Help my 04 chevy cavalier he gas gauge will not work.. I have replaced the insterment cluster and the part in the tank.. When i start it my gauge will read full but will drop soon as you take off and there is times that it will go down slowly.. help i dont want to run out of gas

Instrument cluster problem maybe or fuel level sending unit inside the fuel tank .

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How to repair GM Instrument Cluster Speedometer Gauge Stepper

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Time for a new instrument cluster ! How to repair GM Instrument Cluster Speedometer Gauge Stepper

Hi, take the connector off the temp sensor, turn the key on, and have someone watch the gauge while you insert a paperclip to short the terminals together inside the connector. If the gauge goes from one extreme to the other when the terminals are connected, the cluster is probably OK. It may just be that both sensors are bad.

temp sensor location, 2.2 liter engine:



2.4 liter engine:

Most of the time its is the sending unit in the fuel tank. The test for it is to use a variable resistor that is hooked up to the wiring at the fuel tank and watch the fuel gauge if the gauge works ok thats makes 100% sure its the sending unit. At 245 ohms the gauge should read full, 180 ohms for 3/4 full, 160 ohms for 1/2 tank, 100 ohms for 1/4 tank and 42 ohms for empty. The color of wires at the fuel tank is purple wire and black wire. You can also use fixed value resisters. If the fuel gauge the wires from the sending unit to computer then to gauge for bad connections, shorts, broken wire and bad grounds. If the wires test ok that only leaves insterrment cluster or computer which even most dealers can't test eather one but the insterment cluster would be a more common problem then the computer. But about 95% of the time it will be the fuel level sensor in the gas tank that causes the problem. Good luck.

I can't understand how the bad cluster would prevent you from fueling. The instrument cluster can be repaired. Look up specmo.com . I had mine repaired there. Quick turnaround. Previous to using Specmo, I tried Two parts from salvage yard and both turned out to be bad. Dealer wanted about $500 to do the repair. I did removal and install, Specmo repaired my cluster for around $125.

Check the sending unit in the tank. I dont think the gauge it self is bad, not that it couldnt happen.

you have a bad sending unit ,its inside the fuel tank,you have too drop the tank too replace it!!

the 2004 chevy cavaliers have electrical problems and yes they are expensive to fix, my friend has a silver 04 cavalier and his speedometer and fuel gauge go spastic all the time, his cousins is identical and does the same

I was having same issue. The cluster was the part which had to be replaced to repair it. Did they replace the cluster on your? It has to be the entire cluster I was told.

On the 03-05 Cavalier instrument clusters this is a common problem, it's caused by failing stepper motors on the cluster's circuit board. It can be repaired though, check out this site for more on how to get it fixed - Cavalier instrument cluster repair