This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
The vehicle in question is a 1999 Chevrolet Suburban. The gas gauge read erratically and incorrectly for a number of months. Then the engine died immediately after I parked the vehicle one day and failed to restart. I determined that the fuel pump fuse had blown. A new fuse lasted 30 seconds before blowing in its turn. On removing the gas gauge sender/fuel pump assembly from the gasoline tank, I noticed that two of the wires were fused together. Separating the wires took some effort and revealed that the insulation on both wires had completely abraded where they contacted each other such that the bare wires inside touched each other and shorted out the circuit. The insulation on one of the wires had overheated and partially melted off the wire for a short distance (1/2 inch) from the point of contact. Replacement of the entire fuel pump/gas gauge sender solved the problem. Since the entire unit is located inside the gasoline tank of the vehicle, I am concerned that this short might have caused a spark that would ignite the gasoline in the gasoline tank. In the purple wire photo, one can see how the point of contact with the grey wire abraded the insulation down to the bare wire inside. In the grey wire photo, one can see both a comparable abrasion down to the bare wire and also partial melting of the wire insulation, to the point that additional bare wire showed. The metal wires do not appear to have melted or fused; only the insulation did that. But the insulation melting and Fusion, as well as the two safety fuses that blew, argue that the abrasion of the insulation continued until the wires inside came into contact with each other. The entire unit is spring loaded such that it is in contact with both the top and the bottom of the gasoline tank. Since the tank flexes slightly in normal use, the wires flex as well, rubbing each other always.
Passlock failure. Chevy Suburban fails to start leaves driver stranded. Passive security system (passlock) blocks fuel so vehicle will not start. Problem is intermittent and not detectable by mechanics. Chevy dealer service departments say they have never heard of problem. There is however thousands of complaints on internet.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Portsmouth, VA, USA