Just bought S-10 blazer, any advice?

Hey guys,

I was able to get a '97 S-10 Blazer at a really great price. I am the 3rd owner of this machine. Anybody know what I can do to prevent transmission problems? Any special thing like changing the fluid more often or installing some part? BTW it has 140,000 miles on it, it still shifts smooth. The people I bought it off of say they've had no problems at all with the transmission, they weren't sure about the people that bought it new. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, from the way it sounds I really wanna avoid any tranny problems. Also another quick question, the Blazer still has the Orange/Red coolant. Is it safe to flush the system and put in regular green coolant?

Thanks for any advice!! :)

stay with the orange / red coolant and change the trans fluid and filter so you can keep track of the replacement time

that orange/red coolant isn't dexi-cool is it? if it is..i recommend changing to the green coolant. i used to work at an oil/lube place and the dexi cool is expensive plus it's not that great of stuff....ruins the engine after a while. Even had a few complaints about it but none after they switched back to the green. don't know why GM put that stuff in their vehicles anyways.

DO NOT switch to green. The orange coolant (Dexcool) that came in your blazer is phospate free, green coolant is not. Phosphates will corrode engine parts that are made of aluminum or aluminum alloy and can cause serious damage. The only drawback with orange is that it will start to sludge after about five years and plug things up, starting with the heater core unless the coolant system is flushed and refilled. If your not sure how old the coolant is, get it changed or do it yourself, its relatively easy.
Vince

your blazer is already 7 years old and the motor is likely already ruined from the acid, er I mean death cool. Of all the motors that are affected negatively by deathcool, the 4.3 is by far the worst.

change the tranny fluid every 20K, put in a darin plug if not equipped, add the largest tranny cooler money can buy.

drain the death cool and go green at the soonest opportunity.

then sit back and prepare for all the other crap that blazers break monthly.

yeah, the dexcool has created nothing but seemingly endless problems for me and many other people. now that i got the problems fixed and switched to green, it's no problem. if it's not already, the dexcool will turn to mud.

I've seen several thousand engines torn down and the green coolant flows out like water and the orange crud usually has to be scraped out, or falls out in chunks.

A properly maintained dexcool charged cooling system will not sludge.

Sludge is caused by people mixing the orange with the green or having a defective rad cap.

I agree with BlazerLT. My 96 Jimmy was recalled because of dexcool problems way back when I got it. This 96-97 factory dexcool is the stuff you have to worry about!

If you've put new goo in your vehicle and made sure the coolant level stays high through all the seasons, the heater core won't gurgle, you'll actually feel heat coming from the heater vents, you won't overheat your engine, etc. Usually just looking inside of your radiator cap every once and a while solves 99% of the problems.

p.s. At one point I was having all of the coolant loss problems everyone describes. Mechanics said it was my heater core leaking because I had no heat and I could smell coolant. NO!!! I opened the hood myself and saw that my radiator had a crack in it (easy replacement). Before anything else, inspect your radiator and cap. Don't convert to green!

Its not phosphate free, its silicate free. silicates = sand, really really fine sand particles.

the problem is, or so they tell us, is that the silicates over time cause wear on aluminum components. this was a classic example of 'preventative science' going bad. what they failed to consider is that the silicates kept the coolant passages scrubbed clean and the 'crap' that WILL form in suspension.

There has to my knowledge NEVER been a case of any component of a motor failing due to abrasive coolant.

the root problem with deathcool is that it is horribly high in sodium. when exposed to heat and air (hmmmmmmmmmmmm!) it forms caustic soda which eats at metal. This is a problem.

Does your engine run? If yes then the coolant experiences heat.

does your engine have a radiator cap and or recovery tank? If yes then the coolant encounters oxygen.

due to a problem with the seating of the intake manifold, 4.3v6s eat coolant a drop at a time with the factory gaskets. You can correct this with the proper felpro gaskets and proper usage of sealant(s). therefore all 4.3s have a steadily (but slowly) lowering coolant level, introducing more air thru the recovery system vent tube. every time you heat then cool the motor, coolant is energetically mixed with this fresh oxygen. Acerbating the problem.

THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO PREVENT THIS PROBLEM.

switch to green. change it out every 2 years. change the oil as required. drive for a hundreds of thousands of miles and instead gripe about the bearings, balljoints and bushings the blazer will eat up on a regular basis.

I still stand for Dexcool having no problems on a properly running vehicle.

I was loosing coolant and had minor sludging and it was due to a faulty rad cap drawing in air instead of coolant from the overflow tank when the rad is cooling and contracting.

