I am new here and just registered tonight but I have a big problem. I have a 99 S-10 Blazer and it has stood me in good stead since new. About a year ago I got a company car and so the Blazer has been relegated to weekend 4x4 use only. I had the 100,000 mile service done with new sparkplugs etc. (as well as being a non-daily driver) and I have had problems ever since. The first thing I noticed was that the battery would be dead after about 1 weeks non usage, finally after about a 3 weeks layoff the battery was completely dead and wouldn't take a charge, it turned out to have a dead cell from completely draining it. Now I disconnect the battery after each use so that is not a problem (other than the threads in the battery are almost stripped out now). Also I have to give it a shot of starter gas if I have not run it for a week or so. The next time I used it the radio wouldn't work and the clock in the radio would flash on and off. Next time the radio worked. Next time the radio didn't work again and the ABS light was on. Each use had some new and interesting things happening. Finally, tonight I gave it a try and it started right up with the ether but the radio wouldn't work and the ABS light was on, as I drove off I noticed that the speedometer wasn't working and then the check engine light came on and I realized that the transmission was not shifting, I tried OD then 3 then 2 and then L but nothing changed. It didn't seem to be in low as I was going about 3000 RPM at 25 MPH, but whatever gear it was in it wouldn't go out of.. I tried 4WD Hi and it went in but still in the fixed gear, I tried 4WD Low and it went in but there was still no transmission gear changes.
Obviously I have some sort of electrical gremlin running around inside of this Blazer, and I suspect that you might all say to change out the computer, but before I go to that expense I thought maybe someone would have some other thoughts about what I might try.
Any and all help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

i would sart by checking the grounds in the car.

 

Thanks for the suggestion, I do a lot of 120 VAC troubleshooting in my work and I have seen all kinds of problems happen when the neutral conductor is not grounded, so your idea may bear fruit. Some years ago the negative(or as I now sit here at my computer at 9:30 PM, maybe it was the positive) connector to the battery was badly corroded and I replaced the battery connector and just spliced the wires together as best I could, maybe the other end of the cable may be corroded and not making a good connection to ground, I will look into this at irst light tomorrow morning. Again, thanks for the suggestion.

 

i would just spend the 4 bucks each and get new battery cables.

 

I have busy with other things in the last few months and haven't been worrying about this lately but I now need to renew my license tags and that requires a smog check. I have changed out the cables as suggested but that didn't seem to help. A mechanic friend says he thinks it is the ignition switch, it is supposedto send power to the trans for shifting and for speedometer etc. Anyone's thoughts?

 

You mentioned that the threads were wore out on the old battery, check for corrosion in the cable heading away from the battery. I was out one day getting gas ,(about 3 months after a side terminal broke off the battery) [:@]and the truck went dead no power....crazy thing. So when I went to check the terminals a pile of corrosion worked out from the bolt threads and from under the plastic coating over the ground cable of the battery cable. I worked as much out as I could and she started up....corrosion and a car are the most unpredictible thing....like women! Haha

 

That was my original thought when I read your first post today, and it's a pretty common failure. It doesn't explain the need for starting fluid, but I'd say you have a bad ignition switch for sure. If you are interested, I can get them for a BIG discount from the dealer I work for.....just let me know.