1998 Buick Park Avenue fuel gauge

1998 BUICK PARK AVENUE
190,000 MILES • 6 CYL • FWD • AUTOMATIC
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TODDBENDER
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
Fuel gauge needle is stuck on the wrong side of the gauge stop. Must have gotten a reverse current through it to cause this problem. Altenator was recently replaced. Is there any fix to this without having to tear dash apart?
Sep 2, 2010 at 8:39 AM
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BLUELIGHTNIN6
  • CAR REPAIR CONTRIBUTOR
  • 16,542 POSTS
remove fuse to the gauges or remove battery cables for few minutes and replace. gauge should go back to normal resting area.
Sep 27, 2010 at 5:46 PM
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GGRIFFIN
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  • 3 POSTS
A magnet will do it. Suffered the same problem with my 2000 Park Avenue, and read on a few other websites that a very powerful (40-50 lbs.)could be held up to the clear plastic instrument shield to manipulate the needle counterclockwise back to the normal position. Tried a 20 lb. magnet and got nowhere. Then, one day fiddling with a little telescopic magnetic pickup tool, I found I could move the needle - by aiming at the base of the needle, not the tip - but not enough to swing the needle around.

Went to Home Depot and bought a package of 8 round, quarter sized magnets (about 3 bucks) that collectivelly couldn't have pulled more than about 3 lbs., stacked them, aimed at the base of the needle, and it swung around easily and quickly.

Jan 8, 2011 at 7:53 PM
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