97 malibu LS help - don't know how this happened, but, funny gas guage question

[yesman]

okay, so I have no idea how this happened. but here's my problem. I have a 97 malibu LS. for some reason, the little arm on the gas guage got stuck below the little black pin that is supposed to be under it, holding it up. so what this means is I get no reading on the guage, because the arm can only rise as high as the little black pin. I have no idea how it got underneath the pin. it doesn't look like anything's broken.

I did have a dead battery before this happened and replaced it so I guess everything had to be reset, but i still don't understand why that might have had anything to do with it. unless the guage went too high and fell over the other side clockwise. I dunno.

anyway, anyone know what I need to do to fix this myself ? thanks,

yesman

[tiberiuscan]

Originally Posted by yesman

okay, so I have no idea how this happened. but here's my problem. I have a 97 malibu LS. for some reason, the little arm on the gas guage got stuck below the little black pin that is supposed to be under it, holding it up. so what this means is I get no reading on the guage, because the arm can only rise as high as the little black pin. I have no idea how it got underneath the pin. it doesn't look like anything's broken.

I did have a dead battery before this happened and replaced it so I guess everything had to be reset, but i still don't understand why that might have had anything to do with it. unless the guage went too high and fell over the other side clockwise. I dunno.

anyway, anyone know what I need to do to fix this myself ? thanks,

yesman

Not unusual with the Malibu and it was in fact that your Battery had died. The guage has to be reset manually, which means you have to take the front dash panel out, and then the plastic face in front of the guages. Manually twist the guage to the correct position. There are two screws holding the dash panel and two for the plastic cover. I've had this happen twice. Once after a new head gasket placement and once after the battery died and the alternator was replaced. Unfortunately there is no other way to reset the guage.

[muzikluver]

This happens to my '98 Malibu pretty much every time i have to disconect the battery. I have a simpler solution to fix it than taking the frig'n' dash apart.

Just bend a paper clip in to a slightly curved shape. Insert it through the Trip odometer reset buttons hole and spin the gauge back around. (Easier with the key off.)

[johnholl]

yes, the papar clip does work, with the ignition off spin that needle CCW. It takes a little practice...you dont have to take the dash apart

[chiefyray]

This happened to my girlfriends 97 Malibu while at a repair shop. We dropped it off working fine (half tank or more) when we picke it up it was under the empty nipple or button. We took it back and they said it was like that when we dropped it off for leaky intake repairs. We knew the were full of sh_t so we told them they better fix it back to the way it was when we dropped it off. They fixed it and told us it was a blown fuse. I hope they were telling the truth this time. Good luck!

[maguayo]

Thanks for the great idea of the paper clip, it only takes few seconds to solve the gas gauge problem with out take the dash apart

[CCPikie]

After disconnecting my 1998 Malibu battery terminals for cleaning and reconnecting, my gas gauge needle had flipped as described above. I used the paper clip trick to fix. Thanks for a great tip!

[Tech II]

This usually happens if you disconnect the battery with the ignition key in the "on" position....

[rkvons]

Originally Posted by CCPikie

After disconnecting my 1998 Malibu battery terminals for cleaning and reconnecting, my gas gauge needle had flipped as described above. I used the paper clip trick to fix. Thanks for a great tip!

You only need to move it about half of the way around and then turn the ignition to on. It will move the rest of the way by itself.

[rkvons]

Originally Posted by Tech II

This usually happens if you disconnect the battery with the ignition key in the "on" position....

This is good to know. I always wondered what was causing it. Thanks.