Chevy Blazer GMC Jimmy Maintenance and Repair

bigcedar1 · April 2002

I've just come across a 98 zr2 w/24000 miles on it for 11K.
The car had been in an accident and had minor damage in the left front fender and has been repaired - I spoke with the shop who did the repair and saw pictures before.
The guy who has it did not take care of the inside very well, it's dirty, not tears or stains or cig burns - just needs to be shampood, and cleaned. There are also some minor irritations that can easily be fixed.
Screw loose in dash, rattle in back window because of loose connection, recharge the air, etc.
What should I particularly look at?
What should I be aware of that would make me sorry I bought it!?

poisondartfrog · April 2002

Replacing Oil Cooler Lines
Affected vehicles: S10, Sonoma, Jimmy, Blazer and Bravada

Redesigned engine oil cooler lines P/N 15760333 and 15760334 replace the old parts on 4WD utility and pickup trucks, and P/N 15757070 replaces the
lines on 2WD vehicles. Installation on 1996 T pickup and utility vehicles require that the lip of the rubber baffle attached to the radiator support be trimmed to fit.

A grille redesign eliminated the baffle in 1998 models. New seals come with the new lines. However, technicians must order and install new clips to hold the lines into the connector at the radiator. New clips are available in a bag of ten
under P/N 15724727.

uncleal5252 · April 2002

Thanks pooisondartfrog for the heads up, but I don't know much about the CPI. I just checked out the vehicle. It actually has 56K miles. The weird thing is that I saw the inspection report done in 8/01 and the odometer reading was 55,900. I can't believe that it was driven less than 200 miles in 8 months. It was this guy's second vehicle, but I still think its absurd. And if the odometer is correct, then should I be buying a vehicle that has sat for such a long period of time? Is the risk worth the $5000 price? It drove well, but dealership showing me that car said the the battery was low last time she tried to start it. It started up fine when I was there. As far as checking for signs of accidents, I found a few things. Worn paint where the panels meet on the hood, small paint chips here and there, and odd looking front door seals. The door seals seems to be replaced, starting from the car door and running along to the windshield. But it ended abrutly and didn't continue to the hood. The air filter housing seemed to be loose. The rear window pistons didn't keep the window up. I guess I should get an independent mechanic to look at this one. Any suggestions as to what else I should do?

dshepherd3 · April 2002

Ask the dealer to run a CARFAX history print to confirm it wasn't totalled and the mileage track is accurate, it cost them 15$

glzr2 · April 2002

My accelerator started sticking like glue this last month. It would stick when I first start it up and try to accelerate. Really have to hammer the pedal to get going. Stuck so bad almost ran over an old lady while trying to back out of a parking spot. It would also stick on the highway when traveling at high speeds after quick deceleration followed by quick acceleration. Pulled air intake housing on top of carb and tried to clean out as much carbon build-up as possible, but that only improved it a little. Please don't tell me I'll be fighting this the entire life of the vehicle. Talked to other owners and they have had the same problem. Dealer is charging $190 to fix, but I have to take it in for the brake light re-call so I'll see if I can get a freebee.

ryanbab · April 2002

sounds like you may need a throttle body cleaning or a new throttle body all together

labrat1999 · April 2002

I have a 98 Jimmy SLT and the driver side mirror at hiway speeds vibrates causing it to shake. It's not a big issue except the mirrow was just replaced by the dealer under warranty for a new one. The old one was worst thus the replacement.

Before I go back and complain just wondering if anyone else has this problem? The passenger side is rock steady...

