NHTSA Complaint #10086382 — 2002 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER

TWO WEEKS AGO THE CLUTCH FAN ON MY 2002 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER ENGAGED BEFORE I LEFT THE HOUSE AND NEVER DISENGAGED ON A 15 MILE TRIP TO AND FROM WORK WITH VARYING SPEEDS (AS LOW AS RESIDENTIAL, AND AS HIGH AS 70 MPH). THIS IS HIGHLY UNUSUAL FOR IT TO 'STICK' IN THE ENGAGED POSITION. USUALLY IT ENGAGES ON A COLD START AND IS OFF WITHIN A MINUTE OR TWO. I WENT SO FAR AS TO TURN OFF THE A/C FIGURING THIS COULD TRIGGER THE COMMAND TO ENGAGE THE COOLING FAN. I CALLED THE DEALER I USUALLY HAVE MY WORK DONE AT, AND THEY JUST SAID TO BRING IT BY. ON THE APPROXIMATE 25 MILE TRIP FROM MY WORKPLACE TO THE DEALER, AT SOME POINT THE FAN DECELERATED FROM THE 100% ENGAGEMENT I HAD BEEN EXPERIENCING FOR TWO DAYS, IT ILLUMINATED THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON (SES) AND THE CRUISE CONTROL FAILED (IT WAS IN USE AT THE TIME, AND WAS DANGEROUS IN THAT IT SUDDENLY DECELERATED ON ITS OWN AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS). THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT FUNCTIONAL AT ALL. UPON ARRIVAL AT THE DEALER, THE FAN HAD SEEMED TO RESUME NORMAL SPEEDS, I RELAYED WHAT HAD HAPPENED ON THE WAY HERE, AND THEY HOOKED UP THE TECH2 DEVICE, READ THE CODES, CLEARED THEM, TURNED THE LIGHT OFF, AND THEN WENT ON A TEST DRIVE. NO DEFECT WAS NOTED AND EVERYTHING WENT FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE WEEK. CURRENTLY, THE FAN ENGAGES ITSELF TO 100% AT NEARLY ALL TIMES EXCEPT AT HIGH RPMS OR AT HIGHWAY SPEED. THIS OCCURS WHETHER THE A/C IS ON, WHETHER IT'S A COLD START, OR A WARM START. I CAN DRIVE 20 MILES ON THE INTERSTATE, AND ON ROADS AT 40 MPH THE FAN WILL SLOWLY ENGAGE ITSELF. AT 40 MPH THERE SHOULD BE ENOUGH RAM AIR COOLING. IF I ACCELERATE AT A RAPID RATE, KEEPING THE RPMS HIGH, THE FAN SLOWLY DISENGAGES...BUT RENGAGES SHORTLY AFTER THE ACCELERATION IS ENDED (DOWNSHIFT, DECELERATION IN SPEED, ETC). THIS HAS BECOME TROUBLESOME AS IT IS SURELY CAUSING EXCESS WEAR AND TEAR ON THE ENGINE, IS WASTEFUL IN THAT IT CAUSES OUTRAGEOUS FUEL CONSUMPTION, AND IS DREADFULLY LOUD ON ACCELERATION. CURRENTLY, IT HAS NOT TURNED ON THE SES LIGHT.*AK