Just pulled the trigger on a Chevy.

[Anthony]

I went ahead and bought a Chevrolet Blazer!  2004 4 door, 4WD.  Should have it later this week after all the insurance/inspection stuff is done.  It looks like this;



Wish me luck!  Chevy owners; is there anything I should keep an eye out for in regards to parts going on 04 models?  I've heard horror stories about these things being money pits...then I've heard they are reliable and amazing vehicles..so I don't know what to think.

My 1999 Cadillac has about 100,500 miles on it and I only got $1500 for it   It is what it is; no one is in the market for a almost 10 year old luxury car with 8 cylinders and so many miles on it..

The Blazer was $8,995.  65,000 miles.

[cgk]

I had an earlier model and I wish I would have "Just pulled the trigger on a Chevy" literally.  Actually it ran fine for the most part, just treat it well.

[Pacu]

Those 4.3 liter engines run forever. My S-10 had one in it and it went 210,000 miles and was still strong when i traded it in for my 2007 Trailblazer.

I'd buy a serpentine belt, jumpercables, and a ratchet set to keep in it. If your heater coil goes out god help you as it is buried inside the passenger side of the dash.

I think you will like it. Slap some aggressive tires on it and a front grill guard.

[Pacu]

Oh yea, they updated the 4.3 in the mid 1990's so any bugs were well worked out by 2004. Think it went from 160ish horsepower to 210ish. Parts are cheap and plentiful as they used the 4.3 in the S10, Sonoma, Isuzu Hombre, and some of GMs autos too.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Beautiful machine, and welcome to the 4x4 club!

Parts should be plentiful for it as said above, but I'd also suggest watching the ball joints and having them checked on a regular basis.  They aren't particularly susceptible, but they can be a problem, and if you have never owned a 4x4 before, they can be an unexpected unexpected for you.  I'd suggest getting a Haynes or Chilton manual for it and flipping through it before you have any problems.

Keep the oil fresh and changed often, and have the tranny serviced regularly too.  Do that and you'll have a friend for life there.  As Pacu said, the 4.3L is perhaps the finest 6cyl engine Chevy ever made, and second only to the 305 (in my experience anyway) for reliability.

The one problem I always had with any GMC products was the peripherals.  Expect to have problems with any fancy options like power windows or automatic traction control.  they aren't serious, but can be a pain in the butt.

Def

[Anthony]

Thanks for the info guys; I'm definately getting a Haynes manual (don't ever remember seeing a Chilton manual here )

I'm going to try to add a grill guard to...one question..do I need to remove the two tow attachments/hooks on the front of the truck?  I didn't get a good look at them yet, but I assume that's where the grill guard would attach.

And has anyone installed an aftermarket stereo receiver in one of these?  NOTHING could be more aggrivating than installing one in a Cadillac...I assume a Chevy is basically plug and play (with the proper adapter of course).

As for peripherals...it's not too "fancy".  Power windows and door locks and that's about it.  No leather, no DVD player, no MP3 player, etc..I wish the cargo compartment wasn't carpeted...I'll have to get one of those fitted rubber mats for back there.

One thing I need to learn is using the 4 wheel drive.

[BIG-TARGET]

Why not spend the money and get an "up-armored " Chevy Suburban and spend a few extra sheckles for this option

[Grant Lamontagne]

Sorry- was going to respond last night, but I'm a bit out of it with a flu bug at the moment...

You shouldn't have to remove the tow hooks to attach a grille guard, but that really depends on the manufacturer of the guard and how they designed it.  Really can't help much with that one I'm afraid!

I haven't put a stereo in a Blazer, but I did install one in my Sunfire.  It isn't the most sensible setup, but I went to the local stereo shop to get the adaptor kit and everything went in well enough from there.  Get the kit- it'll run you maybe $20-30 but it'll be well worth it, especially adapting the deck to fit in the giant hole GM puts in for the awful factory decks.

Best way to learn about your four wheel drive it to try and contact a local 4x4 club, who probably offer an "Offroad 101" type course, or will be happy to bring you along on a "stock friendly" trail ride.  Chances are you'll get stuck at some point, so it'll be nice to have some folks along with winches and Hi Lifts, tow straps, chains and anything else that may be needed to keep you chugging along.  Even if you don't plan to spend any time off road, the skills they'll help you learn will be invaluable for on road driving in bad weather conditions.

Def

[jdailey4206966]

Of course:) You will know it will last, simply because it is a CHEVY

[665ae]

Of course:) You will know it will last, simply because it is a CHEVY

I'm going to refrain from commenting on that

[jdailey4206966]

Of course:) You will know it will last, simply because it is a CHEVY

I'm going to refrain from commenting on that

Im guessing your a Ford boy or love the rice burners

[J-sews]

Of course:) You will know it will last, simply because it is a CHEVY

I'm going to refrain from commenting on that

Im guessing your a Ford boy or love the rice burners

Yikes!!!! Run while you still can jdaily!!