Thx in advance.
Lab.

poisondartfrog · April 2002

My best advice for the sticking accelerator is to remove the throttle body (3 bolts) and clean the bore completely. After that, remove the breather tube and put a rubber cap/plug in its place on the intake snorkel. Remove the breather tube from the passenger-side valve cover grommet, and install a K&N breather filter in its place. You'll still have positive crankcase ventilation with the PCV system on the driver-side valve cover, but you won't be routing oil vapor into your intake, upstream of the throttle body. The PCV valve will still dump oil vapor into the intake manifold, but at least that won't gum up the throttle body butterfly.

glzr2 · April 2002

Thanks for the info. I might need a diagram. Actually... I think I know what you're describing. This mod doesn't effect the engine performance?

grkeier · May 2002

I have a 98 Jimmy SLT w/ 75K that had the same problem to a lesser extent. It was sticky to press, but did not stick open. I told my mechanic when I went in for some routine maintenance and he removed and cleaned the throttle plates. Didn't even charge me for it. That was at around 60,000 miles. No problem since.

zr2rando · May 2002

It was easy to fix, look under the hood at where the throttle cable connects to the throttle plate...where the cable actually connects to the part that you can open the throttle while under the hood.
I checked the bump stop where the mechanism rests at idle...it seems to be a magnetic metal to metal contact..thus the "sticky" feeling.
I just put a wrap of black electrician tape over the magnetic bump stop and now I don't have that "sticky" throttle any more.
see ya
I have a 99 zr2 pickup, rather than a blazer, but probably the same throttle setup.

poisondartfrog · May 2002

glzr2: no it won't effect emissions.

zr2rando: wrapping the tape at the stop also causes the throttle plate not to close as much. The carbon on the edge of the throttle plate and the carbon rodge on the bore cause the plate to momentarily bind at full close, and thus you feel it in the pedal. If you are hesitant about removing the throttle body to clean it, spray Gumout (for throttle bodies) on a clean, soft cloth (non-linty), open the throttle plate, and rub off the carbon ridge. The front side is more difficult, as the "chin" on the throttle plate gets in the way. I would suggest a soft toothbrush to get at this area.

Hope this helps.

zr2rando · May 2002

I just used 1 layer of electric tape, there was no difference in the position of the throttle plate at idle...there could be I guess if I really wrapped it up though.
I spray throttlebody cleaner in there periodically to make sure there are no buildups of crud so I have never actually had a buildup that would interfere with plate movement, but if there was a ridge, you're right,it would make it feel "sticky" too. Good idea to clean that area every now and then.
see y'all
Rando

n2dsky · May 2002

?? Just replaced master cyl, front pads & rotors. Pedal still will go to the floor while parked(pressing firmly but not hard), but will stop, even make the ABS work when driving if you punch it. Seems to take a lot more push than normal, and seems to stop better at times. Ideas??

jgrenda · May 2002

purchased a 98 chevy blazer and was wondering if anyone else had experienced a sort of whistling or humming noise at about 50 to 55 miles an hour? The noise can be heard at all times but generally louder depending on wind direction.We have had it checked by dealer and he is baffled. We even tried another blazer thinking it might be tires and the second vehicle had the same noise . Both had the exact same tires.Then we thought it might be manufactured hole drilled in the frame so we covered those and road tested, the noise was still there. Really confusing!!!!Anyone else experienced this problem from the chevy blazer 4x4?

jeffbog · May 2002

I used to own a 96 2-door 4X4. I had a bunch of problems and finally got rid of it. THe problem you describe is exactly what I complained about while under warranty. The first time they changed a bunch of parts in the front end. Some type of gears... its been a long time. Anyway, this only made the problem worse. Called the 800 service line, had a case file opened. They ended up telling me it was 'an inherit vehicle characteristic'. To know if you have the same issue, slow down, shift to 4 high and then take it up to 55 or so. In 4 high, the noise will just about dissappear. Sorry, but if the symptoms are the same, you'll just have to live with it. I dumped mine at 45K. Had many sensors, u-joints, ball joints, remote oil lines, and a host of other things fixed under warranty. The vehicle was never abused and never driven 'off road'.

poisondartfrog · May 2002

Try removing the movable bars on the roof rack and see if that helps your whistling noise.

labrat1999 · May 2002

This is my second post about this issue.....

