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Fuel Gauge Reads Empty, Low Fuel Message

I have a 2001 Silvarado, standard cab, 2WD, automatic transmission.

When I stop at a light, after a few seconds the Fuel Gauge will drop down to below empty, and the Low Fuel message will be displayed at the left edge of the instrument cluster.

Shifting into park doesn't affect it, and if I am on a slight grade, so that I can take my foot off the break without creeping forward, or rolling back, that doesn't affect it either.

If I take my foot off the break and let the truck creep forward a few feet, then after a delay of a few seconds, the Fuel gauge will jump up again, and the Low Fuel message will go out.

I assume that since the fuel level sender has no way of knowing when the truck is stopped, or moving, the problem must be in the instrument cluster. Has anyone else experianced this?

Todd

Reply to
Todd
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Hi!

The fuel is probably sloshing around and may be causing the sender unit to get stuck at one end or the other.

I can do this on my '03 S-10 when the fuel gets low...if I take a corner hard enough or make a firm stop. It will stay "stuck" until I hit a good bump or repeat whatever action made the thing stick.

There could also be a loose wire or failing sender.

William

Reply to
William R. Walsh

This only happens when the truck is stopped. It doesn't happen when the truck is speeding up, slowing down, or going around curves. When the truck starts moving again, the gauge starts working and the Low Fuel message goes out.

Today I decided to time how long it takes for the Fuel Gauge to drop down to below empty, and the Low Fuel message to be displayed in the Message Center after the truck has come to a complete stop. It took 1 minute and 15 seconds, 1 minute and 25 seconds and 1 minute and 5 seconds, so this doesn't have anything to do with fuel sloshing in the tank

Since it only happens when the truck is stopped and has been stopped for a while, I don't think it has anything to do with the tank sender. Therefore it must have something to do with the instrument cluster. There isn't much else for it to be. The wiring wouldn't fail when the truck was stopped, and then be okay again when the truck started moving.

What else is there besides the tank sender, the wiring, and the instrument cluster?

What is in the instrument cluster?

Todd

Reply to
Todd

My first though was a voltage drop to the instruments at idle vs running speed. Are any of your other gages affected?

Reply to
Bob La Londe

No just the fuel guage. Also if I take my foot off the break, and let the truck creep forward a few feet and then stop again, the gauge will pop up, and the Low Fuel message will go out, so it's sensing movement somehow.

Todd

Reply to
Todd

With this bit of info it sounds like something is pinching a wire somewhere, or a bad ground..

Whitelightning

Reply to
Whitelightning

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