My blazer recently developed a problem idling and accelerating down low. It is a 1995 Blazer, 4WD, 4.3L Vin W. Here's the story:

A couple of weeks ago my service engine light came on (steady on) so I had it checked at Autozone and they said it was the EGR Valve. No big deal I thought, I'll clean it when I can get to it. It was still running fine. Shortly after, the light went out and all was well for a few weeks.

Fast forward a couple of weeks. I was on a trip, towing a trailer. I added some Lucas fuel injector clean into my tank before I left. Everything was fine and I was heading down the turnpike. I pulled in to get some gas right along the turnpike and my Blazerstarted shaking and idling horribly then the service engine soon light started flashing. I was a ways from home so there wasn't much I could do. After I filled up I went to pull away and it's shaking and sputtering, etc. I finaly get it up to speed and everything seems fine, but the service engine light is still flasing. The problem just seems to be down at low speed, idle, and acceleration. I drove it like this about 200+ miles until I was able to get home. Like I said, at high speed and rpm I couldn't notice a problem.

So far I have cleaned out the EGR Valve (it didn't seem too bad and is very clean now), cleaned the IAC valve (it was very dirty), looked at the distributor cap and tested the terminals on it (all seemed well there), cleaned the PCV valve, and cleaned up the butterfly on the air intake. The problem still exists.

I have taken it to Autozone and Advance and neither one of them could pick anything up on there readers. The service engine light isn't on as soon as the Balzer is started but rather it takes a few seconds before it comes on and flashes. I started it at Autozone and waited for the light to flash and they still couldn't pick any codes up.

I just got home from Advance and I sprayed the tops of the headers that I could see (all except #3) with a bit of water. The water boiled and disappeared off of all of the headers I could spray except #5. I plan on pulling the plug tomorrow and checking it out. I also picked up a fuel filter and I'm going to replace that just because.

What do you guys think? Any suggestions or ideas? I'm considering taking it in somewhere to have the code checked out by a different reader but I don't want to spend the $60+ for that. I'd rather try to find it without spending the money, I'm laid off at the moment.

 

Just as a follow up to anyone that may have read this post:



#5 cyl plug was nasty looking and had a lot of carbon build up on it. I replaced it and the rest of them and hoped all would be well...

...it wasn't, still wouldn't run right. Compression check showed 40psi in #5.

14 years old, 225,000 miles, and she died. Well not completely I guess, but she's injured and may have to be put down. I don't know what I'm going to do yet...

 

Yep, 60psi is not enough... Sounds like you found the problem. Sorry someone did not respond sooner.