[recurve]

Hey Vinster, glad to hear you got your truck running smoothly again. I hope it's not just a fluke and that it stays fixed.

My mechanic tells me that our '97 Blazer has a recall for a problem where the lights don't come on the dashboard when you turn the ignition key halfway. They are supposed to come on and then the fuel pump will prime the system and you can start the car. Without those dashboard lights on, as an indication that the system is working, the starter will crank the engine but it will never catch and ignite. The Chevy dealer is playing dumb about it and denying that such a recall exists, I'll look into this more on Monday. My mechanic claims this is a well known intermittent problem. He says that if you turn the key halfway and don't see the dashboard lights, you got to bring the key back to the off position and try again — several times if you have to. Once you see the dashboard lights come on, it is ok to turn on the engine (the fuel pump will be on and gas will be in the engine).

At this moment, both our '95 and '97 Blazers are running. I believe I can hear the fuel pump in both of them. It sounds like it is coming from behind the glove box. When you turn the ignition key halfway, so the dashboard lights come on, you can hear the pump operate for about 2 or 3 seconds then shut off. I'm guessing that is the pump sound I'm looking for? It is prepping the system with enough pressure I take it.

Unfortunately when the '97 Blazer couldn't start the other day, I didn't know to listen for the fuel pump. In fact, I always just turn the key and never wait at the halfway mark to listen for the fuel pump or look for the dashboard lights. So I'm not sure if it was experiencing this symptom.

Thanks for everyone's help and I hope that your truck is good to go now vinster,
-- recurve