no start help!

Hi guys! my friend has a 98 blazer that does not want to start! It just makes a single loud click at the starter but thats it. It wont turn over or anything!

He said it died while he was trying to get out of a parking spot. I found an old thread about a blazer with the exact same symptoms as my friends but at the end it was not too clear if it had been the starter or something else!

Lights are fine. Battery is around 12V. No engine codes. No blown fuses. Something weird though, I could hardly hear the fuel pump priming! stiil, the engine should turn over even if the fuel pump was messed up, wouldn't it?

If it is the starter, is it hard to get it out! I read that the engine has to be raised up a little bit in order for the starter to come out! any tips or advices on this one would be greatly appreciated! thanks!

I'd say look at these two things closer.
If the "click" you're hearing at the starter is indeed just one CLICK with out the RURURURUURU of it trying to turn over...I'd say it was the starter solenoid. If it's in fact TRYING to turn over....like "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can" but doesnt...I'd look at fuel pressure. Common problem will be a loss in pressure at the regulator (from a leak), or in the tank itself on the pump. The pump has a check valve so it always holds pressure in the line. The point of this is that when you shut the vehicle off, gas stays in your line all the way up to the engine so when you start it, it starts immediately. If that check valve on the fuel pump fails, gas will only stay in the line when running, or when the fuel pump primes in the first second or two when you turn the key. Start it while its priming you're fine....try after the priming stops, and it'll never start. Like I said though..if its just a CLICK at the starter, I'd work with the starter first. If its trying to start but won't, I'd start checking fuel pressure. Check it at the rail (thats the easiest) and take a reading with the vehicle off, with the key turned so that its priming, and then watch the pressure after it stops priming. See if it holds the pressure or if it drops.

Hi guys! my friend has a 98 blazer that does not want to start! It just makes a single loud click at the starter but thats it. It wont turn over or anything!

He said it died while he was trying to get out of a parking spot. I found an old thread about a blazer with the exact same symptoms as my friends but at the end it was not too clear if it had been the starter or something else!

Lights are fine. Battery is around 12V. No engine codes. No blown fuses. Something weird though, I could hardly hear the fuel pump priming! stiil, the engine should turn over even if the fuel pump was messed up, wouldn't it?

If it is the starter, is it hard to get it out! I read that the engine has to be raised up a little bit in order for the starter to come out! any tips or advices on this one would be greatly appreciated! thanks!


A good battery should be more around 13 volts.
First check them battery cables and grounds and power feeds.
Is all lights on dash working good?
Good horn and heater blower and wipers?
Will it start with a jumper battery or good battery charge?

A good battery should be more around 13 volts.
First check them battery cables and grounds and power feeds.
Is all lights on dash working good?
Good horn and heater blower and wipers?
Will it start with a jumper battery or good battery charge?


Good point. I should have suggested trying a new battery or jumping it with a buddys vehicle also to rule out the battery. Before moving on to the fuel pressure

When jump starting from another vehicle, be aware the cheap 10 gauge jumper cables won't do the job. You need like 4 or 6 gauge cables.

thanks guys! I will try these things tomorrow and will post back to let you know what was the problem n how I fixed if able to!

well, turned out to be the starter. Replaced it with a remanufacteured one from a local store and voila! It started right up and kept running for about 15 sec then it started to sputter and eventually died! I was like wtf? went back to restart it and nothing! it cranks but no start. Fuel pump does not prime! Battery is good, there is spark! I think the fuel pump might have gone out! how to check? i heard about the ign switch problem on 97's although this is a 98! well I'll let you guys know what happens!

Find the gray fuel pump 12 volt feed wire or the fuel pump prime connector and see if it is getting 12 volts to fuel pump on start or key engine 30 second prime.
If not jumper the prime or gray pump wire with a fused 12 volt jumper.
Also see if fuel pump relay is getting 12 volts on fused orange wire.

ok guys, went under the car, disconnected the connectors at the fuel pump (2) and checked for voltage. I checked the grey wire for voltage and it had battery voltage around 11.X. I know, the battery was going low. NEways, i think that eliminates any of the electrical components from the fuse to the pump! So the only thing left is the pump! One question though, I looked up the pump on autozone and it comes with the whole sending unit and all that stuff. Is there a way that I can only change the pump without the sending unit? I dnt want to pay $300 for a fuel pump! any comments will be greatly appreciated!

