This problem started when I was in Detroit over the past weekend. It was cold in the morning and I thought I might of filled up with some bad gas. Since returning home it continues to happen even though my car is in garage at nights.

The problem happens on a full tank of gas or a tank that is less than ¼ full and all levels in between.

When I first start up the car the gauge does not cycle through the empty to full to empty then back to the proper fuel level. After the car warms up and I restart the gauge usually behaves properly. Although I have had instances where the proper fuel level is not displayed but it always seems to cycle through the empty to full to empty then back to the proper level.

I think I have read every fuel gauge and fuel sender post in the 2K section and all never report that the cycle on start up is not working. I hate to think I have a bad instrument cluster.

Has anyone had this problem and do you have any ideas of what to try to fix the problem?

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2004 SLE Crimson Tintcoat with Dark Pewter Interior. Mods so far: Wood Dash Kit-Window Tint-CATZ Fog/Driving Lights
Custom Fabricated Stainless Steel Mesh Grill-Painted Calipers-3rd Brake Light Decal-Strut Tower Brace.INTENSE™ Level 1 L36/L26 Performance Package, Intense Shift Kit. ZZP ER Rockers and a HV3. L76 springs
COTM April 2007

Tom, can you get a scan tool on it to see what the sender reads when the problem shows up? That could at least tell you if the sender is OK. Other than that, you could check the connections to the IPC.

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*Gone, but not forgotten* - Black 2000 SSEi, HIR Headlights, Angel Eyes fogs, 3rd brake light overlay, hi-flo cat, 180 degree thermostat, HS 1.9 rockers, LSx yellow springs, Intense FWI, PCM, shift kit, push rods, and 3.4 Pulley. ZZP Power Log.

Dick:
Can you recommend a scan tool that would be able to look at codes generated by the IPC at startup?

Since the gas gauge needle does not do a sweep at startup I am leaning towards the IPC as the proble,.

I mighthave to take it to my mechanic to determine the cause. The shop I use has a Tech 2.

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2004 SLE Crimson Tintcoat with Dark Pewter Interior. Mods so far: Wood Dash Kit-Window Tint-CATZ Fog/Driving Lights
Custom Fabricated Stainless Steel Mesh Grill-Painted Calipers-3rd Brake Light Decal-Strut Tower Brace.INTENSE™ Level 1 L36/L26 Performance Package, Intense Shift Kit. ZZP ER Rockers and a HV3. L76 springs
COTM April 2007

i've gotta bad sending unit in mine and the code for that is: PO463. and my guage still does it's sweep when i turn the ignition on. it actuall will still read acuratly down till about 1/2 tank, after that the guage is all over the place, most of the time it's telling me that the tank is always full....

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engine #3 is under construction!

I would think that just about any decent scan tool (maybe even some code readers) would be able to pull codes associated with the IPC. The scan tool should be able to show what the fuel sender is telling the PCM, and then sending to the IPC.

With the lack of sweep, I agree that the IPC is the likely suspect.

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*Gone, but not forgotten* - Black 2000 SSEi, HIR Headlights, Angel Eyes fogs, 3rd brake light overlay, hi-flo cat, 180 degree thermostat, HS 1.9 rockers, LSx yellow springs, Intense FWI, PCM, shift kit, push rods, and 3.4 Pulley. ZZP Power Log.

hi. this is not a fix to the gas guage issue, but maybe a way to prevent it in the future... i was told by a knowledgeable mechanic, NOT to let the fuel tank get below 1/4 (one-quarter) of the tank. he advised the fuel pump gets hot when the tank is below 1/4 full, & that can lead to such issues as fuel pump failure.

hth's , Hammer ~;-)