I have 1998 chevy s10, it's a 4x4 and it has 4.3L v-6 vortec engine. It has about 110k miles on it already. The truck runs perfect, has no leaks and drives nice and sounds good. The only problem i've had so far, is the front end going out, and occasionally the (service engine soon) light comes on, and then goes off, besides that the truck is in great shape. I was told recently that i am lucky to have gotten that many miles out of it, and either the truck will need lots of work in the future, or it has already had tons of work. Is this true, or will the truck last longer than that without major problems? And why is my service engine soon light on for like a week steadily, and then shuts off for a while and then comes back on ?
2007-01-05 17:45:18 · 8 answers · asked by vikingfootball32 2 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
no that is not true. i honestly have 326,000 miles on my 1997 gmc sonoma. original untouched engine. 4.3 still runs great doesnt use oil. and still runs strong. the service engine light can be anything. o2 sensors etc. a mechanic can hook it up to scanner to see what code it has been showing.
2007-01-09 14:08:02 · answer #1 · answered by mxlj 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The longevity of the little trucklet will reflect the degree of maintenance and abuse. Less abuse, more and better maintenance, more miles. You can expect to put well over 250K on the rig before major failure if you maintain it well and not skimp on repairs.
As for the "Check Engine" light (Malfunction Indicator Light or MIL), since 1996, all vehicles must illuminate the MIL when the PCM detects a failure or fault that will cause an increase in vehicle emissions equal to one and a half times the maximum allowable level for the vehicle. And ONLY emissions related failures.
Therefore, if there is a failure of an oxygen sensor or vehicle speed sensor, the probable result would be that the emissions will rise beyond acceptable limits. If the fuel cap fails to seal, the same result is likely. When the computer (PCM) identifies such a fault, it will illuminate the MIL. this is your cue to take it in for repairs.
If you have a bit of mechanical ability, and can follow repair and diagnostic instructions, you can ask the nice folks at the local discount parts store if they will retrieve the DTCs for you.
With the codes in hand, refer to the repair manual for proper DIAGNOSTICS and subsequent repair procedures.
If this is beyond your expertise, then drive it to a trusted REPUTABLE repair facility for diagnostics and an estimate for the repair(s) necessary.
Happy Motoring
2007-01-05 18:13:35 · answer #2 · answered by Ironhand 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That is crazy. 4.3l chevy engine is a great stout motor. It is modeled after the small block chevy motors. The is the exact design of a 350 cubic inch motor with two cylinders cut off. It will accept the same accessories, transmissions etc.
Why does this matter? This means replacement parts are cheap, and the SBC has been around for ages, and the aftermarket is very formidable and reliable.
As for your SES light, my guess is your prom is going bad in your ECM (engine control module) Inside your ECM there is a blue chip assembly called a memcal. Inside the memcal is a prom chip. The prom chip is a small programable device that has customized engine data. You can order one of these proms or memcals with it already in there from ebay, amazon, etc.
2007-01-05 18:02:51 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
no it is not true, as long as maintnence is kept up it will run for a very long time.. I personally had a 1988 chevy s10 blazer with the 4.3 and when I sold the truck it had 274,000 miles on the original motor and still had all the power that it did when I got it.. I bought it from the original owner and it had 146k and I had all the maintnence records for it when I bought it...
2007-01-05 19:12:08 · answer #4 · answered by saturnshaun 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's not necessarily going to die at 120K miles...It depends on maintenance, how it was driven, weather conditions, etc. I've seen them go will into the 180,000 even 200,000's before...As for the "check engine" light, even though it doesn't seem like there's anything wrong, take it to a mechanic or you will end up paying a lot more for an otherwise simple repair.
2007-01-05 17:51:14 · answer #5 · answered by Chris_Knows 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
my father has 1996 s10 blazer with 4.3, 180,000 miles..runs fine, hes had to put a brake booster, some type of bearings in the rear end, a fuel pump and alternator.. my employer has a 1998 s10 blazer with 145,000 and has put an alternator and stuff like that on it... but i think if you take care of it youll see 200K miles on it!
2007-01-05 17:51:10 · answer #6 · answered by red77chevy350 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not true, but these engines do have a problem with the EGR valve, which will trigger the light. They can be removed and cleaned, but it's a pain in the ****.
2007-01-05 17:59:48 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
they do have a problem with egr's but take it to a auto parts store that will read it for free and get the code and go from there. my guess egr, o2, or mass air sensor. but thats just my guess. get it read.
2007-01-05 18:43:42 · answer #8 · answered by vettle1 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