Chevy Blazer GMC Jimmy Maintenance and Repair

qdisc · May 2001

Hi. New here, and I know very little about cars. My 96 blazer had been getting gradually carder to start over the past month (took a couple of cranks on the key, then 3, then 4 ail it would catch), and now it won't start at all. It will turn over fine, no battery issues, it just won't catch and start chugging. Anyone have a good idea what this might be, what it might cost me, and whether this is something I could tackle myself with no mechanical experience but a desire to learn?

thanks

I

suchsimon · May 2001

I too, have had the same problem you are describing just a month ago. Took my 95 blazer to the dealer only to find out it needed a new throttle body fuel inject or. The cost of the inject or was about $500 with new gasket, not to mention the cost of $75 dollars just to diagnose the problem and another $300 for labor to install! For now, at 84,000 miles it runs good.(knock on wood) good luck!

logan_5 · May 2001

tonychrys - It sounds like you have a bias against the blazer. And it sounds like you have visited the same general sites on safety I have, namely the IIHS and NHSTA sites.

It is true that the Blazer scored "poorly" on the IIHS Offset crash test, but you exaggerate on it doing so on ALL of the tests. Did you also notice that the year of the model tested was a 1996 vehicle? In 1998 the air bags were redesigned - with less inflation for safety.

In general: exagerated biased information does not help me... I'm looking for further hard evidence with facts to support it.

sebring_miata · May 2001

You should be able to go to the dealership and inquire about the RPO codes. As for the hot wire, it wasn't connected on my 98' Jimmy (bought new). The wire is "taped" to the side of the fuse box under the hood. It needs to be mounted on the post directly above it inside the fuse box. If memory serves me correctly (it probably doesn't), i remeber it was blue. The box is located on the driver's side and the post is towards the front (upper left).

tonychrys · May 2001

Biased? Not really, I really wanted to like and buy the 2001 Blazer/Jimmy at the time because I could have gotten a great price on it. I don't like throwing money away anymore than the next guy. But the more I looked at the vehicle, drove it, researched it, etc. I realized it was nothing more than typical GM medicore stuff (and I'm a current GM owner). Looks? Outdated, I couldn't see looking at that thing in my driveway for the next 4 years. Interior quality? I sat in so many ones where different pieces of plastics were not secured properly and the overall quality of the materials are blah when compared to many of the imports. Technology? Typical GM engine, outdated and they are milking the "molds" for all they can. I can't believe they didn't offer a V8. Don't get me wrong, I have respect for GM engine/tranny combos, the 3.4 in my Grand Am really responds with the electronic transmission, but it's an old design and noisy, and everyone knows it.

Safety on this thing? Here is the long list of safety features from Chevy's site:

* Air bags; driver and right front-passenger(1)
* Daytime Running Lamps with Automatic Exterior Lamp Control
* Remote Keyless Entry with content theft alarm
* Brake/transmission shift interlock (auto trans.)

Wow, that last one is pretty advanced, huh.

Not even side airbags.

No skin off my back if you want this thing. Have fun.

glzr2 · May 2001

I'm new here although I have been reading the town hall for a while. I was reading it back in June of 2000 when I was looking for a new vehicle. I did a lot of reading and comparing and Edmunds helped a lot. I also work for a tier 1 supplier to almost all the OEM's, so I could have gotten close to the same discounts on any SUV. And since the Land Rover was out of my price range, I bought a '00 Blazer. I didn't buy just any Blazer, I bought a ZR2 Blazer. I say that because I remember years ago when I first saw the ZR2 in Four Wheeler mag, I instantly wanted one. At the time I had an '84 S15 Jimmy and I tried to trick it out like a ZR2. By the way, that Jimmy was one of the most dependable vehicles a 16 yr old could have. Of course I did my share of wrenching and cursing, but it never left me stranded.

