My SUV Broke Down Today

[Daniel]

This morning when I went out to run some errands my ten year old GMC Jimmy with over two hundred thousand miles on it wouldn’t start/turn over. Thankfully, my son financed a new Ford Focus last weekend and he was able to give me a ride to do my errands. I arranged a ride to and from work for the coming work week ahead. No savings at all. Paying off a 401K loan via $115 a week out of my pay cheque every week for another six months. Only one more pay check before Christmas and I need that for Christmas dinner and gifts for my son. There are no funds for SUV repairs this week. A tow to the repair garage? Unknown repair costs? Maybe finance a new car myself if I can find a part time job to pay for it. Advice? Prayers please. I trust in Jesus for all things. I go through hard times sometimes. Our LORD usually reveals the reasons to me later. Steady good paying work here but it seems a constant struggle to keep up with the bills. I am so blessed in so many ways. I can not wait until the Rapture when I can put all these earthly things behind us and enjoy living in the house that Jesus is preparing for me.

Merry Christmas Everyone! God Bless You All!

[Vonne]

Praying mate'

[light4mypath]

Praying for financial assistance and transportation. :pray

:fear whoops I didn't realize this was the mens forum, as I was checking new posts and didnt even notice what forum it was in....Please forgive...

[Daniel]

Update: “It started right up,” the mechanic said when I spoke to him on the phone after arranging a $45 tow. :doh After two days of starting it, and checking it, and driving it, they could find NOTHING wrong. “Maybe it was some dirt in a line,” he said. “It could have been any of a number of things with a truck that old,” the mechanic said.

Maybe it was an answer to prayers. :)

[lostsheep]

This morning when I went out to run some errands my ten year old GMC Jimmy with over two hundred thousand miles on it wouldn’t start/turn over. Thankfully, my son financed a new Ford Focus last weekend and he was able to give me a ride to do my errands. I arranged a ride to and from work for the coming work week ahead. No savings at all. Paying off a 401K loan via $115 a week out of my pay cheque every week for another six months. Only one more pay check before Christmas and I need that for Christmas dinner and gifts for my son. There are no funds for SUV repairs this week. A tow to the repair garage? Unknown repair costs? Maybe finance a new car myself if I can find a part time job to pay for it. Advice? Prayers please. I trust in Jesus for all things. I go through hard times sometimes. Our LORD usually reveals the reasons to me later. Steady good paying work here but it seems a constant struggle to keep up with the bills. I am so blessed in so many ways. I can not wait until the Rapture when I can put all these earthly things behind us and enjoy living in the house that Jesus is preparing for me.

Merry Christmas Everyone! God Bless You All!

A 10 year old Jimmy, that would put this truck at about the 1997 model year.
It has a 4.3l Vortec engine that runs fuel system pressure at 55 to 65 psi. This engine will NOT start with less than 50 psi of fuel pressure due to the mechanical nature of the fuel injectors.
So it sounds like your fuel pump is going bad. A weak pump will deliver low psi, especially during cranking when system voltage drops from 12 volts down to 10 volts. Also the intermittent nature of the problem and the milage on the vehicle point toward the pump.
Of course I could be totally wrong and it could be ignition related.
Listen...if this happens again e-mail me and I'll give you my phone # so I can walk you through some tests over the phone.
If you are mechanically inclined at all we can work together and save you some $$$

Paul

[LoudRam]

How old is the battery? Are the connections clean? You might want to try running some fuel injector cleaner through it. Chevron Techron is a great cleaner that's not to expensive. When was the last time it had a tune up? These little inexpensive things could make a world of difference. If lostsheep is right and you have a 4.3 in there, that's a good engine. Even at 200k that's got some life left in it.

[saved by Grace]

you might have a wiring problem at the fuel pump.older gm cars were bad about this.to repair,you will have to drop the tank,replace the fuel pump and replace the wiring from the fuel pump mount from where it comes in from the mount to the fuel pump motor.this will cause a intermittant no-start.if God has answered you prayer,Praise God.if it ever happens again have the mechanic look at that.

[Daniel]

Listen...if this happens again e-mail me and I'll give you my phone # so I can walk you through some tests over the phone.
If you are mechanically inclined at all we can work together and save you some $$$

Paul

Thank-you for the offer. Can I put you on speed dial? <Just kidding…> :)

(Thanks to all of you for the wonderful advice.)

Thanks again for the offer but I am not mechanically inclined in the least. Engines are like a foreign language to me. My mechanic asked me if it was raining at the time it wouldn’t start. It was. He said that there might have been a little moisture in the carburetor. Anyway, it’s starting and running fine now. Thank-you Lord! Just praying that it last through the winter then I will be good to go.

Merry Christmas all!!!

[Daniel]

Three quarters from home during my commute this evening, CLUNK, GRIND! “What now?” I ask myself.

The Jimmy stopped dead in its tracks. The engine is running fine. All power is there. No forward motion. The transmission? The axel broke? Tie rod? Center link? (I know these terms only from having repairs on previous cars.)

A half hour later while waiting in the drizzling rain the tow truck arrives. “Do you use your emergency break a lot?” he asks. “Every night,” I reply. He said that he saw that the driver’s side rear tire was locked up.

A good Christian sign of the times: While waiting for the tow truck, three separate people stopped and asked me if I needed any help. :)

Complete faith in Jesus here. Didn’t He say not to worry about tomorrow? Today is enough concerns for now?

My faith never wavers. :)

Merry Christmas Everyone!

[Third Day]

I have a 94 Jimmy 4wd that I thank the Lord for every day. Only once or twice it has not started for me- once was the fuel pump, and it was very expensive because of the labor.
Once in awhile it will start running rough-said to be a clogged AVG valve-then it will be fine again.
Just changed the oil in it myself a few weeks ago, and it has been running really well. Just need to get some new Michelins for it now when I can afford it. It is so comfortable to drive!