2001 Chevy Tahoe, 160K, my gas gauge just recently started acting up. It will bounce back and forth between E (lies) and full or close to it (truth), going from F to E in a second and then climbing back to full over 30 seconds, and then be fine for a day (or a few hours, or ten minutes), and then goofy all over again.

The internet tells me the to either replace the fuel level sending unit (part of the fuel pump)or the fuel pump entirely, which is in the tank. So to do this myself I 'd need to remove the gas tank. Y'all led me right on changing my own brake pads, but this is another one I've never done before, so I thought I'd ask.

I've got a Haynes manual on what to do, and I can deal with the steps it lays out, but no jack to take the tank out with, I'd have to just run it down to nearly empty and muscle it down and up again on my own.

So, what say y'all? Anyone do this before? Should I take it to the shop, or do it myself and save a few hundred?

7/7/2012 3:25:48 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQRDfTgq8l0

7/7/2012 4:41:29 PM

i'd just make a habit of resetting my trip each time i fill up and not worry about it

[Edited on July 7, 2012 at 5:15 PM. Reason : til the fuel pump goes out]

7/7/2012 5:15:12 PM

you can do it yourself.

i had to do this for my 64 fairlane when the toulene i was adding to the gas ate the sending unit.

draining it was the hardest part.

i had a jack though,

[Edited on July 8, 2012 at 11:57 AM. Reason : -]

7/8/2012 11:54:29 AM

^why in gods name were you running toluene through a fairlane?

7/8/2012 3:25:20 PM

Quote :

"i'd just make a habit of resetting my trip each time i fill up and not worry about it"

7/8/2012 3:40:51 PM

My brother-in-law and I did this repair today to my 2001 Silverado. My fuel gauge acted exactly how you describe for the past 7 years or so.

http://www.partsgeek.com/catalog/2001/chevrolet/tahoe/fuel_delivery/fuel_level_sensor.html


This is a couple steps above brake pad replacement. Definitely start with a very empty tank, but without a jack you still may need a partner because it is kinda awkward.

7/8/2012 11:20:10 PM

^^^well i heard it would raise the octane and was relatively safe (except to the sending unit / carb floats apparently), and it seemed to run better than just straight 93.

also it made my exhaust smell like i was running cam2 purple, and its pretty cheap to buy in bulk at a paint supply place.

its a pretty stout 289 i built for that thing; someone needs to buy the 260 i pulled out of it!

7/8/2012 11:32:39 PM

Quote :

"This is a couple steps above brake pad replacement. Definitely start with a very empty tank, but without a jack you still may need a partner because it is kinda awkward. "

or you could have taken the bed loose and moved it back

7/9/2012 12:54:29 PM

Want to buy a jack? I've got one that I'm trying to get rid of.

7/10/2012 9:37:48 AM

Nah, I'm just gonna rig some shit out of 2x4's and dumbells or something.

My new job is like three miles from my house, so it'll be a month or so before I get to it anyways.

7/10/2012 8:36:04 PM