Oh... my point. I have absolutely no qualms about buying my Blazer. It has 14k mile and it has been everything I have dreamt about since I saw it in Four Wheeler. I have driven that truck all over Michigan. Highways/city/improved roads/non-improved roads. I drove it through the hills of Virginia and West Virginia. I was one of the only people that made it into work last winter during the snowstorms that hit lower Michigan. Last weekend, I took it up north of Cadillac and I was on some State Forest roads that I don’t think had seen a vehicle in years, and that truck was like a tank in the mud and loose sand. Best of all, I don’t need a tent when I go camping. The truck being a 2-door and myself being 5’-11”, I can sleep in the back completely stretched out.

vlkohanski · May 2001

I haven't been around in awhile (lay-off and scramble to find a new job busy), but the ol' 1990 is still as strong and dependable as ever. However, lately I've noticed that the engine is sputtering a bit right after a cold start until it's been driven for a few minutes. No service codes. Any guesses?

poisondartfrog · May 2001

I check the TBI, in general. I had an '88 Blazer Sport w/4.3 many years ago with TBI, so it should be the same setup as on your '90. For a cold start, the injector timing is a longer duration, and dirty injectors (poor spray pattern) may lead to "sputtering". Also, check for a dirty Idle Air Control (IAC). The pintle over time gets carboned up, as well as the air passages. Can't recall where the IAC specifically is on the TBI, however.

Oh, and make sure the TBI unit is properly torqued to the intake manifold, and the gasket between it and the intake manifold doesn't leak, which would be more prone to leak cold.

I wouldn't expect any service codes, since the computer runs in open loop until warmup is reached. How is the warm idle?

Those are my suggestions... any more, I'll be sure to post.

glzr2 · May 2001

Has anyone notice thin, approx 3mm in length rust spots on their doors? I have a 2000 2-door Blazer, and while I was waxing the vehicle, I notices small thin rust spots on the doors. They are more prominent around the "Blazer" lettering at the bottom of the door. The rust is already showing through the paint. Someone told me that the rust is from improper anodizing of the shell. Has anyone noticed rust spots?

vicksvapo · May 2001

Hello All- I own a '98 Blazer 4x4 LS trim. My problem will appear very insignificant to most of yours, however, I can relate to many of them (O2 sensors, fuel pump, brake problems, window motors, ball joints, etc.).

The latest is more of an annoyance. Yesterday one of my speakers (rear passenger side) got all crackly then just quit. I read in some earlier messages that others may have had this same problem. Is this a bad wiring problem or a problem with the radio itself? My last truck (86 Ford Bronco II) had a similar problem with the stock radio and I needed to replace it.

I'd rather not with this one. Any suggestions?

dispursing · May 2001

I have a bad vibration in the rear of my 2000 Chevy Blazer. All tires were replaced by Goodyear. Chevrolet dealers (2) have not been able to isolate the problem. I have heard there are other Blazer owners out there with the same problem, wondering if any body has found a fix..?

ryanbab · May 2001

Is the blazer under warrenty still?

longbow713 · May 2001

I am looking at a 98 Jimmy and am asking for info regarding towing. I have a 20' boat that weighs 4,500 lb. and about 330 lb toungue weight. This is boat, motor, trailer and gas would be appx. 500 to 600 more lbs. Anyone have any comments regarding the Jimmy's towing ability and can it handle this load ? Thank you, Jim and Mary.

vlkohanski · May 2001

Thanks! I'll check those. Basically, when I start it cold it goes to high idle as normal. Then, when the idle drops (after about 10 seconds), it sounds (I don't have a tach) like it drops to about 300 rpm (almost to the point of stalling). Then, the system kicks up the idle to what sounds like around 700 rpm to keep it from dying. It drops again to 300, then the system kicks it up to 700 again. It does this until it's been driven for a couple of minutes. After that, it operates normally and idles fine. It runs very smoothly once warmed up (at least as smoothly as can be expected of the 4.3).

poisondartfrog · May 2001

Vibration from the rear? How did you pinpoint that? (not trying to sound smart, just trying to help solve the problem...) At what speed or all speeds?

