1998 CHEVROLET BLAZER Engine And Engine Coolingcooling System Problems

DT: THE CONTACT COMPLAINED ABOUT A MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP, AND THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE WATER PUMP. AFTERWARDS, THE THERMOSTAT CONTINUED TO ELEVATE, AND SHE RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO THE REPAIR SHOP. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE THERMOSTAT AND ADDED COOLANT. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO RUN HOT. THE CONTACT TOOK VEHICLE TO A DIFFERENT REPAIR SHOP, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED A LEAK IN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. THE DEALER ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR IT BY FLUSHING THE INTAKE AND ADDING MORE COOLANT. ALTHOUGH MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO REMEDY THIS PROBLEM IT CONTINUED TO PERSIST. *AK

MY WIFE AND I HAVE HAD TO MAKE MAJOR REPAIRS TO OUR 1998 BLAZER. WE HAD TO REPLACE THE WATER PUMP ($294.55) IN OCTOBER 2002. THEN, THE TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING AND GOT WORSE. WE TOOK IT TO AAMCO, WHERE WE WERE INFORMED THAT IT HAD TO BE REBUILT. THIS WAS IN JULY OF 2002. THE TOTAL COST WAS ($2077.37). I INQUIRED THAT SAME MONTH AT CHEVROLET ABOUT RECALLS, AND THEY SAID THAT THERE WERE NONE. SINCE THEN, WE HAVE HAD NUMEROUS MINOR PROBLEMS WITH THE LAME SUV, INCLUDING BROKEN RECLINER HANDLES, STEERING THAT PULLS AND GRINDS, AND A MALFUNCTIONING ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (CLICKING SOUNDS FROM UNDER THE GLOVE BOX, THREE BATTERIES REPLACED). I SAW A REPORT LAST WEEK ABOUT THE USE OF DEXCOOL AND ITS POSSIBLE LINK TO PROBLEMS IN GM VEHICLES. ARE THERE ANY REMEDIES AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME? *AK

WINDSHIELD WIPERS DID NOT WORK. ALSO, THE HANDLES ON THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEATS BROKE, AND WATER PUMP WAS DEFECTIVE.*AK

MY 1998 CHEVROLET BLAZER HAS HAD REGULAR PROBLEMS WITH THE COOLING SYSTEM NOT PROVIDING HEAT TO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT EVEN THOUGH THE ENGINE IS RUNNING AT PROPER TEMP. THE HEATER CORE IS CONTINUALLY CLOGGING UP REQUIRING REGULAR TRIPS TO THE DEALER TO "FLUSH" THE HEATER CORE THAT IS PLUGGED. I UNDERSTAND FROM SEARCHING THE INTERNET THIS IS DUE TO THE DEX-COOL ANTIFREEZE THAT GM PUTS IN THE CAR AND THAT THERE ARE LAWSUITS AGAINST GM REGARDING THIS. THE LAST TIME I HAD THIS DONE THE DEALER TOLD ME IF IT HAPPENED AGAIN THAT A NEW CORE WOULD HAVE TO BE INSTALLED AT A COST OF $650+. THE CORE IS NOW PLUGGED ONCE AGAIN.*AK

ON 9/16/02 WE HAD GURGLING NOISE COMING FROM THE DASH OF CAR IN THE HEATER CORE AREA. LUCAS CHEVROLET TECH REPLACED RADIATOR CAP UNDER WARRANTY. BUT CHARGED US $56.95 FOR COOLANT AND ADDITIVE. ON 10/09/03 HAD NO HEAT COMING FROM THE HEATER CORE. I CHECKED THE RADIATOR AND COOLANT TANK OVERFLOW AND FOUND A MINERAL SLUDGE TYPE SUBSTANCE. ALSO FOUND A BULLETIN ON THE COOLING SYSTEM PROBLEM, TOOK BLAZER INTO LUCAS CHEVROLET. ASSISTANT SERVICE MANAGER LORRIE COTTRELL SHE SAID WE WERE OVER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY ON TIME BUT NOT MILES AND SAID WE SHOULD CONTACT GM ON THIS COOLANT PROBLEM ISSUE. SHE IS NOT AWARE OF ANY BULLETIN ON THE COOLANT SYSTEM. *LA

