Keeping the old Blazer going!
#1
08-02-2009, 08:16 PM
Keeping the old Blazer going!
Hello, Lars here. I'm the original owner of a 1997 Blazer LT AWD, and stumbled across this forum while looking for information to help keep the old girl on the road. It's now my "secondary" car, with my little MINI Cooper S being my daily ride. Still, I need the Blazer for camping, hauling my kayak around and days when I just don't feel like driving a twitchy little MINI!
While I've always enjoyed the car, it's been a service nightmare since about year three. To this day, I've only got 89K on the car, but it is always giving me grief. Problems I've had include:
1.) Frame weld breaking, causing the front-right wheel assembly to collapse...which in turn caused all kinds of collateral damage. Thankfully I was cornering at about 3MPH when it happened. Of course it was one week out of warranty when this happened! "In Warranty" repair was initially declined, until I wrote some very pointed letters...eventually Chevy picked up the tab for repairs, which took two months.
2.) Gas gauge took a hike after about four years. When the tank is full it reads appropriately, but swings like a windshield wiper after a few gallons are burned. Thank heaven for the trip computer...I just refill and reset after it shows 14 gallons used. I bought a few bottles of the Techron additive, I'll give that a shot.
3.) Water pump croaked after six years. While replacing it, I found the engine block was chock full of rust...the Dexcool coolant was pure rusty sludge. Hmnn. I flushed it out, to the best of my ability and put in fresh Dexcool.
4.) After seven years, the heater stopped working, and loud gurgling sounds could be heard from under the dash. Took it to a radiator shop to be flushed out properly. They cleaned out more rust sludge, which was plugging the heater core. It still gurgles, but at least the heat works.
5.) Around the same time, the HVAC blower switch made a "ping" sound, and I no longer had detents on the four speed positions. No matter, it still seems to work. (Or so it seems.)
6.) 9 years in...blown head gasket. Yikes. I had had enough of this nightmare, rust bucket engine block, so I had a local shop swap in a low-mileage short block from a wrecked Blazer. Now my coolant stays clean, but at what a cost!
7.) Damn...every time I get in the car, the battery is dead. The car even strands me at the airport, what joy. I can't find the electrical leak, until one of the visor mirror covers falls off and I realize the hinges are broken, keeping the switch from turning off. AAARRRGGG!! I snip the wires, and put this useless vanity feature to rest.
8.) Shortly after the engine swap, the A/C system started leaking like a sieve. New compressor, receiver/dryer, orifice tube, etc. So far, so good.
9.) Two weeks ago, my girlfriend borrows the car and calls me in a panic. "There is smoke coming out of the dash!!" Seems my detentless blower switch is back to haunt me. So I ordered a new switch, and installed it last Friday...the old one looks like pure charcoal inside.
And so the adventure continues. Oh well, at least I've found a great resource for helping me resolve the inevitable issues!
Cheers,
-Lars
While I've always enjoyed the car, it's been a service nightmare since about year three. To this day, I've only got 89K on the car, but it is always giving me grief. Problems I've had include:
1.) Frame weld breaking, causing the front-right wheel assembly to collapse...which in turn caused all kinds of collateral damage. Thankfully I was cornering at about 3MPH when it happened. Of course it was one week out of warranty when this happened! "In Warranty" repair was initially declined, until I wrote some very pointed letters...eventually Chevy picked up the tab for repairs, which took two months.
2.) Gas gauge took a hike after about four years. When the tank is full it reads appropriately, but swings like a windshield wiper after a few gallons are burned. Thank heaven for the trip computer...I just refill and reset after it shows 14 gallons used. I bought a few bottles of the Techron additive, I'll give that a shot.
3.) Water pump croaked after six years. While replacing it, I found the engine block was chock full of rust...the Dexcool coolant was pure rusty sludge. Hmnn. I flushed it out, to the best of my ability and put in fresh Dexcool.
4.) After seven years, the heater stopped working, and loud gurgling sounds could be heard from under the dash. Took it to a radiator shop to be flushed out properly. They cleaned out more rust sludge, which was plugging the heater core. It still gurgles, but at least the heat works.
5.) Around the same time, the HVAC blower switch made a "ping" sound, and I no longer had detents on the four speed positions. No matter, it still seems to work. (Or so it seems.)
6.) 9 years in...blown head gasket. Yikes. I had had enough of this nightmare, rust bucket engine block, so I had a local shop swap in a low-mileage short block from a wrecked Blazer. Now my coolant stays clean, but at what a cost!
7.) Damn...every time I get in the car, the battery is dead. The car even strands me at the airport, what joy. I can't find the electrical leak, until one of the visor mirror covers falls off and I realize the hinges are broken, keeping the switch from turning off. AAARRRGGG!! I snip the wires, and put this useless vanity feature to rest.
8.) Shortly after the engine swap, the A/C system started leaking like a sieve. New compressor, receiver/dryer, orifice tube, etc. So far, so good.
9.) Two weeks ago, my girlfriend borrows the car and calls me in a panic. "There is smoke coming out of the dash!!" Seems my detentless blower switch is back to haunt me. So I ordered a new switch, and installed it last Friday...the old one looks like pure charcoal inside.
And so the adventure continues. Oh well, at least I've found a great resource for helping me resolve the inevitable issues!
Cheers,
-Lars
Last edited by BlindLemonLars; 08-03-2009 at 04:18 PM.
#4
08-02-2009, 09:13 PM
Welcome to the forum! Sounds to me like you may become a great contributor here... lol
#6
08-03-2009, 04:21 PM
Well let's hope so! I've been lurking through the forum the past few weeks, picking up bits of useful information, and I figured it was downright impolite not to introduce myself.
Seems like a great community...hopefully I can contribute with a little bit of knowledge here and there.
Seems like a great community...hopefully I can contribute with a little bit of knowledge here and there.
#9
08-04-2009, 06:13 AM
Well my 89 Jimmy is my DD and runs like a top. However, almost any item that is a normal wear and tear has been replaced over the years. The local U-Pull it junk yard is one of my favorite spots to hunt for hard to find factory hardward or trim pieces. My car looks and runs great. With almost 410K on the odometer.
#10
08-04-2009, 12:33 PM
Well my 89 Jimmy is my DD and runs like a top. However, almost any item that is a normal wear and tear has been replaced over the years. The local U-Pull it junk yard is one of my favorite spots to hunt for hard to find factory hardward or trim pieces. My car looks and runs great. With almost 410K on the odometer.
My dad used to have a 87 S-10 Blazer, he got 200K out of it with almost no problems, I bet somebody is still driving it today.