My 1997 Blazer 4-door 4x4 is doing the following:

A conventional start won't start the engine - just turning the key causes it to turn over but not start.

To start the vehicle, the switch must be turned on until the warning lights pop on on the dash. They don't always come on, which makes me suspicious. Then when they do, a complete turn will start the engine.

My mechanic, in whom I'm losing trust by the minute, swears the fuel pump needs to be replaced. I, on the other hand, thought fuel pumps generally quit unannounced. Does the pump need replacement, and if so are there remanufactured alternatives to the gargatuan price - $700 - quoted me by the greedy local mechanic?

 

i would t hink ignition switch, but I'm a rookie in diagnosing problems.

 

yea i wouldnt think fuel pump....sounds like possibly an electrical problem. maybe starter or ignition

 

that makes sense for this reason - there are times when a partial key turn in the ignition won't turn the dash warning lights on. you have to turn the key off and on to make that happen.

In the past, a fuel pump hasn't sent out failure warnings. It just quits. I was rather taken aback when the mechanic said, "oh, it's a fuel pump and that'll cost you about $700."

 

Do you hear the fuel pump relay click on??? The relay is in the glove box behind the access panel.

 

Heard a definite click after switching the ignition on.

 

before I would go replacing the fuel pump, i would check the filter to make sure there is no clog, check voltage back there to make sure it is getting power, check fuses for fuel pump and fuel sending unit.

 

Is the relay click a good thing or a bad thing?

 

good, that usually means they are working.

 

I wouldn't even think of replacing the fuel pump before performing a fuel pump pressure test.
My concern is that your dash lights don't come on right away which make me wonder about the ignition switch.

Fuel pump pressure should be 55 to 60 psi when the key is turned to the "on" position.