Has anyone added a 2k resistor to fixed gas gauge on a 92?
05-14-2003, 10:05 PM
#12
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deathrat,
Informative! Sorry that happened.
Doing some more research, I found the following a few moments ago. Can't pass judgement just yet. I can't wait to hear what the verdict is. Keep us posted when you find out.
Breaking News from The Globe and Mail
Shell apologizes for fuel foul-up
Tuesday, May 28, 2002
Shell Canada has apologized to its customers whose vehicles were damaged by an additive in the company'* gasoline.
"We extend our sincere apology for any inconvenience this problem may have caused," said Terry Blaney, Shell'* vice-president of marketing.
The additive, which has already sparked one class-action lawsuit in British Columbia, fouled fuel pumps and gauges in thousands of vehicles across the country. It has also sparked criticism that Shell didn't do enough to inform consumers of the problem.
Since last fall, Shell Canada has been compensating customers over complaints that one of its additives seemed to be gumming up fuel pumps and fuel sensors.
Fuel lights in affected cars begin to blink empty even though the tank is full. The needles on gas gauges swing back and forth seemingly randomly. In some cases, fuel pumps clog.
Thousands of vehicles from Vancouver to Montreal have developed the problem, which first started coming to light last summer.
Complaints started to filter back to Shell by the fall. Some customers who complained had their repair bills covered.
"It was a matter of goodwill," said Shell spokesman Jeff Mann.
Meanwhile, Shell tried to isolate the source of the problem.
Although it seemed to be most common on Dodge Chrysler vehicles, the problem was reported on Ford, General Motors, Accura, Volvo and Hyundai vehicles as well. Complaints were most common in Alberta and Quebec, but also came from other areas of the country.
Shell looked at factors such as climate, the composition of its base gasoline and its total additive package before concluding in February to remove one of its additives from the mix.
"All of those considerations were at play," said Shell public affairs manager Jan Rowley.
"What we were doing was making decisions based on sporadic reports from a limited range of vehicles.
"We decided at the end of February that we needed to take that action."
The additive was removed in March. All the old stock should be long gone from the system, said Mr. Mann.
On March 22, Shell issued a letter to 508 retailers directing them to refer their customers whose vehicles were clogged to a phone line to handle the claims individually. The problem wasn't widespread enough to justify contacting consumers directly, said Ms. Rowley.
"This was not a broad-based problem," she said, pointing out that Shell conducts about 600,000 gasoline transactions a day.
Shell has settled about 2,500 claims since opening the phone line, said Mr. Mann.
Hundreds of drivers, thinking the problem was with their vehicles, replaced their clogged fuel pumps at a cost of hundreds of dollars. But mechanics familiar with the problem now recommend a $7 can of fuel system cleaner.
Consumer advocates have said that Shell should have released more information than it did, that companies who suspect something wrong with their product are obliged to put the word out.
That'* the thinking behind a class-action suit against Shell filed in British Columbia Supreme Court on April 8.
Dorothy Young of Port Alberni, B.C., accuses the petrochemical giant not only of selling gasoline that damaged her vehicle, but also of continuing to sell the fuel when it knew there was a problem with it and then trying to keep the issue quiet.
"When [Shell] had knowledge of the Shell Bronze fuel'* defects, [Shell] deliberately and wilfully made an economic decision not to recall or replace the Shell Bronze fuel," says the statement of claim.
That decision, says the claim, resulted in an "intentional misrepresentation and/or concealment of a material fact known to [Shell], with an intention of depriving the plaintiffs and other consumers of compensation."
In a news release, Mr. Blaney said Shell stands behind its products.
"All of our fuels meet or exceed Canadian standards as well as our own stringent internal specifications. We want to reassure our customers that our gasolines are appropriate for use in all automobiles and driving conditions."
Copyright © 2002 The Globe and Mail
Informative! Sorry that happened.
Doing some more research, I found the following a few moments ago. Can't pass judgement just yet. I can't wait to hear what the verdict is. Keep us posted when you find out.