98 Jimmy SLT - I had the drivers side mirror replaced by the dealer (under Ext. Warranty) due to what I think is heavy mirror shake...the glass will vibrate/shake/jitter when I am driving at speeds greater the 30 miles an hour....becomes worst on the hiway. Driver side mirror is rock steady.

Anyway....took it back to the dealer and they say it is "Within Normal operating specs"???

I was think of calling GM directly to open up a case and take it to another dealer for a second option.

Has anyone else experienced this issue??

Feedback is appreaciated!

Cheers
Rob.

lesjeff1 · May 2002

When my Jimmy is in gear, either idling or at a low mph, I am hearing a "grinding" noise coming from somewhere behind the firewall. I have had it looked at twice and they think I am crazy. Has anyone else had this problem?

glzr2 · May 2002

You're right, it was an easy fix. I took my '00 blazer in for the brake light recall and the dealer cleaned the throttle housing under warranty. Unfortunately, if feels like I have lost power and I might be getting worse mpg. It could be in my head, but I will keep monitoring my mpg.

heyjude3 · May 2002

I have a 1996 chev blazer 4x4 with 114960 miles.
I was wondering if anybody has had these problems:

There is a water gurgling sound coming from under the middle counsel. Any idea what that is?

Also, if there is any moisture on top of the vehicle like rain, snow, dew, it comes into the vehicle when the window is down. Never have had a problem like that with any other vehicle before.

I did and again do have the "mississippi sludge" problem, no heat, I believe the dealer had to flush something out in the past. Could this be why my air doesn't work either?

I bought this vehicle used in Nov of 2000 and I really do like it, other than the problems listed above. Any input to this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

poisondartfrog · May 2002

Yes, my father's '99 Bravada had the same noise. Unfortunately, we never determined what it was, since it cropped up just before he turned it in at the end of his lease!

zr2rando · May 2002

As far as having the dealer do some work and now you feel a difference, you may have to verify any hoses/vac lines/pvc lines or even the air intake housing that attaches to the throttle body,,they may have bumped a line loose or not sealed a hose clamp or something.
I had one instance where they had done some work on an intake manifold and when they plugged a vac line onto a fitting it had broken off right at the fitting and now caused a vac leak that affected the a/c vent controls, the vac line had a crease where it was bent and just gave when they removed and replaced it. One dealership never tightened the hose clamps on the rubber air intake hose at the intake manifold...it was sucking air right there instead of going through the filter and the MAF, I just had to tighten the hose clamp....made a huge difference.
If it is really a noticeable difference and you can't find any line/hose probs, you may have to call them and let them know that there is a difference now in the power/mpg loss and see just what all they actually did ....
I always have to ask,,,What was the last thing done before I noticed the problem???
Good luck
Rando

topdog047 · May 2002

Have 33K no major problems. I noticed a sound similiar to faulty fuel pump - with ignition on engine off. Appeared to be fuel pump-but did not shut off with pressure. Dealer replaced fuel pump at 26k.Sound continued - after quite a bit of detective work mechanic discovered an a/c temp. sensor in the headliner above the drivers door. Dealer has been unable to fix this problem.

This sensor was RELOCATED on the '00.

Has anyone else had this problem on a '99 ???- if not listen with ignition on - loudest prior to first start of the day. Has anyone had this problem fixed ???

rjgold · May 2002

I have a 1998 LT Blazer and it does the same thing. Around town no problem, but when I get up to speed the driver's side mirror really shakes. I'm bringing it to the dealer tomorrow morning for another issue but I'm also going to ask them about it and what the cost might be to fix it. If I find something relevant out I will post it here. If you have already called GM about this, I'd be curious to hear what your experience was with that.

rjgold · May 2002

The darn truck pulls to the right no matter what I do! I just put new tires on it a couple of weeks ago and had the front-end aligned last week at the local Chev dealership.