Rear vibration can be caused by the obvious, out-of-balance tires, unbalanced driveshaft, to the not so obvious, shifted belt in the tire, bad wheel bearing(s), bad rear pinion bearing, bad u-joints, or missing weights on the brake drum (although I believe you should have rear discs on your 2000 Blazer).

In a related story, I purchased four new tires recently for my '97 Bravada, and I had a vibration at any speed above 40 after installation. No amount of rotating the tires helped identify the culprit, and went as far asI spending the day swapping my good spare at each wheel position

I ended up taking the truck to my local GM dealer for a re-balance, as I witnessed the original installation at a different "neighborhood" garage, and didn't trust his balancing equipment. Well, the tires were out-of-balance! The difference in the highway ride was immediate as I left the dealership.

I guess the long-and-short-of-it is don't assume all wheel balance machines and personnel are the same. The $34.00 for rebalancing four tires was worth it in my case

This may not solve your problem, but I hope I gave you a few ideas, anyway...

boat10 · May 2001

just went thru the same problem. I have a 2000 Blazer with 28000 miles. two weeks ago bad vibration set up in the vehicle, took it to my CHEVY dealer and had them to true the tires and rebalance. Now feels like I'm driving on glass, there's not the first hint of a vibration. My vehicle has the Uniroyal Larado tires on it and have really been pretty good. the way I knew the vibration was coming from the rear was that my steering wheel never had a bounce, but my front seats felt like they were getting ready to send me in orbit.

boat10 · May 2001

just a little information about towing a large boat. I have a 2000 Blazer LT with the factory trailer hitch setup. I pull a fully loaded 20' Stratous Bass Boat, I use 3rd gear with the 4wheel auto trac engaged and have no problem at all, other than the gas milage goes south. (11.5)

GO FOR IT, YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED!!!!!!!

japitzer · May 2001

does anyone know who makes a rear tire carrier for a 2001 2dr blazer/jimmy?

sasquatch_2000 · May 2001

Not sure if they have your application, but:

http://www.rockstomper.com/catalog/tubework/bumpers.htm

I assume this is to protect it from damage on trails and also make it easier to access (for damage from trails!).

dispursing · May 2001

Chevrolet has re balanced the tires and performed an additional replacement of 3 of the Goodyear Wranglers. Apparently some dealers have the equipment to perform the runout and rebalance test, and some do not. This problem did not occur until around 15,000 after a tire rotation. Chevrolet, claims, they checked the drive line and related areas ( wheeles, tires which as I stated ther replaced 3 again) drive shaft, axels ect. The one dealer had it 4 days and it is just a tad better than it was.. Any help would be appricated. I have read the other posts, but was hoping it may have been something besides tires...But that may be what I need to have chevrolet perform.

mrbovan · May 2001

I'm new to this, so here goes...my 2000 Jimmy with 8K miles has recently developed a "won't start" problem that seems to be related to humidity. Most recently, I had to wait about 15 minutes before it would start. Then after a short ride back to the office (about 5 miles), I turned it off and then tried to start it again. It wouldn't. I'm sitting here now hoping it will start at 5PM so that I can get home. Anybody else have starting problems?????

dispursing · May 2001

Chevrolet has re balanced the tires and performed an additional replacement of 3 of the Goodyear Wranglers. Apparently some dealers have the equipment to perform the runout and rebalance test, and some do not. This problem did not occur until around 15,000 after a tire rotation. Chevrolet, claims, they checked the drive line and related areas ( wheeles, tires which as I stated ther replaced 3 again) drive shaft, axels ect. The one dealer had it 4 days and it is just a tad better than it was.. Any help would be appricated. I have read the other posts, but was hoping it may have been something besides tires...But that may be what I need to have chevrolet perform.

vicksvapo · May 2001

No, truck is definitely not in warranty. Since I posted my original message #162, several other speakers have been on the blink. They come on, then crackle out. Seems to run in line with the weather. Hot and dry weather, they work. Humid/wet weather, they sometimes don't.