Breaking News from The Globe and Mail
Shell apologizes for fuel foul-up
Tuesday, May 28, 2002
Shell Canada has apologized to its customers whose vehicles were damaged by an additive in the company'* gasoline.
"We extend our sincere apology for any inconvenience this problem may have caused," said Terry Blaney, Shell'* vice-president of marketing.
The additive, which has already sparked one class-action lawsuit in British Columbia, fouled fuel pumps and gauges in thousands of vehicles across the country. It has also sparked criticism that Shell didn't do enough to inform consumers of the problem.
Since last fall, Shell Canada has been compensating customers over complaints that one of its additives seemed to be gumming up fuel pumps and fuel sensors.
Fuel lights in affected cars begin to blink empty even though the tank is full. The needles on gas gauges swing back and forth seemingly randomly. In some cases, fuel pumps clog.
Thousands of vehicles from Vancouver to Montreal have developed the problem, which first started coming to light last summer.
Complaints started to filter back to Shell by the fall. Some customers who complained had their repair bills covered.
"It was a matter of goodwill," said Shell spokesman Jeff Mann.
Meanwhile, Shell tried to isolate the source of the problem.
Although it seemed to be most common on Dodge Chrysler vehicles, the problem was reported on Ford, General Motors, Accura, Volvo and Hyundai vehicles as well. Complaints were most common in Alberta and Quebec, but also came from other areas of the country.
Shell looked at factors such as climate, the composition of its base gasoline and its total additive package before concluding in February to remove one of its additives from the mix.
"All of those considerations were at play," said Shell public affairs manager Jan Rowley.
"What we were doing was making decisions based on sporadic reports from a limited range of vehicles.
"We decided at the end of February that we needed to take that action."
The additive was removed in March. All the old stock should be long gone from the system, said Mr. Mann.
On March 22, Shell issued a letter to 508 retailers directing them to refer their customers whose vehicles were clogged to a phone line to handle the claims individually. The problem wasn't widespread enough to justify contacting consumers directly, said Ms. Rowley.
"This was not a broad-based problem," she said, pointing out that Shell conducts about 600,000 gasoline transactions a day.
Shell has settled about 2,500 claims since opening the phone line, said Mr. Mann.
Hundreds of drivers, thinking the problem was with their vehicles, replaced their clogged fuel pumps at a cost of hundreds of dollars. But mechanics familiar with the problem now recommend a $7 can of fuel system cleaner.
Consumer advocates have said that Shell should have released more information than it did, that companies who suspect something wrong with their product are obliged to put the word out.
That'* the thinking behind a class-action suit against Shell filed in British Columbia Supreme Court on April 8.
Dorothy Young of Port Alberni, B.C., accuses the petrochemical giant not only of selling gasoline that damaged her vehicle, but also of continuing to sell the fuel when it knew there was a problem with it and then trying to keep the issue quiet.
"When [Shell] had knowledge of the Shell Bronze fuel'* defects, [Shell] deliberately and wilfully made an economic decision not to recall or replace the Shell Bronze fuel," says the statement of claim.
That decision, says the claim, resulted in an "intentional misrepresentation and/or concealment of a material fact known to [Shell], with an intention of depriving the plaintiffs and other consumers of compensation."
In a news release, Mr. Blaney said Shell stands behind its products.
"All of our fuels meet or exceed Canadian standards as well as our own stringent internal specifications. We want to reassure our customers that our gasolines are appropriate for use in all automobiles and driving conditions."
Copyright © 2002 The Globe and Mail
05-14-2003, 10:09 PM
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Re: Has anyone added a 2k resistor to fixed gas gauge on a 9
Originally Posted by mtrunz
:?: [/b] I have a 92 SSE and I found a service bulletin that addresses my faulty gas gauge. The gauge reads empty after filling the tank and only reads properly after about 30 or so miles. Anyway, the service bulletin says to solder a 2k resistor between the black and purple wires in the harness under the left rear seat. The problem is, there are about 4 purple and 6 black wires in the bundle. How can I locate the right wires without going to the dealer? If anyone has completed this task, please mail me at mtrunz@aol.com. Thanks!
