Please help, I'm desperate!!

[Pepper22]

Hello everyone,

This is my first time posting on this forum and I would like to apologize in advance if the questions I am about to ask have already been posted elsewhere on the site.

I am going to list all the problems that I have noticed just in case they are in some way related instead of posting a bunch of different posts.

Okay, I recently bought a 2003 Blazer, 4.3L, with 65,000 miles. I’ve had it for about six weeks now and I am noticing some problems with it.

1) When I start her up first thing in the morning, or after letting her sit for more than a couple of hours, I can hear a loud roar while accelerating and the engine is sluggish…it lacks power. The more I drive it, the less noticeable it becomes. I thought there might be a transmission problem so I brought it into a shop and they told me it was the fan clutch and I had it replaced. Well, $230.00 later I have the same problem. Is this normal?
2) There is a lot of heat in the driver’s side floorboard. It feels like it is blowing down from under the dash. It gets so hot that it burns my feet and lower legs and I have to pull over and wait for my skin to stop burning. The mechanic who told me I needed to replace the fan clutch told me it was all related. Again, the problem remains.
3) I have HORRIBLE gas mileage. I know it’s a truck and all but I get about 200 miles to a tank. Is that normal?
4) My a/c works great as long as I am moving but if I am stuck in traffic, it blows hot? Again, is that normal?
5) My transmission fluid is seriously overfilled. The level is reading way past the fill mark…halfway up the winding part of the dipstick. Bad, right?
6) When I start her up the temperature gauge shoots straight up to halfway. It isn’t gradual but immediate. Is that okay? My mechanic…or should I say former mechanic…told me that wasn’t good and…yep, you guessed it…that problem would be fixed by replacing the fan clutch.
7) While she was in the shop, I asked that her oil be changed and when I picked her up they told me that they didn’t have a chance to get to it. When I tried to change it myself I realized the oil plug was stripped. Wonder how that happened? I am going to try to get it off but should I be turning clockwise or counterclockwise?
8) I was merging onto the interstate this morning and gave her gas to merge and she barely moved. She eventually bucked and took off but not before I was almost rear-ended. The service engine soon light flashed a few times but then went off. What was that all about?
9) And finally, my sunroof/moon roof opens fine but drags when I try to close it. I have to keep hitting the button to inch it closed. Any suggestions?

I would appreciate any advice you guys have to offer. I trust you more than I trust my mechanic!!

[MikeInCtown]

The roar noise when the engine is cold is normally a fan clutch. The only way you know for sure is by opening the hood and listening to the fan while you rev the engine when cold. Should be easy to detect. Normally when the clutch sticks it will calm down within a minute or so and by the time you get out of the drive or to the end of the street it will sound like normal. If the roar was an exhaust leak then you would hear it most all the time and it would sound like a bad muffler, if not worse. (also make sure the clutch on there is new. It will be easy to see and if it looks pitted, then pull into another service center and ask if it looks new. If they say old, then take it back and raise hell)

The trans level could be part of your problems. Harbor freight sells a small siphon that may have a tube that fits down the dipstick tube. Get that taken care of ane get the level right immediately. That right there could be causing some of your problems.

The temperature guage problem could be a sensor issue. Not to expensive and should be easy to test. I don't have the testing numbers available right now though.

[SickSpeedMonte]

#2 is a very common problem with these trucks, and it has been said that it can be fixed by dropping the glove box all the way down. Then you will see a vacuum diaphram with a grey vacuum hose going to it (will be thin and plastic). Take that off and plug it (just so you dont have a vac leak) and that will close the valve that allows the heat from the heater core to come thru the vents.

#3, I dont know if you have a bigger tank in the blazer than my regular cab, short bed S10, but I get about 260 miles to the tank in the city with a 4 banger. I wouldnt be surprised to get 200 if the tank was the same size on a V6 4wd blazer

#4, Does your engine rev higher at idle when you turn the AC on? There is supposed to be a solenoid that bumps the idle up at the throttle body when the AC is turned on. If thats not it, have your freon pressure tested at the ports.

#7, Righty tighty, lefty loosy... to get it out, turn counter clockwise.

#8, The transmission should have downshifted when you punched it. That could be b/c the trans is overfilled, which will cause the fluid to foam up after driving it for a while. Then the trans will not function properly. Since the check enging light came on, the computer should have stored the code. Take it to an Auto Zone and ask them to OBDII scan it. Its free, and it might lead you to your problem. Definately get that extra fluid out of there first, and I would even have it flushed if you havent done it before. That way you know its filled right and its clean.

#9, The tracks might be loose, causing a bind in one direction but not the other. I have no idea how to service those, but if you can get to the motor/linkage, it should be pretty obvious. Tighten it up, and give the moving parts some fresh grease.

[ZQ8 Blazer]

Quote:

3) I have HORRIBLE gas mileage. I know it’s a truck and all but I get about 200 miles to a tank. Is that normal?

200/18ga. tank=11 mpg I get 21.5 mpg. Is your check engine light on? Theres a bunch of things that could give you bad MPG so let me know if the check engine light is on.

Quote:

4) My a/c works great as long as I am moving but if I am stuck in traffic, it blows hot? Again, is that normal?

Low on freon or possibly a leak. Look for oil residue on the hoses, compressor, accumulator, connections, etc...

Quote:

5) My transmission fluid is seriously overfilled. The level is reading way past the fill mark…halfway up the winding part of the dipstick. Bad, right?

Bad, take a small hose and stick it down the tube to the bottom of the pan. Either get a pump to suck the fluid out or suck on it, but be careful, I've heard tranny fluid doesn't taste good. Let a bunch drain out and then warm up the engine and check the level add fluid as needed.

Quote:

6) When I start her up the temperature gauge shoots straight up to halfway. It isn’t gradual but immediate. Is that okay? My mechanic…or should I say former mechanic…told me that wasn’t good and…yep, you guessed it…that problem would be fixed by replacing the fan clutch.

Thermostat could be stuck, does it keep on overheating or cool back down when you're on the road? Check coolant level.

Quote:

7) While she was in the shop, I asked that her oil be changed and when I picked her up they told me that they didn’t have a chance to get to it. When I tried to change it myself I realized the oil plug was stripped. Wonder how that happened? I am going to try to get it off but should I be turning clockwise or counterclockwise?

plug come off counter clockwise. When you're taking the bolt out turn it clockwise a little bit and then counter clockwise, that is the best way to take a stripped bolt out. After getting the plug out, check the threads on the pan, they're probably stripped as well. You COULD re-tap it, but that'll get some shavings in the pan, they make a thing to magnetise a filter and I think some are already magnetised. It'd be better to replace the pan.

8) I was merging onto the interstate this morning and gave her gas to merge and she barely moved. She eventually bucked and took off but not before I was almost rear-ended. The service engine soon light flashed a few times but then went off. What was that all about?
Never heard of one flashing and then going off. They should come on and stay on. If it comes back on go to Auto Zone, Advance, etc... and have them plug in an OBD II reader then post the codes here. Sounds like a sensor gone bad. Tune up the engine or check to verify that the plug wires have a good connection, also check the plugs to see what cond. they're in.

9) And finally, my sunroof/moon roof opens fine but drags when I try to close it. I have to keep hitting the button to inch it closed. Any suggestions?
Mine doesn't have a sun roof so you suck. Anyway they usually have grease and you may need to add some to the track, it could also be slightly off track.


You shouldn't be having this many problems at 65k, my 98 4dr. has 142,000 miles and it has yet to give me any problem other than a leaky compressor and a bad EVAP solenoid valve.

[gscrippler]

What's her Name???

[ZQ8 Blazer]

^what?

[wildman ss]

Quote: Originally Posted by ZQ8 Blazer

^what?

I'm glad I'm not the only one who was thrown off by that

[richy_21]

"8) I was merging onto the interstate this morning and gave her gas to merge and she barely moved. She eventually bucked and took off but not before I was almost rear-ended. The service engine soon light flashed a few times but then went off. What was that all about?"

Thats what gscrippler was asking.

[Goran]

gas mileage is funny...
i get 300-350km mixed city and hiway to a tank...

went on a long trip this weekend and i got 500km to a tank straight highway with cruise at 120km/hr...

I was shocked it did that good... did a trip once when it was new and it was 650km on premium fuel, so 500 compared to 650 when new for an 8 year old vehicle is pretty good...

[ZQ8 Blazer]

Quote:

Thats what gscrippler was asking.

ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh