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1989 K5 - Gradual Learning

First 4x4 - learning basic maintenance / upkeep and maybe some small mods.
Overview Gallery Discussion
After a lot of brake work, I always feel like the brake pedal is softer than I think it should be. After a short time I forget about it because the brakes work good. You just don't want the pedal to keep moving to the floor, then you should be concerned.
 
Wes Harden said:
yeah i address that before the next oil change, lest you forget. The K5 isn't your daily is it ? next oil change could be awhile.
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Yeah, I have 1,500 miles until my next change. Based on my driving history, it will take 3-6 months to run those miles.

mrk5 said:
After a lot of brake work, I always feel like the brake pedal is softer than I think it should be. After a short time I forget about it because the brakes work good. You just don't want the pedal to keep moving to the floor, then you should be concerned.
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Thanks for the comment, @ZooMad75 said the same thing. Told me to just drive it for a couple of weeks and monitor how I feel about it and how it stops. The truth of the matter is that it stops fine... I just wish I could firm up the pedal a bit. The K30 has a firmer pedal, but I recognize that there could be a ton of different factors that influence that...
 
shima said:
Yeah, I have 1,500 miles until my next change. Based on my driving history, it will take 3-6 months to run those miles.


Thanks for the comment, @ZooMad75 said the same thing. Told me to just drive it for a couple of weeks and monitor how I feel about it and how it stops. The truth of the matter is that it stops fine... I just wish I could firm up the pedal a bit. The K30 has a firmer pedal, but I recognize that there could be a ton of different factors that influence that...
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The K30 most likely having hydro-boost brake assist over the Blazer vacuum assist. Plus the K30 has bigger brakes too.
 
Wanted to write a quick update, the Blazer is doing great...

I took care of some basic stuff over the past few nights:

Drag link threads evened out
Drag link tie rod end (pitman arm side) greased
Transmission fluid checked
Tires rotated (vertically)
Passenger side headlight replaced
Tires inflated: 30 psi

When finishing this work, I cleared my trouble codes. Today I drove the Blazer to the vet so that I could bring my dog in for a routine Lepto shot. On the way home my light came on, so I ran the codes: 24 (VSS) and 32 (EGR).

That EGR code will never die. I've basically accepted it as a trademark of my K5.

The VSS code however... I had not looked into that one too much. It has popped up a handful of times over the years and I've never made meaningful progress on diagnosing the root cause. So tonight I read about it on other forum threads and came up with some notes:
  • The VSS buffer box thing is bolted to the back of the speedometer in my '89.
  • There should be connection between the VSS buffer box and the ECM. For some years the wire coming off the ECM side was brown (?).
  • Code 24 indicates a fault in the circuit, so theoretically I could look through the circuit for any wires that are shorting to ground or are severed.
    • Perhaps I could test the connector that connects the buffer box to the ECM?
Does the above sound right?
 
Yes most cases the circuit is intermittent open and usually is terminal that is corroded or sloppy fit.
Thou as old as our trucks are and as many PO some have had..... 1 can never be certain.
Also the buffer can have open on board
 
Wes Harden said:
Yes most cases the circuit is intermittent open and usually is terminal that is corroded or sloppy fit.
Thou as old as our trucks are and as many PO some have had..... 1 can never be certain.
Also the buffer can have open on board
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Thanks a bunch man. I am terrible with electrical, so sorry for the dumb questions here:
  • The terminal being corroded or having a sloppy fit... do you mean where the VSS buffer box plugs into the ECM? I am thinking I'll drop my glovebox and look for a connector with a brown wire that leads toward the driver's seat.
  • VSS buffer - what does having "open on board" mean?
 
So it could be either end. The ecm female pins should have drag on a small uncoated paper clip, make sure end doesn't have a burr on paper clip. Iirc the VSS buffer has slip over board connector and should be easy to see if connectors are tight.
The VSS is a Printed circuit board, it could have bad components, bad solder joint or a crack in the printed wire path ways.
 
Trying to get behind the speedometer to check the VSS buffer end seems like quite a job. I'll start with the ECM side and will try to identify the connector that goes toward the VSS buffer.
 