Anybody else seen these problems?

pokey10 · May 2001

I bought a 1997 blazer a few months ago which the drivers side dash speaker was out. GM has never been known for making good radios/speakers. Your problem I would guess is with the speakers. I'm replacing mine and would recommend doing the same with after market. The dash are easy to replace with 4x6's. The doors are 6" round with about 2 1/4" depth and you'll have to remove the door panels. The rear I have read are 6x9's but I haven't found a way to get at them yet. Looks as though the entire rear plastic panels will have to be removed.

Have fun!

vicksvapo · May 2001

Pokey-

Appreciate your thoughts. Figures mine would be the rear door. Not looking foward to pulling off the door panel but that's obviously the next step.
I hope the speaker is your only problem!!

eruby · May 2001

Yeah, still thinking about it. Its in great shape visually, test drove it yesterday and was very impressed. I have recently signed up with carfax.com and ran the VIN # and all looks good there. The only thing that makes me think against it, is the 135,000 miles on it. The dealer is stating that it was a dealers car for 2 years, which I would assume was kept in good condition. Carfax also mentions something about that as well. Otherwise I am impressed with the overall appearance of the rig, and at only $13,900...blue book suggests this is a steal. I would appreciate any comments anyone may have...good or bad! Thanks

ponyracer1 · May 2001

I have a 2000 Blazer that I am beginning to worry about. Just yesterday I found that the entire passenger side floor area (front to under back seat) carpet was soaking wet. I found this out while vacuuming the floors! Has anybody else had/heard of similar problems with the Blazer? I have a friend that is in the process of suing Chevrolet for a new vehical after they tried to repair the leak (6 times)in his 2000 Silverado. It goes without saying that his truck still leaks I have all of 13,000 miles on this truck, which I purchased after I dumped...errr...traded my 2000 Volvo S40 in for only after Volvo could not, not make the check engine' light stop coming on....!
I am ready to go to battle with Chevrolet on this issue and I fully expect this to become one... If anybody has had/heard of similar issues please email me so that I can start compiling data for their review.... I will be nice enough to wait until the 3rd or 4th time they tell me they cannot find the problem and they have never heard of anybody else having a situation like this....

Please help.......

sasquatch_2000 · May 2001

Sounds like you have bad luck with cars. Better stick with ponies.

Really, I'd recommend a Honda or Toyota for maximum car owning pleasure.

ryanbab · May 2001

Just read somewhere today (forget where) someone had a problem like yours. Firewall had a small hole or something which caused the leak.

Have a dealer check it out hint at the firewall.

Ryan

specfour · May 2001

I had a 1997 Blazer LT that developed a water leak under the drivers side rug.I found it wet also when i was cleaning the rug.The dealers body shop had it for two days they said it was coming in cause the wiring harness was pushed out.They fixed it but after eight other problems ie oil lines gas gauge brakes fan belt battery etc I traded it in on a 01 Pathfinder with only 30000 miles on it I just paid it off and wanted to keep it for a long time but I could not spend endless visits to the two dealers I worked with .Thank goodness I had bought the no deductable extended warranty .

bbieraugel · May 2001

A friend of mine owns a 1998 Suburban and encountered the same problem. His was fixed under warranty and was due to a plugged up evaporator core for the AC unit. The water drained into the passenger compartment. He ended up getting all new carpeting as well as the AC evaporator core. Once the parts were in; about one week,it took two days to finish off the repair.

Good luck !!!

ryanbab · May 2001

Got this from

http://www.pacific-audio.com

97 Tahoe water leak.

I found out where the truck is leaking. I noticed that the passenger floor was wet after a rain or washing the truck. I pulled the carpet back and found that the carpet is rubber backed and the padding is like a sponge! By the time you feel your carpet is damp the padding is soaked!! I found a small leak coming from the top of the firewall right hand side running down the lower right corner and pooling in the under passenger step tread. I could not find the exact spot however a little silicone (flowable) between where the passenger side hood hinge bolts to the body and the cowling stopped the leak.

Drying out the carpet padding is proving to be a large problem.

