Gas guage is floating around and not reading right.

Check that there are no holes in the float. If the fuel is getting into the float, it will give a false reading. Another thing is to check the ground on the float sensor. If it's not connected tightly, it will create a false reading too.

sounds like a fuel sending unit issue from your description.
see if this fits the bill.

Link Here!!

that is for the

2001 - 2003 Chevy Silverado 2500 Fuel Tank Sending Unit for V8 8.1L

good luck.

by the way the issue may be one or more things to be honest. the fuel in the tank may be moving around and as it shushes from side to side the electrical resistance in the variable potentiometer of the fuel sending unit will either increase or decrease.

an example would be a full tank of gas will cause a floater attached to a lever to float to the top of the gas tank. now as the gas gets lower the level wil drop and so will the float. now remember it's attached to a pot so as it moves it's electrical value decreases. and the gas gauge reads the value as a fuel level.

if the gauge dose not move when the vehicle is idle then id say it;s just the gas moving around within the tank. it's worth a shot to test this before spending any money on it.

good luck.

Sounds like the fuel sender unit is faulty. It's a float system in the fuel tank that converts a float reading into a electrical signal to the dash.

To confirm if the fault is with the Rheostat float within the fuel tank or the fuel guage in the dashbboard, you can remove the wiring to the fuel tank float. If the guage reading changes- to full- then the guage is good and the fault can be a jammed rheostat which can be removed from the tank and replaced after draining the tank. The guage can be tested on the outside with a ground wiring to the plate of the fittings and as the float is moved the guage must show a change in reading. if not the voltage must be measured to confirm the working of the guage.

Talking about fuel gauge issues and how do you how do you diagnose, ... is the dash unit right here, and obviously the gauge doesn't read correctly. ... to fix the fuel gauge, so you can actually fix the fuel gauge electronically by reflashing the program. ... How to Troubleshoot a Malibu Fuel Gauge & Dash Light Not Working ...Could be a bad fuse - fuse # 17 is a 15 amp fuse for the fuel gaugeCould be a bad float on the fuel gauge sending unit inside the gas tank ( it's with your electric fuel pump ) If the float gets a pinhole or crack in it , the float fills with gas and sinks so the gas guage reads empty all the time Could be a wiring problem

The gas tank sending unit has a float on it to register the amount of gas in the tank. The float is probably faulty which will cause erratic readings and is a fairly common issue with some GM units. Replacement of the sending unit should resolve that issue. As far as the coolant temperature gauge, it could be a faulty temperature sending unit or a thermostat that is stuck open or someone removed the thermostat. This will cause the engine to never reach operating temperature which in turn makes the engine run rich and can clog cat. converters and destroy some sensors.

gas tank float needs replacement

The most likely culprit is the sending unit in the tank. They are relatively easy to change, as long as you don't have much fuel in the tank. It's a mechanical unit that has a float that raises and lowers with the fuel level, however with age, the floats can develop leaks and no longer float, of the electronic portion of the unit can go bad and not register the proper level. They are replaced and an entire unit, so it doesn't matter which happened, you will need to change the fuel tank sending unit.

The float that helps detect fuel level is most likely broken. You or a mechanic will have to remove the fuel pump from the gas tank and check and possibly replace the float. Merry Christmas.

its the float in the tank i have the same problem. it also does it when it gets to 1/4 and could be empty.