My stock fuel gauge is reading wrong, When the key is turned off, normally the gauge is supposed to drop to empty, mine drops down to half tank, then when I turn the key on it jumps up to 3/4 tank even though I know I have 1/4 tank left. I have no idea what is going on, any advice? It also might help to know that hours before the gauge started this, I was working on my rear suspension, so I had the rear of the car raised up for a few hours.
Unplug your fuel pump, does your gauge drop fully, or go down fully.
If the cluster reacts to you unplugging the sender, than your wiring and cluster are good, and your sending unit is shot
- 2004 Cavalier - 124k, owned since new
I went and filled up, at first the needle went way past the full mark and touched the temperature gauge. It slowly worked it's way back to the full mark, and now it drops back to empty. I don't know what happened, but it fixed itself.
Thanks anyway Rob.
I think that happens when you disconnect the battery. It takes a few starts to go back to normal.
I have a similar problem with mine. A couple of years ago, I was caught is a VERY slow moving picket line, and was idling for 2 hours. Since then, when I get 1/8th of a tank, my needle shoots to full. When I fill up, it goes back to normal again.
-----> Fast? I can beat a Camaro in a free fall... <-----
Both fuel gauges in my 89 and 96 Cavs did the same thing so my rule of thumb is always figure you are 1/4 tank lower than it reads....electrical tape out the last 1/4 knotch in the gauge and you'll always be safe.
On the 05 Cav I just bought the fuel needle is pointing into the temp gauge. I tried beating on the cluster, no joy...
09 HHR LS, Wife's Car
05 Cavalier, Clarion DXZ375MP, Autotek MM8000.5 & 13Kv.2, wife's old car, updates coming soon
Quote:
It also might help to know that hours before the gauge started this, I was working on my rear suspension, so I had the rear of the car raised up for a few hours.
Fuel pressure sending unit has failed.
ASE Certified Techician
DaimlerChrysler Certified Techician
Va Safety Inspector
Member Option D Racing
What's the fuel tank capacity in an Ecotec Cavalier?
------------------------------------
We all drive in a yellow Cavalier...
00 and up, if you take the lens off and the fuel gauge is harder to rotate (BE CAREFUL these break easy) than the others, the gauge is faulty, just fixed that issue with my lady's car, new cluster is most likely the issue, or you can just reset it by pulling the fuse that says CLUSTER and plugging back in everytime it goofs
Hellraiser and Lil Lightning
I have a similar issue. On the odd occasion, the fuel gauge goes past the "Full" mark and into the Speedometer area. I then have to turn the ignition off and on a few times to get the gauge to go to the correct level. This only happens when the car has been running for a 1/2 hr or longer. On short trips, the gauge reads and operates correctly. I am thinking that the cluster is starting to fail. If it was a sending unit at the fuel pump, the problem should be there all the time and not correct itself on loss of voltage.