If you think that you may have a leak. Take a look you might be riding on a sponge!

mrurl · May 2001

My wife's Blazer had a similar problem. They replaced the Passlock anti-theft system 3 times, the battery once, and the starter twice.

Then they found a TSB from June 00 about the crankshaft position sensor. This is very easily replaced (20 minutes) and the part is cheap. This finally seems to have solved the problem.

I'll try to post the TSB number on my site tonight in my forums: www.gearheadsanonymous.com

Peter

abc246 · June 2001

I also had wet carpet and damp smell in my 99 BLazer. I could not find the leak. I even put a hose running full at the bottom of the windshield with no leaks.

It was very difficult to dry the carpet. The padding is thick and carpet doesn't vent well. The carpet is staying dry now.

The only reason I can think of is I had to drive through deep water a few times. I think that water splashed up the panel between the door and the firewall and got the carpet wet. This is another poor design by GM for a SUV.

jmaxe · June 2001

Recently noticed a loud "pop" from the front end when I turned the wheel hard right on my 2000 Jimmy. By dumb luck I just discovered a a service bulletin on this. Anyone have same experience?

jjocjjoc · June 2001

Regarding post #178, I think $13,900 is too high for a 1997 with 135K miles. I own a 96 LT that's worth about $12k (middle) but it only has 66k. Don't know what it's like accross the country, but in No.california the price of SUV's are coming way down to resonable levels. If you really like the vehicle, I'd offer at least 2-3k less. I've seen a lot of good deals in the 12-15k range for Blazers, Explorers, etc. with mileage well under 100k. Anyway, that's my 2 cents. Good Luck! I bought my Blazer for $16,700 two years ago when it had 35k miles. So far, so good, although I did have to replace the AC compressor (ouch!)

jjocjjoc · June 2001

I've got 66k on my 1996 4x4 Lt blazer and feel the shocks need replacing (I lot of bouncing and 'leaping and bounding').
Any recommendations out there on what type of shocks? I don't do much if any off roading (rough gravel or dirt roads probably the worst) and would like to get something that provides a smoother stable ride.
Thanks.

heng · June 2001

I would recommend the gas variety of shock. I'm not going to suggest a particular brand, only stick with the name brands. Bilstein, tokico, edelbrocks, kyb, etc. I don't think you can go wrong with any of these.

The shocks you probably can get locally are the Monroes. But they are not quite up to the others I mentioned in quality.

ryanbab · June 2001

monroe has a new sensitrac shock i believe. SUpposed to be a good shock.

They are also buy 3 get 1 free for about another month

If you do offroading or want a stiffer ride go with bilsteins or edelbrock IAS shocks

Ryan

dplascencia1 · June 2001

I have a 1987 chevy suburban and its been a good truck. The battery was dead & since it was approx 6 years old I just replace it 2 week ago , then last week I was working in the garage then I swear I heard the fuel pump "pumping" for no good reason ,the truck had been parked at least 2 days,I didn't give it much thought @ the moment, then a couple of days later I was going to use the truck and the battery was dead. ? has anyone out there had this problem ?? according to the book it could be the fuel pump relay switch, or the oil pressure sensor unit or the ECM which controls the fuel system .Something is sending a signal to the pump to work, bypassing the ignition switch ,what could it be? (Note: the fuel tank unit is "loose" in the tank , This is a "GENETIC" problem with 1987/1988 suburbans they get loose at the point where all the "tubes" go through the flange that connects to the fuel tank. The attachment point is very weak for the mass hanging from it and then with the fuel going back and fort eventually take its toll. This however does not explain why the pump comes on when fuel pressure decays. All along the ignition switch its turned off.)Any ideas anyone ?

curley34 · June 2001

I have a 95 Jimmy with 75K miles. When pulling a boat, braking was noticeably bad, and required downshifting the automatic transmission to supplement the stopping power. I redid the front and rear brakes & had the rotors turned and drums ground. Same issue. Garage says that these brakes are under-designed and oh well. Is there some other component that may need repair in the ABS system? I am stumped.