I took it on a 400+ mile round-trip this weekend and it's still pulling to the right. I live in the NW and a lot of roads are sloped to the right to allow for rainwater run-off, but I'm pretty sure this isn't the case here. I can drive on a road sloped to the left to allow for run-off and the truck will track straight so I have to think something else is up. But I'm a computer tech, not a mechanic so when it comes to cars my knowledge is limited.

Any idea? Suggestions? I'm bringing it back to the local dealer tomorrow to have them look at it again. I haven't gone back and looked through the archives of this thread yet, that's the next thing on my list. If anyone else knows of a thread that has discussed similar issues like this, I'd appreciate a head's up. Thanks.

zr2rando · May 2002

Could be the brake pads may not be retracting like they should on the passenger side, They may need to be removed,lubed, maybe replace pads and lube the pistons in the calipers???
May be time for brakes replaced anyway??
see ya
Rando

labrat1999 · May 2002

Well rjgold - so far with GM no luck. They told me i could purchase a newer designed mirror that fixes the problem....what a bunch of crap!

The GM rep. is still checking into this for me but I think I'm SOL.

I think this is a defect since I've looked at the newer Jimmy's and they have changed the mirror design. You think this would be a simple fix.

What I've done in the mean time is stuff some foam in the break-away part of the mirror...helped a bit but still shakes on the hiway.

I'l keep you posted on my results and im interested in what your dealer told you as well.

Thx
Rob.

rjgold · May 2002

Thanks for the feedback. Actually I asked the dealer last week to take a look at the front brakes and replace them if neccesary. They said I didn't need new pads however they cleaned them for me. That probably didn't include lubing the pistons though. They re-checked the alignment today and said it was within spec, but did tweak the left side a bit. I haven't been able to really tell if it has helped though. I'll know better the next time I get on the interstate.

We'll see. Thanks.
Bob

rjgold · May 2002

Rob, I did talk to my Chev dealer today about it. They said the mirror part is actually glued onto a plate inside the housing and that most likely the glue was starting to break loose. They were even kind enough to tell me that eventually the mirror will just fall out after the glue separates completely.

Sounds like a really cheap way to build the component to me, but I don't know. I would think if it is indeed built that way, the dealership would just rip the mirror off the plate and re-apply the glue or whatever the crap is called and stick the mirror back on. It may not be hard to do myself, but I'd probably break it worse. I didn't get an estimate for the dealership to fix it yet. I guess I'll just wait and see what happens with it. Don't know if this design applies to your Jimmy also or not.

Did GM ever actually tell you what the problem was? Or are they just aware of it?

Thanks,
Bob

Bob

labrat1999 · May 2002

Bob,

Well to my surprize - GM customer service said there is a Service bulletin on the mirror shake.

The GM customer service rep. was going to call my dealer about it. I havent heard back from her yet but plan on calling her today for an update.

If this is the case - I'll post the info for all.

More to come......

Rob

ryanbab · May 2002

Any of you ever have a bad battery?

For about a yr if you would have the truck (2000 4 door 4wd LT blazer) off and radio on for 10 min (sometimes less) the truck wouldnt start and the battery would have to be charged. This happened 4 times. Well a few days ago took it in to the local chevy dealer. Battery was found to have a bad cell. They replaced the battery free of charge and said it is covered for 5 yrs (wow). Truck only has 20K miles and will hit the 3 yr warranty this september. Other than this it has had no problems. Just wondering if anyone else had this problem.

Ryan

poisondartfrog · May 2002

My OEM battery went out at 38K miles, or just over 3 yrs, on my '97 Bravada. I've never had good luck with AC-Delco batteries. I put in a Diehard Gold and haven't had further problems.

