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Chevrolet Blazer Noises and Sounds

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Comments

  • richk28richk28 Member Posts: 3
    I have a 1999 S10 ZR2 with the same issue. After several months of ?? I figured it out while replacing the front brakes. There is a dust shield behind the caliper and near the hub it had a 4 to 5 inch crack. When Driving the wind/air flow would push the shield against the rotor making a metallic grinding sound. I tried to epoxy it with JB Weld as I did not have a welder handy. The JB Weld did not hold for more than a few weeks. I will weld it when I have a chance.
  • dp2226dp2226 Member Posts: 28
    I picked up a 1999 Blazer a few months ago. Engine is great shape, rebuilt. Needed some front suspension work. At 65-75 mph while driving on the highway sounds like I am driving in a prop jet. Makes a vibrating noise in the far back

    I should add I had to put new tires on it and are Goodyear RT/S. Not a quiet road tire.

    Just want to be sure this has nothing to do with wheel bearings. I was concerned one looked like it was leaking grease from a bad seal. Or are older blazers just loud
  • dp2226dp2226 Member Posts: 28
    I notice when I initally back up ,after already in reverse, there is a loud click or pop in the back end. Not turn either direction, just straight back. Worn axel bearing?
  • bammonbammon Member Posts: 4
    After my experience of replacing practically on the front end of my 98 blazer I found out it was the rear axle bearings wearing into the rear axles;
    From what you describe it sounds like the problem may be your axle bearings.
    I hope this helps
    Thanks
  • jlflemmonsjlflemmons Member Posts: 2,242
    Check the rear u-joint. It is typical for them to both vibrate at speed, and make popping/snapping sounds when changing the direction of torque on the joint, such as moving from forward to reverse and vice-versa.

    Might want to look into this pretty quickly. If it is the u-joint and it is already vibrating/noisy/popping, it is not in good shape. Cheap fix if done before it completely lets go, expensive if it snaps while driving down the highway.

    good luck
  • dp2226dp2226 Member Posts: 28
    That was exactly the problem. I replaced the front one as well. I really appreciate the help.

    The rest is advice for anyone doing this for the first time like me

    The front U-joint on a 1999 blazer was the same size as the rear. There was a different size listed for the front but on my blazer was way too small. The caps had a quarter inch of play. Plus the wrong size one had two outter clips. If you did not see outer clips on your present part, you use the same size as the back one.

    The fit for the front one leaves no room for error to get the clip to seat properly. Take your time and do a little each side. I did not have the clip seated firmly and ended up on the side of the road with drive shaft hanging. What a different in acceleration, both torque and a quiet ride.

    Still thinking of just checking the rear wheel bearings too but if you have a similar problem, this was a $30 repair and well worth every penny.

    Have fun trying to pound out the old joint. Take the whole shaft right out and put it in a vise. There were two brackets to unscrew in the back, the front section just slides right out. You do have to get the back section out first to be able to slide out the front. The back side seems wedged in there but will come out.

    Once the shaft is off the truck. I did not have to use heat, just a couple sockets. The sockets will get messed up so do not use expensive ones. Like many sites state you have to beat the p!ss out of them. they are not kidding. I used a 3lb sledge and what ever you think hard hitting is, triple it. I did spray some PB blaster and scored the outer area around the caps, plus remember to take the retaining clips out. Each U-joint had four and a couple looked like they were welded in place from build up but are not. Just a punch or screw driver, and a hammer will tap them out.

    When installing the new ones. You still need a socket to pound them in and alternate sides doing a few gentler hits, I cracked a bearing cap hitting it directly, probably contribute to my break down. I did not have to take the clips off while under the car. A screw driver and rubber mallet helped pull them off. The rubber mallet was nice to knock them back on without smashing my fingers.

    Also when you take out the old ones take the time to clean out the inner ring of the holes. There was lots of built up of something in there.