IF ANYONE HAS NOT EVER REPLACED THEIR RAD CAP , DO SO NOW EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT HAVING PROBLEMS. THE STOCK CAPS ARE FLWAED AND A REPLACEMENT IS ONLY $3.

Here is a good article:

http://www.imcool.com/articles/antifreeze-coolant/dexcool-macs2001.htm

I still stand for Dexcool having no problems on a properly running vehicle.

I was loosing coolant and had minor sludging and it was due to a faulty rad cap drawing in air instead of coolant from the overflow tank when the rad is cooling and contracting.

IF ANYONE HAS NOT EVER REPLACED THEIR RAD CAP , DO SO NOW EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT HAVING PROBLEMS. THE STOCK CAPS ARE FLWAED AND A REPLACEMENT IS ONLY $3.

Here is a good article:

http://www.imcool.com/articles/antifreeze-coolant/dexcool-macs2001.htm

so as long as the radiator cap is new, you dont mind expensive acid in the motor when instead you can have cheaper glycol regardless of cap condition? okayyyyyyyyyyy......

Our system is a 15lb system and with a bad rad cap on a dexcool or conventional fill, it will overheat either way. The pressure it to raise the boiling point. Without the proper seal, the boiling point drops.

I have had dexcool in my 1995 Blazer since it's birth in October 1995 and it has been changed and flushed once and that was 2 years ago and it is completely clear and fine.

I have never had a problem.

So stop with the bullshit "you use dexcool and it will screw up you cooling system" bullshit and quit being so narrow minded.

You are even arguing aginast trained professionals in that link I gave you. How do you know better than them.

Most problems were created by the faulty cap which happened to me also and in a lot of cases it was the actual culprit.

So which cap should be used ? The Stand 10230 or 10231 ? What about a brand new cap from GM ??

Don't buy the Ac Delco.

Go to the auto parts store and buy the model for your truck. They will have the model number cross reference there.

It cured my heater core gurgling noise and lowered my coolant temperatures by 30f

i've seen the orange coolant gum up so i would get rid of it if i were you i know i did when i got mine and it works alot better so don't be foolish and get rid of that crap becasue its not worth the trouble.

You have?

What conditions?
How old was it?

So stop with the bullshit "you use dexcool and it will screw up you cooling system" bullshit and quit being so narrow minded.

sage advice that people should listen to (not to mention that deathcool is no longer made and has been replaced by a more tolerant coolant)


You are even arguing aginast trained professionals in that link I gave you. How do you know better than them.

I am? Lets see...

I give the big guys credit for even bringing up the subject because, well, let’s face it, there are not a lot of kind words being spoken about this coolant at automotive service shops today. (Especially at radiator shops.)

So I am not alone....

Keep the cooling system filled. In fact, fill the reservoir bottle to “Hot” level when the system is cold

So we are to ditch factory recommendations....

now take a moment for a little sidebar. If the radiator cap fails as you and the article is talking about, the motor coolant level will drop but the recovery tank level will RISE. Rise to the point of overflow. THAT IS NOT THE PROBLEM. The problem, specifically with the 4.3 motor is the seal of the intake allows coolant to be drawn into one or more intake passage. I, and others who rebuild or repair these motors have seen THOUSANDS like this each MONTH. If the radiator level AND tank level are both low, you can change the cap every day and will not solve the problem.

The coolant problems found in this survey were caused by system contamination

Oh, you mean like air getting in and forming caustic soda?

But here is what the article DOESNT say....to plug the cap with debris, means the debris has to be ALREADY PRESENT and in such sufficient quantity to single out the highest point of the system NEXT. Talk to ANY radiator shop and ask to see some 1-2 year old radiators.

And here is the real kicker, the vast majority of vehicles on the road, suffering from OAT-coolant problems are (surprise!) NOT blazers and to add insult to injury, dont even have radiator caps. Take the prolific 3.1 engine in nearly every thing GM makes - intakes, seals, gaskets and pumps, all replaced on average THRICE under 100K miles. Good business if you can get it.

But the fact still remains: deathcool is such that if the most incoccous part of the system fails, it destroys the entire system. Green coolant simply does not. And is cheaper to boot. Why anyone would even rationally consider using deathcool (especially when the OEMs have changed) is beyond me.

Just stop with the conspiricy theory, honestly, you are over the top and just over exagerate everything.

Cliffs Notes:

1.) Nothing Wrong with Dexcool.
2.) No Sludge will form in a properly maintained cooling system.
3.) Most problems with Dexcool are from neglect or a poor rad cap.