If you have extra $$$ laying around, the gel-cell Optima battery is the way to go.

zr2rando · May 2002

Our battery was pretty wimpy starting about 10k miles, green dot had also gone away. Dealer replaced it too,,,,sounds like the ACDelco folks have pretty poor quality control on the OEM batteries. Newer gel-cells ARE much better, older batteries eventually start gassing off and start corrosion in the area around the battery too.

ryanbab · May 2002

Wierd thing is the last time it was dead the little green light was still there. Previous times it was gone (which meant it was dead)

So far so good with the new battery

I havent had any problems with the AC Delco in my silverado which has over 26K miles.

dwsiis · May 2002

I have a gurgling noise coming from under the center console. It appears to be from the transmission. The transmission works good except for the noise that just started in my 96 Blazer. Any ideas???

poisondartfrog · May 2002

The gurgling noise is your heater core - it's plugged with gunk. When was the last time you changed your Dexcool coolant? Dexcool is supposed to be a long-life coolant, but it breaks down and forms sludge, especially if mixed with the green stuff, or air is in the system, or the radiator cap is no longer maintaining the required system pressure. Look in the coolant recovery tank and (on a cold engine) remove the radiator cap and check for gunk there, too. You'll see what i mean.

Depending on the severity, you'll need a complete system flush, all the way up to replacing the radiator and heater core, for starters.

I change the coolant every two years, just like the green stuff, and I've switched to Prestone Long-life coolant, which I haven't heard any complaints about (yet). The ONLY advantage I can see from running Dexcool is it is a non-silicate fluid, which is supposed to extend water pump bearing life. IMO, not worth it.

poisondartfrog · May 2002

http://www.geocities.com/b_gillie/dexcool_problems.html

tbcreative · May 2002

While I love my '98 GMC Jimmy SLS 4x4 (you can click the pop-up here to see it: http://www.tbcreative.com/links_autos.htm), I have had too many problems with it to list. Fortunately, most of them occurred while under warrenty.

My latest annoyance is that my HVAC fan only works on the really high setting (4). When I turn the knob to any other setting, the fan stops. I checked the fuses, but they were fine, as I suspected. I live in Phoenix, where AC is a way of life, but I don't need it blasting all the time. Anyone have any ideas? I don't want to be charged for this if it's something I can fix myself.

One other problem is a rattle in the right side of my moonroof, when it's tilted open. Any ideas?

As a side note: In '97, I tested the 4Runner and wasn't impressed over-all, but always liked the stock ground clearance and reliability ratings. The GMC Jimmy seemed to have more of what I wanted for my money, especially more power, better 4WD system, and a pleasing interior. I ordered my '98 Jimmy that fall, and have had mixed feelings of loving it, while being annoyed at the quality. This latest aggravation has just made me even more anxious for the arrival of the '03 4Runner coming in September. If it's everything I've been reading about and more, I'm sold. I like the new Envoy/Trailblazer, and have $ on my GM card to put toward one, but where's the attention to the off-road enthusiast? Lower ground clearance than my Jimmy? Come on GM. I'm not spending that much for the H2, so they had better hurry up with the H3...

Anyway, thanks for any help anyone can offer. -TB

heng · May 2002

I read somewhere in these topics that there is a resistor for each fan speed. What happens is that the resistor fails then you loose that fan speed setting.

Unless you know how to find the bad resistors and replace them on a circuit board, I think you have to replace the particular board.

tbcreative · May 2002

Thanks for the quick reply, Howard. That's what I was afraid of. Where exactly is that circuit board, do you know? I have fixed boards in computers and stereos. If it's easy to get to, I may attempt it myself.

heng · May 2002

I don't know where the board is but once you find it, sounds like you have the skills to replace the resistors. I bet is is inside the dash near the fan selector switch.

