The fuel gauge on my 2000 Malibu tends to stick and doesn't give the correct reading of fuel. I could be driving for a 100 miles and the gas gauge will stay at full. Any idea of a cause, any idea on how to fix, and if I take it into a shop, what will I expect as a cost?

It is the fuel gauge sending unit. You have to buy a fuel pump assembly The sender and fuel pump are made into one housing. The fuel pump assembly is about $275. Installation requires dropping the fuel tank. Expect labor to be around $150

I have a 2001 V6 Malibu with the same problem but I fixed itself after 1 or 2 weeks; do NOT ask me how because I still do not know :shakehead

I recommend you fill it up and refuel every 150 or 200 miles to be in the safe side and wait for 2 weeks to see if it will fix itself.

PS: this is a weird, unpredictable & unreliable car however I love driving it :screwy:

Problems encoutered so far (I know you did not ask for) but I will put it anyway:

1. The no-start problem but it's not Passlock problem (something else I do not know), I think some wires are the problem because a mechanic saw the fuel pump and it was good.
2. AC shifts between inside to outside air which probably caused the switch of inside & outside air to break (I think) problem fixed by closing the opening manually so that air only circulate from inside (for good) :uhoh:
3. Now AC compressor light started going off even at high speed 60 mph and it did it twice unregularly (I still did not do anything but I may try the way described in this forum)
4. Fuel gauge problem
5. The seat back most of the time is stuck and will not move
6. Faulty rear windows (no need to change the whole unit, a mechanic just fixed the wire that go around the motor)
7. While the engine in idle at a traffic light and the gear at N, RPM would increase to just below 1000 and go down without doing anything from my side like AC or pressing the gas pedal
8. Faulty horn; problem was from the green electric sheet that you press and it's located above airbag module, I changed whole unit from the junkyard and problem solved but I kept original airbag module since it may require programming
9. Check engine light always on (I checked at an electrician but it did not give us a code) - if anybody knows a way to reset the computer, please tell me

The sender can be purchased separately, but they have it stuck in that fuel pump pretty good. For 150 in labor it's worth changing the pump on a 2000 while the guy's in there.


Mine did similar things a couple weeks ago. It went from 1/4 to almost full then back down to 1/4.... within 2 minutes, at a red light. Yes baltimore red lights suck. I just started doing the mileage thing and the guage seems to be behaving itself again this week.

bndr...

1. glad it wasn't the pump.
2. check the vacuum lines from the right hand hvac switch to the thing behind the glove box.
3. clean the control unit/ find the vacuum line problem
4-8, solved or i don't know
9. Pull the negative terminal off, smoke a cigarette, put it back on. The light will come back if it's really a problem of course.

On the weird and unpredictable... I got to perform minor surgery last night between pizza deliveries. The left front bearing decided it was leaving. The three bolts through the back of the knuckle shook loose and the brake rotor was pushing the brake cylinder in on left hand turns. Which increased brake pedal travel after left hand turns. Not good, but it's how I noticed.

I have a 99' 3.1 at 150,000 the guage started acting funny at about 160,000 when 10 gallons was used up it went to empty and its been acting that way ever since I am 200,000 now. The car holds 16 gallons so I zero the trip meter and when I go about 300 miles I fill it again.

I have given the car to my wife and took her awile to get used to it but unless there is some major problem it will stay that way.

The only thing I regret on this car is I had the intake problem fixed at 187,000 and I should have had the plugs changed at the same time but didn't think of it and they are giving no problem so all is well

thanks johnschmitt, I will try this