I have a 1997 Blazer with about 105k miles. As of late, the engine seems to die at random like someone is turning the key off. I will do it while going down the highway, or just idling and completely at random. If i'm going down the road and it does it, it will sometimes start right back up. At times it won't do it for a few days and do it ten times in one day. The engine seems to be running fine, no rough idling or anything. I have noticed that it's a little harder to start sometimes though.
Intermittent symptom says bad electrical connection somewhere...like fuel pump, fuel pump relay, ignition switch, coil etc. Could be bad ground connection too. The absolute WORST kind of trouble to find and fix.
I agree with the positive battery cable diagnosis. My 97 Yukon has the same problem. Between the two cables it gets all kind of corrosion. Was driving to work just last week when everything went dark! No nothing! Got out and give the cables a yank and a twist and it all came back immediately. Glad it didn't happen in the tunnel I went through a few miles back! This is an ongoing maintenance problem for me that I try to stay on top of.I actually keep one of those nice little ratcheting battery terminal wrenches and a small jar of baking soda solution and a wire brush in the tool box under the hood. Have had to replace the terminal bolt too. Been using the corrosion preventer spray which helps but doesn't prevent it completely. Andy C.
I hope that you find it quickly. I think it is probably like the others have said the pos connection on the battery. But here is a true "Horror Story". A number of years ago, my pride and joy, my '73 pickup (which I still have) started the same mysterious thing. Sometimes it would die going straight, sometimes when turning right, sometimes when turning left, and sometimes when sitting still or even backing up. It usually would start up again right away, but sometimes it was dead for days.
I checked everything, I rewired the primary and secondary engine electrical system, replace the cables. Everything electrical I could think of. Replaced the fuel filters, replaced the fuel pump. I just about gave up. I even pulled the gas line and replace it.
Nothing helped. After spending all summer trying to figure it out in desperation, I pulled the gas tank. As I dropped it down I immediately suspected that I had found the source of the problem. I turned it over and shook it. About two dozen marbles rolled out.
Being an experienced parent, I checked to see which child had disappeared, there by identifying the guilty party. My daughter had been P.O.ed at her brothers so hid some of there marbles in the gas tank.
I learned my lesson. Everything has had a locking gas cap on it since then.
I hope that you find it quickly. I think it is probably like the others have said the pos connection on the battery
Same thing happened in my 97 Tahoe
After several batteries being replaced and being stranded on many occassions... I noticed that the Pos battery terminal was getting hot.... I figured that could not be it, because I had meticulously cleaned... I did not know that the terminal was really in two parts covered in red plastic with a steel washer inbetween the two copper connectors... I cut the rubber off and saw that the amount of carbon and crud that had built up between the two connectors was huge... I then cleaned the connectors, chucked the steel washer and used a stainless star washer between the connectors.
BTW one symptom I had was that sometimes when I tried to start in the morning, the car would lightly click and act like the battery was totally dead... two or three clicks later, it started like new... but I would see when that happened that the clock in the radio would do a complete reset... talk about frustrating.... but for now...
I also had that problem and posted the battery cable corrosion fix severeal months ago. cleaned the pos. very well and even rinsed with baking soda to clean final and no problem ever again.
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