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GM fuel gauge prob... Gauge cluster or sending unit?

13K views 31 replies 16 participants last post by  Mandelon 
#1 ·
The fuel gauge on my 2004 GMC Yukon did a strange thing yesterday. It pinned the fuel gauge showing way over full. At first I was thinking the sending unit has gone bad, but when the car is turned off the gauge only drops to half instead of all the way down. Because the gauge drops to half when the car is turned off and not all the way down I am beginning to think it may be a problem with the gauge cluster. There was a know issue and a Technical Service Bulliten for defective gauge clusters in 2004 GM trucks.

What do you think? Gauge cluster problem or sending unit going bad?
 
#2 ·
The fuel gauge on my 2004 GMC Yukon did a strange thing yesterday. It pinned the fuel gauge showing way over full. At first I was thinking the sending unit has gone bad, but when the car is turned off the gauge only drops to half instead of all the way down. Because the gauge drops to half when the car is turned off and not all the way down I am beginning to think it may be a problem with the gauge cluster. There was a know issue and a Technical Service Bulliten for defective gauge clusters in 2004 GM trucks.

What do you think? Gauge cluster problem or sending unit going bad?
cluster...
 
#21 ·
Dan,
My 02' 3500 has trouble with the fuel gauge, also. When the guage makes it to 1/2 tank, the low fuel message center calls low fuel & the guage goes to empty. You can fill the truck & the message center stays lit & guage stays on empty. I have to disconnect the battery for a few hours, or all night, to re-set. HELP!!!!!
Thanks, Mike
 
#14 ·
Thought I was on the right track with the cluster. Made arrangments to drop it off at the dealer and have it taken care of. I am over 70K so it looks like I will be paying for the labor. Will GM replace the part and let me do the work myself or would they require I pay the high dealer labor rate?
 
#18 ·
Thought I was on the right track with the cluster. Made arrangments to drop it off at the dealer and have it taken care of. I am over 70K so it looks like I will be paying for the labor. Will GM replace the part and let me do the work myself or would they require I pay the high dealer labor rate?
on any repair that GM is "participating" with the customer...you pay the warranty labor time at the warranty labor rate...probably cost you $75 give or take...the exchange unit on the part is about $300 just fyi ;)
 
#16 ·
2005 Silverado

It's not the cluster.
I had a fuel gauge problem (as well as all the other gauges acting up) and I took it into Chevrolet. They replaced the cluster under warranty and I thought all was fine. I then noticed that the fuel gauge was still reading wrong. It was still showing an empty tank at 200 miles (normal is 450).
Ends up it's the sender in the tank. The service writer told me that they get just as many in for the senders as they do the cluster.
 
#17 ·
It's not the cluster.
I had a fuel gauge problem (as well as all the other gauges acting up) and I took it into Chevrolet. They replaced the cluster under warranty and I thought all was fine. I then noticed that the fuel gauge was still reading wrong. It was still showing an empty tank at 200 miles (normal is 450).
Ends up it's the sender in the tank. The service writer told me that they get just as many in for the senders as they do the cluster.
yeah, we see senders fail too, but wrapped all the way around the gauge like he's saying I would bet cluster...I would vote sender if he said just read inaccurate ;)
 
#31 ·
#20 ·
The fuel gauge on my 2004 GMC Yukon did a strange thing yesterday. It pinned the fuel gauge showing way over full. At first I was thinking the sending unit has gone bad, but when the car is turned off the gauge only drops to half instead of all the way down. Because the gauge drops to half when the car is turned off and not all the way down I am beginning to think it may be a problem with the gauge cluster. There was a know issue and a Technical Service Bulliten for defective gauge clusters in 2004 GM trucks.

What do you think? Gauge cluster problem or sending unit going bad?
frdvschev..the one in my mom's escalade just went out too..brought the cluster to a place in brea, cali....they swapped it out..and put it back in. Piece of cake to do yourself..let me know if you're interested and i'll shoot u the info on the company. I guessit's where the dealers send all their factory radios , clusters, etc. My mom's car is an 02 caddy. Hope this helps.
as far as price..i wanna say it was in the 300 ish range.
 
#26 ·
Good Luck. I just dropped 04 Silverado off for the fourth time to get the temp gauge fixed.

It reads cold, then hot, then cold, then overheated......finally something pops under the hood and it just stays at cold. The rough idle it gets when it thinks its cold is way less annoying than the constant dinging you have to listen to when it thinks it is overheating.... ding ding ding....wtf!

They've replaced the thermosensor 3 times so far. Hopefully someone there can figure it out....
 
#28 ·
Good Luck. I just dropped 04 Silverado off for the fourth time to get the temp gauge fixed.

It reads cold, then hot, then cold, then overheated......finally something pops under the hood and it just stays at cold. The rough idle it gets when it thinks its cold is way less annoying than the constant dinging you have to listen to when it thinks it is overheating.... ding ding ding....wtf!

They've replaced the thermosensor 3 times so far. Hopefully someone there can figure it out....
Rich, the trade it in light is on in your case ;)
 
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