4th Feb 2008, 10:14

Same issue, I own a 2002 Trailblazer with 90,000 miles. It sounded like a loud fan or jet engine intermittently for some time. It seemed to happen more when the car was cold or sitting for a long time. I would drive about a block and the sound would go away. With the sound present the acceleration was lower. Driving from work yesterday, the sund did not go away and the "Service Engine Soon" light appeared. The dealer said it was $850 to fix the fan clutch. I'm not a mechanic and have no other options to get it fixed. This is stinks, I just paid this car off. Its been good overall, had to get the oxygen sensor replaced last year. Should be a recall item. Will be going German or Japanese next time around.

6th Feb 2008, 11:33

My 2002 Trailblazer has been making a "ticking" noise for about 2 yrs. Took it to the dealer last summer and they told me I need a fuel injector service. Said they couldn't recreate the ticking sound. Of course the service advisor wasn't listening to a word I was saying about that. He must have known that I would be back shortly because of that "ticking". Sure enough, he notices the sound now and says that I need a new water pump. He diagnosed all of this with the engine OFF. I have no problems with the truck overheating, nor have I seen any water leaks or puddles on my garage floor. I guess the service advisor is related to Ms. Cleo, or either Tuesdays at the Chevy dealership are buy a water pump for $700 special days. Fridays must be the "transmission overhaul special". I have 90,000 miles on this truck. Like everyone else, just paid it off not too long ago. If Chevy is the "heartbeat of America" I can tell that America is dead on arrival if they happen to own a Trailblazer.

By the way, I called GM main customer service number. The first level reps were very helpful. My situation was escalated once they couldn't make contact with the service advisor at the dealership. This escalated my case, but haven't' been able to get a return phone call. I guess escalation is equivalent to dissipation. Have called them back 22x in 1 day and can't get anyone on the horn.

The good part is my dog isn't afraid to come out into the garage now that he sees that our Trailblazer with the B-52 bomber engine is gone. RRRRRROOOOOAAAAARRR.

9th Feb 2008, 21:12

I purchased my 2003 Trailblazer new in January 2003. I currently have 59,700 miles on it and now I am experiencing the "dump truck" sound being discussed in this forum.

It began years ago as a ticking sound that only happened occasionally. The dealer explained that this was the engine communicating with the fan to obtain a proper speed and was normal for this vehicle. I remember thinking that was a big fat lie, but it didn't seem to affect anything, so I let it go.

As time went on, the ticking became more frequent until recently when it became near constant (and more than mildly annoying). Finally, last weekend the clutch went, and I now have a jet turbine under my hood.

On a positive note, I don't hear the ticking sound while it's happening. I'm going to attempt to replace it myself with the assistance of my most mechanically talented friend. I purchased a Dorman replacement clutch from Autozone for $137 (price matched rockauto.com). I will post the results of my experiment for your benefit.

For the most part this has been a good vehicle; only minor issues thus far. My wife drives a Honda Accord and it has performed flawlessly. While my experience may not be statistically valid, it does provide anecdotal evidence that the Japanese are still better at building vehicles.

10th Feb 2008, 20:21

Mission accomplished! The new fan clutch fixed the problem. No more ticking either. Getting to the fan clutch was a pain, but changing it was quite easy. Basically, you need to remove the fan shroud, which requires a lot of work. I recommend you have a Dremel at the ready. We had to cut the shroud near the bottom to get it out. The whole process took about four hours.

I found this link to be very detailed and helpful: http://reviews.ebay.com/Envoy-Trailblazer-Electonic-Fan-Clutch-Replacement-Help_W0QQugidZ10000000003639613

Good luck!!!

11th Feb 2008, 08:39

I had the same problem with my 2002 Trailblazer,88,000 miles, it sounded like a 18 wheeler. Had a problem with fan clutch. Took it to the dealership, the repair estimate was over 700.00. Call customer service for Chevrolet to see if they would pay half the cost of repairs due to the number of fan clutch failures posted. Of course they were not aware of any problem with fan clutch failures and denied my request. Went to O'Rielys got lifetime warranty with clutch for 199.00 and paid 80.00 to have installed.

Mesquite, Tx

26th Feb 2008, 13:32

I have an 04 trailblazer LT. I bought this vehicle because it is suppose to be the most reliable. in the past three weeks I have had 3 things go on me. I'm starting repair work tomorrow. I have to replace my heater core... i have a sweet smelling syrup coming out of my dash when I use my front defroster, my fan clutch is ticking in idle.. that will have to be the last to be replaced, and the thingy at the top of my gas tank has a bad weld job and has cracked leaving me with gas fumes coming from my vehicle. this part is replaced for free for 02 trailblazers, but not newer ones. it will cost over a thousand to have it replaced. instead I bought gas tank putty and will attempt to repair it with that. I have children so I hope it works. the cheaper I can fix these issues the better financially it will be for me.

29th Feb 2008, 04:35

Just posted SCREWED, here is the link to get installation instructions http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_do_you_change_a_fan_clutch_on_a_2002_Chevy_Trailblazer_LT

I did it in about 1 hour and 50 minutes.

2nd Mar 2008, 11:06

Ah yes, I too am a sucker. I just bought a 03 Envoy, which has 65000 miles. Can anyone tell me if this is covered under the new GM certified vehicle plan? I know it is under some kind of warranty, just not sure if it is covered in this plan? It is going to the shop where I bought it. Thanks for the help.

3rd Mar 2008, 16:55

I too am a sucker - I have a 2002 TrailBlazer.

Fan clutch went out $1100 to repair. Called GM to complain and the customer service kid hung up on me when I asked for a manager. Called back and have been on hold for about 20 minutes GM!!! You suck - I can't believe after years of postings and complaints they haven't fixed this problem. We need a class action law suite so we can get our money back on these repairs! GM has screwed Americans that believed in them.

I will never buy a GM truck - this is my last one. I have owned 4 counting this one (SUVs & Trucks) and will never ever buy them, just like I swore off Ford when the trannie went out 2 different times in one year. GM go to hell.

The parts about $400 bucks, but I live way out in the boonies and the only Chevy dealer wants $700 in labor including the diagnostic. My SUV has 75,000 miles on it and she's out of warranty of course. Good luck to you all when this happens to you - it seems that it's going to happen if you want it to or not :)