01 Venture Gas Gauge

The gas gauge travels all over. Does not matter where the actual level is. Was curious if anyone has experienced this?

it sounds like the sending unit which is on the side of the fuelpump inside the fuel tank is going out . could be also bad connector on top of the fuelpump especially if it has the square type connector. usually when the fuel gauge starts to get erratic it isn't long before the fuelpump will either pump unsteady pressure or just run without pumping pressure. the new pumps come with a bigger connector that you splice to your wires.a good f/pump will cost around $330.00. been there done that i have a '99 silho.

Thanks for the insight.

Yes my 2001 does this too. Basically the gas gauge does not work. Rumour has it this was due to some bad gas from shell a few years back that clogged the sensor / sending unit up.

I just added some very exspensive GM fuel cleaner to see if it will help.

In my opinion another GM global deficiency, much the same as the manifold gaskets and the windshield wiper module problem.

the fuel pump and fuel gauge wires come out of the tank and go to a pass-thru connector in the floor board right below the drivers side sliding door.you can follow wires from top of gas tank to the connector that they go thru.pull the connector apart and see if it is green inside it. if it is then this could be where your problem is with the fuel gauge. you can try some electical cleaner but might end up scraping the connector .it seems the weather seal g. m. used does not seal after all as water still gets in.i ended up putting a $55.00 end on the wires. the traction control, wheel speed sensors ,abs wires all go thru the connectors[there are two right next to each other.]also the wires could be apart under the drivers seat carpet as they run under it to the dash and pcm

I have a friend who has a 99 venture that had the same problem, he poured some additive or something in the tank from GM specifically for this problem and his guage works perfect. might be worth looking into for about $5.00

does ne one knows the name of this product and where to find it...i have the same problem with my 97 venture....gas hand is all the way past the full mark...never moves....is this my problem too?or is mine sumthin else?

does ne one knows the name of this product and where to find it..
GM Fuel System Treatment PLUS, P/N 88861011 (for U.S. ACDelco®, use 88861013) (in Canada, 88861012). Can be purchased at your local GM dealer's parts department. Make sure the container has the word "PLUS" on it as they revised the cleaner but kept the same part number, the word "PLUS" denotes the new formula. The new improved cleaner is supposed to clean the deposits and keep the parts protected. It is recommended to use it at every oil change for optimum benefit.

now how does this work exactly.....wuts in this stuff thats going to make my gas gauge even work.....kinda sound iffy to me

The GM cleaner contains what is called a "filmer" It coats the parts of the sending unit to prevent the sulfur in the gas from corroding the parts. Corrosion causes a disruption in electrical continuity and the gauge becomes erratic. The cleaner cleans the sulfur contamination from the sending unit, and prevents further corrosion to the electronic components. It also coats th metallic surfaces of the fuel system and removes harmful deposits left from poorer quality gas.

I haven't has this experience, but I did notice that my gage seems to be going down too fast. Almost like I have a leak, but I don't smell or see gas anywhere.

The additive up in canada is $25, and I did try it but did not notice if the plus was on the container or not. Wife usually drives the van and I was in it last week after one new fill up and it seemed to work better but still not accurate enough to trust the tank gauge. Will be using the van this weekend for a ski trip and will watch to see how the gauge works. In my opinion GM should fix this problem for everyone under good will and maybe we might buy GM again. At this rate I doubt if I ever buy GM again. e.g. manifold gasket problem that went on for years, windshield wiper problems, ABS wiring problem and now the gas gauge doesnt work!! Unacceptable.

In my opinion GM should fix this problem for everyone under good will and maybe we might buy GM again.
I highly doubt they would do this after this:http://www.pjstar.com/php/index.php?/news/detroit_gm_postsrecord_loss_of_387b_for_2007_offer s_buyouts_to_74000_us_wor/

base11 - I agree 100%. We're all having the same problems - coolant issues, wiper blades, power lock switch wires, leaking windshields, rusting rockers, dead bulbs in the radio, yellowing headlight assemblies, ...the list goes on and on. I have an 87 Regal that doesn't have 1/10 of these problems! I consider myself a GM guy, but this experience has me saying I will not be buying GM again. My wife now drives an Odyssey.

Gas additive from GM did not work. $25 down the drain. Mine also floats and shows full a lot then empty etc. Basically inaccurate.

Yes if GM fixed these chronic problems that everyone knows is inherant to certain models, we would be more likely to buy GM again in the future. The new 5 year warranty is a step in the right direction but maybe to late.

Also i find it amazing that the new 2008 Malibu is getting praised as such a great car when it is brand new. Lets see what happens in 4 years to the reliability and what goes wrong with this model.