badmonkeygirl · June 2001

I have a 98' Chevy Blazer LS 2wd, 2 door. I have had nothing but major problems with this SUV and will never buy a Chevy again. Here is my list of problems beginning with 1 week after I brought my car home.
---My dome light would flicker on and off every time I went over a speed bump, my back windshield wiper didn't work, the driver side electric seat went out while the seat was in the most forward position and I had to drive home like that. Within the first year of ownership, I had to get all new spark plugs and fuel injectors. The car just stalls out when I drive over freeway bumps and I have to pull over, stop the car and restart it. My altinator died within a year and a half and left me stranded. The factory installed alarm has died now and they have no idea how to fix it. The passenger seat handle broke off. The windshield wipers go on perodically by themselves and then when I do use them they won't go off. There are other little problems as well.

I have contacted the Chevy Corporate offices and they apologized but they will not even pay for a rental car for me while my car is in the shop anymore even though I bought the 5 year extended warranty. I warn everyone out there, DO NOT BUY THIS CAR!!!!! It has been a living hell for me!

Kate

robbmd · June 2001

I have a '97 Blazer with a rusty transmission fill tube and some rust on the trans dipstick... Has anyone out there ever heard of this problem?? HELP!

Also, does anyone know what the service requirements for Blazer transmissions are??? Has anyone ever had their trans serviced?

Any info on this topic would be great!!!

misterjohnny · June 2001

95 blazer. Lots of brake problems, but everyone had those. I took it in for a 60K mile check up. I was having the starting problem mentioned in an earlier post (153?). $1400 later, they replaced a leaking battery, corroded cables, broken radiator resevoir ($50 for a plastic bucket?), and a new radiator. I had the "mississippi mud" problem. And guess what! After the tune up, it still doesn't start right! I'm afraid to take it in because they'll hit me for another $800. I was going to keep it another year or two but now I'm going to dump it ASAP. I'M NEVER BUYING ANOTHER GM CAR AGAIN (And I work for them!)

nbsmilar · June 2001

To: jmaxe
I have a similar popping sound or clunk when I am turning the wheel in a parking situation. What advise did the service bulletin give for this problem? I have a '97 blazer and maybe the problem is simialr to your 2000 Jimmy.

jmaxe · June 2001

Nbsmilar,
Bulletin had no detail so I called my service mgr. He said the sound may occur when the wheel is turned all the way to the steering stop. No fix needed, just ask that the steering stop be greased during next service and the sound should stop(until it needs grease again).
Maybe someone else out there has a different take on this.

gbond · June 2001

i had a similar problem with my 99 chevy blazer.
the popping sound was accompanied by a concussion sent thru the whole chassis from the front end. it would pop usually when i was backing out of a parking space & occurred when the wheels were turned hard to either side. the symptoms were serious enough that i do not see how one could possibly eleviate it with grease. unfortunately, i was never able to diagnose the problem and apply an appropriate solution.

i believe the problem began after a shoddy f.e. alignment which left my steering wheel off-center. shortly thereafter, i returned to the shop and had the alignment corrected, which re-centered my steering wheel, and the popping sound disappeared. all is well now.

perhaps this can help you reach a conclusion about your problem.

sasquatch_2000 · June 2001

I had similar on a 96 Jetta while backing up turning (out of driveway, for instance).

I thought maybe it was CV joints. Turned out it was bad wheel bearings and axle.

gbond · June 2001

i have the same prob. sometimes, at the longest delay setting, the wipers will engage at regular speed. adjusting the delay makes little difference. other times, while set on delay, the wipers will come on for 3-4 strokes, wait, then come on for a series of single strokes, then a set of 3, ...

has anybody determined the fix?

thanks

gbond · June 2001

my 99 blazer with 50k has developed leaks around the crimped end fittings on the oil cooler hoses. the most apparent leak is on the lower hose from the radiator to the remote filter unit. however, a leak also appears to have developed in a hose from the unit to the engine.

i will give the 800# a try too.

this issue clearly seems to be one of the most popular on this site.

Chevy Blazer GMC Jimmy Maintenance and Repair

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