NO HEAT AT 50,000 MILES --VEHICLE COOLING SYSTEM FLUSHED BY INDEPENDENT GARAGE 12-31-02. DEX-COOL RENEWED AT THIS TIME. COST $160.00. IN APRIL 2003 NO HEAT AGAIN. I DRAINED DEX-COOL AND USED SYSTEM CLEANER TWICE FOR APPROXIMATELY 6 HOURS EACH TIME WITH HEATER ON. I FILLED SYSTEM WITH REGULAR PRESTONE GLYCOL BASED ANTIFREEZE. NO PROBLEMS TO DATE. THE ORIGINAL DEX-COOL WAS A MUDDY SLUDGE WHEN REPLACED AND THE SECOND CHARGE OF DEX-COOL WAS ALREADY CHANGING COLORS AND THICKENING AFTER ONLY 4 MONTHS WHEN IT TOO WAS REPLACED. DEX-COOL DOES NOT LIVE UP TO THE MANUFACTURERS CLAIMS OR THE DEALERS REPRESENTATIONS. I AM A FEDERALLY LICENSED AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN WORKING FOR A MAJOR AIRLINE FOR 14 YEARS AND WOULD BE HAPPY TO GIVE A DEPOSITION IN REGARDS TO THIS MATTER. *NLM

NO HEAT. *NLM

OIL COILER LINES LEAKED FROM THE DAY I BOUGHT IT FROM THE DEALER. DEALER DEFINITELY KNEW AND CLEANED IT UP BEFORE I GOT IT. 1ST SET OF LINES FROM RADIATOR TO OIL FILTER REPLACED A FEW MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE IN 2001. SECOND SET FROM FILTER TO MOTOR NOW NEED REPLACING. EVIDENTLY, THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. WIPERS HAVE THEIR OWN AGENDA. WITH THE MIST SETTING TO CLEAN WINDOWS, WIPERS STAY ON FOR AS LONG AS THEY WANT. WITH THE SECOND MIST, THEY DON'T STAY ON AS LONG. BY THE THIRD MIST, WIPERS ACT NORMAL. ALWAYS HAPPENS. TURN SIGNAL FLASHER SOUND STARTED WITHOUT THE USE OF THE TURN SIGNAL. IT STAYS ON FOR RANDOM LENGTHS OF TIME, AND MAKES THE SOUND IN REGULAR, AND IRREGULAR PATTERNS. REPLACING MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH - AS SEVERAL HAVE BEFORE ME. DEALER KNEW EXACTLY WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. TRANFER CASE LEAKS LUBE. 4-WHEEL DRIVE MESSED UP...

CONSISTENT AND REPEATED HEATING/COOLING PROBLEMS; CORROSION OF THE COOLANT; EROSION OF THE RADIATOR; LACK OF HEAT FOR 4 WINTERS, ETC.

COOLANT DID NOT LAST 150,000 MILES. HEATER CORE PLUGGED AND COOLING SYSTEM FULL OF RUST AND SLUDGE CAUSED BY DEXCOOL. DEXCOOL FOUND TO BE LOW IN COOLING SYSTEM ALTHOUGH RESERVE BOTTLE SHOWED FULL. A SERVICE BULLETIN HAS BEEN ISSUED #99-06-02-012D BUT OWNERS HAVE NOT BEEN NOTIFIED OF PROBLEM AND THERE CURRENTLY HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL OF THE COOLANT. DT

CONSUMERS MECHANIC AT THE TIME OF SERVICE NOTICED THAT THE ANTIFREEZE ON THE TOP OF THE RADIATOR HAD JELLED SIMILAR TO THE FORM OF PEANUT BUTTER. THE MECHANIC SUGGESTED THAT FLUSHING THE RADIATOR WOULD BE LOGICAL TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM, BUT OTHER PROBLEMS MAY OCCUR IN THE COOLING SYSTEM. AFTER THE FLUSHING, THE WATER PUMP STARTED LEAKING AND THE THERMOSTAT MALFUNCTIONED, ON JUNE 29TH THE HEATER CORE RUPTURED AND CAUSED EXTENSIVE WATER DAMAGE IN THE FLOORBOARD, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED RUNNING HOT AND WAS LOSING ANTIFREEZE, AND ON JULY 18TH THE RADIATOR WAS REPLACED. CONSUMERS MILEAGE IS OVER THE WARRANTY AMOUNT.*SCC

