1999 Blazer LS P1345 code engine surging
#1
11-12-2016, 01:13 AM
1999 Blazer LS P1345 code engine surging
Hey guys,
I've had nothing but problems with my 1999 Blazer LS over the past two years. I had a distributor issue since May, as after seeing a few mechanics and spending hundreds of dollars, the best they wanted to do was align the new distributor at an angle that would allow the Blazer to run, but not actually properly aligned. They all said they needed to open up and inspect the timing chain, but at their hourly rates and without a proper estimate, I couldn't go through with it. This included the Chevy dealership, who told me over the phone that they thought that the timing chain had slipped to the point where the distributor was going in a full-tooth off. The reason why I tried to install this new distributor is because I was having a lot of misfires and engine overheating trying to go up hills, and after new spark plugs and wires I looked inside the old distributor and saw that it was in bad shape (i had a thread on it at the time).
So I've been stuck driving this thing only inside the city at speed limits typically around 60 km/h (though I was able to push it to 80 km/h). It gradually got worse where it would take between 1-4 key turns to actually fire up the engine, but my acceleration was always consistent. Had the P1345 camshaft position code the entire time (never had this code with the old distributor, just random misfire codes).
So the other day I drove this thing out of town to a small town mechanic with affordable rates. He promised me that he properly align the distributor and get everything back to optimal conditions. It was my first time on the highway since this all began and I was able to maintain 90-100 km/h easily without cruise control, except for going up hills where I had a tough time keeping my speed up (usually falling down to 80 km/h).
I dropped it off with the mechanic. He called me a few hours later and told me that he properly aligned the distributor and everything was working perfectly, and told me this story that he was driving up hills at 120 km/h with no problems. So I got a ride to that town to pick it up and first thing mechanic tells me there is that while he 100% properly aligned the distributor to TDC, the computer refuses to recognise this and will permanently show the P1345 code, despite working "perfectly". He told me that I would have to remove the bulb from the SES light if I didn't feel comfortable with the SES light on forever. I asked him why he didn't just do the CASE learn procedure if the timing was all aligned, and he said that he tried but the computer wouldn't accept it.
He also said that he used his fancy scan tool to determine that my timing chain had 8* of play in it, but he claimed that this affected nothing and that it did not require servicing (I originally told him that the main thing I wanted to be in completely optimal condition was the timing chain). I also told him about a progressive oil leak I had from my oil coolant lines (which a lube shop confirmed), but he didn't want to install the new oil lines from the oil filter to the radiator (which I had) because he claimed he would have to cut through my front differential with a cutting torch to do it (wtf?). Instead, he claimed it was just a busted up oil filter, which he replaced. He told me that it had leaked a quart of oil while sitting in his shop, so he put that much back in (I had just topped off the oil, and it only leaked a quart every six weeks or so).
So I paid the guy and drove off. Immediately I noticed that even with the gas pedal to the floor, I was still having a hard time accelerating up hills (like 90 km/h). It was working better than before, but nowhere near what the mechanic said. Next day, I noticed this issue when I first started driving where my RPMs were surging after first going from idling to driving 50 km/h. Didn't think much of it, stopped for breakfast then drove back to the city (85 km distance). It was ok at 100 km/h on cruise control, but I noticed this new thing when going up hills where air was really blowing through my AC ducts despite being on lowest setting.
The surging thing happened again today all three times I have been driving, and it's clearly bad misfires, and it is sketchy to drive. Engine is still having issues turning over, though now it takes 1-2 turns instead of 1-4 turns. Misfires are obvious on idling. I thought the surging was a shifting problem, but it's misfiring bad when hitting the gas while in neutral. Basically going from a stop (like a red light) to normal speed is really jerky with the RPMs and doesn't feel safe at all, like something is going to give up in the engine.
Yesterday when it all seemed ok and my engine temp was at normal operating temp, I deleted the P1345 code and it stayed off until hours later when I started driving again. I checked the oil and it looks like the mechanic added about half a quart past the full line on the dipstick, and I'm not sure if that's causing the surging or other problems because I've never had it past that line before. Granted, it's not leaking like it was before.
