Well it cost me $330 for the garage to do the work. I cannot for the life of me find the receipt to see if the part was itemised, but then again they probably got the part at a cheaper price than we could. I'd guess that the bill may have been
50/50 for parts/labor as I don't think they needed more than a couple of hours to swap out the parts.
I had the exact problem with my 97 blazer. it would be idling smoothly then suddenly cut off. Wasted a lot of time and money in parts because it was so intermitent. But finally I noticed some of the dash light did not come on when the ignition was first turned on after damp weather. CHANGED THE SWITCH AND THE CAR HASN'T STALLED IN 2 YEARS. must be a defect that year. The switch cost about $100. But the bigest problem was finding the tools. it is held in by female torx screws. The smallest one I could not find the right size, but I managed to jamb a 3/16 socket on it and get it out. Other than the wierd hareware it is easy to change.
BE SURE TO DISC> That's great news! What should I expect this repair to cost me? >
Well, the Blazer went into the shop today.
It died on my wife today and wouldn't restart. The battery was flat dead. I don't think she left the headlights on last night, but it's possible that the key got stuck and she left it in run/accessory all night.
It was time to bite the bullet and take care of it. I was going to do it myself, but don't have the time.
I took it up to the Chevy dealer where I bought it. Since this seemed to be beyond what Tuffy could handle (they had 2 tries already), I decided to go straight to the GM guys. I expect they'll call me sometime late morning/early afternoon and let me know what they find.
-NW
Well, a whole heap of money later...
They replaced my battery, ignition lock, and ignition switch (as well as the serpantine belt)...
The stalling seems to be cured so far. No stalling in the last 3 days.
I had them key the new ignition lock to match our existing keys. Both of my keys still have trouble with getting stuck in the lock. When I shut the truck off, I occasionally can not turn the key all the way back to "off" where the key is released.
I'm hoping this is just a problem that some graphite might cure, since it is a brand new lock. I'm going to ask them to cut me two new keys and see if maybe my keys are just worn (as well as copies of copies).
The worst of it is over though, I hope...
Thanks Kevan! It's been an adventure!
-NW
Actually, that's a problem a new key will cure. Have the dealer cut a new key based on your VIN, they should have no problem doing so if you provide proof YOU own the vehicle. A worn key will pose these symptoms (sticking in the cylinder, not turning the cylinder)...
Yeah, I have three keys, two of which are copies of the third. None of the
3 are the original either. When I bought the blazer used, I received 1 copied key. I just shot some graphite into it and worked the key around some, but it's still sticking. I'll call up the dealership tomorrow.-NW
The saga continues...
The service guy at the dealership said that the key problem was actually being caused by the shifter! So they replaced the shifter today, at no charge because they said "our tech should have caught this before he replaced the switch and lock".
WOOHOO! They made my day!
I have a friend who works up there as a salesman. He set me up with a "test drive" while my blazer was being worked on. A 2004 Colorado Z71. :O) Not bad, I must say!
-NW
They replaced the shifter, and cut me a dealer key from the VIN.
After running a few errands, starting and shutting off the blazer about
10-15 times, everything seems to be working flawlessly. No stalling in the last 4 days, and the key is being released as it should.I think it's been a pretty good day.
Thanks again guys!
-NW
See the above post about appreciation for help. This is why these groups are out there. Glad we could help out, glad to hear everything is fixed and that your dealer comped the repair because they missed it the firsat time, not many will..
Finally some good news NetWeasel.
Hey guys, what was the part number for that ignition switch? My '99 Blazer isn't stalling, but it does start funny and then a few seconds later the instrument panel finally comes alive.
John, I'm afraid I don't know the actual part number. All I am aware of is that it was not the top part of the ignition (where the key goes in), but it was the lower part on mine.
Kevan.
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