CHEVROLET DEXCOOL COOLANT NOT GOOD FOR 100,000 MILES AS ADVERTISED. TWO PREVIOUS RADIATOR FLUSHES, ONE WAS ONE MONTH PRIOR TO ENGINE FAILURE. TOLD DUE TO OVERHEAT DESPITE NO SIGNS OF OVERHEAT. CHEVY DEALER SAYS NO SIGNS OF COOLING SYSTEM HAVING EVER BEEN FLUSHED DESPITE ANOTHER CHEVY DEALER FLUSHING SYSTEM APPROXIMATELY 1000 MILES PREVIOUSLY. CHEVY AND TEXACO STATE VEHICLE MUST BE DRIVEN FOR EXTENDED PERIODS (20,000 MILES) WITH LOW COOLANT LEVELS TO START CORROSION CLOGGING UP COOLING SYSTEM. NOT SO IN THIS CASE. SYSTEM HAD BEEN FLUSHED AND FILLED BY CHEVY DEALER ON 6-11-2. APROXIMATELY 1000 MILES LATER, ON 7-8-2, CHEVY DEALER NOTES BUILDUP IN COOLING SYSTEM AGAIN. COOLANT SYSTEM HAD NOT BEEN LOW, AND HAD NOT BEEN EXTENDED PERIOD. REMANUFACTURED ENGINE AND NEW RADIATOR BEING INSTALLED, CHEVY DENIES ANY KNOWLEDGE OF PROBLEMS OF THIS SORT WITH DEXCOOL.*AK

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED PROBLEM WITH OILY/ MUDDY SUBSTANCE GETTING INTO RADIATOR AND COOLANT RESERVIOR. COOLING SYSTEM WAS FLUSHED OUT ON TWO OCCASIONS, AND PROBLEM STILL REOCCURRING. DEALER/MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ONTHIS MATTER. *AK

I HAVE CONTACTED GM SEVERAL TIMES TO NO AVAIL.HERE ARE MY PROBLEMS.THE RIGHT SIDE LATCH ON THE SEAT HAS BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES BY APPLE VALLEY CHEROLET. NOW THE ONE ON THE LEFT HAS BROKEN.THIS IS A TWO DOOR VEHICLE AND THE ONLY WAY TO GET IN AND OUT OF BACK SEAT.THIS CAR IS NOT MISTREATED TO HAVE THIS HAPPEN.THREE TIMES IT HAS LEFT ME SITTING AND WONT START SOMETIMES YOU CAN TELL WHEN ITS GOING TO HAPPEN BECAUSE THE LIGHTS WILL DIM AND THE CHARGING GAGE WILL DROP THEY HAVE TRIED TO REPAIR THIS BUT HAVENT,THE WINDSHEILD WIPERS NOW WILL DELAY FOR ABOUT FIVE TIMES THEN THEY JUST STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WINDSHEILD OR KEEP RUNNING AS FAST AS THEY CAN UNTIL YOU TURN THEM OFF AND START OVER,THE FOUR WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM KICKS IN ON ITS OWN AND YOU HAVE TO STOP TO GET IT BACK...

DEX-COOL APPARENTLY CHANGES STATE FROM A SEMI CLEAR ORAGNGE LIQUID TO A MUDDY MURKY CORROSIVE MATERIAL. CHEVROLET HAS ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN 99-06-02-012B...COOLANT IS SUPPOSE TO LAST 150,000 MILES IT WAS FLUSHED 30 DAYS AGO AND IT HAS AGAIN CHANGED TO THE MUDDY CORROSIVE LIQUID...IT ALSO HAS EATEN THROUGH MY RADIATOR CORE. WHY IF THEY ARE AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AS INDICATED BY THEIR ISSUANCE OF A SERVICE BULLETIN WHY DO THEY NOT RECALL AND REPAIR OR REPLACE ENGINES AND OTHER COMPONENTS DAMAGED BY THIS CORROSION.*AK

DEX-COOL COOLANT OBSERVED VERY LOW, WITH SOME DEBRIS - WAS SUBSEQUENTLY FLUSHED BY DEALER AND HAS NOT BEEN NOTED AGAIN; ENGINE LACKED POWER, COMPUTER CHIP MISSING PROGRAM - COMPUTER CHIP MEMORY RE-FLASHED AND HAS NOT BEEN NOTED AGAIN