2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer Electrical Question

showalter

Hi, on Friday I was driving my wife's Trail Blazer down the Highway when suddenly all the lights on the dash board came and all the gauges dropped to empty levels...I was going about 55 mph but it looked like the car had shut off event though it was still running. I immediately pulled off the freeway and shut the car off and then restarted it...when I continued driving the lights came back on the the process repeated itself. On Saturday my wife was driving and the same thing happened only this time after my wife shut the truck off it wouldn't start back up; it was as if the Security System had shut the electrical system down but the radio still worked but it would not even turn over. Ten minutes later the truck started up no problem and she drove home with all the lights on the dashboard coming on and the gauges dropping to zero. We are scheduled to take a long drive in this vehicle on July 4th...any suggestions on what we are experiencing? We just bought a house so money is a little tight right now so we are hoping it is an easy fix. Please let us know any thoughts. Thanks!

imidazol97

@showalter said:

shut the electrical system down but the radio still worked but it would not even turn over. Ten minutes later the truck started up no problem and she drove home with all the lights on the dashboard coming on and the gauges dropping to zero. We are scheduled to take a long drive in this vehicle on July 4th...any suggestions on what we are experiencing?

Could be a bad battery since you got no cranking at one time. Check for broken post by wiggling on connections with the key ON and someone watching the instruments. Could be a cell shorting and lowering voltage so that the instruments go wacky even though the engine continues to run. If you have any other car where you can switch the battery into this car for troubleshooting, that is a big help.

Could be cable connections for ground or positive cable, especially if the positive has cables piggybacked with corrosion between the layers. Clean and reground all grounds even small ones that go from battery to the fender.

Could be the ignition switch itself. This is the switch, not the key cylinder. The switch has multiple internal connectors that may have worn or corroded and are losing connection due to heating. Try wiggling the key slightly while running to see if anything happens.

Could be the connectors for the instrument panel which are probably the circuit board type push in connections. A few cars have corrosion on those BUT your loss of cranking to even turn over the engine makes that seem less likely.

I'm voting for corrosion in the positive cables or on the negative ground points as the easiest and most likely point to check first.

imidazol97

@showalter said:
thanks! Now that you mention the ignition...a few months back the car was running and my wife took the key out of the ignition and the vehicle kept on running - had forgotten about that until you mentioned it...let me check on that one! thanks again!

By ignition switch, I mean the actual part that has the contacts that make the circuits when in ON for various circuits, but then breaks contact with some circuits when you go to CRANK for starting. Those contacts might be wearing or burned. The burn can cause more heat with current draw which can cause the plastic to soften or let the contacts change position and lose contact. A few Bonnevilles and LeSabres have that after lots of miles and start cycles.

As for removing the key without returning to OFF, is your car part of the recall? The lock cylinder is a different part than the ignition switch. There's a VIN checked on Chevrolet's website, I was told, to run your VIN. It looked like your lock cylinder and switch are part of a unit at the top of the column, much like the Cobalt and its peers.

I put the ignition switch further down the list as probable causes. Be sure to troubleshoot to verify
problems or you can spend money unnecessarily.

http://parts.nalleygmc.com/images/parts/gm/fullsize/961218TC06-031.JPG

http://parts.nalleygmc.com/showAssembly.aspx?ukey_assembly=369912

imidazol97

@showalter said:

Also, we have to drive about 1,000 miles between Friday and Saturday this week...do you think it is safe to drive that distance? I am trying to set an appointment for tomorrow morning to get the car vehicle into a mechanic but just in case should we consider using another vehicle? thanks again.

I'd assume the simplest and easiest to explain such as battery or cable connections corroded as your problem. Also be sure to verify the problem found actually could be causing the symptoms, otherwise you can replace a lot of parts while guessing. I just replaced a vent valve for the carbon cannister that seemed to be my problem, but it hasn't fixed my code P0440, large vacuum leak when computer tries to check the emissions parts for leak--most often caused by gas cap. I took that chance for a $24 part because I didn't want to have to crawl under and replace it later.

I wouldn't count on the recall being what you need because if it's inside the ignition switch that's acting up, that's from wear and age. The recall involves the slots on the rotating parts that give the resistance to turning the key from "click" to click.

As for driving the car on a trip? I have no idea because I don't have the in person sense of how it acts. I hope you can get a mechanic shop that looks at it and knows what they're doing, finds the problem, and fixes it for you at moderate expense.

Best of luck.

showalter

thanks! Now that you mention the ignition...a few months back the car was running and my wife took the key out of the ignition and the vehicle kept on running - had forgotten about that until you mentioned it...let me check on that one! thanks again!

showalter

wow...you're good! My wife has the vehicle right now but when I get home this evening I will check the VIN and see if it was part of the recall...is there a particular website to check that with? Also, we have to drive about 1,000 miles between Friday and Saturday this week...do you think it is safe to drive that distance? I am trying to set an appointment for tomorrow morning to get the car vehicle into a mechanic but just in case should we consider using another vehicle? thanks again.

Karen_S

@showalter said:
wow...you're good! My wife has the vehicle right now but when I get home this evening I will check the VIN and see if it was part of the recall...is there a particular website to check that with? Also, we have to drive about 1,000 miles between Friday and Saturday this week...do you think it is safe to drive that distance? I am trying to set an appointment for tomorrow morning to get the car vehicle into a mechanic but just in case should we consider using another vehicle? thanks again.

Go to this page to check for Recalls.

http://www.edmunds.com/car-maintenance/guide-page.html

showalter

thanks again...the vehicle is the shop being checked out right now..fingers crossed it wont be a huge problem. Thank you for you advice and assistance.