Why does the gas light on my 2005 Chevy Trailblazer stay on even when there is a full tank of gas?

Answer 1

The most likely cause is that your fuel pump is failing. I've found out (from personal experience) that the fuel pump and electronic sensor that reports to the fuel gauge are all in one fuel pump assembly. Unfortunately it's so heavily integrated into the pump assembly that it's not serviceable and usually requires that the whole assembly be replaced. To add insult to injury the pump is located in the fuel tank which has to be drained of all fuel before the straps are removed and the tank dropped. Many dealerships will charge you $800 or more to have this done if your vehicle is not under warranty. It's best you find the part yourself and have an inexpensive (but qualified) mechanic install it for you; especially if you are not confident enough to do it yourself. On the other hand, you could chose to ignore the light and simply refuel after so many hundred miles (like I did). It is most likely the problem will get worse as the pump will eventually have problems sending fuel to the engine. As a result it will crank you gas mileage down to about 9 - 10 miles a gallon. This problem almost left me stranded about 150 miles away from my home at one point. I'll end in saying that it is a common problem with the Chevy Trailblazer series between 2003 and 2005. Chevy knows about it but no recalls (or apologies) have ever been given. If I knew this before my purchase I would have never gotten the vehicle.