Does Anyone Else's Sending Unit Suck?

[UMEXT]

I mean, really, I'm used to GM fuel gauges operating on the logarithmic scale, and ignoring them and relying on the trip meter, but this just annoys the dickens out of me.

It will sometimes take 10 minutes after a fillup to show anything resembling a correct level, and that damn yellow light stays on until it does. Likewise, if I drive or park on an incline, it dives to an inaccurate level in around 5 seconds, and takes the previously mentioned 10 minutes to recover, even after the vehicle is leveled out.

Is this a common problem, or am I just blessed? And, taking it as a given that I do not have the ability to drop the tank and do a DIY solution, how much should I expect to pay to replace the bloody thing, if I decide to do so?

 

[Lima Tango]

Yes, that is common. The 05-07 models have a bulletin about them; GM will pay half of the cost for those model years. If it is the sender, it will cost $250-300 to have replaced. It also may be your gauge stepper motor, which will assuredly be much cheaper and more in line with a one person operation. A high end scanner tool will be able to read the output from the sender and see if it is the gauge or the unit itself.

 

[jrSS]

My gauge just stopped working all together. Engine light was always on. I just took the truck to the dealership. My half of the cost was 118. Wasn't happy about it but its done and fixed.

 

[Blckshdw]

Mine konked out on me immediately after a ride-through car wash. Luckily I had an extended warranty, so only had to pay a $50 deductible. But until I got it fixed, it was a pain. It would read all over the place after a fill up, until I had driven about 40 miles, then it would correct itself.

 

[fadyasha]

Thankfully we don't have that problem on earlier models or maybe I'm just lucky. There's maybe a 5 second delay while filling up fuel but that's about it.

 

[EnvoyCruzer]

Yup, had this problem on my '06 Envoy around 40K and also on my Isuzu Ascender at 20K. Luckily, the Ascender was under warranty, but for my Envoy, I had to replace it myself (of course the Service Bulletin came out right after I did it). The repair would have been much easier if I had an extra body to help, part was around $72. I took pictures of the defective unit and my thread is on the "other" forum website, not sure if linking to it is allowed. But, basically, there where 5 thinner contacts per set (2 sets) on the original, and the new OEM part has 2 thicker contacts per set (also 2 sets). Also, there was evidence of burn marks on the lead wire and at the solder joint on the sensor.

 

[UMEXT]

Thankfully we don't have that problem on earlier models or maybe I'm just lucky. There's maybe a 5 second delay while filling up fuel but that's about it.

You're just lucky. Mine's the same year as yours.