my fuel gauge never goes up all the way... it won't go down until iv'e really used the gas, but it still never goes all the way up - it hangs around 75-50%. secondly I tried to start my car today and it wouldn't, I had to give it a little gas and it finally got going.

the inside of the car smelled like gas once i got it running..

what could it be?

 

first off, for your gas gauge....no idea....are you parked on a hill? cause when im going down a hill my gas gauge goes down, go up a hill and it goes over full

is your car carbbed or fuel injected?
if it smells like gas yor probably running to rich and may need a oxygen sensor

 

fuel injected, nope im on a flat surface here. sometimes (not all the time) it will correct itself after driving a while, but it seems to have stopped doing that lately

 

fuel sender

 

how can I test this?

and replace it if need be

 

ive got the same problem, only mine sticks between 1/2 and 1/4 tank. it will move occasionally and inaccurately. its the sending unit, which is in the tank. im not gonna worry about it till i have to when the fuel pump dies. its a nightmare to get the tank out i hear (rear axle removal).. although, supposedly there is a way w/o removing the axle, just dropping it down a ways., be prepared for a fuel bath.

 

The start of the "leaky fuel injector" syndrome.

 

oh but dropping the tank is so much fun .... , had to do it once, haked up my trunk too...thats another story, my guage acts up too, old cars