Thread: Getting very annoyed with my fuel gauge!!!!! 1997 Grand Prix

Hey guys! For those of you who haven't read my other posts, I've been having an insane amount of problems with my fuel gauge on my 1997 Grand Prix. When I bought it the gauge didn't work, it was stuck at a hair over half full...I tried splicing wires and checking negatives and looking for bad wires, etc. with no prevail.

We replaced the fuel pump and it didn't help either. When we finally took out the instrument cluster though, we realized that it was a 1998 Grand Prix cluster. With research I found out that only a cluster for a '97 will work in a '97.

Sooo, I bought a used cluster from a '97. I've been waiting since November of last year to have this gauge fixed so needless to say I was giddy as a school girl! However, when we plugged it in...the gauge now reads over full...When my Boyfriend ran a negative directly to it, it went to E. We're lost on what to do next.

Any help guys? Thanks in advance!

Originally Posted by gtpeddie

I have a 97 Grand Prix GTP and the fuel gauge has never worked since Ive owned it (2010), I have replaced my fuel pump with a 98 and the gauge didnt work. Early 97's had a venturi style pump if IRCC so only a 97 fuel pump will work on it. As far as the gauge cluster goes I dont think its a 97 only year thing but I could be wrong. Ive just learned to live with out it never got around to fixing mine yet, but good luck!

I've learned from quite a few sources including 2 from this site that you absolutely need a 1997 cluster, because it's the first year in the gen. and it works on different ohms or something that I don't really understand lol...Maybe this can help you (:

I believe the sending unit/float arm on the 97 is the only thing specific to that year on the fuel pump, GM revised it because it was a known issue and changed the calibration on the sending unit for 98.
I had the same issue on one of my 97's and swapped the sending unit out for a lower mile unit from another 97 which fixed my fuel gauge issues.

Originally Posted by girlinflames

I've learned from quite a few sources including 2 from this site that you absolutely need a 1997 cluster, because it's the first year in the gen. and it works on different ohms or something that I don't really understand lol...Maybe this can help you (:

And you need the sending unit from a 97 to work with that cluster.

Originally Posted by 231FUN

And you need the sending unit from a 97 to work with that cluster.

I'm pretty sure I do, but I'll check into it! Thanks