That's odd, my friends new Chevy Colorado comes with Dexcool.

Just stop with the conspiricy theory, honestly, you are over the top and just over exagerate everything.


Really?

these people (http://www.girardgibbs.com/dexcool.html) are investigating claims for a pending class action suit against GM and Chevron/Texaco.

Where there is smoke there is often fire.

These people (http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/gm_dexcool.html) collect complaints from Dexcool victims. As promised, 4.3 'Blazers' are not the only victims

[note: the cooling system used on the blazer is the same on the C/K pickups in all aspects except size on the V8s. The only C/K pickups typically mentioned with much frequency above the norm are the 4.3s - again, due to the intake problems]

How about 2 more class action lawsuits (http://www.wcpo.com/wcpo/localshows/dontwasteyourmoney/20299ce7.html) on behalf of THOUSANDS of owners. not 1. not 2. Not even a dozen.

Are cars the only vehicles affected? Nope (http://www.penray.com/bulletins/noat_failures.htm)

And no, GM has not used 'dex-cool' since 2001. they switched to a long life coolant made by prestone which is similar to the long life coolants used in ford, Honda and toyota vehicles, AND is compatible with green.

Again, the point is not: can I make dexcool work?, the point is that if it doesnt work (and there is ample evidence it does not) the consequences are dire. And you get the priveledge of these consequences for more cost AND GM now recommends that the long life coolant be changed and flushed every 2 years in areas where warmer temperatures can be had in the summer, or in other words: North America.

Would you not agree that it pays to research a subject? A simple google search key of 'dexcool' 'problems' returns 3480 documents. Happy reading.

Where there is smoke, intense heat, crackling sounds and a whole bunch of whistles, there most certainly is fire.

I read all that garbage 3 years ago when I started experiencing "their" (overheating) problems. I totally bought into it, because it seemed to answer my questions. I even emailed some lady saying I had the same problems and wanted to join in the class action suit! -This was all done before I even opened the hood. They had all the motives and "evidence" to make their case seem logical, so I assumed dexcool was the problem without even knowing where the radiator cap was - duh! However, they pointed me to the "rust" in the reservoir tank labeled "engine coolant," and I heard the gurgling under that dash (which now rattles under breaking ahhhhhh!). Based on this, I supposedly knew that I had the infamous "sludge". The lady urged me to contact everyone I know and urge them to boycott GM because they're horrible and all...

There is no conspiracy theory! I was a jerk who was appeased by what the talking heads on the internet were telling me about the sludge (sounds like a Bush supporter...). I was sure GM was to blame and I was waiting for that class action suit to bring in some bucks. I went to the dealership, they said I'd have to replace the heater core. They told me the price and I said no thanks. 1 month later I got the gumption and looked under the radiator cap, and it was empty. The radiator tank had a hole in it. These class action nuts are crazed because they paid dealership fees for replacing and flushing, when I highly doubt those were the problems in the first place.

The factory dexcool in the early cars was the problem. My coollant system got flushed and filled under a recall way back when. There is still "rust" from the factory coolant in my reservoir tank, however the new coolant HAS NOT collected in this fashion (the rust is just cosmetic leftovers from the factory coolant-flushing doesn't get that out). I replaced the radiator and put a 180 thermostat in. I'm still running the factory cap! (which I wouldn't advise- I've been forgetful of buying a new one). I don't want to argue with "3480" search results, however today's dexcool is no problem.

Replace the cap and you will be good to go for many miles.

I read all that garbage 3 years ago when I started experiencing "their" (overheating) problems. I totally bought into it, because it seemed to answer my questions. I even emailed some lady saying I had the same problems and wanted to join in the class action suit! -This was all done before I even opened the hood. They had all the motives and "evidence" to make their case seem logical, so I assumed dexcool was the problem without even knowing where the radiator cap was - duh! However, they pointed me to the "rust" in the reservoir tank labeled "engine coolant," and I heard the gurgling under that dash (which now rattles under breaking ahhhhhh!). Based on this, I supposedly knew that I had the infamous "sludge". The lady urged me to contact everyone I know and urge them to boycott GM because they're horrible and all...

There is no conspiracy theory! I was a jerk who was appeased by what the talking heads on the internet were telling me about the sludge (sounds like a Bush supporter...). I was sure GM was to blame and I was waiting for that class action suit to bring in some bucks. I went to the dealership, they said I'd have to replace the heater core. They told me the price and I said no thanks. 1 month later I got the gumption and looked under the radiator cap, and it was empty. The radiator tank had a hole in it. These class action nuts are crazed because they paid dealership fees for replacing and flushing, when I highly doubt those were the problems in the first place.

