tank, by addings the readings from the two sensors. The computer verifies that both sensors are working by comparing the readings from each. Since the fuel levels in the two tanks are supposed to stay fairly equal, if the sensors show a large mis-match, the computer decides that one or the other sensor is bad, and you get a code.
The sensors are a wire-wound variable resistor (AKA a "potentiometer"). A float in the tank moves a wiper arm across the winding of uninsulated wire so that the resistance varies in proportion to the fuel level in the tank.
Usually, the fuel gage problem occurs because impurities in the fuel start to (lacquers) build up on surface of the resistor wire. This can insulate the wires so that the sensor stops reading correctly. About the only other way for the gage problem to happen is if the float or resistor wiper arm gets stuck either from impurities in the gas or a mechanical problem.
You can try running some fuel system cleaner through the car to "clean up" the wires. This has been shown to eliminate the problem. It might take a few tanks to dissolve all the gunk. The only other solution is to replace the sensor. Due to the nature of the problem... their is a "fix" but it's only temporary... GM will replace the sensor and fix the problem, but eventually it will happen again. I'm going to try to run a bottle of fuel injector cleaner through it every 4-5 tanks, I haven't had a problem since... but it has prob only been through 6 tanks of gas since I first used the injector cleaner...
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03-24-2006, 03:37 PM
#8
i know what it has, i have a c5 that i just twin turboed. ive taken the tanks apart too.
and wtf did i just say. i said its just a floater, i said the fuel level sender is exposed and is not making good contact hence the certain fuel must be cleaning the contacts on the sending unit therefore making it work again...wtf...
AND you confirmed that GM does know the problem and that the problem is exactly what i had said above...it was said they dont know, but they do know.
and wtf did i just say. i said its just a floater, i said the fuel level sender is exposed and is not making good contact hence the certain fuel must be cleaning the contacts on the sending unit therefore making it work again...wtf...
AND you confirmed that GM does know the problem and that the problem is exactly what i had said above...it was said they dont know, but they do know.
03-24-2006, 03:53 PM
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No your right... Chevron has some kind of cleaning agent that just does a good job of Keeping the contacts clean... And yes GM does know about it... but their only real solution is to replace the sending unit... fixing it until it the contacts get dirty again and it starts doing it again... My fathers Vette did it after only 1500 miles... Sent it to the dealer and under waranty they replaced the sending unit... 2500 miles later it was doing it again... I called the GM service Manager and his exact words were "GM is aware of the problem... but they have no real fix but to continually replace sending units.... until the 3/36 warranty expires...
03-24-2006, 04:21 PM
#10
gotchya hahahaha ok thats all i was saying.
brent makes it out to be a mystery. i thought you were confirming no one knows what causes it/what fixes it cause its painfully clear as to what does it.
id assume if you cleaned it once a year or so, itd be fine. some electrical cleaner and a q-tip. i will be sure to document what i do to mine when it breaks.
brent makes it out to be a mystery. i thought you were confirming no one knows what causes it/what fixes it cause its painfully clear as to what does it.
id assume if you cleaned it once a year or so, itd be fine. some electrical cleaner and a q-tip. i will be sure to document what i do to mine when it breaks.
03-24-2006, 04:28 PM
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I was told by a guy on CF, that a bottle of nos octane booster every other tank... or a bottle of Fuel injector cleaner every 5-6 tanks seems to have kept them clean as he hasn't had any problems since... So I started trying that last fall for my last couple tanks... and it seems to have work so far... but I wouldn't give a yes or no until I've put a few mare tanks of gas through it...
Now if I could only figure out all of the gremlins in my active handling...
Now if I could only figure out all of the gremlins in my active handling...
03-24-2006, 04:30 PM
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And sorry I didn't post up more info earlier... I was in a meeting and scanning on my laptop when I saw this thread.... I didn't have time to elaborate... my first post post was basically just my way of subscribing to the post so I would remember to give more details later....
03-24-2006, 05:16 PM
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Jeez I was just trying to point the guy in the right direction. I've read countless posts long and detailed on this fing problem and from at least what I have read nothing is a sure fire cure. If there was believe I would have it done. I have tried everything, even when I had my fuel booster installed and everything was cleaned up, no go. Techron, no go. So for me at least nothing has worked. I'm glad something worked for you, I'll put in on my "it works list" along with the others. BTW for the record it wasnt Nautilus who said GM doesnt know the fix it was me...my bad.
03-24-2006, 06:13 PM
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Originally Posted by BrentC5
Jeez I was just trying to point the guy in the right direction. I've read countless posts long and detailed on this fing problem and from at least what I have read nothing is a sure fire cure. If there was believe I would have it done. I have tried everything, even when I had my fuel booster installed and everything was cleaned up, no go. Techron, no go. So for me at least nothing has worked. I'm glad something worked for you, I'll put in on my "it works list" along with the others. BTW for the record it wasnt Nautilus who said GM doesnt know the fix it was me...my bad.
Your right there have been 100's of threads about this.... here, on CF & Z06F. Most of the guys giving info in them have no idea what they are talking about... I had the service manager show me the sending unit out of my dads car and explain it to me...
03-24-2006, 06:27 PM
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Originally Posted by BrentC5
He's a Mod. OMG i just looked. Looks like my days on the forum are over.
03-25-2006, 01:13 AM
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Hey guys thanks for the info...didnt mean to start anything...just a little concerned when it happened to me this morning.Hopefully it wont happen again.
03-25-2006, 06:38 AM
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Originally Posted by rob2269
Hey guys thanks for the info...didnt mean to start anything...just a little concerned when it happened to me this morning.Hopefully it wont happen again.
