1998 Oldsmobile Cutlass, Gas Gauge Below Empty

This 1998 Oldsmobile Cutlass came in with the complaint that the gas or fuel gauge is stuck below empty. With the key off the gauge reads as seen below.

With the key on the gauge needle rises but is stuck below the peg as shown below. This condition is caused by several factors. One, a poor design, in that there is not a peg or needle stop at the upper end of the gauge. Two, the key was on while a battery cable was being removed or installed. Three, the engine was being cranked with a very low battery charge condition. Both situations, along with the design flaw, will cause the gauge to go past full and rotate all the way around. Getting trapped below the peg.

It is not terribly difficult to repair this condition. Remove the two screws in the instrument cluster trim panel.

Pull the trim panel away from the dash and unplug the wiring as shown below.

Finish pulling the trim panel loose, across to the passenger side of the dash.

Disconnect the hazard switch.

Remove the screws that hold the instrument cluster to the dash.

Rotate the cluster as shown below. Pull the cluster partially out, until the wires can be disconnected. Then remove the cluster from the vehicle.

Release the clips that hold the front bezel and lens, then pull it off of the cluster body.

Simply rotate the needle counter clockwise until it is in it’s proper position above the stop peg.

Reinstall the lens assembly and install the cluster into the dash. Be careful not to let the upper right side of the cluster drop too far below level, as the needles will rotate and may go past center and be stuck again.

After securing the cluster in the dash, switch the ignition on and verify proper gauge function. The finish installing the rest of the trim pieces.

11 discussions on “1998 Oldsmobile Cutlass, Gas Gauge Below Empty”

  1. Tip from Anonymous worked for me too- ! I used a hair pin and it took under 2 minutes, including getting the pin! I am female and this saved us time, money and frustration!
    Thank you from Northern Virginia, and thank you Sparky for letting us share posts

  2. I was stressed out watchin for my gas light to go on or keepin my tank full at all times, this has been 8months now, I was lookin for ways to fix brake lights nd I came across this post so I tried it nd n less than 2minutes my gage was fixed!!! I dont think ive been so excited over my car n a loong time. Thank you soooo much for ur idea!!!

  3. The tip from Anonymous on 6/17/2010 was a great time and moneysaver for me. My fuel gage was below empty after I had a new battery installed, and I used this tip and it worked! I’m not a person who works on cars, just a 50’s-something housewife, so I was delighted that I was able to fix this myself-in about a minute! Thank you, thank you, thank you Mr/Ms Anonymous!

  4. IF you reach through the “pin reset”(odometer setting changer) with a paper clip and push the tack as far to the right as possible with the car off, then turn it on while helping the tack to the right it should reset and flip back to the normal way. This has happened to me many times. Takes about 30 seconds. Unless you have to try a couple times, but still under 5 min.

Share Your Experience: