Random Stalling on 97 Blazer

My daughter's 97 Blazer with 4.3 engine is stalling on a very random basis. It seems to happen most when braking for a stop. Has happened on occasion when acclerating from a stop. No OBDII codes showing. Always re-starts easily usually on the first try. Problem seemed to start after I replaced the battery..but that might not have anything to do with it. When it stalls all the dashboard lights come on the power locks click and reset themselves. I've done a lot of checking & cleaning of electrical connections and looked for vaccum leaks to no avail Any ideas of what and where to check? Please let me know.

Spit

I'd be suspicious of the ignition switch but its a pain to diagnose intermitants

Jerry

Jerry thanks for your input..I read other messages from folks having problems it seemed like from what some of the messages said was that if the ignition switch was bad that some of the dashboard lights wouldn't light when trying to re-start. (SES light) My lights seem to light okay Do you know of anyway to test the ignition switch? Like you say intermitent problems are tough to find.


chuck

If it was my problem, I'd find some little light bulbs, maybe LEDs and have one hooked up to each circuit fed by the ignition switch, I think the important wires are pink and white on the ignition switch harness. there is also a orange and brown I think. If the pink wire looses power, the truck will die. The white powers the transmission and somehow some of the gauges, orange powers heat and air, cruise. Brown is just radio, wipers, and power windows

Jerry, Thanks I'll try to get into this over the holiday weekend. I'll left you know what I come up with.

Chuck

I am fairly new to GM's Just switched to a 96 2dr s Blazer, been a Jeep guy before that. On Jeeps there are fuseable links by the battery that often go bad. It looks like a regular wire some have a bump molded in them. When the go bad you get no current through them, you can use a 12v test light to probe them or wiggle them around and see if it stalls. Maybe you bumped or strained one when changing the battery, I have also seen on other vehicles where the main harness bolts to the back of the fuse block have intermitten connections. not sure how these relate to your vehicle just some thougts.

Thanks for the input..I'll look at both the fusible link and the connections on the main harness. Funny thing is that it starts on the first crank every time. Why it shuts down at stops and only on a very random basis confuses the heck out of me. I'm going to look everything over this weekend. I'm really not sure if it's shutting down from an electrical cause...loss of a ground or a short in the ignition circuit; or if it's cutting the gas off to the engine..since it doesn't seem to miss or sputter to a stall...it just quits dead like the juice was shut off. I think it's electical

Some where I read something about a ground block on or behind the the rear bumper? Suppossedly the fuel pump is grounded there. Can anyone tell me where to find this block specificly?


Chuck

I'm having the identical problem with my 97 Blazer. After jumping my battery in early May, I started having problems with intermittent stalling. Most of the time it will stall within a few minutes of ignition and usually when coming to a stop. Also, I've noticed that I must have the key in the "on" position for about 10 seconds before any lights on the dash come on (however, the radio and interior lights work fine). I've had the car to a mechanic and the dealer. Neither could find any problems. Nor could they get the problem to happen Incidentally, the mechanic from Shell charged me nothing for three days of diagnostics while the dealer was more than eager to collect $95 for the one hour of diagnostics. Anyway, if you find out what's wrong, please post the fix. I

Problem solved!!! I installed a new ignition switch on saturday and it seems to have solved the problem. I noticed right away that the dashboard lights came on a lot faster when I turn the key.

This was a real bugger to trouble shoot because the symptons were so random and it wouldn't act when I drove it. Only when my teenage daughter would...and you know how hard it is to get the full story from a teenage girl.

After reading here that the switch was a very likely culprit. What really turned me onto the switch being the problem was when she told me it had gotten worse and to the point where she could only start it with her remote starter. (after-market starter/alarm system installed by previous owner) it would crank like mad and but not start using the key..but one touch of the remote start button and it would fire right up. (The remote start bypasses the igniton switch completely).

Installing the switch wasn't too bad..I did pull the steering wheel to get access to the switch. The two torx headed screws that hold the switch to the steering column are a pain. I had to back them out using a very fine tipped pair of needle nose pliers. I followed a tip I found on this forum and filed flat head screw slots in the screws so I could re-install them with a screw driver. All the splices and cuts on the switch harness that the installer had made installing the after-market alarm freaked me out a little...it looked like a bowl of spaghetti. But I just followed it wire for wire/splice for splice.

The switch was $71.50 at Autozone and Advance AutoParts..$125 at the CVhevy Dealer.

I really want to thank you guys who gave me your ideas. This forum is great. I also read about the intemitent front windshield wiper problem on this forum..I called the dealer and they said they will fix it free. There is a recall on this problem.

Spit

Hi Spit and others :-)

I'm in the middle of replacing the ignition switch but I'm having trouble removing the white connector above the key tumbler. I have a photo and a more detailed explanation on the following thread:
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=287636

If you have time, could you please offer some suggestions. Thanks so much!
-- recurve