The factory dexcool in the early cars was the problem. My coollant system got flushed and filled under a recall way back when. There is still "rust" from the factory coolant in my reservoir tank, however the new coolant HAS NOT collected in this fashion (the rust is just cosmetic leftovers from the factory coolant-flushing doesn't get that out). I replaced the radiator and put a 180 thermostat in. I'm still running the factory cap! (which I wouldn't advise- I've been forgetful of buying a new one). I don't want to argue with "3480" search results, however today's dexcool is no problem.

so let me see if I am reading this right:

You had coolant problems of some sort.
you had flushes done
you changed a thermostat
you changed a radiator
you dont believe the plethora of complaints
but you do believe the radiator cap is the problem
you are still running your original cap after all of this.

I leave anything out?

ps- 'todays dexcool' is not dexcool. "dexcool" is a registered trademark of havoline. 'todays dexcool' is silicate free glycol that just happens to be dyed orange and does not contains the potentially caustic additive package. It is unclear whether or not the makers of "dexcool" have also switched their formulation. why should they? Its no longer used by GM.

1) There was ONE coolant flush done in my vehicle (about 7 years ago). Non-harmful dexcool was put in.
2) I didn't even ask for it, the dealership did it for free a year after the vehicle was new, and I wouldn't have known about it but they put it on my reciept.
3) I put in a new thermostat when I replaced the radiator, because the coolant was out and I wanted a lower temp - it was only 4 bucks.
4) MY cap has caused no problems. I installed new coolant when I installed the new radiator. The old coolant (from the dealership for 7 yrs) had no sludge in it, it was like new. I would suggest to switch the cap because that is where the factory dexcool seemed to build up. I have a tiny bit on my cap, however it has not accumulated since the dealership flushed 7 years ago, and my car never overheats so I have no urgent reason to change it.
5) My radiator had a crack on the top of the "cool" side of the plastic tank. I think there was a mechanical reason it failed and I believe dexcool had nothing to do with it.
6) I do believe in the "plethora of complaints", but I think getting rid of the factory coolant (should have been done by the dealer) and knowing how to open the radiator cap to check the coolant level (not looking in the reservoir - that's useless) you can figure out why you have problems. Most people I know are scared to open the cap because it says "caution.. hot... under pressure". People are afraid that their cold radiators are going to spew molten lava in their faces. hahaha

if you only flushed your system once in the past 7 years you don't know what your doing anyway and i still think that dexcool stuff is shit and i bet you if you flushed your system right now you would be suprised at the stuff you'd find and like i told someone else in another fourm flushing your system with a garden hose ain't going to get it you need to pressure flush it and when you go get it done ask them if you can watch all the crap come out. you'll be surprised

if you only flushed your system once in the past 7 years you don't know what your doing anyway and i still think that dexcool stuff is shit and i bet you if you flushed your system right now you would be suprised at the stuff you'd find and like i told someone else in another fourm flushing your system with a garden hose ain't going to get it you need to pressure flush it and when you go get it done ask them if you can watch all the crap come out. you'll be surprised

And you don't know what you are talking about seeing you change dexcool every 5 years so he is fine.

Do your research before you post aimless bashing crap.

Did you read my last post? I replaced my own radiator and saw all the fluid coming out. I checked the radiator, hoses, and I saw the thermostat after I took it off the engine block. The old thermostat was spotless and I could show it to you now if I had a digital camera. There have been no surprises. The new dexcool has cause NO problems. And my cooling system has worked perfectly since the dealer flushed it (except for the month 3 yrs ago when the radiator was broken). And for those of you who will criticize me for driving my car a month with a broken radiator, I'm not a jerk, I was in school.

Thank You BlazerLT

No problem, these guys are ridiculous.

OMG THE DEXCOOL IS RUINING MY ENGINE!!!!

No, people be cheap and lazy and not doing proper maintanence is causing most of these problems.

well when you need a ride don't come to me

heres a couple of websites that explain dexcool which is kinda interesting cause its stuff i didn't even know
http://www.cwcd.com/CM/MassTorts/MassTorts5.asp
www.injuryboard.com/view.cfm/ Topic=1095

In a perfect world, say maybe, laboratory conditions, the "orange death fluid" wouldn't hurt your car. Take a Blazer into the real world and wait for the problems to begin. My 97 Blazer cooling system started eating itself up after 3 years. First the heater core, followed shortly thereafter by the radiator and then the water pump. Get air into the system and you're screwed. If you hear bubbling/gurgling in the heater core, sell the car now and save yourself lots of trouble. Every Chevy mechanic I've talked to in this area says that they won't use Dex Cool in their own cars, even if they get it for free.