All I know is that this surging problem never happened before going to this mechanic, and it's a serious issue. The only code I'm getting is the P1345 code. I've also read that some people who experience similar surging problems narrowed it down to vacuum lines. I know that some of my vacuum lines should be replaced, but I've never seen a clear explanation of what lines serve which purpose (for instance, the T-line by the ABS module under the hood by the driver side).
Any advice would be appreciated.
Parts I've added this year: new fuel pump, new alternator, new spark plugs, new plug wires, new air filter (month ago), EGR valve (checked), new fuel filter (a year ago).
I've had nothing but problems with my 1999 Blazer LS over the past two years. I had a distributor issue since May, as after seeing a few mechanics and spending hundreds of dollars, the best they wanted to do was align the new distributor at an angle that would allow the Blazer to run, but not actually properly aligned. They all said they needed to open up and inspect the timing chain, but at their hourly rates and without a proper estimate, I couldn't go through with it. This included the Chevy dealership, who told me over the phone that they thought that the timing chain had slipped to the point where the distributor was going in a full-tooth off. The reason why I tried to install this new distributor is because I was having a lot of misfires and engine overheating trying to go up hills, and after new spark plugs and wires I looked inside the old distributor and saw that it was in bad shape (i had a thread on it at the time).
So I've been stuck driving this thing only inside the city at speed limits typically around 60 km/h (though I was able to push it to 80 km/h). It gradually got worse where it would take between 1-4 key turns to actually fire up the engine, but my acceleration was always consistent. Had the P1345 camshaft position code the entire time (never had this code with the old distributor, just random misfire codes).
So the other day I drove this thing out of town to a small town mechanic with affordable rates. He promised me that he properly align the distributor and get everything back to optimal conditions. It was my first time on the highway since this all began and I was able to maintain 90-100 km/h easily without cruise control, except for going up hills where I had a tough time keeping my speed up (usually falling down to 80 km/h).
I dropped it off with the mechanic. He called me a few hours later and told me that he properly aligned the distributor and everything was working perfectly, and told me this story that he was driving up hills at 120 km/h with no problems. So I got a ride to that town to pick it up and first thing mechanic tells me there is that while he 100% properly aligned the distributor to TDC, the computer refuses to recognise this and will permanently show the P1345 code, despite working "perfectly". He told me that I would have to remove the bulb from the SES light if I didn't feel comfortable with the SES light on forever. I asked him why he didn't just do the CASE learn procedure if the timing was all aligned, and he said that he tried but the computer wouldn't accept it.
He also said that he used his fancy scan tool to determine that my timing chain had 8* of play in it, but he claimed that this affected nothing and that it did not require servicing (I originally told him that the main thing I wanted to be in completely optimal condition was the timing chain). I also told him about a progressive oil leak I had from my oil coolant lines (which a lube shop confirmed), but he didn't want to install the new oil lines from the oil filter to the radiator (which I had) because he claimed he would have to cut through my front differential with a cutting torch to do it (wtf?). Instead, he claimed it was just a busted up oil filter, which he replaced. He told me that it had leaked a quart of oil while sitting in his shop, so he put that much back in (I had just topped off the oil, and it only leaked a quart every six weeks or so).
So I paid the guy and drove off. Immediately I noticed that even with the gas pedal to the floor, I was still having a hard time accelerating up hills (like 90 km/h). It was working better than before, but nowhere near what the mechanic said. Next day, I noticed this issue when I first started driving where my RPMs were surging after first going from idling to driving 50 km/h. Didn't think much of it, stopped for breakfast then drove back to the city (85 km distance). It was ok at 100 km/h on cruise control, but I noticed this new thing when going up hills where air was really blowing through my AC ducts despite being on lowest setting.
