1999 Chevy Malibu 1999 Chevy Malibu - Hesitation/Fuel Gauge

Tiny
LTANGO
  • MEMBER
  • 1999 CHEVROLET MALIBU
  • 4 CYL
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 146,000 MILES
My car has been having troubles that are getting worse as it goes. If I get below half a tank, my gas gauge drops down to empty, dings, and the light goes on. If I stop somewhere and restart my car, the gauge sometimes jumps back up to above 1/2 a tank or sometimes up to full and then drops down from there.

Also, my car has been hesitating when I try to accelerate, especially if driving above 50 or so on the highway and having to slow down. I can feel it kick in and then accelerate especially if RPMs drop below 1500.

I've also had an issue with my car shutting itself off. This happens mostly when I have to brake quickly and go over railroad tracks or it happens mostly when I have to brake and then make a turn (mostly right turns). My battery and the light next to it come on and I have to stop and restart my car and it seems to run okay from there.

I know it is a lot going on and I'm tired of putting money into this car but at this point I don't think I can afford a new one so gotta fix what is wrong.

Thank you for any help and advice you can give me!
Tuesday, March 17th, 2009 AT 4:47 PM

1 Reply

Tiny
RASMATAZ
  • MECHANIC
  • 75,992 POSTS
1. Fuel gauge: Check the fuel sending unit and wiring.

2. Hesitation could be one of the following:

Dirty fuel injectors (cleaning the injectors often fixes this).
Bad MAP (manifold absolute pressure) sensor
Bad TPS (throttle position) sensor
Bad or dirty MAF (mass airflow) sensor
Low fuel pressure (leaky fuel pressure regulator or weak fuel pump)
Vacuum leaks (intake manifold, vacuum hoses, throttle body, EGR valve)
Bad gasoline (fuel contaminated with water or too much alcohol)

Sometimes, what feels like a hesitation is actually ignition misfire rather than lean misfire. The causes of ignition misfire may include:

Dirty or worn spark plugs
Bad plug wires
Weak ignition coil
Wet plug wires
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Tuesday, March 17th, 2009 AT 5:48 PM

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