I just found out that a new fuel pump for my 1996 blazer will cost me $917.00 ( $669.00 for the pump and filter and the rest for labor ). My mechanic was also very shocked at the price as most fulr pumps are around $200 to $300. The pump is making a very loud noise and he said it would most likely fail very soon.

While they are looking at my truck ... I asked them about the sometimes hard shifting I get between 1st and 2nd. As this truck has 150,000 miles they recommend replacing the transmission at a total cost of $2660.00 which is for a 3 year / 75000 mile rebuilt unit. Does that sound right in both cost and need. I trust these guys but would like some other opinions.

They also stated that the computer is showing multiple mis-fires on some cylinders and I might need to replace the fuel injectors at a cost of $814.00 Does that sound right to anyone?

thanks

 

It's sh*t like this that makes me glad I can do most of my own work...

First, the fuel pump. Tell your mechanic not to go to the dealership! Is there an AutoZone or an Advance or a NAPA anywhere around? I checked at work (AutoZone) and got some prices for you:

Fuel pump, 4 door model: $220/LLT warranty

Fuel pump, 2 door model: $230/LLT warranty

The fuel pump may be making a loud noise because the strainer on the bottom is clogged. Strainer blockage is the biggest reason for fuel pump failure. We can't get the strainer seperately at my AutoZone, but check your local auto parts store, they're usually $6-$10.


Second, the transmission. I am almost positive you don't need a new transmission. It's possible you just need to have it flushed or serviced in some other way. Now, I'm not sure what you mean by "hard shifting", but usually a new transmission is necessary when the old one starts slipping. Some people are happy their transmission shifts hard. What type of fluid are you running? How long has it been since it's been changed? Is the transmission filter stopped up? These are all things you need to look at before you trust some guy enough to spend $3k on a part you may or may not need. If nothing else, ask him his reasons for suggesting a new transmission.


And now for the misfires. Multiple fuel injectors rarely fail at the same time. When a customer comes in with multiple cylinder misfires, the first thing I suggest is checking the spark plugs and wires. If those are good, we go to the distributor cap and rotor. If those are good, I'll recomend checking the ignition coil. Hell, run a bottle of fuel system cleaner through it and see if that helps. The last thing I'd suggest is new fuel injectors.

Even if you DID need new fuel injectors, I checked the price at work and came up with $70 apiece. Even buying 6 of them comes to around $420, that's a hell of a lot less than $814 bro.


Ok, I'm done. Sorry if I went on forever, but my jaw just dropped when I read your post, lol. I'm not trying to sh*t talk your mechanic, but I don't know what the hell he was thinking with this stuff.

Then again, I'm not there with the truck in front of me, so I can't be 100% I'm giving you all the right info. There's a chance that other stuff is going on than what you're describing. Post a little more detailed info on your tranny and cylinder misfire issues. Try to describe exactly what the tranny is doing. Is there anything else to the misfires? Or are you just going by the code reading?

Based on what you're telling us, I'd say you're getting bent over and taken advantage of, badly.

 

Transmission problems - when shifting from 1st to 2nd there is a snap and sometimes the wheels will chirp but this only happens after the car is running for a while. It does not happen when first driving or after it sits for a while. I am also noticing it starting between 2nd and 3rd but not as hard.

Mis-fires - the mechanic stated that the computer showed (2) cylinders showing over 1,000's mis-fires and the other (4) with 100's of mis-fires. I sometimes lose power going up hills and the CEL will flash but stop at the top. This only happens when the truck is cold and I don't notice it at other times. I am still getting OK gas mileage ( average 18 mpg ) so I'm not sure what the problem is.

On the fuel pump - they want to replace it with a AC Delco pump and they stated that the 1996 pump is the only one that is this expensive. They checked with (3) part stores and all were within 25.00 of each other.

 

Ok bro, I just checked at work again and got some prices on an ACDelco fuel pump.

2 door model: $240/1 yr warranty

4 door model: $198/1 yr warranty


As far as the transmisson goes, I'm just not sure what to tell you. Never messed with transmissions much, hard to really say. The first thing I'd do is check the fluid and the filter. You may also consider getting a 2nd opinion from a tranny shop.


I really don't think the misfires are fuel injector related. As Kyle (swartlkk) stated in a previous post, the first thing he checks is fuel pressure.

https://blazerforum.com/m_5821/tm.htm

Your loss of power going uphill could also be related to the clogged fuel pump strainer. How much gas does it have when it does it? Is it all the time? Or just when you get down to about a 1/4 tank? Sometimes when the fuel filter or the fuel pump strainer are clogged, then going up hills and around turns can cause the pump to be starved for gas.

 

A brand new AC Delco Pump from Advanced Auto Parts only costs $263. You do have to drop the tank to replace the pump though.

On the transmission, did they diagnose it? Or did they just say "replace the transmission"... If they didn't do a damn thing with it and just told you that it needs replacing, walk away, NOW! Never go back there! Ok, first thing about the transmission... When was the last time you had the transmission filter changed? If you don't know or can't remember, DO IT NOW! One thing that I would do with the filter change is to put in some Lucas TransFix. I don't normally recommend additives, but Lucas is a quality company and if a $7 bottle of fluid helps your situation... Atleast you didn't drop close to $3k on a new transmission that may not have been necessary.

Good luck and keep us informed.

 

Got the fuel pump installed and a new battery. Garage gave me a decent discount after complaining about the high cost of the fuel pump.

Transmission still is hard shifting into 2nd from 1st but and I don't know what to do. The garages cost for a trnsmission job is way too high for me right now. Any ideas on what I could / should do?

Now the truck just stop running while driving. I was on the highway last night and all of the sudden the dashboard went crazy with the gages dropping off to zero, 4x4 lights came on, then everything went black and the motor shut off. Before I could do anything it just started back up and we fine until I got off the exit. It then stalled and I had a hard time getting it started. Once it started it ran fine home and OK this morning to work. After a while the CEL came on and I ran the computer with my tester and got a 1870 code which is transmission module code only with no other codes ( as if the stalling and restart never happened ). What are some things I can check out that might make this happen? A little background.... complete tune-up last year and I hoped the fuel pump was going to fix the stalling but it did not.

I want to give this truck to me son when he gets his license but I need to find out why I am getting these issues just cropping up.

thanks in advance for any help

Stephen