Fuel gauge reads full when take is empty - 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix

You will need to test a number of things, the fuel gauge is part of a rather simple circuit.

Battery -> gauge -> tank sensor -> chassis ground to battery

If the circuit is broken at any of the steps, your gauge will read "empty". If the tank sensor is bad, it could read empty, or if the float in the tank has sunk, it will read empty.

I start at the gauge with a "test light" that glows when it sees battery voltage. Get a light at the connection to the gauge? Good. find the sensor connection, usually on top of the tank, accessible in the trunk. Probe with test light. Light on? Good. Connect wire to ground, gauge should read "full". If all that is as I said, then the tank sensor is bad. If you don't read battery at any step, you know where the problem is.

The fuel level sending unit inside the fuel tank is bad or the gauge is or there is a wiring problem This video is for a mercury vehicle , but all makes an models are the same . Repairing Fuel Gauge Problems 2004 Mercury Marquis EricTheCarGuy

Swap the leads on the fuel tank sending unit.

You have a bad ground, you will have to remove the fuel tank and check the connectons on top of the tank, probably corroded. You can clean the terminals or change them.

when the tank is full the resistance is low so the power through the gage make is read full
as the tank empties , the resistance increases so the less current means the gauge reads less until empty there is little or no power , the gauge reads empty
simple check , turn the ignition off, no power , no gauge reading

I have the same vehicle and my car actually was full of gas, registered empty & left me on the side of the road..It was the sensor in the fuel line that had to be replaced.

When testing a fuel guage you should disconnect the wires to it,guage should read over full,ground the float wire,turn off key then turn back on should read empty.You have to cycle the key for guage to move.If still inop the wire is broken in the harness between the tank and the dash.Voltage on the float wire is low.When tested with a test light it will barely light the light and pulsate.This test indicates the wiring is good.

Youre gauge is controlled by a plunger in the fuel tank which is attached to the sensor and the fuel gauge. it sounds like when the plunger goes down half way its either getting stuck down lower then it should. Needs replacing. Any mechanic can do this install for you.

sending unit on fuel pump is bad, the sending unit shorts out gauge will go to empty or full, never read right, turn on switch ,it goes to full or empty, ,check the pump,hope this helps,thanks robert b.

This is a normal concern.
The instrument cluster uses 4 different operating modes to calculate the fuel level:
Anti-slosh (default mode)
Key OFF fueling
Key ON fueling
Recovery
After a fuel fill up, the time for the fuel gauge to move from empty (E) to full (F) ranges from 2 seconds to 55 minutes depending on which operating mode the fuel gauge is in.
The default fuel gauge mode is called the anti-slosh mode. To prevent fuel gauge changes from fuel slosh (gauge instability due to changes in fuel sender readings caused by fuel moving around in the tank), the fuel gauge takes approximately 55 minutes to go from empty (E) to full (F).
The key OFF fueling mode (2 seconds to read empty [E] to full [F]) requires 3 conditions be met:
The key must be in the OFF position throughout the entire refueling of the vehicle.
At least 15% of the vehicle's fuel capacity must be added to the fuel tank.
The instrument cluster must receive a valid key ON fuel sender reading within 1 second of the key being put into the RUN position. The key ON sample readings are considered valid if the fuel sender reading is between 15 ohms ± 2 ohms and 160 ohms ± 4 ohms.
If these conditions are not met, the fuel gauge stays in the anti-slosh mode, which results in a slow to read full (F) event.
The key ON fueling mode (approximately 90 seconds to read empty [E] to full [F]) requires 3 conditions be met:
The transmission is in PARK (P).
The key is in the RUN position.
At least 15% of the vehicle's fuel capacity must be added to the fuel tank.
In key ON fueling mode, a 30-second timer activates after the transmission is put into the PARK (P) position (automatic transmissions). When the 30-second time has elapsed and at least 15% of the vehicle's fuel capacity has been added, the fuel gauge response time is 90 seconds to read from empty (E) to full (F). When the transmission is shifted out of PARK (P), the fuel gauge strategy reverts to the anti-slosh mode. The key on refueling mode prevents slow to read full events from happening if the customer refuels the vehicle with the key in the RUN position.
Recovery mode is incorporated into the instrument cluster strategy to recover from a missing fuel level input during a refueling event. Missing fuel level inputs result from intermittent opens in the fuel sender or its circuits. Recovery mode (empty [E] to full [F] approximately 20 minutes) is initiated when the following 2 conditions are met:
The instrument cluster is in the anti-slosh (default) mode.
The actual fuel level in the tank is greater than what is being displayed by the fuel gauge