battery light

[01sunfire01]

yesterday i was geting on the highway in my blazer and i got on the gas to get up to speed. i look down and all my lights went dim and the battery light came on. i kept going till i got home the truck did fine. i looked at the vault meter on the cluster and its really low. i put it on a battery charger and the battery was at 25%. today i started it and it started right up and the lights where normal and the battery light was off. any ideas? the trucks a 2000 with 98K on it.

also i want to give it a tune up wheres the fuel filter? and whats the best way to get the the spark plugs?

[Triple-X08]

possible alternator, usually thats what is associated with a battery light. could also be a voltage regulator issue. both cases alternator at fault.

fuel filter is located on the drivers side of the vehicle, inline of the forward feed fuel line, located about even with the cab area, and you will find it by the frame rail, tucked in by the transfer case and the torsion bar if equipped, can sometimes be fun to get off, so put a ass load of PB blaster or rust inhibitor on it to loosen up the rust, if the line is rusted badly, like flaking apart - dont attempt to remove the fuel filter, its too late, just let it go. unless you want to put a new fuel line section on it.

spark plugs, alot of patience, remove the front wheels, go in through the wheel wells, and a few you can get from the top. but others will come from the wheel wells. drivers side is pain, steering shaft is right in the way, so you will need a short spark plug socket, or a spark plug socket and a swivel and a long extension, or there are a few other items that are made for tight areas like this. i believe its the middle cylinder on the drivers side, its just a pain in the ass. just be patient with it, and dont force anything too hard.

[01sunfire01]

thanks for the help that is what im going to be working on tomorrow. my dad wants to take it to auto zone and have them check the alternator but my uncle things my battery is bad.

thanks for the tips on how to do all the other work. the heat isint that strong in the truck should i change the coolant?

[Triple-X08]

back flush the heater core, more than likely it is getting plugged. prestone makes this stuff its a acid flush, it works really good, or you can find some other kind of flushing agent, just make sure the heater core gets back flushed. preferably with a acid flush.

install the flush agent into the vehicle cooling system, then drive around town for a bit, get it warmed up and circulated, then come back, remove your heater hoses from the heater core, or where accessible, then flush the heater core with a garden hose, and then put the garden hose on the other hose or outlet and then change run the hose, you do this so it changes the direction of flow in the heater core, so therefore you can back flush it. after you have clear running water from the outlets of the heater core in both directions, then you can reinstall your heater hoses, and then flush the rest of the system. after you flush it, run water through it, flush it again, and then put in your coolant, 50/50 mix.

you can try flushing it normally, but it wont last as long as back flushing. and on the S/T series vehicles, the heater core gets plugged up really easy if you dont change coolant regularly, like every 2 years. and it always seems to be blazers or S 10's or equivalent.

either way, make sure you get all the old coolant out, and make sure you have a nuetralizing agent installed if you use a acid flush or something that is potent. they give you all that you need when you get the flush stuff. just follow directions and your all good.

[Triple-X08]

the battery is not the cause of the problem for your battery light. it is a byproduct of your alternator failing or something along those lines. if the charging system fails then it will drain the battery as the vehicle has no other source of power.

make sure all your connections are tight, and make sure no corrosion is present, and all wires and connectors are clean.

[01sunfire01]

the last blazer i had i needed to put a heater core in it that was a fun job. had to pull the dash right out. i will start this tomorrow geting the trucked cleaned up. i just bought it maybe 2 months ago and i havent had time to do anything to it. i just checked the air filter and it was black so i got a new one and cleaned intake the box. ill do the back flush and then flush out the rest of the system. im going to run prestone coolant in it also. i didnt think it was the battery that made the light go on. ill just go pick up a new alternator tomorrow when i go to get everything else.

[01sunfire01]

today i took the alternator out and took it to advance auto they tested it and it was only puting out 9apms. so i bought a brand new one and then i also bought a new belt and fuel filter. the fuel filter looked like it was never changed in 8 years. the truck is running great now. thanks for the help man. next weekend ill be doing the coolant flush and spark plugs.

[Triple-X08]

no problem, any questions at all, i'll try to help as best as i can.

[01sunfire01]

well i did some more work on it today i put all new shockes on it. and in doing that i noticed some little crown thing on the front controll arm is blown and had white stuff comeing out of it what is that for and whats it called so i can order a new one? ill go get a pic also.

[Triple-X08]

wow... that sucks. the guy on the frame that the control arm hits on is a bump stop. basically as the suspension compresses, it has to have a stop point or the frame will contact the control arm, and may even cause driveline damage with extreme angles of the suspension.

what you are looking for is a bump stop, and it can be purchased through a GM dealer or at a aftermarket parts warehouse, such as autozone or autovalue or something of the equivalent. not hard to install, should only take a few minutes.

[01sunfire01]

great thanks ill go over to chevy this week and order one. yea it does suck about the mess in the back. lucky its all fixed now i just need to let it air out and put it back together.

[Triple-X08]

spray some febreeze inside and on the carpets, so that way you wont accumulate any mildew or moldy smell.

[01sunfire01]

thats what im going to pick up tomorrow and spray it. i wanted to put the g5 away for the winter this week put now i have the blazer all taken apart. hope everything dryes out tomorrow.

[Triple-X08]

yeah, just make sure to get everything completely dry before reassembly of the interior

[01sunfire01]

yea i left it in the garage tonight i put my moms equinox outside lol i have the windows down and i ran it for a long time with the heat going.