How to Check a Gas Gauge on a Chevy Truck
by James Melzer
The gas gauge on your Chevy truck informs you of how much fuel you have in the gas tank. With it you can determine when you need to refuel before running out of gas. Sometimes the gas gauge will not work properly, though, and you will be left wondering how much fuel is in the tank. When this happens, there are a couple of methods to check the gas gauge before diagnosing a bigger problem.
Step 1
Place the key in the ignition of the Chevy truck, and turn the ignition switch to the "On" position. Do not start the engine. Turn it off quickly. Do this repeatedly until you have verified that the dashboard is receiving power, but the fuel gauge is still not moving.
Step 2
Open the hood of the vehicle, and disconnect the black negative battery connector with a wrench. Leave the connector disconnected for 20 to 30 minutes.
Step 3
Reconnect the battery cable to the battery. Tighten it with the wrench. Turn the engine on, and watch the gas gauge to see if it moves. If it does not move, there could be a problem with the wiring between the gas gauge and the ignition switch.
Step 4
Connect a jumper wire between the ignition switch and the positive terminal of the fuel gauge on the dash. If the gauge needle does not move, the defective wiring between the two needs to be replaced. If the needle does move, the wiring is fine and the problem is elsewhere in the vehicle's electrical system.
References
Things You'll Need
- Wrench
Writer Bio
James Melzer began writing professionally in 2008. He is a novelist and freelance writer from Toronto, Canada. His feature writing has appeared on Digigasms and his journalistic work has appeared on Robodustrial. Melzer holds a degree in radio broadcasting from Loyalist College.