The surging thing happened again today all three times I have been driving, and it's clearly bad misfires, and it is sketchy to drive. Engine is still having issues turning over, though now it takes 1-2 turns instead of 1-4 turns. Misfires are obvious on idling. I thought the surging was a shifting problem, but it's misfiring bad when hitting the gas while in neutral. Basically going from a stop (like a red light) to normal speed is really jerky with the RPMs and doesn't feel safe at all, like something is going to give up in the engine.
Yesterday when it all seemed ok and my engine temp was at normal operating temp, I deleted the P1345 code and it stayed off until hours later when I started driving again. I checked the oil and it looks like the mechanic added about half a quart past the full line on the dipstick, and I'm not sure if that's causing the surging or other problems because I've never had it past that line before. Granted, it's not leaking like it was before.
All I know is that this surging problem never happened before going to this mechanic, and it's a serious issue. The only code I'm getting is the P1345 code. I've also read that some people who experience similar surging problems narrowed it down to vacuum lines. I know that some of my vacuum lines should be replaced, but I've never seen a clear explanation of what lines serve which purpose (for instance, the T-line by the ABS module under the hood by the driver side).
Any advice would be appreciated.
Parts I've added this year: new fuel pump, new alternator, new spark plugs, new plug wires, new air filter (month ago), EGR valve (checked), new fuel filter (a year ago).
#2
11-12-2016, 03:33 AM
You need to find a mechanic or someone with a crank relearn capable scan tool,Tech2, snap on) etc. to set your timing correctly. Then with the same tool do camshaft sensor adj. that will clear the code and possibly fix all your issues
#5
11-12-2016, 09:42 AM
I was reading this older thread where a guy had similar problems, and the MAF sensor turned out to be the biggest cause. Are there easy ways to test this?
https://blazerforum.com/forum/2nd-ge...g-77807/page3/
https://blazerforum.com/forum/2nd-ge...g-77807/page3/
#7
11-12-2016, 08:23 PM
I'm saying that the surging seems to be an entirely separate problem than the P1345 code, considering that I've had that code for months and the surging only just started after the mechanic worked on it. That guy in that thread needed a mechanic to do the proper distributor computer alignments only to discover that his MAF was defective. It feels like an air intake problem to me, and I have no idea what this mechanic really messed around with.
#8
11-13-2016, 01:17 AM
I'm definitely going to the Chevy dealership when it opens on Monday to deal with the camshaft/crankshaft sensor stuff.
I'm not saying the MAF is a problem, but I've always wanted to get rid of that big bulky MAF intake and replace it with something like one of those Spectre cold air kits. So my question with that is if I get one of those kits in the future, how does that affect the MAF sensor? The MAF sensor seems to be a part of the stock intake, but on these Spectre kits I don't really see the same sensor.
The Spectre kits: https://m.summitracing.com/search/pr...olet/model/s10
I'm not saying the MAF is a problem, but I've always wanted to get rid of that big bulky MAF intake and replace it with something like one of those Spectre cold air kits. So my question with that is if I get one of those kits in the future, how does that affect the MAF sensor? The MAF sensor seems to be a part of the stock intake, but on these Spectre kits I don't really see the same sensor.
The Spectre kits: https://m.summitracing.com/search/pr...olet/model/s10
#10
11-14-2016, 02:52 PM
It was all explained to you in minute detail in the 5 pages of your previous thread. Nothing has changed.
Forgive me if I sound condescending, but I put a lot of effort into your previous thread and here you are asking virtually the same stuff again and again.
If you can't understand it well enough to fix it yourself, then you will have to pay through the nose to someone who can. Doesn't seem that we can help you.
If you won't or can't do what I told you - at least do something that someone says on this forum. I haven't seen it happen yet.
Forgive me if I sound condescending, but I put a lot of effort into your previous thread and here you are asking virtually the same stuff again and again.
If you can't understand it well enough to fix it yourself, then you will have to pay through the nose to someone who can. Doesn't seem that we can help you.
If you won't or can't do what I told you - at least do something that someone says on this forum. I haven't seen it happen yet.