Blazer problems...

[Sledgstone]

I was driving to work a couple days ago when my blazer started screaming at me like a bastard. it sounded like those old dot matrix printers. O_O the metal clicking/grinding/scraping sound was so loud, I could look over at peoples houses and they would be looking out their windows like "wtf!?". -_-; I thought it was my brake pads at first because the sound only came and went around the times I hit the brakes.. but nope, it started happening constantly whenever the car was in motion regardless of if I was hitting the brakes or not.

But the odd thing was, going home, I never heard a thing.. O_o the next morning, once again it started screaming at me. and then I figured out the noise was coming from the back of the car only and not from the brakes. And then I thought, when I drive to work, its alot of uphill driving, but coming home from work is mostly downhill.. so that made me think it was a fluid issue.. so I came to the conclusion it must be my rear differential. So I hit valvolene to get the rear differential fluid replaced and sure as hell, the guy tells me that it looks like the original fluid and that its loaded with metal flakes. -_- $70 for the good synthetic oil for the differential and the problem is gone.

So lets just say, 4x4s are a bitch with maintenance. And if any of you own a 4x4, get your front and rear differential fluid changed every 30,000 miles or so. and I think transfer case fluid has to be changed every 50,000 or so.

[Eppy]

AH never thought of that...should have since that happened with my truck when the rear diff rotten out and the fluid drained thus destroyed all the bearings...its just not 4x4 sledgie most trucks have a differential and it needs to be maintained

[Sledgstone]

well this sucks. I drove a little tonight and I'm getting that damn noise again, but it sounds only half as bad.. I'm wondering if the overall noise I was hearing was actually two parts. O_o Guh, I think I'm going to schedule an appointment at the dealership. I wonder if hubs or wheel bearings are covered under my powertrain warranty. :\

[Mathias]

Make sure muffler strap hasn't rusted off.

[Serena]

I've worked on a lot of 4x4s and I can't say I've ever run into something quite like that before...well except once when the CV joint in the bronco got chewed to hell...but then a lot of the vehicles I work on are older...the newest one is like an 89 or so...

[Sledgstone]

well, it could be a cv joint. my only guess now is that a bearing is seizing up somewhere. If the noise happens at all in the next couple of days, especially monday on my way to work, I'll be setting up and appointment at the dealership. I got to double check my warranty, but I'm pretty certain all bearings are covered. So I should only have to pay my warranty deductable to get the thing fixed.

Make sure muffler strap hasn't rusted off.

the muffler strap is fine. the strap did break on my saturn before, and i temporarily fixed it with a metal clothes hanger. :p

[Eppy]

yeah since the fluid was low some of the bearings might have gotten worn out

[Mathias]

Good luck with the dealership. I know how much trouble you've had in the past.

[DeathscytheX]

Ah the glory that is Chevy. :p

[Sledgstone]

Turns out it wasn't nearly as bad as I was thinking. It wasn't a wheel bearing at all, turns out my emergency brake shoe partially seized up in my brake shoe/against the rotor. O_o how the hell that happened I have no idea. So of course they try to give me crap and tell me I should definitely get a full rear brake job with new rotors for a cost of around $500. yeah.. I told the guy to show me the brakes and where the damage to the rotors were. He didn't expect that. X'D I told them no to the brake job and that I have someone thats been doing brakes for me for years. after hearing that, the two mechanics had that look on their faces like they just found out santa wasn't real. X'D

So I bought ceramic brake pads yesterday for $45 and this saturday I'm driving over to lady's dads house and hes going to help me do the brakes. :p and the quotes I got for new rotors would be about $35 to $70 a piece if I even need them, which I doubt, but I'll let her dad have a look at them too for his opinion. and the most expensive emergency brake shoe set was $60. Even if I have to buy the rotors and e-brakes, the cost is still drastically less than $500.. fuckin rip off bastards.

[Mathias]

Most of that $500 is labor. Saturn posts their standard labor rate per hour right behind the counter. I think it said $65 per hour last time. Figure up the cost of the parts, add in the labor and I bet their off by two or three hours at that labor rate. Don't forget the inspection fee for just looking at the vehicle of >$50. That by itself is a rip.

[Godgrave]

Dude, your Blazer and you remind me of the first episode of Ah! My Goddess ... BAD LUCK X'D!

[Sledgstone]

*eagerly anticipates the phone call from the goddess assistance agency* :happy:

[Ladywriter]

.........I'm gonna get a rail gun and........

[xxangelxdust]

Blazers are a nice car, what year. My friend has a 88 i think...?

[Sledgstone]

Its a 2001. Its hella nice in the snow, but man its a gas guzzler. x_x

[Sledgstone]

well, brake job is done. Didn't get a chance to check out the emergency brakes tho, looks like a couple bolts threads were worn and we didn't want to risk breaking them considering all the auto shops are already closed because of sunday hours. eh, oh well. at least the brakes are done and the rotors seem fine.

[HKofsesshoumaru]

Wow~ I took my car in for a simple E vap leak and they just came back and told me that my breaks were down to 0% (600$) Slave and Master Cylinder are leaking ($300) and the transmission is leaking as well ($1500). Evap leak= Priceless. A quick hose fix and the shop didn't charge me. It's sitting in here staring at me....and I'm still paying the loan..... grrrrrrr

[luke6104]

I was driving to work a couple days ago when my blazer started screaming at me like a bastard. it sounded like those old dot matrix printers. O_O the metal clicking/grinding/scraping sound was so loud, I could look over at peoples houses and they would be looking out their windows like "wtf!?". -_-; I thought it was my brake pads at first because the sound only came and went around the times I hit the brakes.. but nope, it started happening constantly whenever the car was in motion regardless of if I was hitting the brakes or not.

But the odd thing was, going home, I never heard a thing.. O_o the next morning, once again it started screaming at me. and then I figured out the noise was coming from the back of the car only and not from the brakes. And then I thought, when I drive to work, its alot of uphill driving, but coming home from work is mostly downhill.. so that made me think it was a fluid issue.. so I came to the conclusion it must be my rear differential. So I hit valvolene to get the rear differential fluid replaced and sure as hell, the guy tells me that it looks like the original fluid and that its loaded with metal flakes. -_- $70 for the good synthetic oil for the differential and the problem is gone.

So lets just say, 4x4s are a bitch with maintenance. And if any of you own a 4x4, get your front and rear differential fluid changed every 30,000 miles or so. and I think transfer case fluid has to be changed every 50,000 or so.
Woah, that is bad, ive got a 4x4 hope it dont happen to me, anyway im sad to hear this, one thing what i dont understand tho, is why the arcade is not working on this vbulletin forum

[falling-angel-111]

Jeez, it's pathetic how much they can charge you to fix shit on your car. My bf had his car put in to have the transmission fixed or replaced or whatever. Well it cost him about 1000 and it was in for atleast three weeks and when he got it back the back seat was all tore up. So needless to say these places are all just a pain in the ass.

[CabbitGirl]

well the transmission is a whole different story -_- i was thinking about getting a new car when i thought there was something messed up with my transmission (turned out it was a something completely different) i think its cheaper to get a new car rather than new transmission >_>

[Flying_Monkey]

you know where the real problem is...BLAZER... thats the problem...

[Sledgstone]

*nods* yeah, I didn't know what I was getting into. Good news is, after looking at everyone else's blazer problems, and then looking at all the crap I've now replaced and/or was fixed by the dealership that sold it to me.. once I finish up all this remaining misc. maintenance, it should last for the next 30,000+ miles without any more work (aside from oil changes). *curses NY winters for forcing me to get a 4x4*