I have a 99 Malibu and my gas guage give me false readings whenever the true gas level falls below 1/4 of a tank. the shop wants $200 to fix it and the dealer even more. Is there anything i can do myself? I have tried resetting the computer numerous times but it never works. I just bought the car im march of 06 and it was fine when i bought it. It wasnt until about 3 months ago that i started having this problem. If anyboody out there could help me out and possibly shed some light on this situation the best place to reach me would be at bubbas2000@comcast.net. Thanks in advance.
2006-12-28 03:19:45 · 6 answers · asked by John T 1 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
The sensor probably needs replacing....that $200 estimate is probably right on target. Don't try and replace it yourself, the gas tank has to come out and thats dangersous and a hassle.I suppose a quick fix would be to never let the tank go below 1/4! You should never flirt with an empty tank....there is dirt in all grades of gasoline that settle on the bottom of the tank and if you run it dry that dirt can clog the fuel line and that would be more expensive than ever. As my buddy's dad said when we were just learning to drive, " it costs just as much to keep it full as keep it empty....."
2006-12-28 03:29:31 · answer #1 · answered by Foss 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The problem is the sensor in your tank. It will cost at least $200 to get it fixed and doing it yourself will take a lot of time and trouble. The problem is only one of knowing how much gas you actually have. The car will run fine without doing anything. If you have a trip odometer, reset it every time you fill up and you can calculate your gas consumption based on that. You could also keep a log of your mileage. You can fill up whenever the guage drops low enough and if it isn't down as low as the guage reads, you just buy less gas. The tank will only take so much gas, reagardless of what the guage reads and there are a lot better things to spend $200 + on
2006-12-28 11:32:53 · answer #2 · answered by fangtaiyang 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
By what you are describing it appears that the sending unit in the gas tank is going bad. You can do the work yourself to replace it but if you are without facilities/tools for doing a repair it sounds aas if the shop is charging you a fair price.
You can read up on how the gague works (see link) and maybe look into a Chiltons Manual for what would be required for changing it.
2006-12-28 11:33:01 · answer #3 · answered by pawolf1 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is a sensor inside the gas tank, it probably needs replaced. You might be able to get one at a parts store, and if you have knowledge and tools, you could drop the gas tank and do it yourself. There are manuals available also at part stores that tell you how most things go together in your car.
2006-12-28 11:24:36 · answer #4 · answered by kyeann 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Simple solution and no cost to you. Keep track of mileage you drive. For example, fill your tank every 100 miles you drive or less or more miles.
Do this regularly. Gas gauge is not a factor.
2006-12-28 11:30:25 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sure.
Drain the gas tank, remove the gas tank, remove the fuel pump and sending unit, replace, and reinstall gas tank.
Other than that, there's nothing else to do.
2006-12-28 11:24:57 · answer #6 · answered by Mr. KnowItAll 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