    Hope these tips help any one doing this the first time like me go smoother. I am just a DIY guy learning as I go.
  • duntovduntov Member Posts: 133
    That appears to be a tough job for a part-timer that would be best left to a auto repair shop that has a hydraulic press. Sorting out the different U-joints is quite a task also. I am not sure I would trust a shop to finding the correct U-joint because they deal with so many different vehicles and don't have the time to research the U-joint choices like you would. The difficult part is finding a auto repair shop with a hydraulic press that will use the U-joints that you furnish. That of course will void any guarantee and would give the car repair shop a free hand to do sloppy work.

    The build up you noticed in the groove is plastic that the factory uses to hold the U-joint in place. When you drive the U-joint out it destroys the plastic.

    I am a long time enemy of car repair shops because an honest car repair shop will go broke. There is so much competition and so small of a profit margin in the car repair business that car repair shops must cheat customers in order to to stay in business. Another method used to increase profits is using inferior off-shore parts and charging premium prices for them. That is not exactly cheating customers but it is unethical. It is always best to do the job your self and use the best parts available.

    Examples of the seven different ACDelco U-joints that are used on a 1999 Blazer:
    45U-0109
    45U-0110
    45U-0123
    45U-0136
    45U-0131
    45U-0103
    45U-0108

    There is a specific application for each of those U-joints or they would not have different part numbers.
  • jlflemmonsjlflemmons Member Posts: 2,242
    *Some* parts houses have a press, and you can have the u-joint pressed in after purchase. We used to do this for u-joints, axle bearings, stuff like that. One other thing you need to watch out for is losing tranny fluid while the driveshaft is removed. I recommend putting the rear axle up on jack stands and leaving the front on the ground. Not only do you have to remove the driveshaft from the rear, it helps keep the tranny fluid away from the output shaft extension (where the driveshaft yoke goes in at the front) and less likely to leak out onto the floor.

    Congratulations on a successful repair!

    Also, look in the rear disc area for oil leakage. You mentioned that there might be a seal leaking. This is a repair that is also a lot easier than you think. I won't go into all the detail here, because pictures are very helpful. But this is really no more than a one hour job if you have done it before, and maybe two if you haven't. You will need a helper, though, because to get the rear axle out of the housing, someone has to push in on the axle shaft outer flange, while someone removes the "C" clip on the differential end. I had my 12 yo son help me on the first one we did. Be prepared, the diff grease from the factory is some of the nastiest smelling stuff you will come across, and wear clothes you don't mind throwing away! It takes three or four washings to get that odor out. When reassembling, use synthetic. No odor. :)
  • blazer6973547blazer6973547 Member Posts: 24
    just reading through...maybe its mentioned or solved but it sounds to me that the shake is just a really low idle caused by a tps iac or maf other than that.. beats me?
  • blazer6973547blazer6973547 Member Posts: 24
    once again, just answering as i read down through. cat converter will do nothing of what you say, it will kill O2 sensor bank 1 sensor 2 (in converter) and mpg will drop badly and with a 4.3 you cant afford to get worse on gas...lol
  • blazer6973547blazer6973547 Member Posts: 24
    had that problem, replaced tensioner(which was shot anyway) along with a new belt. it appeared to me that the noise was coming from the clutch fan... never bothered with it and just put up with the squeak. had the blazer for another 30k and nothing got worse
  • blazer6973547blazer6973547 Member Posts: 24
    just reading through and thought id add... a bad or loose u-joint will vibrate like hell and when stopped, going reverse drive reverse drive will give you a distinct CLINK if u-joint is bad
  • jclime0001jclime0001 Member Posts: 1
    My blazer has been having problems getting up hills (it bogs down) and I don't think it going to get me up the hills. It rattles and sounds like it is giving it all it has. In traffic the fastest I can go is 50 mph and that is with a hill giving me speed. It is vibrating now and stops vibrating only when I hit the gas and there is a smell that smells like something has burnt.

    Since the O-2 sensors did not work in fixing this problem do you guys have any suggestions?
  • dart09dart09 Member Posts: 2
    I have a '99 Blazer LS 4X4 -- 159,000 miles (I know, woe is me). lol. Anyways, I have a rubbing noise that starts when the vehicle moves and seems to go away for the most part as I get up to highway speeds. It is more noticeable at low speeds. At first it sounded like it was coming from the right rear. I put it up on jack stands and the noise then seemed to be coming from inside the differential. I checked the pinion by hand for play and there is none. I then took the dif cover off and discovered someone had drilled a hole near the top center of it apparently so they could add fluid there? It had a black plastic plug in it. Yikes! Who worked on this thing before I bought it? Curly or Moe?

