Chevy S10/GMC S15-Sonoma: Problems & Solutions

canufixit

An obvious check to make - and I'm not trying to insult you here .. Is the Bolt in a Blind hole and it's bottoming out - or - is something preventing the bolt from pulling tight up onthe washers ???

user260084

I have an 1988 gmc s-15 jimmy, that revs to about 4000 rpm before it shifts from 1st to 2nd, to 3rd. I have adjusted the throttle (TV) cable, with no luck. Does anyone know anything else that can be done to adjust the shift? Thank you.

Mr_Shiftright

A diagnostic tool is only as good as the man who reads it :P

royn

My 98 s10 4x4 runs great,It might run good for 5 or 10 miles,& then runs really ruff,when it first started that the dash light came on,had the code read it said malfunction with the chank shaft sensor.I replaced it,the problem is still there,

canufixit

Ah yes, The Rant is good for stress relief... Not to worry - it was worth reading ...

From what you listed - it does sound like the battery - although it sounds like the cables "might" have contributed to the issue (Bad connections = bad starting AND bad charging ... Deep cycling hurts the battery... )

As for the batery test - from my old DC circuit class (and it's been a while ...) I seem to remember that the chemical make up of batteries cause an internal electrical resistance in the battery.
When new and fully charged - it's minor and little voltage is dropped / lost across it. As the batery dies/ages - the internal resistance gets very large - and the voltage gets dropped across the internal resistance and the available terminal voltage to the starter drops - HOWEVER - this drop is a function of Load (amperage draw). since a small meter has little load - the battery measures 12 - 14 volts and looks OK.. Good battery testers have a heavy load that will pull amps from the battery - and THEN measures the voltage. Missing power is dropped internal to the battery.

As to why it the batery was fine up unitl that one time you tried to start it ?? - Unknown to me - but I'll say this - it had to die sometime and somewhere.

codered

hi all......my back up lights dont work......new blubs still no work.....maybe solenoid?????? any help would be great......thanks ps its a 5 speed

chev_nb

I have a 96 S10 with a 4.3, one day my starter made a whinning sound, found out a bolt broke on the head, well I got that fixed, then one day, I heard a bang..Well turned out there is crack on the block where started mounts to, now starter won't hold in place any ideas out there? Hope I don't have to replace motor..

Thanks

kcarlson

Hey, I got a 2000 s-10 2.2, 4 cyl, I've always had mileage issues since I got it. In the city, it got as low as 12 mpg. On the highway it got about 16. I put in a K and N air filter which had no effect. I put one can of Sea Foam in the gas tank and now I get 21 mpg, 95% highway miles. Next time I take it in for an oil change I will ask them to replace the fuel filter. I'm thinking that since the Sea Foam had such an impact on it, but it is still not as good as it should, that maybe there is still dirty injectors that the sea foam cannot reach, because I tryed a second can a few months later and it had no effect.

Now, what exactlly am I looking for when I check the exhaust? If I do find something like unburned fuel or something, what is internaly wrong with the engine and about how much will it set me back to fix it? Thanks.

kreepin97

Well my speedometer quit working. All the other gauges and lights on the cluster work just fine. Carried to a shop and they tested the circuit, said the speed sensor was reading speed back to the computer, so they suggested I replace the gauge cluster. I did and still have the same problem. Any ideas fellas? Has got to be from the computer to the speedo I believe but do not have the schematic to look at or the truck. I am having to relay any suggestions. Any help is appreciated...Jason

kreepin97

Have you changed the plugs and wires? Does it start pretty easy or is it stubborn? When checking the exhaust, there really is nothing you can do.Maybe put a new converter on it. I did a cat back on my 2.2 and it set me back about $350. That was for a hi flow converter and a 40 series Flowmaster. Made the truck breathe better not to mention sound better.

