2001 Monte Carlo SS 3.8 L

So when I first bought this car the Homelink would work (most of the time). Over the last few months it has stopped working all together. I don't do a lot of driving so I rarely keep the car on full. I try to keep it above half and most times around three quarters full.

So yesterday I had an occasion to fill up the tank. When I started it back up to drive it later the Homelink lit up and started working again. It subsequently stopped when I rounded a curve on the way to where I as going. I thought I read somewhere on here where someone's Homelink started working again after replacing the fuel sending unit? Another strange occurrence is that sometimes when I start the car and say I know I only have half a tank in the car (or less) the gas gauge will fly all the way up to like three quarters or more. It does eventually settle back down so I can actually tell what I have in the tank but its kind of annoying.

So would these problems likely be the fuel sending unit? How long does this take if I have a garage do it (in hours)? I know there is an access panel in the trunk but I'm just weighing how much it would cost a garage in labor to do vs. me doing it. Also I'm assuming there is no reason to replace the fuel pump? Or should I? Also is the fuel filter located inside the access panel and will that need to replaced as well?

Thanks guys.

 

I don't think your problems are related. The HomeLink I would suspect a bad connection in the connector.

The gauge swinging to full then settling to fuel level is normal. The gauges run a self-test when you start the car, and that is what causes it to peg out.

 

Well it doesn't actually swing to full. Sometimes I'll only have a quarter in the tank and it will swing to maybe three quarters, or a half or in between. There is no rhyme or reason to it.

You mean a connection in the Homelink console itself?

The reason I'm leaning towards fuel sending unit is when I rounded this curve its also a banked curve so I was thinking the level in the gas tank obviously shifted and knocked out the Homelink? This is also in all honesty the first time I have filled up this tank since the Homelink stopped working (about 6 months ago) and it mysteriously started working again. Making me think there was a connection between the two (filling up the tank and the Homelink working again).

 

Anyone else with an opinion on whether this fuel sending unit is or is not reading correctly?

 

Mine started getting finicky about 2 months before it actually stopped working. The "anti-slosh" would sporadically work and randomly do what I think you are describing, its always hard to tell via reading a post.

What part of homelink are you referring to? the current mpg?

 

The entire Homelink display is "dead" or in other words nothing is working on it.

Plus like I said sometimes the gauge will periodically read more gas than I know I have in the tank. It doesn't stay at that amount and eventually settles down so I can actually tell what I have in the tank.

Then like I said the other day I happened to fill the tank all the way up which I had not done previously for a while. I thought it was strange that the Homelink lit up like nothing was wrong when I filled the tank up all the way and then it quit working when I rounded a banked curve. As if the gas had sloshed around in the tank and some how maybe made the Homelink not read anything?

 

While I think your fuel level sending unit is probably going bad, I must agree with 03, I doubt they are related.

 

I doubt there related as well. If your changing the sending unit might as well change the pump and all since your there already. The homelink I say check for loose connection or rubbed wire etc.

 

OK thanks guys.

Does that Chevron stuff work? I see a GM bulletin where Chevron w/Techron is recommended for cleaning up fuel sending units but I wonder does it actually work? Its not real expensive I see only about $8 a bottle. But does it really work?

 

Same thing happened again....

Filled up the car and drove home, started the car the next day and the Homelink lit up like nothing was wrong. Drove for about 10 miles and happened to round a banked curve again (a different one) and the Homelink stopped working.

If this is not related it is a very odd similarity that I fill up the tank and the Homelink starts working, round a curve and the Homelink stops working.