Originally Posted by caprice_2nv
Originally Posted by Kira
Don't confuse this post with data.
I've read several posts involving a good cleaner (Chevron Techron) "getting fuel gauges to work again".
Baffles in gas tanks can become unattached and foul the float. It was common in Saabs of my era.
I just bought an '05 Ranger with the same engine. Given the way it drinks fuel (think Niagara Falls) I'd bet the fuel gauge hardware would WEAR OUT before anything else could happen.
So what you're saying is, don't bother trying it, even though it worked for several people, some of them having repeatable results?
You admit to seeing many people claiming the same thing, but are you trying to say they're all imagining it? Or that it's coincidence that it started to work again every time shortly after they tried techron or MMO?
I remembered there being a gm tsb when I worked at the dealership years ago so I just looked it up and found someone posted it ...
"HOWEVER, GM has just issued a TSB on this problem that applies to ALL GM vehicles and blames the high incidence of sending unit failures on high levels of sulfur in gasoline. The sulfur corrodes the sliding resistor mechanism and produces erratic and inaccurate gauge readings. To address this problem, GM has released a FUEL TANK ADDITIVE.
According to GM TSB #06-00-89-07BB, you should purchase a bottle of GM Fuel System Treatment Plus (part #88861011 for GM brand, 88861013 for AC Delco brand, and 88861012 in Canada) and add it to your tank at every oil change. The additive cleans the sulfur corrosion from the sending unit and prevents new corrosion by laying down a protective film. The additive also removes engine deposits."
So maybe gm is imagining this fix also? Obviously it won't help if the sensor is just faulty but if it's deposits these additives could work over time.
I'd be trying an additive as a remedy, before dropping a gas tank if I had the problem with a vehicle that's out of warranty.