[jdailey4206966]

im not afraid

[getpower]

Dont listen to any of these guys.

That vehicle is truly one of the best that has ever come out of Chevrolet's plants.

Those S10 Blazers are really reliable and Chevy, debatably but really makes the best vehicles on the road. Every brand has its problems, and Chevy has a lot less. The ball joints on those dont wear out and the suspension components are the best to ever be produced.

Those 4.3 Liter engines are bulletproof and they even put them in the full size half ton trucks.

All that been said, if you wheel it, there are gonna be problems with the front end of the vehicle-i.e. cv shafts, seals, and joints.

Any other questions, feel free to ask me. I am very knowledgeable on these vehicles and have worked on enough to know whats going on.

[ducktapehero]

Those 4.3 Liter engines are bulletproof and they even put them in the full size half ton trucks.

Yep, even though I'm a Ford guy I can vouch for the 4.3. Basically it's the classic Chevy 350ci with 2 cylinders removed. Good torquey engine. (Is torquey a word?)   

[getpower]

BTW, its called shift-on-the-fly.

There are three buttons on the dash with a little N and a light next to it. When that light goes on, you are in neutral (the transmission I mean). The buttons are 2HI, 4HI, and 4LO.

Never put the vehicle into 4LO while moving, and you can put the vehicle in 4HI if you are going 55 MPH or slower. This is for snowy conditions and it will say all of this in the owners manual.

When going into 4LO, stop the vehicle COMPLETELY, then shift into neutral and then press your button until the light on the button stops blinking. You will hear a knocking, followed by a scraping sound coming from under the vehicle, this is completely normal. You may even hear a solid klunk.

[Grant Lamontagne]

The ball joints on those dont wear out

My father in law replaces the ball joints on his Jimmy every three years or so. 

Def

[getpower]

Thats a really odd thing to have a problem with on those vehicles.

But like I said, every brand has its potential problems.

[665ae]

Of course:) You will know it will last, simply because it is a CHEVY

I'm going to refrain from commenting on that

Im guessing your a Ford boy or love the rice burners

Ahem...  maybe you should guess again.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Yup- every brand has it's issues, I'll agree.

My father in law is not hard on that truck- in fact, he's downright wussy.  I'll bet that thing hasn't even broken 60mph, and I'm not kidding.  The worst it ever sees is occasionally (maybe twice a year) towing a 12 foot aluminum boat about a hundred miles, the last two miles being gravel.  I'm pretty certain my Sunfire could manage that...

I really mentioned ball joints as the "extra" parts on a 4x4 might be overlooked by someone used to a two wheel drive vehicle.

Def

[NutSAK]

The ball joints on those dont wear out and the suspension components are the best to ever be produced.

When you say "best", what do you mean?  Ride-wise?  Durability-wise?

[Anthony]

After a few days of owning it I'm glad I bought it.  Just got it inspected today, everything checked out there.

I've heard the Dex-Cool used in these trucks isn't that great...it globs up when exposed to air and clogs.  I've replaced the stock plastic radiator cap with a metal safety release Stant cap.  I've read on a Blazer forum that it's a good idea to do.  Any opinions on having that coolant flushed and replaced with something better next time I'm getting a tune up?

Actually I'm not sure it's even Dex-Cool in there seeing as I'm not the first owner...is there any way I can tell what's in there by color of the fluid?

[Grant Lamontagne]

I can't really help you when it comes to transmission fluid... about the only advice I can offer is to go to a place like Mr Lube, who specializes in fluids, if for no other reason than you can be certain they dispose of the old stuff properly.

Def

[Pacu]

When my heater core went out in my S10 and leaked Dex-cool all over my mats i replaced the coolant with Prestone @ 66,000 miles. 

I bypassed the heater for a winter by rearranging the coolant hoses a bit. Sure did miss that heater driving from Dallas to Amarillo in 20 degree weather. Had to turn on the ac to warm up!

[Anthony]

Question I posted on another forum, figured some might have some suggestions here also;

I have an 04 Blazer, and coulden''t start it earlier.  There was a heavy rain and wind storm that passed through and I think that might be related. 

I unlocked it with the FOB, sat in it, and turnt the key to start it and it didn''t turn over.  The lights came on, the power windows worked..everything was fine electrically as far as I could tell, but there was no sound of anything happening under the hood when I pushed the key all the way foward.  I did that (key foward/backward/foward/backward) for about 10 seconds before it started right up.

I was kind of worried and wanted to see if it would happen again, so I shut the engine off.  I waited about five seconds and tried to start it; same problem for about another minute before it turned right over and started.

Anything I should check out?  Any connections prone to getting wet that I should double check?

[getpower]

The only thing that I can think of right off hand is that you might want to get your starter checked. Not replaced yet, but checked. Also check your battery cables, they may at first have been just tight enough to turn your lights and stuff on, and not run your starter.

Just a couple of suggestions. I am not an auto mechanic, but I have run into a problem like that with my truck. First the starter didnt work, then it did. Mine went completely out about a week later.