You know, the fuel gauge wears out. Period. Sometimes you just need to replace the thing. There is a guy on ebay that sells these sender units for $25. He has several types and lists what gm cars they fit.
The tip about the connector up through the floor is a good one. The two plugs down there do seem to go green and quit working often. The evap purge solonoid, the fuel sender, the tank presure sender and the fuel pump are all using the same plug under the floor. Right beside that plug is a second one that does the rear air shock compressor and tail lights. When those connectors get the green fuzz in them, anything can fail.
So, open the connector (its easy to see going up through the floor beside the fuel tank on the driver's side) and look for corrosion--then buy a new sensor to install in the tank. I've replaced them on three cars and all three looked the same: the wiper fingers were not touching the resistance board due to flexing and wear at the pivot joint. Its a bad design and gm used it in alot of cars.

Well my wife just informed me that our '02 is having the guage issue.
I was thinking that it was the sending unit. Since we have almost 120k on it.

I really dont see how this could be a GM quality issue. You have a wad of electrical parts floating in gasolene for years straight, something is bound to give after a while. Yea it sucks, buts thats part of having a used car. Its used.

Totally disagree. The gas gauge issue is a known GM specific problem, documented on many sites and even the auto section of the paper here has stated this. This is why they make the GM "plus" fuel additive to fix this known problem.

I have owned well over 10 vehicles, including currently a 2000 Elantra with over 180,000 and have never had a fuel gauge problem. I have had fuel pumps go, and leaky tanks but never a fuel gauge problem.

Gm will charge you around $500 to fix this, which is way to much.

I totally agree with Base11. I just sold my 89 Wrangler last May that had 182,320 on it, and no gas gauge problems. I have an 87 Regal (yes, almost 21 years old) again, no gas gauge problems. I've checked out the other GM brand forums and this is a common problem across all brands. Maybe this is (part of) why Dephi went Chapter 11.....

the fuel pump and fuel gauge wires come out of the tank and go to a pass-thru connector in the floor board right below the drivers side sliding door.you can follow wires from top of gas tank to the connector that they go thru.pull the connector apart and see if it is green inside it. if it is then this could be where your problem is with the fuel gauge. you can try some electical cleaner but might end up scraping the connector .it seems the weather seal g. m. used does not seal after all as water still gets in.i ended up putting a $55.00 end on the wires. the traction control, wheel speed sensors ,abs wires all go thru the connectors[there are two right next to each other.]also the wires could be apart under the drivers seat carpet as they run under it to the dash and pcm

Wife's 98 venture gas gauge stayed up full for about 1 min then wnet empty with the gas light on, so I attempted to fix it,pulled th connector apart, lots of green. I used small screwwdriver sratched the contacts real good. Now the van cranks but won't start.

Please help.

Thanks.

Found the problem. The underfloor connector was the culprit. Wires were disconnected due to corrsion. That why my solenoid vent valve, my fuel gage were not working and when I was cleaning it out I pulled apqrt the gray fuel pump feed also. Temporarily soldered it back together while waiting for my new connector. Hope this helps somebody with the same problem.

Found the problem. The underfloor connector was the culprit. Wires were disconnected due to corrsion. That why my solenoid vent valve, my fuel gage were not working and when I was cleaning it out I pulled apqrt the gray fuel pump feed also. Temporarily soldered it back together while waiting for my new connector. Hope this helps somebody with the same problem.

Is the "underfloor" connector located under the carpet on the DS or PS or really under the van floor and where? Thanks.

Is the "underfloor" connector located under the carpet on the DS or PS or really under the van floor and where? Thanks.

It's under the van fllor. You get to it looking up from under the van just behind the driver seat. ACDelco part No., PT1176 8-way female natural.

The fuel senders just are no good in many GMs. You need to replace it. I took mine out and considered fixing it, but that didn't work out. The sender has a large brass pivot pin that holds the float and wire arm together with the sliding fingers that glide over the resistance wire. This pivot becomes loose with age and the sliding fingers back off the resistance board so no contact is made most of the time. At certain positions--3/4 tank, or maybe 1/4 tank--some contact is made for a while, but mostly this makes your gauge show a nearly full tank all the time.
There is a guy on ebay that sells just the senders for $25. Try "evalero1" on ebay. He seems to get new types all the time. Dropping out the tank is really easy on this van as is removing the sender/pump unit within. The job takes less than an hour if u make sure to do it when the tank is EMPTY:naughty:

There is also that problem mentioned above with the corrosion in the cable connector where it passes through the floor--just behind the driver's seat. This is bad and will cause the fuel guage to go wild, the fuel pump to quit, and the evap solonoid on the purge canister to show a code and not work. I think this happens from water (or pop) seeping down from above and pooling under the carpet on this connecter. Mine was so bad I had to replace both male/female ends of the connection. If I had to do this again, I'd just solder the cables together and not replace the connectors.
John

the connector is right under where the person sitting in the drivers side second row seat feet rest. it is caled by the g.m. dealer a pass-thru box . the weather seal that g.m. used in this connector didn't do what it was supposed to do keep the moisture out.the female part of the pass-thru cost me $55.00 ,and i believe the parts man told me the whole connector was $170.00 but i just needed the female part.the connector comes with all grey wires and you have to solder and heat shrink all of the splices.also i put some dialectric cream inside the connector so if moisture does get in again it will seal it better. this connector is where the wires from the rear speed sensors ,gas gauge ,fuel pump, and tcs go thru to get to the dash and engine.sometimes they can be clean useing electrical cleaner but if the pins are bad then have to replace .

