Looking for advice on buying a 98-2001 Blazer, Jimmy, etc.

[BT1000]

Back in 1998, I leased a brand new Blazer LT, it was a great truck. I want to pick up another one, it can be a Blazer, Jimmy or Bravada, 1998 or newer, 4WD only. I want to find one that's loaded with all the goodies. I'll be looking for one with 100,000 miles or less, but if a higher mileage one comes along for a great price, I'll consider it. I'm wondering what I should look for one these trucks. Are there any problems that usually come up with these trucks? I know on my Blazer, the 4WD stopped working at about 30,000 miles, that was fixed under warranty, but I'll definitely make sure that the 4WD works properly. Are there any other issues I should look for when I check them out? Any other comments? Thanks!

[MikeInCtown]

Quote: Originally Posted by BT1000

Back in 1998, I leased a brand new Blazer LT, it was a great truck. I want to pick up another one, it can be a Blazer, Jimmy or Bravada, 1998 or newer, 4WD only. I want to find one that's loaded with all the goodies. I'll be looking for one with 100,000 miles or less, but if a higher mileage one comes along for a great price, I'll consider it. I'm wondering what I should look for one these trucks. Are there any problems that usually come up with these trucks? I know on my Blazer, the 4WD stopped working at about 30,000 miles, that was fixed under warranty, but I'll definitely make sure that the 4WD works properly. Are there any other issues I should look for when I check them out? Any other comments? Thanks!

There are lots of issues with these trucks, but most are solved without too much cost. The 4wd switches are a common failure problem it seems. Intake manifold gaskets go bad on OE stuff and you need to get the original DexCool out ASAP. Sometimes the fuel injection spiders go bad. I've also heard of fuel sending units causing tank readings to be off, and of course, fuel pumps seem to be inconsistant. (some last nearly forever while others last for a year or less) Front wheel bearings/hub assemblies are notorius for needing frequent replacement. The one I am working on right now supposedly had the passenger replaced a year ago and the drivers side 1 month ago. Upon test driving after the drivers side fix I think my passenger side one may be bad again as you can hear the hum when going down the road. I'm hoping maybe the ties are to blame.

To be honest you should be able to get something 00 or 01 with less miles than you are looking for under $5 grand. They used to get decent miles considering other trucks, but with fuel prices what they are, they are now considered somewhat piggish.

[ZR2nut]

INTAKE GASKETS!!!!!
If you know the previous owner or have maintenance records ,see if the intake gaskets have been replaced.They either leak outside the block or into the oil.
If you don't know or can't find out just keep an eye on the antifreeze overflow bottle.If it starts getting low the antifreeze is going somewhere.If you don't see it on the ground,check the oil.The new style gaskets that are available will cure the problem.If you empty all the antifreeze out replace it with the green stuff.The dexcool is not all bad ,just don't plan on leaving it in for the "rated" 100,000 miles.It turns acidic and eats the gaskets which causes the leak.

[BT1000]

One good thing about buying one of these is that there are so many of them out there. I have a friend that's a used car manager and he was telling me how suddenly (thanks to the rise is gas prices and scary stories of $8.00/gallon gas coming soon) that people are running away from any SUV, even smaller ones like Blazer/Jimmys that get fairly decent mileage. How much does the intake gasket replacement cost?

[ZQ8 Blazer]

I love mine. I bought it wrecked on the drivers side (just had been rolled onto it's side so all it needed was panels and glass) off Ebay with a clean title for $1000. I now have $3300 in it counting the initial cost, shipping, fixing, modifying. I bought it at 123,000 miles and it now has 142,000 miles and I've had 2 problems with it: EVAP solenoid valve ($25) and I need a new A/C compressor $120 plus freon.

I've also heard the balljoints go out in them a lot. Mine's going to need some new ones by the end of the year.

I've never heard of the intake gaskets doing that on these, but I guess they do.

The 4.3's will last well over 200k if serviced properly.

[ZR2nut]

GM had problems with all the V6s not just the 4.3s but the dexcool started the problem and the factory gasket material was the collateral damage.If a dealer does the intake gasket fix $700-900 but I have a friend of mine who is an ASE certified mechanic that did the job out of his garage for $350 cash and that was parts included.He even used the real good Fel-Pro gaskets for that price.

[ZQ8 Blazer]

It's not that hard to change them out, it's just time consuming. It was easier(as everything was just about) on older engines

[Calvin51]

Plastic radiators going bad. I have not owned one yet that it does not happen to. Around $235 to replace. Also rattles and squeaks. Plan on spending the better part of the day trying to get them all out. I found that the foam insulation tape (WallyWorld window air conditioning aisle) works real well. Put it between the panels to stop the plastic to plastic rattles.

[ZQ8 Blazer]

Mine doesn't rattle, but I've had it all apart too so that may make a difference.

The back hatch on mine and my grandparents needed some electrical tape on the striker to keep it from rattling, works great now.

There are a lot of problems with the Blazers, but there are always problems with vehicles. I've owned a 98 Tahoe, 99 Sierra show truck, 97 S10, and my Blazer. I like my Blazer the most. My wife just bought a 30K altima Coupe and I still like my $3300 Blazer more Although her car has got some good get up and go.

[MikeInCtown]

Yea, when one lists all the notorius problems for Blazer and Jimmys it may seem like they should just recall the whole line for the last 10 years. Truth is that most of that stuff goes bad on a lot of vehicles. The nice thing is that with a decent multimeter, some basic hand tools, a code scanner, and a GM service manual you can pretty much fix about anything and everything. Plus, with there being so many on the road, parts are generally pretty cheap and the engines when properly maintained last well over 200k.

The warning though is that if you don't know how to work on stuff on your own and have to pay a mechanic the going rate, that blazer is going to be very expensive. It can also get that way if you only buy parts from the parts store or the dealer. Boneyards, eBay, and this forum are all great places for cheap parts.

[ZQ8 Blazer]

ebay/boneyards FTMFW!

I bought all the drivers side panels, glass, wheel, and a limited slip rear at a pull a part for $490! I sold my stock rear end for $200