GM screwed everybody by saying that the orange crap is good for 5 years or 150,000 miles. My car salesman pushed that as one of the good points about the car. Come to find out, the mechanics are saying change it every 2 or 3 years or suffer the consequences. That is where I hope GM takes it from behind. The mechanics know that it wont last that long.

So, you can hope your cooling system is in PERFECT order and the orange crap won't hurt you or you can change to the yellow or green and not worry about small leak in a radiator cap costing you a couple of thousand bucks in repairs.

Think of it this way, you you might qualify as a member of one of the numerous Class Action Lawsuits against GM over Dex Cool. Join up and make a lawyer like John Edwards even richer. Just do a Google search on Dex Cool. You can read for days.

Other than the cooling system, I liked the Blazer but as my username says, I'm Blazer-no-more. Traded it for a Trailblazer. So far, so good. Just have to get the orange crap out of it soon, getting to be 2 years old.

Best of luck with your new SUV. I put 100K miles on our Blazer before trading with only cooling system problems. Everything else, no complaints.

Again, there only seems to be problems with the factory installed orange coolant from 96-97. Today's dexcool is different so you need not worry.

The bubbling/ gurgling in your heater core is caused by low radiator fluid. There isn't enough fluid to sufficiently fill the unit, so it sloshes around in there. If you keep your radiator filled there will be no problems. The heater core is at the highest point in the coolant system, meaning it is the first thing to lose coolant if you're low. It is also the least important, as cold feet is better than seized engine. In my case the gurgling was not caused by dexcool at all, but a broken radiator.

You don't have to keep your vehicle in perfect order to keep it running. Is keeping your radiator full to much to ask?

Keeping a radiator full is not a problem.

The problem is, the Blazer came with the gurgling sound. Dealer said "Just a few air bubbles, they'll work their way out before long, no need to worry." How many times do you think the service department used that line? I think they honestly didn't know that the orange crap would cause the damage it has on so many cars. It took a couple of years for it to turn into acid.

But in the old days of green and yellow coolant, it wasn't a problem. So I believed the dealer thinking the noise was a little annoying but not cancer-causing.

But now we know that a few air bubbles can cause catastrophic cooling failure. Exposed to air, it becomes Death Cool.

And I checked the fluid level in the reservoir every time I changed the oil, every 5K miles, and it stayed the same as when it came from the factory; right on the reservoir hot or cool line. I never lost any fluid until the heater core let loose and soaked the carpet. Nice smell, by the way. Took forever for the odor to dissipate after several cleanings.

I think the original poster may be ok. It his Blazer was going to self-destruct, it likely would have happened by now. I just want to see GM pay for all of the cars it screwed up. They lied about it being good for 5 years. They know it and they've been caught. This is a major problem with 96 and 97 Blazers and several other makes and models of GM cars.

install a new rad cap.

Problem solved.

Amen

There will only be air in the system (gurgling) if you don't have enough coolant in. Keeping the radiator full is exactly the problem. The reservoir tank is not an accurate guage of coolant level. When I had a hole in the radiator and no heat there was always coolant in the reservoir. Under the radiator cap is a totally different story.

GM did mess up by guaranteeing the coolant system for 150k miles. I must have had a nice dealer who actually knew that the factory stuff was bad, because he flushed and put new stuff in for free early on. I really feel sorry for you guys who have gotten stuck with the problem too late...

p.s. I don't want to be a pain about this, but my factory radiator cap has and still works as it should. It's a cheap replacement for those of you who think that it has caused problems (it seems to be a common fix). But I'm not guaranteeing that it caused or causes any dexcool problems.

And then you have alllllll the other people with dexcool problems who DONT have a blazer, like for example, ummmmmmmmm, my 98 olds cutlass. which of course, does not even have a radiator cap.

Lets see how it fared:

Water pump bypass and thermostat housing seals failed at 15K, fixed under warranty
water pump failed at 30K, fixed under warranty
throttle body quick connect and thermostat housing seal failed at 33K, fixed under warranty
intake gasket failed at 36k, fixed under warranty
water pump failed at 50K, fixed under warranty
intake gasket failed at 55K, fixed for free after holy hell raised
water pump failed at 90K fixed by me and I switched to green after a complete flush.

36K later, not a single problem.

Coincidence?