Starting Problem Chev Blazer 2000 S-10, 4dr, 4 X 4

[DTrost]

Yes I am a woman who knows nothing about cars. I have had my Blazer in the shop four times for the same problem. They have given me two new batteries for this but the problem is still there. It is a S10 4 X 4 four door.

When I go out in the morning to start the car it cranks and cranks, rumbles then sometimes and only sometimes. If it does not start I have to jump it from my sons car. Once I do this and use the car during the day it starts up but when it sits for a long time, it's dead again.

When I brought it in for repair they said they used some kind of meter and they could not find a short. It was drawing the right amps.

Last year I had a complete tune up done and had the fuel pump replaced.

I have spent a fortune on this already and cannot afford a new vehicle. Do you have any advice on what could be wrong or how this can be fixed?

Another strange thing it started doing is the heater will blow warm from the dash but not and floor vents. Don't know if that has anything to do with it and the Radio now half lights up and the CD player quit working.

I don't know if any of this is related but thought I should let you know. The car has 120,000 miles and is in perfect condition.

[maxwedge]

Do you mean the battery gets weak from trying to start the engine, the engine cranks strong but will not start, then you must jump it?

[DTrost]

You are correct. If I crank it too much the battery will loose strength. Here is a strange thing though.

About four months ago it just would not start at all. I went out and bought a new battery and had it installed. It worked for about 48 hours. Then it would not start again. So I got another battery they said it was probably defective and gave me a new one.

But that one kept on going dead too. So they said it was something with the car. Supposedly they checked and said it may be electrical but they put a meter on it with the battery disconnected and said it had the right draw, i think.

Now it has this problem. So far they have charged me over $900.00 to get this fixed but it still is not right

Thanks so much for your help with this

[Southern Comfort]

Do you have a place that can put it on a battery Analyzer like PEP BOYS, Auto Zone or Advance? Make sure they give you a print out of the diagnosis. Have they checked your alternator?
SC

[DTrost]

The battery checked out find. I have a new Alternator, Tune up including plus, wires, distributor cap and some other things I forgot the names of. and they put in a new Water pump and fuel pump inthe gas tank. No kidding so far I am way over the thousand dollar mark

[MT-2500]

Hard start cold if the battery is turning it over good and plugs and tune up is good.
You need to run a good fuel pressure check on it. If fuel pressure is not up to pressure specs even several low you will get a hard start cold.
The injectors will not squirt cold.
Here is the guide lines on checking fuel pressure.
If you do not have a fuel pressure gauge and take it to a shop make sure the garage does the full pressure check. And post back results.
MT

Hard to start cold.
Check cold start fuel pressure.
Check engine running fuel pressure.
Check engine running on the road fuel pressure.
Then shut it off and watch for fast leak down.
Pinch off at rubber part or block off return line and check full pressure.
Later V6 and V8 gm engines should have 60-66 fuel pressure.
Cold start should be 64-65 lbs of pressure.
If you do not have full fuel pressure on a cold start the injectors will not squirt fuel.
Do not leave home without it.
Engine running should be 60-66 lbs pressure depending on engine load.
Full pressure with return pinched off should be 75-85 or more.
And if it has a fast leak down after shut off you have a leak.
Post back fuel pressure readings.

[DTrost]

ok I have printed this and am taking it to the shop down the street instead of Chevrolet dealership. Or should I take it to Pep Boys???

Should I ask them if they have this type of equipment to test this before I go or should I expect them to have it?


Sorry I sound so stupid about this but I really don't know about cars.

[NOVA71]

Sounds to me like it may be the alternator. You may have gotten a dud. Or maybe there's a bad ground wire causing the battery not properly charge.

My sister in law had the same symptoms when the alternator died in her Malibu. The stereo stopped playing, the lights would dim, and the car would stall and not start. When your alternator isn't putting out enough volts to keep the battery charged and enough volts to run your accessories, things like the radio, lights, fuel pump, even the computer will stop working. I'd get it checked again to be sure. With any luck, that will be all that it is.

[DTrost]

Chevy took the new alternator out and sent it somewhere to be checked it came out fine

[MT-2500]

Originally Posted by DTrost

ok I have printed this and am taking it to the shop down the street instead of Chevrolet dealership. Or should I take it to Pep Boys???

Should I ask them if they have this type of equipment to test this before I go or should I expect them to have it?


Sorry I sound so stupid about this but I really don't know about cars.

No problem a lot of people do not know much about cars and they are getting more complicated all of the time.
You are asking for help is the main thing. Instead of some that just try to bluff there way threw it.
If Pep boys are a full service set up they can do it or if the garage down the street is a good repair shop they can do it to.
It might hurt there pride a little if a lady tells them how to check it but you need to make sure it is done right.
And if they do good work they will not mind checking it like it should be done.
On the cold start of morning you will need to leave it overnight so they can catch it when it is cold and see what it is doing.
Good luck and let us know how it goes.
MT

[DTrost]

Well it is at the shop he is going to do the test but will not have the results until tomorrow morning. He said he is going to leave it sit overnight. What he did do though is put a computer on it for somekind of codes and non came up. He said if something was wrong codes should come up. Is that true?

[billibong]

He probably hooked up a scanner tool - or computer - to the On Board Data (OBD) port. When the scanner is hooked up it asks the onboard computer to tell it if it has any problems. These are displayed on the scanner as trouble codes. Just because there were no codes listed does not mean that there isn't a problem. Sometimes the problems are more intermittent and don't show up all the time.
I hope that they find the problem fo ryou and that it is a fairly easy fix. Good Luck.

[MT-2500]

Originally Posted by DTrost

Well it is at the shop he is going to do the test but will not have the results until tomorrow morning. He said he is going to leave it sit overnight. What he did do though is put a computer on it for somekind of codes and non came up. He said if something was wrong codes should come up. Is that true?

As Billibong said
Not all problems set a code.
But a good scanner read out of the data can help pointout problems.
A good repair shop can tell a lot from the scanner readings if everything is woking good.
But a good fuel pressure test is also needed.
The scanner will not read fuel pressure.
That is why they make fuel pressure gauges.
Let us know how it goes.
MT

[AJT1961]

Might be a long shot, and the fuel pressure test will certainly pick it up, but has anyone ever replaced the fuel filter on your vehicle? Also, discharging batteries are often caused by something simple, such as the under hood light staying on all the time. I had a car once that made me crazy with a disharging battery and it was because the glovebox light wasn't shutting off with the glovebox closed.

[chgoguy74]

I'm no expert, but from what's in here, it sounds like a short, or a power draw from somewhere, like what AJT mentioned.

Doesnt start after sitting for a long time + starts after a jump + starts fine after that all day + on your 3rd battery, same problems + alternator checks out OK = something's causing the battery to drain slowly. You dont see it after you start it and run it for a while cuz the battery gets charged back up. If it sits long enough, too much power gets sucked out and you have to jump it.

Again, I'm no expert, but thats my 2 cents....