Can the fuel pump on a 2001 Alero cause the fuel gauge to malfuction?

Posted by admin in Tuesday, February 24th 2009   
Topics: High Gas Mileage Used Cars    Tags: , ,
fuel
jbrettlip asked:


My wife had a quarter tank of fuel according to the gauge, when the car ran out of gas. The mechanic said the fuel pump needs replaced since that is where the sensor is. This si a $700 repair, and he advised that the car will still run without replacing th efuel pump. The gauge just isn’t trustworthy. My thoughts are 1) If fuel pump is failing, car won’t run for long. 2) Does he know what he is talking about or is he trying to sell me a pump I don’t need? 3) Will an error code scan, tell us anything more about the fuel delivery system?

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6 Comments

spamme4444 said in February 26th, 2009 at 8:11 pm    

No, it could be the float and pump are in a single unit and works independent from each other. But I never seen one like that before, but I see no reason why can not be separated either. He could be right. Go to the Auto Part store and ask if you can see one. Then you can call bluff if is not true.

benvanzile said in February 27th, 2009 at 8:59 pm    

Unfortunately, most sensors are in the tank with the pump. If one goes they just usually change both. You have to drop the tank and change the wiring usually anyway if you get down one, so they just change both.

teamepler@verizon.net said in February 28th, 2009 at 5:26 pm    

If there was still gas in the tank, and the fuel pump is weak the car would stop running as if the car was out of gas.
There is also the chance that when the tank has more gas in it that the pump can overcome a plugged fuel filter.
Another thing that can happen if that the in tank filter has become blocked, causing the pump to fail.
But if the sender in the tank fails most of the time the gage will read empty. But if the Gage in the dash fails, it may become stuck at any reading.
The punch line is this, try replacing the filter first. If you do you may get another couple of years out of that pump.
If you decide to replace the pump, make sure that all of the filters are also replaced. If you don’t it void any warranty on the pump and I **** to pay for labor twice.

mobile auto repair (mr fix it) said in March 3rd, 2009 at 12:49 am    

funny thing here i just did a jaguire
the fuel tank has 2 sides to it
there is 2 sending units (it takes a avarage of the 2)
the fuel pump pumps fuel from one side to the other and the main pump pumps out from that side if the transfer pump quits you will run out at 1/4 tank as it cannot get the fuel out of the other side of the fuel tank
i wonder if your car is set up the same way??

Maya`s dad said in March 4th, 2009 at 3:39 pm    

GM has a BIG problem with the sending units on alot of their newer veh. The sending unit is attatched to the fuel pump and you cannot replace 1 without the other. and 90% of the time it is the sending unit that makes the guage read erratic. especially with a 1/4 tank of fuel. I hope this helps. Also no veh can run without the fuel pump. How would the gas get to the engine otherwise? Now it can run with a faulty sending unit but this is your wifes car. Do you want her to be left stranded?

Grizz said in March 5th, 2009 at 9:25 am    

Hi

If the pump is of the immersion type (in-tank) then it could be that the pump and gauge sender are integral with each other, in which case either one failing means the whole unit requires renewal.

Best regards

Geordie

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