    I've put in new front hub bearings, new u-joints on the rear drive shaft, new rear wheel bearings and seals and new rear brake calipers and disc pads -- the back plates are rusted away making the rotors visible on both back wheels. Will it hurt to leave the rusted away backplates as is? I also installed a new rotor on the right rear and had the other three rotors turned. There are no broken belts in the tires. When I changed the rear wheel bearings I didn't see any metal shavings from the spiders or from the pinion gear. There were no broken teeth on any of the gears. I also noted at the time that there were two shims on each of the spider gears. Does that sound right? It is a GU6 / 3.42 rear.

    I am at a loss as to what is causing the rubbing noise and would greatly appreciate any help I can get on this. Thanks in advance!
    -Dave
  • ripley09ripley09 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 1998 Chevy Blazer 4X4 and when i hit 45-55 mph i get a horrible growl/rumble (sound and feels like you hit the caution rumble strip on the road) from somewhere in the drivetrain. i have replaced the rear end barrings, took out the front drive shaft, replace the 4x4 drive vacuum pod. The problem didn't start till i put the new tire on it (goodyear ranglers). The issue only last for 3-4 second but it reacurres ever 30 second or so. If you speed up or slow down the sound/feeling goes away. If anyone has had or know what may be wrong with it I would greatly appreciate some advice because i am totally stumped. i have look over everything i can think of.
  • carmanghiacarmanghia Member Posts: 4
    I hate to tell you this but it is probably your tires causing this noise. I had a similar experience when I purchased new Goodyear Wranglers. I learned that there are many different tire designs all under the Wrangler name. The tire store had put on an All-Terrain design on. Anyhow, I didn't even make it home on these new tires as the noise was so objectionable.

    I had the tire store pull the Wranglers off and put Toyo tires on instead and they ride nice and quiet. Hope this helps.
  • freedom777freedom777 Member Posts: 1
    I have the same problem, except the growling sound is coming from the front end. When I engage the 4WD, the sound goes away. Any luck figuring it out?
  • verlo1verlo1 Member Posts: 3
    I HAVE A 2001 BLAZER. WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS THERE IS A KNOCKING NOISE IN THE PASSINGER SIDE. HAVE CHANGED THE SHOCKE SWAY BAR PARTS.
  • drashmoredrashmore Member Posts: 2
    edited March 2010
    Have knocking noise coming from rear end at startup. Only lasts seconds. Then may not hear it for a while. What could this be?
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    Perhaps a loose tail pipe?

    tidester, host
    SUVs and Smart Shopper
  • traylwptraylwp Member Posts: 1
    Hello,

    Did you every figure out what the buzzing noise was? I have the same problem with my blazer and it is driving me crazy.
  • wrightbrowrightbro Member Posts: 1
    Just bought 02 Blazer. It had over heated. Mechanic replaced heads, sensors, etc. He said the pistons and walls looked good. I still have a loud tapping noise when accelerating, cold & warm. Less noise with higher rpm. Quiets while deceleration. Mechanic said there was Tech Service Report that said "Some Blazers had pistons installed backwards to try to increase compression. And this was causing the noise." Anyone heard of such a story? He said compression is good in all cylinders. Any other sources of the noise? Much appreciated.
  • hewybohewybo Member Posts: 10
    1st noise) a whining growl (or growling whine) on acceleration...not always, and seldom above about 35. Torque converter? 2nd noise) possibly related to ist noise? the vehicle "shakes" starting at about 62 mpoh. does NOT shake the steering wheel. have checked u-joints/axle bearings, and they are fine. it does not shake, shimmy, or anything else below 60 mph.
    related? separate? help??? :confuse:
  • duntovduntov Member Posts: 133
    edited April 2012
    It is probably the tires and alignment. However, that may be a job for the $90 diagnostic fee. If you pay the diagnostic fee and they work on it and it does not fix the problem, they must continued to work on the problem until it is fixed. At least that is the way it is supposed to work.
    S10 vehicle problems are really difficult to diagnose so before they offer to diagnose and fix the problem, they may tell you: "Take it somewhere else".

