2000 Chevrolet Cavalier fuel system, gasoline problems

“THIS CAR WILL NOT START. AND WHEN IT DOES START IT BACK FIRES. I HAVE REPLACED THE STARTER, THE FLEX PLATE THE SENSORS, AND THE MUFFLER, AND NOTHING SEEMS TO WORK AND NO MECHANIC CAN TELL ME WHAT'S WRONG WITH. I EVEN WENT OUT AND BOUGHT A CAR CODE READER AND IT SAYS EMISSIONS BUT STILL NO LUCK. *TR”

“GAS GAUGE ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL DOES NOT WORK, IT REGISTARS HIGHER THAN THE AMOUNT OF GAS IN THE CAR. I SPENT OVER $450 DOLLARS AT THE GARAGE TRYING TO TROUBLESHOOT WHY THE CAR STOPPED RUNNING WHILE DRIVING AND WOULDN'T RESTART. THE GARAGE COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. I DISCOVERED MYSELF AFTER THE 3RD TIME, THAT PUTTING GAS IN IT FIXES IT, AND REALIZED THE GAS GAUGE WAS NOT REGISTERING EMPTY, WHEN THE CAT WAS EMPTY, AND I WAS SIMPLY RUNNING OUT OF GAS. *TT”

“PURCHASED USED 2000 CAVALIER IN 2006. FIRST PROBLEM (WHICH HAS CONTINUED FOR 5 YEARS) IS THAT THE SERVICE LIGHT WILL COME ON WHEN THE CAR IS CRANKED UNLESS THE HEADLIGHTS ARE FIRST TURNED ON. IF YOU TURN THE HEADLIGHTS OFF WHILE DRIVING, THE SERVICE LIGHT COMES ON. IT WILL NOT GO OFF UNLESS YOU TURN THE CAR OFF AND RESTART IT (WITH HEADLIGHTS ON). SECOND PROBLEM IS THAT FUEL HAND DOES NOT REFLECT ACCURATE AMOUNT OF GASOLINE IN TANK. IT GOES UP AND DOWN WHILE DRIVING (WITH THE CHECK GAUGES LIGHT ON). OR SOMETIMES IT IS STUCK ON E OR STUCK ON F REGARDLESS OF HOW MUCH FUEL IS ACTUALLY PRESENT. THIRD PROBLEM IS THAT CAR INTERMITTENTLY OVERHEATS AND IS ALWAYS LOSING COOLANT. I HAVE REPLACED THERMOSTAT, WATER PUMP, & RADIATOR. THREE DIFFERENT MECHANICS CANNOT FIND A LEAK IN THE COOLING SYSTEM (DESPITE PRESSURE TESTING, COMPRESSION TESTING, & BLOCK TESTING). WE ARE BAFFLED WHY IT CANNOT RETAIN CONSTANT COOLANT LEVELS. THIS IS A VERY FRUSTRATING SITUATION AS I AM LEFT WITHOUT RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION. *TR”

“MY CAR WOULD INTERMITTENTLY NOT START. WOULD RUN FINE, START SEVERAL TIMES WHILE DRIVING TO DIFFERENT LOCATIONS AND THEN NOT START. LEFT ME AND MY YOUNG DAUGHTER STRANDED, WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GOOD IF IT WERE IN A BAD PART OF TOWN OR HAD I NOT HAD FAMILY CLOSE TO COME GET ME. NOW I CAN'T GET IT TO START AT ALL, DON'T HEAR THE FUEL PUMP PRIME. A MECHANIC TOLD ME TO HIT GAS TANK WITH MALLET WHILE TRYING TO START IT. IT STARTED BY DOING THAT, AND I WAS TOLD THE FUEL PUMP IS BAD AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, WHICH IS GOING TO COST OVER $700...MONEY I DON'T HAVE. THIS I AM FINDING TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR....CHECK OUT THIS DISCUSSION FORUM FOR MANY MORE COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME PROBLEM AT........ HTTP://WWW.TOPIX.COM/FORUM/AUTOS/CHEVROLET-CAVALIER/TVINIC5TFU5SFSI5H ............. THIS CAR REALLY NEEDS TO BE RECALLED FOR THE FUEL PUMP, IT IS DEFECTIVE AND DANGEROUS. *TR”

“WHEN TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE CAR CUTS OUT AND DIES AND THEN DOESN'T RESTART. THIS IS DUE TO A PREMATURE FAILURE OF THE FUEL PUMP. I BELIEVE THE PROBLEM IS DESIGN RELATED. THE PUMP FAILED AT 90,000 MI. *TR”

“FUEL PUMP ON CHEVROLET CAVALIER Z24 WENT OUT AT 76,000 MILES. IT LOST POWER AND DIED ALL OF A SUDDEN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY. LUCKILY, NO CARS WERE AROUND AS IT WAS ALMOST MIDNIGHT. COST TO REPAIR WAS OVER $600, NOT INCLUDING THE TOWING. IN DOING SOME RESEARCH I HAVE FOUND THAT NUMEROUS PEOPLE HAD FUEL PUMPS MALFUNCTION ON THEIR CAVALIERS, AND ON SOME CARS NEWER AND MOST WITH LOWER MILES THAN ON THIS CAR. SAME STORY, JUST LOSES POWER AND DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. THIS WAS EXTREMELY UNSAFE. OBVIOUSLY THIS WAS A DEFECT WITH THE CAVALIER, YET THEY WON'T ISSUE A RECALL. I HAVE NEVER HEARD FROM ANYONE THAT OWNED A CAVALIER THAT DIDN'T HAVE SOME SORT OF PROBLEM WITH IT. ALSO, HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE SHIFTER CABLE AND POWER WINDOW MOTOR ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. EXTREMELY UNHAPPY WITH THE CHEVROLET. *AK”