Car has faulty gas gauge and despite how much gas I put in, will toggle between having gas to empty and sits on empty, has run out of gas as a result, hard to start and now will not start. Also has many electrical quirks, turn headlights on inboard dash light goes off and vice versa. Had someone fix fan to go on when plugged into battery since cannot get into computer dashboard and internal heat fan stopped working, also indicators work sporadically (so evidently an electrical communications issue). I've read that this year has had recalls due to faulty fuel hoses/lines and when using after market fuel filters even from napa which will cause fuel lines to become faulty. My van falls within this year, but I was told my specific VIN # didn't apply. Van is 3.3 liter engine, v6.
1997 Dodge Grand Caravan: wrong fuel gauge reading
7 of the 572 complaints about the 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan describe wrong fuel gauge reading.
- owner complaints
- 7
- of this car's complaints
- 1%
- recalls
- 1
Wrong fuel gauge reading by model year
What owners say
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 dodge grand caravan. While driving approximately 20 MPH, the contact smelled a strong odor of fumes. The vehicle was driven to the side of the roadway. The contact inspected the vehicle and observed a fuel leakage coming from the fuel rail assembly. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where a temporary repair was performed on the fuel rail. There was a prior recall repair performed on the vehicle approximately five years ago under the federal safety agency campaign id number 00v268000 (fuel system, gasoline: fuel injection system). The contact stated the remedy did not correct the problem and the repair part was defective. Also, the high fuel pressure line separated from the engine due to massive corrosion and the fuel pump line exhibited a crack. The repairs were performed at an independent mechanic with replacement of the fuel pump. The failure mileage was 108,000. Updated 10/21/10. *lj the consumer stated the replacement fuel sending unit that was replaced under recall in 2004 cracked. Updatd 10/25/10
The instrument panel fails frequently (once or twice weekly) while driving. This may continue for several minutes to several hours. When it occurs, the service engine light also comes on while the gauges are off. This is dangerous because you don't know your speed, RPM's, fuel level etc. Etc. On occasion, hitting the dash will cause them to come back on, but not always.
The fuel gauge wavers after filling up. When there is less than half a tank of gas in car, the gauge reads correctly. But when full, the gauge goes from empty to full constantly and the bell "dings" when the needle gets to empty.
Fuel gauge reading empty when vehicle is actually full of fuel.
Instrument panel will intermittently fail, preventing consumer from reading speed/fuel levels and what gear vehicle is in. Dealership has examined vehicle and determined that "body control module" could possibly cause this problem.*ak. Consumer stated the problem was the instrument cluster circuit board.
Fuel sending unit gasket of fuel tank leaking.
Related recalls
Fuel system, gasoline: fuel injection system
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: mini vans built with 3.3l and 3.8l engines have fuel rails with nitrole rubber o-ring seals that can degrade over time. Fuel leakage from the underhood fuel injection fuel rail could result, increasing the likelihood of a vehicle fire.
- Risk
- Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source can result in a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a seal on the vehicle fuel rails to prevent external leakage of fuel from the fuel rail crossover tube, should the existing o-rings continue to degrade. Owner notification began on january 25, 2002. Due to the large quantity of vehicles involved in this campaign, the owner notification will be phased over the next several months. However, if a vehicle is leaking fuel from the o-rings, the vehicle should be taken into a dealer to have this repaired as soon as possible. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact daimlerchrysler at 1‑800‑853‑1403.
Recall number 00V268000 · Recall details
Questions about the 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan fuel gauge
Is wrong fuel gauge reading a common problem on the 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan?
7 of 572 owner complaints about the 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan (1%) mention wrong fuel gauge reading. The model year with the most reports is 1996.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan?
There is 1 recall and 0 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan
Airbag light 67Wipers 58Adaptive cruise 49Power steering loss 26Stalling 24Fire or smoke 21Loss of power 21Headlights 19ABS 15Transmission failure 15Check engine light 13Brake failure 12Fuel leak 11Door locks 10Overheating 9No deployment 7Grinding brakes 7Tire blowout 7Fuel pump 6Won't shift 6Coil spring 5Slipping 5Won't start 5
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