    That actually happened to me when I had ABS brake problems. The ABS modulator is not serviceable and a rebuilt unit costs $800, if you can find one. The repair shop service manager looked me up and down and made the determination that I could not afford a $1000 repair bill on a 1991 S10 Blazer that is not worth $2000 on the open market. So I received the "Take it somewhere else" routine or what people used to call "The bum's rush"

    I later determined that we do not need the ABS system and your brakes will work just fine without ABS. The difficult part is bleeding the system with ABS. Bleeding the brakes system along with the ABS modulator is an all day job for two people if you don't have a $400 GM Tech 1 Scan Tool to cycle the ABS as you purge the air out of the modulator. If you don't get all the air out of the ABS modulator, yoiu will have soft brakes or no brakes at all. We managed to get the air out of the ABS modulator but it took all day. I will never know the ABS brakes do not work until I jump on the brakes on icey or wet roads. The ABS on my 1994 Ford F150 pick up has not worked in about 12 years. It is not a requirement that the vehicle has a working ABS system in order to pass state safety and emissions inspection.

    The GM Tech 1 scan tools have been unavailable for several years and finding a good used on one for $400 e-bay is a crap shoot. .
  • lion437lion437 Member Posts: 2
    i have a 2001 Blazer which has under dash noise like turn indicator relay is constantly clicking, but signals are not on. All lights working, no bulbs burned out, etc. What does this indicate could be wrong?
  • amyaldermanamyalderman Member Posts: 2
    Can anyone tell me what would cause my rear tires to lock up and put me in a skid while driving down the highway? I suspect its the drive train but I'm being told it could possibly be the brakes.. I am a single mother and don't really know much about this, all I know is that I was scared to death and I don't want to get back into the truck until I know for sure it's fixed... and don't want to get ripped off ( like I allllllways do) at the repair shop. I need help! Thanks :)
  • amyaldermanamyalderman Member Posts: 2
    Its a 2002, sorry. I forgot to include that. ;)
  • weller2006weller2006 Member Posts: 1
    There is a humming noise in my 1999 blazer. As soon as I start moving at about 15mph or so you hear the noise. It is really loud at about 45-55mph. Even when you do about 35mph and then let off the gas to coast down you'll hear it loud and clear. I'm thinking its either the Transfer Case or Rear Differential. Any advice will help
  • blunderducketblunderducket Member Posts: 1
    I have a vibrating sound coming from behind my dashboard area on driver side. If I lightly press the gas I don't hear it but any more pressure and It vibrates. sounds like the speedo is grinding as my speed increases. could this also be the throttle cable touching the pcv?
  • lucky3366lucky3366 Member Posts: 1
    Ok guys so I bought a 98 s10 2wd 4.3 and at 130k the manifold gasket went read online how to fix it so I did in my front yard cleanded the manifold and engine with brake fluid put it all back together ran some motor flush threw it and have been diving it for a week 100 miles a day to and from work...I filled it with two gallons of antifreeze well I checked it yesterday oil is were I filled it to so its not leaking in the engine again don't seem to be losing it out the weep hole on the water pump and don't seem to see any puddles under the truck....I have no idea what I am doing either just was only able to do all this because of YouTube and your guys advice
  • jeffreyc2016jeffreyc2016 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2000 Chevy Blazer 4 door for some reason everytime I accelerate on the gas or go over 40 miles an hour there is a loud hum kind of grinding sound coming from the back right of the car to the back middle of the car I've checked all the tires and they are all tight my 4 wheel drive is also not working it's saying that it's in 2 wheel but you cannot change to 4 high or 4 Low I don't know if it might be stuck trying to put itself in 4 wheel drive or what the issue is has anybody experienced this problem or know anything about it
  • jeffreyc2016jeffreyc2016 Member Posts: 2
    Also when it is in neutral it doesn't make any noises
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