pateric

Hi fellow drivers...
I have a problem that has just started. The other day when I started my truck I got a small puff of blue smoke, it hasn't done it again. When I went up the street it kind of bogged and almost stalled, I gunned it and it kept going. Sense then it has almost stalled every time I start it when its cold, but as soon as it warms up a little it runs just fine. If you have any suggestions, fuel filter, fuel pump, new engine, a cliff or something let me know.
pateric

wwworker

:mad: my and my other half are having a debate about it.he went out to the truck to replace the spark plugs and found that the drivers side window had shattered.has anyone ever heard of this happening?and another problem with the window on the passenger side will not go down.he checked everything and cannot find the problem.its an 85 chevy s10v6 2.8L

wwworker

we have that problem also,it takes several tries before it will start and usually blows out black smoke.have you checked the choke?sometimes it sticks and the truck wont start.our truck does the exact same thing that you have described in your post

pateric

I have another problem with my S10. I had the the code researched and it said left front sensor and right rear sensor had problems. I went to the dealer and got the left front sensor, they said there are no rear sensors. I replaced the the unit and the lights went away for a few months. They are back on and are on most of the time. They do go off but come on again. Two questions... 1)are there rear sensors? and 2)can the right side be bad now. It seems to brake ok now, but before I replaced the left sensor the rear wheels would lock up. Thanks for the help.
pateric

pateric

Thanks for the reply.

I don't get black smoke, it starts ok and it has EFI so I don't know if there is a "choke" like in a carb as in the old days... I haven't a manual so I haven't done much to it. It has been running good, not the greatest fuel mileage 25MPG, but ok.

canufixit

Hi all,

I'm thinking of replacing the OE Wranglers (235/75r 105S) on my 2002 Sonoma 4wd Ext Cab. with these .. I relly can't find anything negative on the web - other than a one or two who hated the tires overall ... Ratings I see are very good and this is a "quick pick from" Consumer reports ...

Thanks,
SteveC

canufixit

To Clarify - these are the "A/T" Version of the TOYO Cross Country - List price is about $ 100 to $120 - I have a tire dealers that will sel me four at $92 each (which is about the lowset i've seen on the Web not including shipping ...)

Thanks!

canufixit

Thanks !

This is not a real expensive tire - and, hopefully, this will be The last set I buy for this Vehicle.

I just wanted some kind of assurance that I would not find that , right after I put them on , - that they were real loud, the ride was terrible and had numerious other problems to come... As long as these are smimilar to the Good year Wranglers RTS (OE's) - I'll be quite happy ..

I don't mind spending some money - but I'd like to only do it once, get my money's worth and hopefully satisfied.

Thanks !!

jae5

The first problem was going to Wal-Mart to get a battery. Not wanting to put anyone out there, but let's just say I have a inside experience with their automotive batteries - long story short I used to work for one of the company's that manufactured and supplied them and can tell you the batteries were not much to be desired, basically throw-aways. No one in the company would buy them.

As you and others stated they have the equipment to do a battery load test but many do not know HOW to do the test. Many will just get the battery to 12 (should be minimum 12.6~12.7) by putting a high charging current into it and send you out the door. The bulging is a dead give-away of this and a clue that the battery is cooked literally. And many don't know that it has to hold a load for a certain length of time and shouldn't discharge. A fully dead battery takes hours to fully charge, not minutes. If it discharges fast, you have a dead cell or two. A good investment is a digital VOM, I use it all the time and really comes in handy for the house and cars. I would HIGHLY recommend staying away from the Wal-Mart batteries unless you selling a vehicle and in need a cheap battery.

danbender02

i have a 2000 chevy s-10. i recently had a fuel pump put in ever since then i've been having a hesitation problem. when ever the truck sits for a certain amount of time when i get in it to go i hit the gas it doesn't really go any where then it will all the sudden kick in and it also starts hard every once in awhile. it only does it when its cold cause i could drive to the store go in come out and its fine just when it sits it hesitates. if ya have any ideas what it could be please let me know. thanks

danbender02

i forgot to say i replaced that also

jpf

The throttle was sticking on my truck. The dealer removed the throttle body and cleaned the ports. All is well now. Charge was $32.50 plus tax.