If you decide to remove the instrument cluster, I find it best to pop the dash pad off 1st. The instrument cluster panel doesn't like to squeeze between the steering column and the dash pad, and the Instrument cluster backing is so fragile having plenty of room helps
 
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Aside from the codes that Wes and I were chatting about prior, the only things "on my mind" with the Blazer right now are:
  1. High idle when in Park.
  2. I have to give it a little throttle when starting it to prevent it from dying.
  3. It stumbles sometimes when the engine is hot and I'm cruising. It seems to happen most commonly when letting my foot off the throttle a bit and then hitting it to accelerate again.
  4. EDIT: I forgot about a "whoosh" sound that happens every time I hit the brakes hard. I wasn't concerned with it... but when watching an episode of Vice Grip Garage recently he said that it could be a vacuum leak. I should probably check that out.
For items #1 and #2... they have been around a long time. Back in the day, @Bent77 helped me reset my IAC. I have done that a few times now and the IAC is new-ish. When browsing the Haynes manual recently, I saw a little blurb about the neutral safety switch. It said that if the neutral safety switch is faulty, it can disrupt how the IAC operates. The PO of my Blazer definitely got into the steering column to install a bluetooth receiver of some sort... so I'd like to take a peek at that thing to see what shape it is in.

For item #3, I'm guessing that it is related to the VSS code that Wes and I were discussing. He gave me something to check on that so I am going to try and drop my glovebox soon to take a peek.

EDIT: For item #4, I'm just going to peek around the brake booster for vacuum lines or look up a diagram online. Just start there and see what happens.

Anyhow, none of the three issues prevent me from using it. I have taken it snowboarding a couple of times this season and it is doing great overall.

Here is a recent photo at Eldora:

PXL_20221218_231206498.jpg

Now that my girlfriend's Jeep is in decent shape, it's squarebodies all winter long. I am primarily going to focus on the pickup but I might get some time with this thing here and there as well.
 
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82355 said:
Are you parked at a charging station?

Martin
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Yeah, one of the resort parking attendants guided us into that spot. My buddy and I were on cloud 9 being able to park so close (we got there really late). We also had a laugh at the irony of the charing station.
 
Drew, a vacuum leak will cause the high idle and stumble when sowing down. If your brake booster has ruptured internally you’ll get the woosh noise too. Usually the brake pedal will be hard and require more effort to stop because of the lack of vacuum assist.

You would think it’s an iac because the vacuum leak is letting more air in so the ecm is trying to compensate idle speed by changing the iac position.

Pull the big hose to the booster and stuff a bolt in the end of the hose. See if it idles more consistent. If it does you probably need a Check valve at the booster or the booster itself.
 
Yes the booster is leaking, drawing air from under the dash.
This will definitely mess with your air fuel and iac when braking.
Another item is the egr solenoid vacuum purge port has a sponge like filter. This filter never gets looked at until there is a problem.
It is under a round cap on the egr solenoid. If it is clogged the the vacuum won't purge, keeping the egr open and the engine will run poor and or stall.
 
I was buying parts for the K30 on RockAuto and decided to pick up a new booster:

1675827892869.png

I am going to watch a few YouTube videos on the install. Do you guys know if it's possible to replace the booster without bleeding the brakes? I know that I have to separate the master from the booster...
 
shima said:
I was buying parts for the K30 on RockAuto and decided to pick up a new booster:

View attachment 438235

I am going to watch a few YouTube videos on the install. Do you guys know if it's possible to replace the booster without bleeding the brakes? I know that I have to separate the master from the booster...
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You should be able to separate them, lean the master forwards, then move on to the booster.
 
Yes you can the hydraulic brake fluid master cylinder is separate from the vacuum booster.
2 nuts and the master cylinder separates from booster.

edit there is enough give in the brake line to let the master be pulled away from booster, with out opening the hydraulic system. Just keep the MC upright and supported so the lines don't kink.
 
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Absolutely unreal speed from RockAuto. I picked the cheapest shipping option. Disregard the Christmas tree that should have been taken down two months ago.

PXL_20230208_223509192.jpg

Order placed: 6:40pm last night
Order shipped: 10:40pm last night
Order delivered: 3pm today
 
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