Fuel Gauge Problems 92/93
Fuel Gauge Goes to Empty When the Fuel Tank Is Full
Bulletin Number: 93-8-10
Reference Number: 308102
Publish Date: 2/93
Subject:
FUEL GAUGE READS EMPTY WITH FULL FUEL TANK (INSTALL 2000 OHM RESISTOR IN PARALLEL W/FUEL SENDER)
Models Affected:
1992-93 PONTIAC SSE AND SSEI
CONDITION:
Some 1992-93 Pontiac SSE and SSEI vehicles may exhibit a condition where the fuel gauge needle goes to empty when the fuel tank is completely full. If this occurs, the chime sounds and the "CHECK GAUGES" message comes on the display. After a short period of time (30 seconds to 10 minutes of driving), the gauge will recover and begin working again.
CAUSE:
The cause of this condition is a high resistance build-up on the fuel tank sender. The cluster interprets this high resistance (typically 105 ohms) as an electrical fault and sends the fuel gauge needle to empty.
CORRECTION:
The condition may be corrected by installing a 2000 ohm (2 kohm) resistor in parallel with the fuel sender.
DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR:
Refer to section 8A-81 in the Service Manual for circuit details.
1. If the owner explains that the fuel gauge goes to empty when the fuel tank is filled then begins working after some time, follow steps 2 through 9 below. If the fuel gauge is at empty all of the time, follow the diagnostic procedures in the Service Manual for the cause of the condition.
2. Disconnect the negative battery cable.
3. Remove the lower rear seat cushion.
4. Locate the conduit on the left side of the car and expose the Purple (circuit # 30) and Black/White (circuit # 803) wires. Be careful to get the correct wires since there is also a purple/white wire in the opposite bundle.
The correct purple and black/white wires are in the wiring bundle that has the clear level ride line (ELC) in it.
5. Strip back about 1/2 inch of insulation from each wire as shown in Figure 1. Do not cut the wires.
6. Solder one end of the resistor to the purple wire and the other end to the black/white wire as shown in the figure. A 1/4 or 1/2 watt 2000 ohm resistor is recommended. However, the resistor can be from 1800 ohms (1.8 kohms) to 2200 ohms (2.2 kohms). You can buy this resistor at your local electronics store. Radio Shack normally carries a 2.2 kohm resistor.
7. Tape the connections to prevent any electrical shorts.
8. Put the wires back into the conduit, install the rear seat pad, and connect the battery.
9. Turn the ignition and verify the fuel gauge works correctly.
WARRANTY INFORMATION:
Operation No.:
T5338
Labor Time:
.4 Hr.
05-14-2003, 10:27 PM
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deathrat,
Very nice post. Appreciate the indepth info.
My '92 gas gauge did that when I first got it. GM replaced the fuel pump under warranty. That worked for a year or so. Then, I performed the resister shunt. Helped for about 2 more years, then got progressively worse. Next went the oil pressure fluctuations.
On a hunch, I replaced the guage cluster for about $110 for a reman. + my labor. That fixed all gauge readings. Don't know if I was lucky or what.
Very nice post. Appreciate the indepth info.
My '92 gas gauge did that when I first got it. GM replaced the fuel pump under warranty. That worked for a year or so. Then, I performed the resister shunt. Helped for about 2 more years, then got progressively worse. Next went the oil pressure fluctuations.
On a hunch, I replaced the guage cluster for about $110 for a reman. + my labor. That fixed all gauge readings. Don't know if I was lucky or what.
05-15-2003, 09:44 PM
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billha,
Yes, I'm the guy that started the survey a few weeks ago. I think that problem could be a real danger for new drivers driving one of these for the first time. Mine has been doing that for about 100,000 miles now. Right-hand slow sweeping turns only....about 3/4 of the way through the turn she just acks like there is no gas left in the tank. She will slow down with absolutely no throttle response. If I get out of the turn soon enough, she'll fart a few times like she'* starting to suck gas in small gulps, then she start sucking gas again just fine and everything is back to normal. Folks behind me think I'm an idiot for slowing down so much in a curve. Happens 100% of the time when I am at 1/4 to 1/3 full.
