buick lesabre fuel gauge problem

My 2003 Buick LeSabre started doing this one day. Only happens after there is less than half-a-tank of gas left. I'm just going to live with it for now.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• buick
• lesabre
• fuel
• gas
• gauge
• problem
• car

[jflabeets1]

i just removed the sending unit pump assembly and cleaned the contacts with an eraser and acetone, seems to be working now. I think this may be a fix because the GM tsb says it is due to sulfer build up on the resistor and suggests using pure fuel addative to remove the sulfer. I'll know in 2-3 days if it worked and repost.

[lungstruck]

@jflabeets1 Good information! I don't have my Buick any longer but I'd still be curious to hear if this fixes it. Hope it does!

[ericrichard7]

I have a 2002 Buick Lesabre also and she jumps around after she goes around a half of tank! Two things I have to do for me to know if I have an accurate fuel quantity: Turn the key on but do not start the motor until the gauge sits still or calculate your miles on the full tank.

[lungstruck]

@ericrichard7 I just watched my miles, I think I used to let it go to 350 and then fill up.

[1stsmosh]

i looked at my friends' fuel sending unit...it requires a lot of items to be removed to drop the emptied fuel tank! Had to send it to the dealer!

[lungstruck]

@1stsmosh I don't think it's something I would have tried tackling myself. I lived with it for about a year. The Buick was totaled in an accident a few months ago so it's no longer a problem for me!

[dprrn]

@1stsmosh On the 2000 to 2005 lesabre there is an access panel in the trunk to get to the sending unit. Must have been a common problem for that to be added

[1stsmosh]

Well then you have a Buick with extended trunk space...when it was tried here, there was not enough room vertically to take out the assembly.

[RemyJackie]

@skyfirefighter1 fuel sender attached to fuel pump bad from running tank half full all the time, corrodes sender, keep yer tank full wont happen

[RemyJackie]

@SMAN873 yes a new fuel pump for a buick (HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS) comes with a new sender (MANY LESS DOLLARS), but if the pump is working (car starts u can drive it) i would just replace the sender on the pump

[RemyJackie]

@RemyJackie i would ADD that if u MEASURE the tank height u will SEE that is EASILY would fit in your trunk, THEREFORE, logic DICTATES, the fuel pump CAN ALSO FIT in the height provided in the trunk, unless you are in a garage in a wormhole

[RemyJackie]

@1stsmosh no you remove it via the trunk, the pump assembly is SPRING LOADED and gets TALLER AND SHORTER you must COMPRESS IT by hand (MAKE IT SHORTER) and it comes right out. If you drop the tank you are really doing it only cause YOU want to not cause its the way to make this repair

[RemyJackie]

@1stsmosh ok conspiracy theory, the real fact is when gas is cheap people keep their cars fuller, when its expensive, they ride on fumes all the time, this exposes the sender to air more often than not (SITS OVERNIGHT) and that corrodes the sender. This is happening more and more the past 5 years, as it just happens fuel has been expensive and the economy tight, hope i didnt explode your mind with facts, there is no grassy knoll here

[RemyJackie]

your fuel sender is bad, buick famous for it, cad also, running car with less than half tank a lot exposes the sender to air and it corrodes, replace the sender, may have to drop tank, maybe not, look under carpet in trunk for an access cover with 5 bolts, if your lucky like us park avenue owners, you can pullfuel pump from trunk and replace the sender, if u dont replace it, and u disc reconn the battery, your gauge may spin all the way around and read empty, get magnets to move needle back