Zilla

Well once again my fuel gauge has gone haywire for about the forth time. This time the gas gauge showed empty when I know that I only did about 50 miles since I filled up the tank because I reset one of the trip odometers at every fill-up. This is opposite to the usual problem that everyone reports when they have the gauge showing half tank but the tank is near empty.

So far GM has reflashed the computer for the gas gauge back in Aug 2003 and I just had the sending unit and sensors replaced about a month ago.
Sometime I could restart the car and the gas gauge would go to the correct level but this time the problem was still present when I brought the car into GM which could be helpful.

So has anyone else experienced such problems like I have and what did GM do to fix the problem?

TIA

GaryZ06

That's nothing I had mine fixed 6 times so far.....last time they changed out the passenger tank and so far there are no problems but I do expect them to return.

Humy

I noticed, that when you first turn the key and all the needles scroll over and back, sometimes the problem will be apparent right at that point, before you even turn your engine on. All I do is pull the key out, open the door, so everything resets and try it again, and 99% of the time it'll go to where it should be then, if not try it again, and it'll fix itself.

Worked for me

Joe’s Z06

Happened to me last night too. When I started my car up the DIC read "Low Fuel" when I had half a tank in there. I turned my car off then restarted it and everything is fine now. Until the next time that is.

HummelS

High sulphur content in some fuels is reportedly causing some of the problems, and not just in Corvettes - it can cause erratic voltage readings from the sending units, is what I've been told. The only times I've had problems with either of our cars, it has been after using cheap gas. No problems at all using Shell 91 here in SoCal.

1 BAD C5

Taking mine in Monday for the same thing. Hopefully they will replace the fuel sending unit and it will fix it. Having the rear diff. looked at for the second time.

robertpel9

Mine does it EVERY time i get to a third of a tank if i have been driving for an extended period it is as reliable as a rolex that this will happen. I just pop in in neutral and restart the car while crusing and it fixes it. I am not gonna waste my time getting it supposedly fixed just to be frustrated. I'll lkive with it

dezcapt51

mine did it until i made dealer change the sensor in the tank

Stock Man

Sounds interesting!! Worth trying it out. That's a bummer it's happening all over again. Evidently the new gauges are supposed to be Gold because the previous ones were silver and were not compatible with the sulfur in the gas.

Jody19SebringGS

Last August I had this problem with my '98. Every time I drove the car for more than 20 or so minutes, the gas gauge would drop to empty and all the warning lights would come on, no matter how much gas I had in the tank. All I could do to reset it was stop and turn the car off, then restart it.

I took the car in to the dealer, and they replaced one of the fuel sending units. Went for a drive the next day and the gauge dropped to empty again, so I took it back and they replaced the other sending unit. Replacing both sending units finally did the trick, and I haven't had the problem since (knock on wood).

EscapePod

Gee, mine has only went belly up twice. In fact, the Vette sits in the garage this moment with a half tank and a gauge that no longer moves off of E.

My other three cars all use the same gas (BP/Amoco, or on occasion, Chevron/Techron), and not one of them ever exhibit this issue. So... based on that, I think the sole, root cause of the problem is simply the pizz-poor engineering at GM... frozen in their unintelligent minds by the azz-hole accounts who will stop at nothing to stymie any of the useless engineers who actually might have half an idea how to fix this ONCE AND FOR ALL.

If there are any GM engineers reading this forum, and particularly this thread:
FRONT YOU ALL!!!

Zilla

Just talk to my dealer and they were in informed by GM tech team that there is a new sending unit that they have made for the car. My dealer informed me that the part number given to them by GM is not in their parts manuals that they have. So they have order the part and should be here next week.

Hopefully this will solve my problem.
Once I get the part number I will post for the rest of you

DTWC5

I for one will greatly appreciate your help. It is driving me nuts. It just can not be that hard for GM to fix.

Vetteman Jack

I too have heard that high sulfur content in the fuel can cause lots of problems. Maybe try switching brands and see if it helps. I think that addiing a can of Techron Cleaner to the gas may help also.

Zilla

I agree that the high sulfur content in the fuel can cause lots of problems and that is why I avoid Shell gas. Shell Canada has been sued and lost here in Canada for wreaking fuel gauges. Since I had the sending unit an sensors replaced about a month ago I have only drive the car around 10 days. I have been out of town working. Also since I have had the parts replaced the only gas that I have used is Chevron Premium 94 octane with Techron.

I guess I will have to wait and see what this new part from GM will do for me.

EscapePod

JD, I have tried many different brands, even for several tanks. I have also put in countless cans of Techron, and also tried Valvoline's equivalent. All with no help.

That was my point above. My other three cars use the same gas, many times filling up on the same day. None have experienced this problem. Neither have many friends and neighbors that I discussed this with. While we all know, and have seen that, extreme high sulfur content will cause the sticking problems, the FACT is that the GM engineers can't come up with a part that works in a C5 Corvette, and immediately blame the fuel (even though, hardly any other automobile made has this problem).

Maybe we should just CHALLENGE our forum supporting vendors to come up with a modded sensor (that works). I mean, look at the other equipment they have come up with --- Column Lock Bypass, CAGS eliminator, that device that lets you control the windows remotely, etc. Why not a fuel level sensor that really works reliably??? Think of the great way to shame the idiot GM engineers.