Hey yall, i just bought a 1995 s10 blazer 4x4 4Door 4.3L VIN W recently, well this is going to be a long story but here goes; When i picked up the blazer i was in a town about an hour away from home. I drove it about maybe 45mins and then it sputtered and i lost all power, it completley shut off. Luckily i had a friend with me and we popped the hood and started looking around to see what could have happened. He knowing more than me about gas engines tried to start it a couple of times w/ and w/out pushin on the gas pedal. It didnt do anything so he for some reason thought it might be fuel filter, so we changed that, then got about a mile down the road and i lost all power again, Put it in park and it started right up fine, then drove about another mile and she died but this time it was on a 2 way one lane road so i parked it on a bank and had to get it towed back. I had a buddy come look at it cause he has had many blazers and knows them generally well. He said change fuel pump, well after having to buy a new sending unit, fuel pump, and hose fittings. She wouldnt start, then i realized that i didnt have enough gas put 10 gallons in it and she started up fine. Next day i drove it to school, to lunch, and back home and all was good. Then gradually the problems started again, hard to start/ wont start, i can drive it for anywhere from 3-10 mins and then it shutsdown, it wont start in the rain, sometimes before it dies it will sputter and accelerate/idle eratically, if im coming to a stop it will accelerate, or pulse if you will. And just last week, it wouldnt start on account of the rain im guessing so i took out the TPS and cleaned it off with carb cleaner(it was covered in carbon build-up), put it back in and it started fine, then on way home(with in a mile from school to home it tried to die on me so i put my foot to floor and it accelerated eratically and almost shut down then kicked back alive and i jumped from 35mph to 65 in about 2 seconds. Anyways ive heard a million reasons, please help this is the only transportation i have and this is my first vehicle so im trying to fix it and keep it. Any replies/tips or ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

Thorough, methodical troubleshooting is your friend. First look at the fuel system. Get a fuel pressure gauge and do a leakdown test. Instructions for the test are available here on the Forum via the Search function. Second look at secondary ignition: cap, rotor, plugs, wires, coil, ignition control module, etc. These trucks do not like aftermarket ignition components. Get AC Delco. The same goes for fuel pumps. There are many threads on the Forum that detail procedures for checking those various components. If you check everything thoroughly and methodically you can find the problem and return your Blazer to health and vitality.

Post back with the results of your tests for further guidance.

 

I`m thinking what Toby said, betting its electrical, Thinking cap and rotor because of the wet weather no start

 

ignition components, cap, rotor, and coil. Cap and rotor because of the cold weather thing. And coil is a possibility because when they fail they can overheat and stop working after a short drive

 

Alright will do, ill get back to you when i get my hands on a gauge. I decided yesterday to take my intake plenum off and see whats going on inside, not to my suprise it was black, covered in carbon build up and the fpr seems to be leaking and i know that they are notorious for leaking which could be part of the reason my fuel trim is -100. Ill post up when i get results, thanks alot guys.

 

I believe black is a good thing to see

 

Well wouldnt Black be carbon buildup? and there was also gas in the plenum, small puddles.

 

Gas in the plenum no good, shouldnt be any gas washed metal showing....Others, correct me if I`m wrong

 

Black in the plenum is good. Gold is bad. Carbon build up is normal and means that everything is working as it should. Gasoline leaking from the injector hoses or the fuel pressure regulator washes away the carbon leaving only a gold color. That's bad.

You should still check the fuel pressure and leakdown, especially leakdown if you found raw gas in the plenum. You want to verify the fuel pressure and leakdown to either rule it out or fix it before you move on to testing other components.

After resolving the fuel issue (if there is one) move on to the ignition system. Check the cap, rotor, plugs, wires, coil, ignition control module, etc. Verify they are all working properly. If you end up replacing the cap, rotor, or plugs use AC Delco. These trucks are very picky and run best with factory ignition components. Also, use silicone dielectric grease on the cap terminals, inside and out. The grease will crystalize and improve electrical conduction.

 

There is gas washed metal showing on the fpr side of the plenum, the side of the plenum with the ful lines going to the spider there is a little gas and gold showing.