Need help in finding a problem

[dmcfan]

Hello I just bought today a 96 SSE. There are two problems I have noted and wished I did before I bought it. The first is that the fuel gauge reads different everytime I start the car and when I drive. The other is the engine temp gauge moves when I accelerate. Shouldn't this be a stationary gauge? It sometimes makes it to the red when I accelerate but once I am coasting it goes back towards 220 ish. Please help a new owner. Thanks

[CarSuperfreak]

either of those problems could just be gage related. However, the 3800 engines (both supercharged and natuarally aspirated) consistently require new fuel pumps on higher mileage cars. If the car runs ok, I wouldnt worry too much about the fuel gage, just watch how many miles youve got between fill-ups.
As for the temp gage, I would first get your coolant checked. In the 96, you should have the orange dex-cool coolant, which GM says is good for 5 yrs or 150K. not so. they ran into all kinds of problems with the coolant 'gelling up' and clogging coolant passages and lines. I would first get the coolant checked (and most likely changed) and then have the thermostat checked out.

[markwb]

Originally Posted by dmcfan

Hello I just bought today a 96 SSE. There are two problems I have noted and wished I did before I bought it. The first is that the fuel gauge reads different everytime I start the car and when I drive. The other is the engine temp gauge moves when I accelerate. Shouldn't this be a stationary gauge? It sometimes makes it to the red when I accelerate but once I am coasting it goes back towards 220 ish. Please help a new owner. Thanks

That 220 ish sounds kind of high as if you're overheating slightly. Or maybe a prob with the eng coolant temp. sensor (ECT) or the way the PCM interprets it, either way I would be checking out the ect, t-stat, or the gauge. A good coolant system flush would be in order. How many miles on the car? That engine should come up to approx. 200 degrees f and maintain when at operating temperature.

[CarSuperfreak]

I don't know if its jsut because I have the supercharged one.....but my engine temp is consistently just above 200 in cool weather, and between 210 and 215 when its hot out.

[dmcfan]

I had the computer scanned and it throught the two coolant temp sensor codes. My new problem is my lamp monitor for the front turn signals keeps coming on and they are fine.