1999 Chevrolet Suburban 2500

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. *TR

GM SIDE TERMINAL BATTERIES HAVE DESIGN FLAW THAT ALLOWS BATTERY ACID TO LEAK OUT OF THE TERMINALS WHEN STRESSES FROM HEAVY CABLES CAUSE SEAL TO FAIL. BATTERY ACID LEAKS ON VEHICLE COMPONENTS BELOW AND HAS BEEN KNOWN TO RUIN BRAKE LINES AND OTHER IMPORTANT SAFETY COMPONENTS. IN ADDITION, THE BATTERY ACID IS HARMFUL TO THE ENVIRONMENT. I HAVE PERSONALLY HAD THESE BATTERIES FAIL SEVERAL TIMES IN MY 99 CHEVY. SUBURBAN K2500 DIESEL. SEE THE LINK FOLLOWING FOR MORE REPORTS OF SAME PROBLEM BY OTHERS: HTTP://WWW.ABOUTAUTOMOBILE.COM/COMPLAINT/1999/CHEVROLET/SUBURBAN/BATT TOP TERMINAL BATTERIES DO NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM AS THE TERMINAL TO CASE SEAL IS ABOVE THE LIQUID LEVEL OF THE BATTERIES. GM IS THE ONLY MANUFACTURER THAT I KNOW OF THAT USES THE SIDE TERMINAL BATTERIES. *TR