NHTSA Complaint #10134899 — 1998 CHEVROLET BLAZER

VEHICLE: 1998 CHEVY BLAZER 4DR 4X4 4.3L VORTEC V6 EVENTS LEADING UP TO FAILURE: NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS FAILURE(S): THERE ARE TWO PRIMARY CONCERNS WITH THIS VEHICLE: 1) FUEL GAUGE DOES NOT WORK, IT WILL REPORT COMPLETE FULL AND WHEN VARYING AMOUNTS OF FUEL THE FUEL GAUGE BOUNCES AROUND(USUALLY BETWEEN HALF AND FULL, BUT SOMETIMES BETWEEN E AND FULL) I AM FORCED TO USE TRIP ODOMETER AND APPROXIMATE FUEL ECONOMY TO DETERMINE TANK LEVEL. I HAVE HEARD SEVERAL TO MANY ANECDOTAL STORIES OF OTHER CHEVY VEHICLES EXPERIENCING THE SAME SYMPTOMS. 2) THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORK SPORADICALLY. CURRENTLY WHEN OPERATING IN 'INTERMITTENT' MODE, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL BEGIN TO OPERATE IN CONTINUOUS, REGULAR SPEED AND WILL NOT TURN OFF WHEN SWITCH TURNED TO 'OFF' POSITION. SITUATION WILL OCCASIONALLY CORRECT ITSELF AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES. OTHER TIMES I AM REQUIRED TO STOP, PARK, AND TURN OFF THE VEHICLE BEFORE RESTARTING IT TO TURN THE WIPERS OFF. OCCASIONALLY THE WIPERS WILL NOT WORK AT ALL IN ANY POSITION. USUALLY THIS ONLY HAPPENS FOR A SHORT PERIODS OF TIME, WHILE I AM TRYING TO TURN THEM ON BY SCRUBBING THROUGH ALL THE POSITIONS OF THE SWITCH. I OWNED A 95 GMC JIMMY PRIOR TO THIS VEHICLE AND EXPERIENCED THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. THIS MODEL YEAR WAS COVERED UNDER A RECALL THAT ENDED WITH, I BELIEVE, THE 97 MODEL YEAR. CORRECTIONS/REPAIRS: I HAVE HAD NEITHER PROBLEM REPAIRED. THEREFORE, I STILL HAVE THE OLD PARTS. INSTEAD OF REPAIRING, CURRENTLY FINANCIALLY UNFEASIBLE, I AM USING RAIN-X FOR THE WINDSHIELD AND THE ODOMETER FOR A FUEL GAUGE. *INCIDENT DATE IS APPROXIMATELY THE LAST TIME THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WERE USED. I HAVEN'T DRIVEN IN THE RAIN MUCH THIS SUMMER. *JB