My wife owns a 1997 Blazer. The #4 10 amp fuse keeps blowing. It sees to happen most when she turns right.
She has brought it to the mechanic several times over the last year or so. He has done a variety of things to it, and not hing ever works. Thankfully he won't charge for it until he finds the problem.
I found an article about the 4wd indicator switch. I thought maybe that was it. I bought a new one, changed it out, and found out; It wasn't that.
When turning right, there is a click and then the fuse pops.
It knocks out the dash panel, radio, headlights (but running lights stay on), and causes the Blazer to run on the battery direct (bypasses the alternator and has caused it to die out instantly).
I was told to look across the manifold to see if a wire is lying there, but there are none.
I know there are about 13 things running on this fuse (and they wonder why GM is biting the bog one, who designs this crap?).
I am at wits end with this thing. She is spending around $10 a week extra just so she can drive it to work and school. It is getting real old.
Does anyone have any sort of solution to this problem (aside from trading it in or burning it to the ground???).
Sorry for the sarcasm, this problem has gotten the best of me.
Thanks for your time.

 

Are you referring to this article. God i own a 97 and hope these problems dont creep up....http://www.carspace.com/guides/1996-...-Switch-Repair

 

Hi again. On top of the #4 fuse blowing, the radio shuts off when the driver's side door is opened. It stays off until it is closed again.
It was a little out of alignment when my wife bought it. There is a little gap on it when it is closed, but it seals shut. Could there possibly be a short in this causing the #4 fuse to blow? I know that the radio has nothing to do with the #4 fuse, but would the door possibly have something in it that is associated with the #4 fuse.
Thanks agian for your time.

 

Yes. That is one of th earticles I found about this problem. There is another one almost identical to it with the same fix and problem.
It is a simple fix, but it didn't solve the problem.
As a matter of fact, after I changed it, when I back out of the driveway, the fuse blew. I didn't even get a chance to turn right and it popped.
And I wish you luck with yours in the future. Some have good luck and others end up like this one.
The engineers from GM hold no accountability to why they have 13 different things on a 10 amp fuse.
I know this, because they refuse to answer any of my emails or calls.

 

I bet every outlet in your house has a separate circuit breaker...

THIS THREAD is from someone having much the same experience as you.

There are a ton of wiring diagrams that show the Gauges fuse (#4), but no one single one that shows all of what it does.

 

Hi,
My wife owns a 1997 Chevy Blazer LT. For about 2 years now the #4 keeps popping.
She has had it looked at and worked on by numerous mechanics. 2 of the injectors have been changed. The computer is new. The battery is new. The dash wiring and harnesses have been gone through. There were some exposed wires that were supposedly fixed. The 4wd indicator switch (the donkey dingy piece by the axle) was replaced. It has now been unplugged, capped off, and secured. The air bag fuse has been disconnected. The #4 fuse that is supposed to be 10 amp is now 20 amp.
The alternator has never been taken out and tested.

Here's the thing I am finding out as I drive it (no I was not able to drive it before because like I said, it is my wife's...). I noticed the last couple of days that the RPM jump up and the dash cluster stutters. Sometimes it blows, and sometimes it doesn't. It idles around 1000 in park, but when the steering wheel is jostled left and right, it brings the rpm up to about 1200-1300. Sometimes it will cause the fuse to pop just doing that.
I also notice if I take a turn very slow (either left or right) that it starts to jump the rpm but does not blow. If I take it faster, it blows the fuse. Taking it slow does not always keep it from blowing. I am not sure what is spiking the rpm like that in park or when turning.

My question is, is it the alternator throwing the power through the #4 fuse because it has so many things attached to it? Or am I to look elsewhere?
For some reason my wife loves this money pit (which has been a good vehicle for about 3 1/2 years, but is costing more than it is worth right now). I guess being paid for and only having about 140k miles on it is a god reason for her.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance and I look forward to hearing from anyone with suggestions (burning it to the ground does not count...j/k) or solutions.

 

Over the course of the last 5 months, what have you done to try to remedy the problem?

If moving the steering wheel causes the cluster to flake out, then I would start looking around and inside the steering column.

I highly doubt the alternator has anything to do with your problem. Nor does your problem have anything to do with the number of devices on the affected circuit. The size of the fuse was made for the circuit. If one or more components are drawing too much power due to some internal fault, it can cause the fuse to blow. Same for if the wiring shorts out. Sounds more like a wear and tear thing than anything else.

*Combined with your previous thread*

 

Thanks for combining the thread with the old one.
Everything that has been done was listed in the first paragraph of the new post. These were all new replacement parts. I forgot to mention that the problem started shortly after a new fuel pump was installed. The fuel gauge is not working and will only go to 1/2 way. According to local estimates it is going to cost $1200 to drop the tank to look at it. Call me crazy, but that seems to be ridiculously high, as the job to replace the fuel pump cost about 1/3 of these estimates.
The dash has been removed, there were some worn wires behind it and they were repaired.
The last mechanic to look at it (less than a month ago) had the problem solved for about 2 weeks, and then the fuse started blowing again.
What in the steering column would be run by the #4 fuse or have anything to do with the fuse to cause it to blow?
I have the Haynes electrical diagram. Everything that has run off that fuse has supposedly been disconnected and tested by the 2 mechanics that have had it, but nothing has fixed it.
The rpm and speedometer stutter and the dash light flickers (obviously easier to tell when it is dark out and the lights are on), but does not always cause the fuse to blow. It is a pre-cursor to when the fuse does blow.
Like I said before, if I go into a turn slow and come out of it slow or just cruise through it, then usually it will not blow, but if I accelerate through it, then it pops. It happens turning left or right.
Now I realize why so many Blazers were sitting in the C-f-C pile on local car lots. It is obviously going to cost more than it will ever be worth to fix it, but it is paid for and another car payment at this time is not beneficial.

 

That price is ridiculously high for a fuel pump replacement, let alone just pulling the tank to "look at it". Sounds like you need to find better, more competent mechanics that are actually capable of fixing your vehicle rather than just draining your wallet.

Your problem definitely sounds intermittent and tied to something in the steering column. These type of problems are difficult to find and take time to get into things. As suggested in the thread I linked to above, your ignition switch could possibly be the cause of this problem. The only way you are going to know is to get into the steering column and check things out.

The reason I asked is because the first paragraph of your new post sounded very much like the first post in this thread.

You can get pissed about your situation all you want, but it generally is not a good idea let that frustration flow into your request for help.

 

I appreciate your replies and adding the first post I made a while back, but I am not pissed about anything. I simply stated that the information of what was done was in the first paragraph. There was no insinuation of sarcasm or anger there. I appreciate the assistance and have no reason to get pissed about anything.
It's my wife's ride, and her responsibility. She is the one who wanted this vehicle so bad. I am just trying to help her out.
As for the mechanics charge, I totally agree. She had the pump changed by a guy who accepted payments, because at the time, money was tight. He had a good reputation as a mechanic, and we felt comfortable with his work.
As for the one she has looking at it now, he is a lifelong Chevy mechanic and has been at it for over 30 years. Our friend is also a life long Chevy mechanic (now retired due to disability) and it has him baffled to no end.
From everything I read on the internet, and on these forums, it sounds as if Chevy really put it to the buyers of this style Blazer. I have rarely seen a good word about them or their electrical systems.
Thanks again for your help. I will take a look at the steering column tomorrow.
As I was driving it this afternoon, I put about 25 miles on it. I went into turns extremely slow with no gas, and came out of them about the same way. I slowly accelerated to get up to speed.
I didn't blow a single fuse until I backed up.
I backed up 3 times and the first time was the only time it blew the fuse.