thanks mt-2500 for the tip!

ok guys, went under the car, disconnected the connectors at the fuel pump (2) and checked for voltage. I checked the grey wire for voltage and it had battery voltage around 11.X. I know, the battery was going low. NEways, i think that eliminates any of the electrical components from the fuse to the pump! So the only thing left is the pump! One question though, I looked up the pump on autozone and it comes with the whole sending unit and all that stuff. Is there a way that I can only change the pump without the sending unit? I dnt want to pay $300 for a fuel pump! any comments will be greatly appreciated!

thanks mt-2500 for the tip!

You are welcome.
And thanks for posting back how it went.
If the fuel pump is getting 12 volts and has a good ground and does not run it is dead.
And make sure the plug in and wiring is good.
It is best to replace the hole module.
And with a OEM type pump/module.
Some times AZ has the oem type AC Delco module.
Go with it if they have it.
There is a few on line Parts places that have the OEM type AC pump module to.
Good luck
MT

ok, so now the tank is down and outside the car. one problem though! my friend bought the carter fuel pump, instead of the ac delco that mt-2500 ahd suggested! everything went fine til it was time to put the locking ring in. seems that the carter has a slighly bigger head into which the locking ring can't go in! At first I though it was all the rust on the ring but when I took it off, it still didn't go in. what Im saying is, it wont seat all the way. The pump does though. So, Im thinking of trying to stretch the ring just a little bit so it can seat, or, bend the inside of the ring with some kind of plyers (sp?), or, file the pump just a little bit. I dnt kno! what do you guys suggest I should do? If I go get a new locking ring at the dealership, it will be the same problem because it is design for the delco pump. I searched at different autoparts stores for the locking ring but nobody carries it! so, I'll wait for a response! thanks!

Sounds like they gave you the wrong pump. I would take the pump and the ring back to the store and get a pump that fits the ring.

well guys, after almost amonth the truck is finally running! I thought I'd let you know how we handled the job. many problem arose as we got deeper into the job. As I already told you, the ring was our problem. well, as I said, we kind of stretch the ring. Should I say, we made the hole bigger so that it could seat all the way down into the pump and then be able to turn the ring and lock in place. We were good up to this point. Then we raised the tank and it tuned out that the connections for the pump were facing different direction as the original pump. So, we lower the tank once again and got the pump out, once again. The pump and the tank have a little notch built into them designed to not let the pump turn when turning the ring. Those of you who have done it know what im talking about. Well, we had to brake the notch on the pump so we could turn it about 35 degrees in order for hose conections toface the right way.

That done, we raised the tank once again. Connected everything back up and double checked everything just to be on the safe side! Once we had everything connected we cycled the key on and off a couple of times to build pressure and then we started it with no problems!

The manufacturer of the pump recomends a new filter put on in order for the warranty to be valid!

well guys, after almost amonth the truck is finally running! I thought I'd let you know how we handled the job. many problem arose as we got deeper into the job. As I already told you, the ring was our problem. well, as I said, we kind of stretch the ring. Should I say, we made the hole bigger so that it could seat all the way down into the pump and then be able to turn the ring and lock in place. We were good up to this point. Then we raised the tank and it tuned out that the connections for the pump were facing different direction as the original pump. So, we lower the tank once again and got the pump out, once again. The pump and the tank have a little notch built into them designed to not let the pump turn when turning the ring. Those of you who have done it know what im talking about. Well, we had to brake the notch on the pump so we could turn it about 35 degrees in order for hose conections toface the right way.

That done, we raised the tank once again. Connected everything back up and double checked everything just to be on the safe side! Once we had everything connected we cycled the key on and off a couple of times to build pressure and then we started it with no problems!

The manufacturer of the pump recomends a new filter put on in order for the warranty to be valid!

Thanks for posting back how it went.
We hope it all works out but from what you have told us.
And As said they gave you the wrong pump.
Boxed wrong or the wrong application and may give you trouble latter on.
The reason they are notched is because it is made to fit in there one way for the pickup and fuel level float to work right.
Also different applications have different operating pressures and specs.
Good Luck
MT