nova

Can some one here tell me were the thermostat is located on a 2003 4.3 . I have 47,000 miles on my truck that I just bought. The temp runs 205/ 210 according to the gauge. That seems a little HIGH.

race10

I have a '93 S10 4.3L and it ran fine just 2 weeks ago and then I left it sit in my drive and tried driveing it yesterday and it wouldn't shift out of first gear. The speedometer don't work either. I was told it might be the "brain" or computer under the dash but i pulled the dash apart and everything seemed to be connected. I'm in desperate need for some help.

race10

Hello there. I was reading some of these forums and it seems like it might be the same problem I'm haveing. I have a 1993 S10 4.3L Auto. It sad in my drive for about 2 weeks and I went to drive it to the gas station because it had been sitting on empty for atleast 2 weeks. I pulled out of my drive and started going down the road when I heard my engine whining and not shifting into second gear. I was told that it'd might be in the computer but I checked it and nothing is unplugged as far as I can see. Reverse works fine, my dash instruments work fine all except the speedometer. I really need some help. Any Suggestions?
:sick:
-Joshua Lee

gmtrucks

asdfdfds

hoodlatch

I have experienced the same problem on more than one GM product. However my problem was when the engine was cold. The last problem was on a 92 S10 V6. After replacing it with a new one it was just as bad. I finally installed an electric fan. It's been doing great every since.
Good luck,
John

hoodlatch

Josh,
Don't be bashful, be prudent and save $ in the long run. Take it to a transmission shop you trust and let them test drive it for you. In my haste, I dropped my tranny out and had it overhauled when the problem wasn't the transmission to begin with.
Good luck,
John

race10

John,
Thanks for the uplifting encouragement. I'm looking for some place that will run diagnostics on the truck before i do anything else. I talked to someone and they said if I just recently installed a new CD player it might have fried some fuses. I checked everything and there were no bad ones. So my next step is to run diagnostics and solve this problem once and for all.
-Joshua Lee
:confuse:

trogdor

i have a 1999 s-10 standard cab with a 4cyl and i bought a tachometer but am kinda at a loss as to how i am supossed to install it. on an older car its pretty straight forward but i am not too sure about this whole electronic ignition thing never put one on a car with it before anyone have any ideas or has done this already who could help out. thanks anything would be much appreciated.

gonogo

There is more than one way to tap in for tach feed. One way is a white wire behind the cluster, I was never a fan of digging behind the panel unless I absolutely had to. On my 99 Sonoma 4 cyl, same breed, I tapped into the wire off the computer which is easy to get to because it is under the hood. White wire comes out of computer black connector pin 10, just tap into that. For identification the connector is numbered, the easiest way to check is to disconnect the plug, unhook the battery negative terminal first.

propst

taking starter out does exhaust need to be slightly moved it still looks tight. How does it come out? Back up then down?

hoodlatch

They're a pain in the you know what any way you go about it. Something so simple shouldn't be so complicated, thanks GM. What I did on my 92 4.3Z, to make things a little more tolerable was I clipped the 16 ga. wire going to the solenoid, in front of the block where its easy to get to. Going back I joined it together with a crimp joint. After that it was like you said, back up then down. The battery cable hits the motor mount in the process but I was able to get mine out with out messing with the Y pipe. Lots of luck.

brijar

Just recently my 91 S10 4.3z began stalling, typically when I'm decelerating for a stop light. It only starts when I hold the accelerator to the floor. I've replaced the in line fuel filter but that did not help.

What should I try next?

Thanks,

James

canufixit

OK, I've bought the tires and thought I'd give some feedback and ask a question to all on the net ...

- I Purchased qty 4 Toyo A/T open country p235/75R 105S.
Replacing - 4 Good Year Wranglers - same size tire (OE) - on a 2002 Sonoma.