The fuel senders just are no good in many GMs. You need to replace it. I took mine out and considered fixing it, but that didn't work out. The sender has a large brass pivot pin that holds the float and wire arm together with the sliding fingers that glide over the resistance wire. This pivot becomes loose with age and the sliding fingers back off the resistance board so no contact is made most of the time. At certain positions--3/4 tank, or maybe 1/4 tank--some contact is made for a while, but mostly this makes your gauge show a nearly full tank all the time.
There is a guy on ebay that sells just the senders for $25. Try "evalero1" on ebay. He seems to get new types all the time. Dropping out the tank is really easy on this van as is removing the sender/pump unit within. The job takes less than an hour if u make sure to do it when the tank is EMPTY:naughty:

There is also that problem mentioned above with the corrosion in the cable connector where it passes through the floor--just behind the driver's seat. This is bad and will cause the fuel guage to go wild, the fuel pump to quit, and the evap solonoid on the purge canister to show a code and not work. I think this happens from water (or pop) seeping down from above and pooling under the carpet on this connecter. Mine was so bad I had to replace both male/female ends of the connection. If I had to do this again, I'd just solder the cables together and not replace the connectors.
John

About a year ago, my gas gauge would go up to full at about 1/4 tank (every time) then sometimes drop to empty. Now it's doing it at 3/4 tank and below, so I'm guessing it's the sensor in the gas tank. What's involved in pulling the tank, should I buy a manual, and if "yes" which one is best?

Many thanks in advance!

It's a real easy job. Undo the filler neck and 3 tank straps and it drops right out. Use Eye protection cause there is a lot of dirt above the tank and it all comes off when you drop it.

Run as much gas out of the tank as you can before dropping it.

The only way to fix the faulty gauge is to replace the whole pump unit.

The only way to fix the faulty gauge is to replace the whole pump unit.

NO, you can change out the sender pretty easily. Everything snaps together. I've done two Ventures and three silos, plus my '92 transport which was different, but still the same worn out pivot and a snap in sender unit.
John

Hey MERC,

Are you saying the sender is separate from the fuel pump?

I thought it was all one unit and could not be taken apart. I replaced my sending unit/fuel pump assembly with one from a salvage yard and it work's correctly.

I'll have to take a closer look at the one I pulled out. But you're saying I can fix it - right?

Yes, you can change only the sender. The fact is if your car has 150k or so miles you maybe want to change the pump while you're in there anyway, but its easy to snap out the sender from the pump assembly. Go over to ebay and look at the units listed to see what they look like.
Its criminal in my opinion for GM not to have these units for sale at decent prices seeing how many GM owners have this problem.
I often listen to the NPR show the 'car guys' and they always make fun of GM for their faulty gas gauges. I currently own 5 GM cars and the only one that hasn't had this problem is the 93 s10 blazer and I'm not holding my breath over that one either.

Once you go thru the trouble of dropping the tank, might as well replace the whole unit. I bought mine on EBay for 115 plus 25 shipping.

GM Fuel System Treatment PLUS didn't work for me as well, theres $25 ill never get back :( I guess now ill have to stick out the cash and buy a new fuel pump.

Go back up and read the old posts above. Try the one where I describe the nature of the problem with the fuel sender. This is a mechanical problem and no chemical ever conceived is going to fix it. Also, unless you like to spend money, just buy the fuel sender and not anything else--costs about $25 bucks.
Its not just vans, its every fuel sender GM made through 2005 that will go bad in this way. I've not opened any newer tanks after 2005, perhaps GM still makes them the same old way :disappoin

Reviving this thread since I need to tackle this repair in the Spring.

My gauge does not read accurately and my lines under the van are corroded.

Can someone post a link to the parts I need? Also any other tips on doing this job? Do I need to relieve pressure from the lines before disconnecting anything?

I'm thinking I'll just drop the tank and replace everything - - - pump, sensor, etc.

thx

Most definitely relieve the fuel pressure, BUT first DISCONNECT the battery.

You can relieve the pressure at the Schreader valve on the fuel rail. It looks like a inner tube valve.