Electrical problem
2000 Chevy Monte Carlo 6 cyl Front Wheel Drive Automatic 76000 miles
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I've a 2000 Monte Carlo with 75K miles on it. I seem to be having a problem with a floating gas gage. It appears that the only time that my gage seems to be accurate is when i first turn the ignition on prior to cranking the engine. When cruising down the highway, i noticed that the gas gage has a tendency to float back and fort from the 1/4 reading to the full tank reading. If you are familiar with a floating gas gage and know how to fix it, please let me know ASAP.

you need a fuel level sensor. it is located in the tank

I have a 02 Monte Carlo, I had the same problem with my gas guage. I used some fuel cleaner that I got from the auto store and I kept filling my gas tank up all the time and soon I had to drive all the gas out til the gage had nowhere to go but to the E. and the gas light came on to let me know it was low on fuel and "knock on wood" that solved the problem. Hopefully, I don't have that problem anymore. Try that.

Hello and thanks for responding! I was at a local Auto Zone one day and they suggested some sort of fuel additive (can't remember the name of it, looks like gas). The idea is to add about 3-4 ounces of it each fill up. This seems to work at first but i still have a floating gage. Can you tell me the name of the cleaner that you used? Afterwards, i will compare it to the one i purchased at Auto Zone. My low fuel light is working! The only catch to that is if you happen to dose off a few seconds, you will not see it illuminate for it only stays on for a little while. Isn't that odd. I would think that the low fuel light would stay on until you add more fuel to the tank.

Thanks, hope to hear back from you soon.

police4 wrote:

I have a 02 Monte Carlo, I had the same problem with my gas guage. I used some fuel cleaner that I got from the auto store and I kept filling my gas tank up all the time and soon I had to drive all the gas out til the gage had nowhere to go but to the E. and the gas light came on to let me know it was low on fuel and "knock on wood" that solved the problem. Hopefully, I don't have that problem anymore. Try that.

Hello and thanks for responding! I don't know a lot about fuel systems. Is the fuel level sensor the same thing as the fuel sending unit? If so, is it normal for one to go bad at 76,000 miles? Can the sensor be replaced via taking out the rear seat OR does the fuel tank has to be removed? Thanks!
Hope to hear back from you soon.

rhall77 wrote:

you need a fuel level sensor. it is located in the tank

some impalas you could access the fuel level senso from the trunk but i dont think you can on the monte carlo

hillre wrote:

Hello and thanks for responding! I don't know a lot about fuel systems. Is the fuel level sensor the same thing as the fuel sending unit? If so, is it normal for one to go bad at 76,000 miles? Can the sensor be replaced via taking out the rear seat OR does the fuel tank has to be removed? Thanks! Hope to hear back from you soon. I will read my Haynes manual to see how difficult this job is. Otherwise, I will have to take it to a local shop which is the last thing i want to do. rhall77 wrote: you need a fuel level sensor. it is located in the tank

it is seperate. they run around 100 dollars. usually they go bad around 40,000-50,000 mile. so you are lucky. If your not sure what your doing when it comes to it, I suggest having a professional do the job

Ok, thanks for your help!

rhall77 wrote:

it is seperate. they run around 100 dollars. usually they go bad around 40,000-50,000 mile. so you are lucky. If your not sure what your doing when it comes to it, I suggest having a professional do the job

hillre wrote:

hillre wrote: Hello and thanks for responding! I don't know a lot about fuel systems. Is the fuel level sensor the same thing as the fuel sending unit? If so, is it normal for one to go bad at 76,000 miles? Can the sensor be replaced via taking out the rear seat OR does the fuel tank has to be removed? Thanks! Hope to hear back from you soon. I will read my Haynes manual to see how difficult this job is. Otherwise, I will have to take it to a local shop which is the last thing i want to do. This may be a dumb question. If the fuel level sensor is bad, shouldn't my "Check Engine Light" (MIL Lamp) be illuminated? I thought all sensors are monitored by the OBD II system. Thanks again! rhall77 wrote: you need a fuel level sensor. it is located in the tank