- I'd say the Wranglers had a tad more "Rumble" noise. The drive train in the truck is a little more noticable - but I do hear the new tires - suspecting increased air noise from the tread. Not too bad - but there is a difference. Perhaps to the fact the old tires had low tread and the new one have have maximun ...

-Traction seems much bettter -dry and wet - and handling is better.

- Tires are inflated to 34/35 lbs - and the ride is slighty worse on bumps and small holes - but not real worse. I'll try dropping the pressure down to 32 once I'm sure the Alu wheels are not leaking at the rims (I did have them cleaned and coated ..)

Overall - the tire seems OK - but a little more "truckie" and my not be a great fit for an SUV - But usually the SUV's vs the trucks have more body insulation - so perhaps the noise is not noticable...

Now - and my only major concern - when I get up to High way speeds - at about 65 -ish - I get a very slight washboard like vibration. Kinda like you can feel the large tire tread cleats hitting the pavement and making a buzzyou can feel inthe body. Steering Wheel is virtually no vibs - it's partialy noise and partialy feel in the Body. Kinda hard to explain. It "Might" be a minor wheel balance issue - And I'm thinking of having the balance re-checked. But this might not be so ... Again - it's at over 60 MPH (I normally do not hit 70) when I get this - and it is minor. But if I was doing long hours at high speed (which I do not) - it would probably wear on my nerves a little ...

Any comments ??

Rgfards,
Canufixit

mlaplante

Did you ever find the solution to your problem? I might have the same problem as you do or did.
Mike

mlaplante

I have the same problem, I think. Did you ever find the solution?

canufixit

No Problemo - I replied to yo in tghe Tire forum as well !!

canufixit

Howdy !!

Does the Vent blow air (i.e Air diverts work ok) when you cycle the switch from floor to top Vent ??? and also at the normal A/C setting ?? If so - it sounds like the diverter (Baffle, Vacuum line/motor) is working OK for the Vent and AC.
To my limited knowledge on this - I beleive the only difference between A/C and A/C Max is that "another" baffle moves to change from outside air to "re cycle" inside air (to give the fastest cool down / max AC). that's the reason for the Fan noise - the fan is recycling the Air through the fan and you can now hear both the in /out side of the fan.

So ... if the vent baffle is working ok (as questioned above) I'd check two things first;
- the diverter baffle - to be sure it is moving - and "FULLY" open / closed. (Diverter, Hose, line, etc.)

- or - the Panel vacuum switch may be not be working or plugged up .. and not just for the "Recirculate" baffle - but for the "Vent" baffle (at THIS position in the switch ... the Switch must control all baffles at all positions on the switch .. Perhaps just one opening in the inside of the switch is plugged only at max a/C ??

(Also - thanks for the help on the Tires - Apparently I'm all set now !!)
Canufixit

rabbit_s10

You need to check trouble codes first, but other than that you probably need to replace the coolant temperature sensor in the throttle body. I just went thru the same thing and that fixed it.

soundq

I have a 2002 S-10 4.3/auto. My son ran it hot. I broke the motor down and replaced all the gaskets, the plugs & wires, the cap & rotor, the hoses, the belts. Now I can't get the timing set right. It runs like a two horse wagon now and will not stay cranked. Could it be that the computer needs to be re-programed, because it setup for a year with a dead battery? Could someone please help me out here. I am going to pull my hair out. Thanks :sick: :confuse: :mad:

bikerboy2

i have 82 s15 and my right front brake was locking up so i put 2 new lines and a right cal on it and now i have no pedal i have checked for leaks and have none can someone help me.

strikerark

My 91 S-10 4.3 engine performs great, yest at idle and the A/c or heater on it viberates like crazi. Anyone has an ideal on this.

canufixit

Hi thebigal,

I agree with your comments ... A clarification on my earlier E-mail for you ... re: the switch. Just in case you are not aware (and That I'm not wrong as well)..

