13 problems related to alternator/generator/regulator have been reported for the 1997 Chevrolet Blazer. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
Owning this vehicle has been a nightmare and a financial drain. Windshield wipers worked when they chose, replaced wiper motor due to defective part. Upper and lower ball joints all had to be replaced. Wheel bearings had to be replaced. A/c stopped working, had it looked at and recharged and it still doesn't work. Fuel gage didn't work, replaced fuel sensor and sending unit. Rear wiper quit working, replaced rear wiper motor, a few days later it does not work again. Replaced water pump, have replaced abs only to get a recall after the fact with no reimbursement. Wears through brake pads entirely too fast. Replaced alternator and battery twice. Rear hatch does not unlock with key. Headlights are so dim they might as well not exist. Water leaks into interior on drivers side due to a bad seal. Idler arm needs to be replaced. Gas pedal sticks. Now heater fan works sometimes. Reading through the complaints we are all experiencing the same problems and nothing is being done about it. Recalls issued on some vehicles but not all? now I hear gm put a bad intake manifold gasket on these as well as several other cars (1997) and did not issue a recall because it is not a safety matter! this causes antifreeze to leak into the engine and ultimately ends in a repair of at least 1500. 00. After my experience with this vehicle I will be purchasing soon and it most likely will not be gm. Sad since my dad worked for them for 30 years. They should be held accountable for putting a bad product on the market and leaving us to dry.
Electical-ignition switch when I turn on the key,no dash lights or fuel pump doesn't turn on, so I can not start the vehicle. Now, my rpm goes upto 2000-2500 just to get it to move, and asks like it is 2nd or 3rd gear without changing gears. My headlights were going dim, so I replaced the alternator 2 times. I have heard several people say that the ignition switch is bad. I have tried to find a new one, but nobody can get them-they are on back order-why?.
My 1997 Blazer dies when I am driving it. I can drive it for 2 weeks with no problems and then it will die several times in one day. It doesn't matter how fast I am going. . . I can be going 50 mph or coming to a stop when it dies. The steering and brakes go out and I'm afraid I am going to have an accident. I took it to the dealer and they could not find anything wrong with it and of course it didn't cut off when the mechanic drove it. I have also had to replace the alternator, battery, thermostat, and water pump within the last 6 months.
I purchase my 97 Blazer in Dec 2000 with 35000 miles from a local dealer, I believe it was a previous lease vehicle. Within one year I had to replace ball joints but was told that I did not qualify for a recall. In Feb of 2003 I lost my heat and spent close to 2000 dollars replacing first the water pump, then the radiator. After that didn't solve the problem, the dealership told me that the system needed to be flushed with a special machine that would cost another 400 dollars. The system had to be flushed twice to get marginal heat. According to the dealership, the next move is to replace the heater core. Now the wipers stop working and only restart by flipping the switch back and forth. Not real good on the highway in rush hour traffic. I recently had the alternator replaced and the dealership stated that the serpentine belt was old and cracked and needed to be replaced. It actually had less than 5000 miles on it as they replaced it in February when the water pump was done, there was nothing wrong with it. The combination of lousy service from 2 different dealerships, a vehicle that has had nothing but ongoing problems will be enough to stop me from buying another gm product again.
Primary: electrical failures! ignition switch; multiple electrical failures with interior lights for which no one can figure out what is happening; check engine light has come on since I purchased the vehicle even after dealer worked on it; vehicle stalling out while driving almost caused accident; alternator replacement; multiple batteries -drain for unidentified reason; fuel injection system and pump; unexplained noises in the front end; front ball joints loose for which the dealership would not replace when I bought the vehicle because they said it was within factory limits even though my mechanic said that they were not; at this point I have become afraid to drive the vehicle due to the electrical problems and stalling but feel that I have no choice because the costs to maintain the vehicle is that of the payments and sometimes more and I cannot afford the required money down to replace it. Bottom line -I am getting rid of it as soon as I can since I have spoken to other owners who have had similar recurrent problems. I need a reliable vehicle. This is not one and from what I have seen and dealt with -1997 chevy Blazers are not. The rule out there is you either have a good one or a bad one and I cannot afford on many fronts the one I have. At least chevy should own up to the electrical problems particularly since it is tied to a moving vehicle stalling out and putting peoples lives at risk. I will not own another chevy once I can get rid of this one. The incident date refers to the period starting with the electrical equipment failures.
Gm won't reimburse ball joints due to replacement not by gm dealer. Dt.
Alternator replaced.
Car towed in three times last summer 6/28/ car stalled, electrical system problems, replaced battery, alternator,7 /27 reprogrammed pcm, 9/16 brakes failed replaced master cylinder. We've had other problems with this car from the start. Chevy can't figure out why the car engine started smoking and eventually caught on fire. Car has always been maintained, we have extended 8 year warranty. It was very dangerous, my daughter had taken the car just 1/2 mile to the shopping center and back when it started smoking. The car is totalled, she was not hurt and a neighbor was helpful by called the fire department. This was exceedingly dangerous.
No summary.
The transmission in my vehicle has a defective valve body and it caused my transmission to break, I went to the dealer when I first had the problem of a hard shift from first to second gear when the vehicle was being driven long distances. The dealer said the vehicle is shifting fine and to bring it back when it does it again. This was back on 08/19/02 and now I have a code 1870 on the computer and the transmission is shot. I found out the transmission is a 4l60e and it is very unreliable. Also I already had to change my water pump and alternator and my gas gauge does not work and there is a problem with my windshield wipers also.
When filling the fuel tank, there is a strong odor in the engine compartment, and the vehicle may have a no start condition. Dealer replaced fuel canister and alternator. But problem is still occurring.
Starting system--alternator, battery, switching alarm module.
Alternator failure resulted in rear end collision, the seat belts failed during collision resulting in injuries.