vet85

first .thanks for reading .ive got a 02 convertible which up until now had very few problems with . so with that being said as of about a month ago my gas gauge went dead when it gets to 3/4 of a tank and until u fill it up it stays dead .....now i know there are a million different cures but i want to work on this one time and fix it .in the past few weeks ive been through about 4 different fuels .and it has 75k on it .....thank u for any information.

Blue Blood

I'm not EvilTwin, and I didn't stay at a Holiday Inn, but I do have twins.

I've had the problem before as well, and the only fix that has seemed to work is this; Purchased a can of Seafoam from Napa, go to gas station and pour contents into tank while filling tank with gas. Took the car home and didn't drive it for a couple days to allow the Seafoam time to do it's thing.

Haven't had a problem in about 9 months; always use quality fuels, and keep tank filled when not driving every day.

HTH!

DeeGee

The dead gas gauge is a common problem here. Normally the symptom is that it will fall to zero. In my case, the first time it happened I filled to full but the gauge showed 3/4 and slowly rose to full. I treated it quickly and it cleared. I've since had a "drop to empty" when I ran the tank low on one occasion.

You can see from this picture how the sender works. The floating arm runs over pick offs and depending on the amount of fuel sends a different resistance to the computer to gauge the gas. The right tank pumps fuel to the left from where it feeds the engine. The computer averages the contents of both tanks. The problem is that sulfur in the gas fouls the pick offs causing a bad reading.



In your case it's working initially with a full load.

The easy solution is to treat it with Techron (or some prefer Seafoam). If it's only slightly fouled Techron will clear it quickly. If it's been a while with those symptoms and it's badly clogged it may take a number of treatments to clean it. If it's really badly fouled you may have to replace the senders. Theres one in each tank.

Try Techron first. The other thing to do is to check the codes and clear down any fuel related problems.

Report back but give the Techron time to work.

Oh and BTW, experts say changing fuels is good as the different treatments help. Whats for certain is that Chevron gas has Techron added and Shell has a similar additive.

99 vett babycar

try a couple of fillups each with a 20 oz bottle of techron - what you are experiencing is not an uncommon problem.Been there- done that.
I add a bottle about every third fillup and constantly look out for whoever has this stuff on sale

wkndwarrior

exact same problem and gave me a fit cause it happened on my first out of town long trip.....used the 20oz techron, after the second treatment all is fine.....go on a trip with the wife in the mountains on the way home after a couple tanks of chevron ultimate....bam, hits again goes to zero.....bought another 20oz techron....running great again.

i keep a 20oz techron or two around all the time now......beats removing sensors for now, lifes just too busy.

good luck, if you find something else, chemically, that works post it.

Z06Electron

Mine does it after 350 miles per tank, regardless of the amount of techron I run through it. Might be something you may have to just live with, if you go into the DIC center and hit fuel four times while holding down option with all warnings clear it will take you into the codes stored. Hit reset on the fuel related code and your gas guage will start working again.

I still run Techron through it, but truth be told the problem didn't START until I ran the first can of techron through it "just in case".

Vetteman Jack

Try the Techron or Seafoam in the tank a time or two and see if your sensors start acting normally. If they don't, you may end up having to get them replaced for the gauge to act properly.

Evil-Twin

All good advice, from everyone.. its true that sulfur in the fuel causes this situation and also heat. This problem is more prevalent in the summer months. I'm very happy to see that I can retire from this forum and there be many knowledgeable people here to help keep newbies and those with issues in the best care possible. To the OP, thank you for seeking me out. Sorry I didn't get to this sooner. As you can see, you are in good hands here on this forum...with or without me... just be sure you have as much confidence in them as you have had with me.. there are many very knowledgeable people here.. but there are still those legends in their own minds, and those living in the 1960's...look out for them.
Bill aka ET

DeeGee

Don't you dare retire again

j84buick

Your results may vary but for me it took about 4 tanks of good gas with Techron added to get me back up and running. Probably one of the most common items talked about on the forum along with the column lock.

steve8

there are many very knowledgeable people here.. but there are still those legends in their own minds, and those living in the 1960's...look out for them.



As ET said, some people are more knowledgeable than others.
Hopefully as you can tell from above, when Dave (DeeGee) speaks, everyone should listen.

srs244

and be prepared for the shock when they throw the cost to do the repair at you. a friend had to have his sensors replaced and the cost was well north of $1000 (i believe the total was in the $1400 range).

DeeGee

Kind words Steve and thanks but you may have noticed I try to stay within my comfort zone. Don't ask me to open up the engine

killain

I'm sure your tired of all the questions, but you have something that is truly irreplaceable to anyone interested in any corvette. Your knowledge is something no one can ever replace or find ever again. Please don't abandon us ! What you have above your shoulders, can never be available to anyone, anywhere eve again. And your a true gentleman as well.

vet85

thats exactually why i asked for him ......not trying to be rude to ANYONE but this is one very smart man and we need to hold on to him.....thank u all for your answers and i will start treatment on my baby tonight .......

BigTattooMan

That last part is why you were requested. With you we get dinner AND a show

Evil-Twin

OH I'm not leaving, but when I first came here almost ten years ago, I spent ten hours a day on this forum, try to debug issues for many, I did this for 5 years Plus... There was also alot of bloodshed.. LOL..One of the reason I left... I am a little miffed by the gentleman title... I know its a compliment and an extreme honor.. many have made me feel like part of their family..including the Corvette Administration, and moderators. It nice to see other, who have done their homework and have kept up with new innovations with this car are ready to help the community as I have in the past... ten years ago.. there was no one here who could really help with new issues.. Anyway... I don't spend ten hours a day here anymore but I still get anywhere from 5 to 25 PM's a day.I log a few hours a day here still. I guess what I am saying is the Corvette forum is in good hands with some of the great people found in this forum. The End and with love
Bill aka ET

Evil-Twin

Now that is funny... here is a short story.. I hope !
I left the forum for a while about six months, two years ago.. for reasons those who know me are aware,.. Some people contacted me and asked me to come back.. and after about a month of deliberations and alot of overwhelming warmth.. I decided to give it a try and not get too involved.. ( get in and get out , take it or leave it ) etc.. Anyway the New ET was a ***** cat.. and some folks who knew the old ET wanted to see more of him...Also, the other reason I left was because I found myself out on a limb all by myself..where the forum admin could have defused many issues.. when I came back it was with the administration saying that this time they would have my back.. Which in the last two years has made this forum and my presence here much more tollerable... Ive always been a tell it like it is guy.. I never said I was a tactful person.. somehow in my mature years Ive learned to temper my in your faceness... LOL still many old timers miss the old ET. MY sense of humor ( The show ) is still there but without all the bloodshed ..

blacksedan87

Yeah - there were a lot of mamby-pamby jackholes that got their feathers ruffled anytime the old E-T logged on and checked in. Fortunately, a lot of those antagonists are gone, moved on to C6's I think. Personally - I read those posts from E-T and tried to absorb as much as I could.

I'm just glad to have you back here E-T, even if it is a little watered down!

Evil-Twin

Thanks Randy, for always being in my corner even when others just wanted to see bloodshed.. This forum has certainly changed in the last ten years.. but you know what, I only have vivid memories of all the good times..
Best regards
Bill aka ET