Failing Fuel Sensor or Something Else? Diesel Stall Fix

Had a similar issue with my 2011 Chevy Cruze diesel. Being somewhat familiar with car electronics, I first thought it was more serious, but turned out pretty simple. After the fuel gauge started showing weird readings and the check engine light came on, my initial worry was a bad fuel tank sensor. However, the mechanic found it was just a blown fuse in the fuel pump circuit. Total fix was 52 Euro, mostly labor since they had to check the entire circuit to be safe. Before you jump to replacing the sensor or dropping the fuel tank, definitely get the fuses checked first. Could save you a bunch of money and hassle. What's your current fuel gauge behavior? Does it fluctuate or show empty even with fuel in the tank? Also, have you scanned for specific error codes? These details would help narrow down if you're dealing with the same issue. FYI, the Sail and Cruze share similar electrical components, so this might be relevant to your case.

Just had my car serviced at 108046 KM and facing similar symptoms. Based on my experience, there's a specific pattern to watch for with the fuel level sensor issues. My gauge started jumping erratically between readings before the stalling started. The fuel tank sensor fault initially seemed like the obvious culprit, but in my case, it turned out the electrical connector at the sensor was corroded. Did a thorough electrical check first, wiggled the wiring harness while testing and found intermittent connectivity. Worth checking the wiring before committing to a full sensor replacement or tank removal. Could save significant repair costs. If you're getting unusual gauge readings plus stalling, there's a good chance it's connector-related rather than a complete fuel sensor failure. Have you noticed any specific patterns with the gauge readings? Does it act up more when the tank is at a certain level?

Yeah, following up on my earlier comment about the fuse issue in my Cruze, the symptoms can be really similar even when the root causes differ. After dealing with more electrical gremlins in the fuel system, I've learned quite a bit. When my car started showing those erratic fuel gauge readings, I initially jumped to the faulty sensor conclusion too. The corroded connector you mentioned actually became an issue for me later, about 6 months after the fuse problem. The car dashboard would show unusual readings, and the engine would occasionally stumble at idle. Getting the connector cleaned and reseated fixed both the gauge issue and the stalling. The level sensor itself was perfectly fine. The whole job cost way less than a full sensor replacement would have. My mechanic added some dielectric grease to prevent future corrosion, smart move that's kept things working smoothly since. For anyone else reading with similar issues: always start with the simple stuff, check fuses, clean connections, and verify wiring before assuming you need major parts replaced. Often, the car dashboard warnings and stalling can be traced back to basic electrical issues rather than a completely faulty sensor.

Thanks for sharing those details about the connector issue. You're right about the erratic behavior, my fuel gauge definitely shows weird readings, usually when I'm between 1/4 and 1/2 tank. It fluctuates most when going around corners or braking. After reading about your experience, I did some testing. Checked all the fuses first, they're good. But when I wiggled the wiring harness near the fuel tank sensor connector, the gauge readings went crazy. Pretty sure I'm dealing with the same connector corrosion issue you had. Going to have my mechanic clean and reseat the connector before jumping into any expensive replacements. The car dashboard warning light pattern matches what you described, comes on intermittently with the gauge fluctuations. Really hoping some dielectric grease and a good connection cleaning will sort this out. Thanks for saving me from potentially unnecessary fuel tank removal and sensor replacement. Will update once I get it sorted.