I'm a mechanical type but also do house hold electricals and generator stuff. Not the circuit board type.

tbcreative · May 2002

Thanks again, Howard! I hear ya' on staying away from the boards. I'd prefer not to bother with it, and I may just replace the whole thing if I can find it. I hate to bug him, but I'm going to call my service manager that I'm good friends with over at the GMC dealer and see if he can walk me through the problem. He's given me a lot of free advice and actually saved me $ by helping me figure out problems without charging me. Now that you've helped me narrow the issue down, I won't take up too much of his time. I'm very lucky to have found this guy, so I hope he doesn't move until I trade my truck!

zr2rando · May 2002

Our old ACDelco battery also still had the green dot but failed the load test, so they replaced it.
It seems the green dot is not such a perfect indicator....what else is new huh?
see ya
Rando

ryanbab · May 2002

did work. One time i had the radio on while drying it after i washed it. Only had it on for 10 min tried to start the truck and it was dead. Green light gone.

spoom · June 2002

Since the green light only "monitors" one cell, it cannot be more than a guide to general condition based on that single cell, theory being that if electrolyte level, etc. is low in one it probably is on all. If another cell is shorted you'd never know. Mark, I know how you feel about your '98 vs a 4Runner. I traded my 89 4Runnner on my '97 Jimmy SLT. On paper the Jimmy is a better value, and when it's not broke it's a very nice vehicle. Unfortunately for me (see my previous posts in this thread) my experience has been so expensive and disappointing (both the vehicle AND GM's treatment) taht I will keep driving my Jimmy with it's Service engine light on half the time, the wipers not always available, the gas guage not working below ½ tank...........until I can afford a new non-GM vehicle.

tbcreative · June 2002

Glenn, I hear ya.' This latest irritation of 3 of my fan speeds out, has me very anxious to see the new 4Runner. It's really too bad, because I've always been a GM loyalist. My family had Buicks while I was growing up and had them until Buick became too stodgy and stale. When Buick dropped the Roadmaster wagon without replacing it, my dad decided to go with the previous generation GMC Envoy. He liked it fine, and didn't have half the problems I've had with my Jimmy, but he liked the new GMT 360 platform even better, so he traded for the all-new Envoy last summer and has been very pleased ever since. He's had a few minor problems with electronic glitches and the couple of recall items, but he loves it none-the-less.

Personally, I'm tired of little glitches. I had to take my truck back in for problems within a month of owning it, and I ordered it from the factory, so I had to wait 2 months as it was just to get it! It seemed like I had to take it back at least once a month for about a year! By the time my warrenty was up, I felt like there was no need to extend it, because everything beside the engine block and transmission was new.

I was glad to see GM reach the #3 spot in quality, third to Toyota and Honda of course, but I've got a sour taste in my mouth. I don't want to go through all that again. There's a reason Toyota is #1, and Honda is #2. The new Envoy and Trailblazer have a lot of standard stuff for your $, but not only am I leery, I'm pissed that GM ignored the needs of those of us who want a bad-[non-permissible content removed] truck with ground clearance and cool wheels, without having to spend another $3000 on a lift, wheels, and tires. Those trucks are already about $4000 more than my similarly equipped Jimmy, even at invoice!

Whoa, thanks for letting me rant! Anyway, it's nice to know I'm not alone. Look out Toyota, here I come! -TB

(By the way, the "mark" tab is to mark the page, not my name. No biggie, just thought you'd like to know.)

cperez · June 2002

Hi, I have a Jimmy 97 SLS 4 door. I was driving the SUV when sundenly died, the Jimmy lost all the current to inside. The panel was off, no accesories, no power window, no brakes, no claxon, no nothing.I when under the hook and check the voltage of the battery and was 12.19 volts. I pulled it home. Tried next morning and worked for 15 minutes and died all again, half an hour later worked and when home. I verified the altenator, battery, starter cables, relays on top of the engine left corner and the computer of the Jimmy. I removed the plugs and nothing created the same problem of no current inside the SUV. What else can be check? thank you.

dickensdog · June 2002

I own a 2001 Jimmy with 12,000 miles on it. My service 4wd warning light keeps going off and on. My dealer cannot find anything wrong and I am wondering if others have experienced this problem, and if so, what did they find out?

zr2rando · June 2002

I have been told that when the main engine controller starts going out it causes major loss of systems intermittantly, probably should check it out

Chevy Blazer GMC Jimmy Maintenance and Repair

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