Also, I have noticed that when I am 1/8 full, and I make the mistake of parking on a slight decline, nose slightly pointed down, I will have a hell of a time getting her to turn over unless I coast to a level spot, then she starts right up. I notice when the nose is pointed down, with 1/8 or less, the fuel gauge goes to just above zero. When I point the nose up, like when I'm stuck in traffic on an incline, the fuel gauge rises a little. Strange huh?
Yes, I'm the guy that started the survey a few weeks ago. I think that problem could be a real danger for new drivers driving one of these for the first time. Mine has been doing that for about 100,000 miles now. Right-hand slow sweeping turns only....about 3/4 of the way through the turn she just acks like there is no gas left in the tank. She will slow down with absolutely no throttle response. If I get out of the turn soon enough, she'll fart a few times like she'* starting to suck gas in small gulps, then she start sucking gas again just fine and everything is back to normal. Folks behind me think I'm an idiot for slowing down so much in a curve. Happens 100% of the time when I am at 1/4 to 1/3 full.
Also, I have noticed that when I am 1/8 full, and I make the mistake of parking on a slight decline, nose slightly pointed down, I will have a hell of a time getting her to turn over unless I coast to a level spot, then she starts right up. I notice when the nose is pointed down, with 1/8 or less, the fuel gauge goes to just above zero. When I point the nose up, like when I'm stuck in traffic on an incline, the fuel gauge rises a little. Strange huh?
05-16-2003, 10:03 AM
#17
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Ted,
Please let us all know if you find a fix for that problem. I've been wanting to fix mine on my '92 since I bought it used in 1999, but I'm not eager to drop the fuel tank and replace the whole pump/sensor assembly. If and when I remove the tank, if I find that there are missing baffles or something wasn't installed correctly, I'm going to have a talk with one of the local Pontiac dealerships.
I've said this before - I personally think this is a major safety issue that should have been fixed by the dealer under a recall. I wonder how many owners have had accidents because of this defect. As for me, I always fill the tank when it'* 3/8 full or more; I never let it go lower than that.
And the annoying gas gage "empty when full" problem shouldn't occur on a car that cost over $30,000...and a buyer should be able to expect the car to have a gas gage that reads accurately and doesn't wander +/- 1/4 tank when the car is in operation.
Please let us all know if you find a fix for that problem. I've been wanting to fix mine on my '92 since I bought it used in 1999, but I'm not eager to drop the fuel tank and replace the whole pump/sensor assembly. If and when I remove the tank, if I find that there are missing baffles or something wasn't installed correctly, I'm going to have a talk with one of the local Pontiac dealerships.
I've said this before - I personally think this is a major safety issue that should have been fixed by the dealer under a recall. I wonder how many owners have had accidents because of this defect. As for me, I always fill the tank when it'* 3/8 full or more; I never let it go lower than that.
And the annoying gas gage "empty when full" problem shouldn't occur on a car that cost over $30,000...and a buyer should be able to expect the car to have a gas gage that reads accurately and doesn't wander +/- 1/4 tank when the car is in operation.
05-19-2003, 07:13 PM
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my car did the same thing when i would fill it...full i would turn it on and it would go up then it would go ding ding and then all the way down in under a minute...i think this is what is happening to you...you have to replace the instrument cluster....i had that done and it worked just fine...it was like 275 bucks or os i think....something like that...good luck
05-27-2003, 07:52 PM
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My 92 SSE did the same stalling on cornering thing. It also does the fuel gauge reading empty when the tank is full thing as we..
Recently I had the fuel pump changed, that fixed the cornering stalling. But it didnt fix the fuel gauge reading empty.
Now that Shell Gas thread has me interested. Does that only apply to Canada or can I call Shell here in the USA and get my money back for my $220 fuel pump replacement ?
Recently I had the fuel pump changed, that fixed the cornering stalling. But it didnt fix the fuel gauge reading empty.
Now that Shell Gas thread has me interested. Does that only apply to Canada or can I call Shell here in the USA and get my money back for my $220 fuel pump replacement ?