Hi, all. Female noob here. (Am of the gen where girls took Home Ec & boys Auto-Shop. FYI: Know'g how to bake bread is of no help when stranded on the side of the road. (LOL? NOT!!!)
First, I ADORE my Blazer & on my 2nd, both via Craig's List w/ same specs, only diffs being trim, yr & mileage. My 1st, a '97 LS (a truly great ride), was totalled after a month (sniff), rcvd acceptable reimbursement from other driver's insurance co & found/bought another. This time w/ Basic trim, 2 yrs younger (a '99) & less than 100K miles til I drove the 4 hrs home..
Advertised as being seller's "Grandfather's Baby," the interior was perfect & my "Mr. Fix-It" friend, a former used car salesman, gave the engine a once over & checked under car for the obvious: rust, leakage signs, etc. Took it for a test drive & loved its "zip"... a smooth & comfy ride for me & my 2 dogs.
2 months later was driv'g home from a med app't, an 1+1/2 hrs ea way (I live in "Bum (ahem) Egypt," NM, btw) when my tachometer suddenly hit the "Red Zone" when I was going the speed limit -- 70 mph.
Tho' I knew little abt cars, when a part died on my other vehicles I'd watch the mechanic & learned all I could abt the part. Coz all my prior vehicles were OLD -- approx 30 yrs old, a 71 Toyota & a 70-somethg Datsun, I've learned quite a bit! (LOL? NOT!)
So when my tach hit Red I knew enuff to pull over til I calmed down, then gingerly drove the remaining 1/2 hr hm @ 35 mph in 3rd gear w/ hazards on, much to the wrath of those trapped behind me. (I'd pull over if allowed @ a lineup of 3.)
FINALLY made it hm, 3 hrs later, parked, went into my house & took a bubble bath, trying to de-stress. (Didn't work, despite candles, wine & Enya.)
Following day I started "White Blaze," only to learn it no longer shifted automatically, but only manually (1st to 2nd, 3rd, Drive & Reverse) i.e., by hand.
"Economically challenged" (am on SSI), I took it to a mechanic friend @ "Cannon Tire Factory & Auto Repairs," voted #1 in the County for all car svcs (& honest, to boot) who gently told me my transmission was shot, a new one would cost tween $1500-$1800 plus labor BUT didn't think it worth fixing coz "the motor underneath is oil-splattered."
Were I to decide to fix the tranny I'd buy it online from Rock Auto (abt $1K less than stated) & as for the "motor" I'd use the same purchase source but wait for those issues to show.
Can't afford another mechanic for a 2nd opinion so am turning to y'all:
1-) Judging by the symptoms stated above (an auto tranny one nd shift manually), is there *anything* else it might be other than a new tranny? (My "Grease-monkey" friends have spkn of "this switch & that 'thingie'" as possibilities but is all "Greek" to me.)
2-) Do Blazers have a hist'y of tranny probs? I.e., if I COULD afford a new tranny is it likely I'd need replace it again?
3-) I paid $2100 for Blaze, as my title above states, a "Basic trim, 99, 4x4, V6 engine, 4 door." Should the consensus be that I nd a new tranny *&* can find one online for $500-$800, in ur opinion/s, should I replace the tranny or sell it now as a "Mechanic's Special" (for maybe $1K) & buy another new to me (i.e. used) mid-size 4x4 before whatever's wrg stop it from running entirely? (Lotsa snow here in winter so def need a 4x4 *&* a V6.)

Thanks in advance for whatever advice you can give.
Signed,
"Bummed-out in Cowboy Land"

 

Could be something as simple as a shift solenoid. Only a good tranny shop could tell you. If the fluid is not burnt, then it might be worth trying to repair. Uses a 4L60e trans - just like most rear wheel drive GM vehicles did for many years. One of the most widely used transmissions ever.

I had mine replaced because of a stripped sun gear last winter. Cost me $2500 total at Precision Transmission. 3 year 100K warranty. Shift solenoid malfunctioned 1 week after repairs and intermittently it did exactly what you are describing. They towed it back to the shop and replaced one of the solenoids. Probably a left over problem from the transmission core that was rebuilt. No problems since.

As far as worth it? Only you can answer that. But have you priced new SUV's lately?