All the bafffles, as you know, run off "Vacccum" motors. So all the vac lines go into a "Block" that has vac channels made in it. a Rotating valve will cross connect these various channels as it is rotated. For example if you have three vac lines to motors (A.B,C) and at switch position 1 the switch connects A and B to Vaccum (only) - then at position 2 the switch connects the channels so only C and A get vacuum, etc ....
Anyway - the only time I think the "Recirculator" line has vacccum - is at Max AC - So, the baffle door or the motor/line may be blocked/stuck - or the switch at that position has some crap in in preventing the vacuum from getting to the holes ...

Best of Luck !!

ryan_b

i just replaced the tank on a 90 s-15 because of a leak, and ended up getting a new sending unit while i had it off, the truck has been losing an unbeleivable amount of power lately even before i replaced the tank. first problem here, i hooked everything up and the dash still doesnt read, so i took a wire brush cleaned the area off very good and put the ground back in, still nothing any ideas? second, the truck is just sputtering now, i wouldnt drive it to the end of the driveway, it just sits there and hops when u touch the accelerater like its about to die. i thought it might be something in the carb, but my dad thought it might be the new sending unit, i dont really want to spend another 6 hours getting that tank out of there, so if theres any suggestions please reply asap

canufixit

Hi,

You might have two issues here ...

1st - Since you had issues with power before the tank change - and I assume the 90's had an in tank fuel pump?? Check the pressure/flow (Bring it to a garage if needed - these can be trick / dangerous to test and if it's not correct in fuel output - you'll chance your tail for hours ..) ...

2.) I'd debug this second - ( as it's easier to do with the tank accessable) - but check the in and out wires for correct signal - Might be just a bad connection at the connector... If I remember the circuits correctly (and I might be wrong here so get a Chiltons) - the Gas gauge circuit (from the dash) emits a low vlotage/amperage limited pulse that goes into the gas tank / sender - and grounds (completes) the circuit there ... So I'd check for the pulse voltage going to the tank and check the tank sending unit ground using a meter (with a decent meter) ... ALL the way back to the battery as well.. (use a jumper to the negative terminal if needed ..)

As for fixing #2 second - if #1 (fuel flow /pressure) is bad - you are going to draop the tank anyway - and then debug the sender ...

Good luck and keepus posted ...

Regards,
SteveC

supermix

I have a 98 s10 5 speed manual and I'm having a little problem. When I take off and its under a load it feels like the motor its cuting out and sputtering. Its feels like someone driving manual for the first time the way it "hops" when it does it. It wont do it when Im in neutral and revin it up only when I shifts trew gears normaly. If I power shift it wont do it. It is really starting to get on my nerves. I did a tune up plugs, wires, fuel filter, and even changed the fuel pump.
please help

chevy02

This handle rocks! We ordered it two weeks ago. It came in 2 days. Installed in 5 minutes or less. Works wonderfully! Even if the stock handle didn't break yet, I would still consider replacing it with this!

http://www.3rddoorhandle.com

(No, I am not affiliated at all with the company. I've just had two broken plastic handles even after adjusting the door according to the TSB. The door has always been a huge pain in the ___ until now!)

chevy02

Does anyone have any opinions on front shocks for a ZR2? Where to buy them or where not to buy them?

chevy02

I hope this isn't your problem.

With our truck it started out as a faint hiss that would change as the gas pedal was pressed. Then it progressed to when switching between AC/vent/floor/defrost it would occasionally stick or take awhile to change. Eventually, the controller stopped working entirely and it was stuck in defrost. As it was under warranty, the dealer replaced the air controller. It broke again. They replaced the air controller and vacuum lines. It broke again. They replaced the air controller, vacuum line and did some other mystery fix. We've been good for 25,000 so far but I'm not holding my breath. They said something in the vacuum lines was corroding the seals in the controller.

Does anybody have an idea of what exactly was happening?