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GM's fuel gauges, in cars of that era, are notoriously bad. They will read high, indicating that you have fuel, when you actually are low or out.
The problem stems from corrosion in the sender's electrical contacts. Somewhere in these chronicles, I've posted a rather lengthy article from a Canadian source describing this problem in depth.
The sender, which is located inside the fuel tank, can be replaced, but the tank must be removed to gain access to it. The job is outlined and well illustrated in the Haynes manual.
If I recall correctly, when I checked on parts pricing about a year ago, the new sender ran about $110 US. Labor would be another issue unless you decide to do the job yourself. As always, please use caution around fuel and electrical connections. Explosions are a bad thing!
DO buy the Haynes or Chilton manual!
Now, having said that, let me tell you what fixed my errant gauge without replacing the sender. Several bottles of HEET (one at a time) to get rid of any moisture. Several bottles (also one at a time) of fuel injector cleaner. After about 8 months of messin' around, the gauge now reads, essentialy, accurately. I've yet to run it down to empty on the gauge to see when the car actually quits, but one of these days ~
FriPilot
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∙ 16y ago
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