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Saturn Maintenance & Repair

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Comments

  • nd2chillnd2chill Member Posts: 14
    The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) is doing an "Engineering Action" investigation into approximately 26 complaints of broken timing chains causing engine failure. You can go to http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/recalls/recallsearch.cfm and put "EA06009" into the field for NHTSA Campaign ID Number to read the details. The "complaint" has been upgraded to an "engineering action" investigation, so if you have the same broken timing chain issue, please report it to the NHTSA so we can get Saturn (General Motors) to do something. Timing chains are not supposed to break-EVER. Thank you.
  • rockfish1rockfish1 Member Posts: 113
    My '04 Ion2 Quad Coupe has been experiencing a no starting problem on occasion. It is not consistent enough for Saturn to diagnose it since the car starts most of the time which would leave they with just a word problem. The car eventually starts within 15 minutes. The symptom is that the key is turned on and the engine starts to crank for about a second then cuts off. This can repeated a number of times but has always started within about 15 minutes. Have not been yet able to determine any patterns that will help explain the problem to Saturn.

    The battery has been replaced with a new battery with an indicator light to eliminate the easy solution.

    Have any of you experienced similar problems?
  • viper_18viper_18 Member Posts: 3
    i own a 03 saturn , i had similar problems with mine. it wouldnt try to start and almost get there but it woulndt turn over. i had to wait a good 15 min and then it would start right up. i got fed up with it and took it into a saturn dealership to have it looked at. i payed $85 for a diagnostic and they said they coulndt find anything wrong with it. so i assumed it was all in my head. the same thing happend again and again so i took it back and they ended up replacing $700 worth of stuff. here was the techs comments on it " intermitt. crank no start cond. replaced ignition switch and reprogrammed pass lock sensor" i dont know if that helps but i thought it might.
  • martianmartian Member Posts: 220
    Just today, I had to replace two burned-out lamp bulbs in the dashboard climate control. Why didn't SATURN use LEDS? Anyway, the lamps are soldered into the PC-so I went to Radio Shack, and bought two miniature 12 V bulbs-took the old ones out, and soldered in the new ones. MY beef-the module is all plastic, held together with plastic tabs-if you are not careful, you can break them off and render the whole assembly useless. Oh, and the board was made by HITACI-go figure!
  • rockfish1rockfish1 Member Posts: 113
    Did the repair fix the problem? I would hate to spend $700+ for replacement parts for a non fix.

    Did your car fail to start for the tech? My problem is intermittent and my not occur in the shop
  • viper_18viper_18 Member Posts: 3
    when i took it to the shop they couldnt replicate the problem, so i dont know what to tell you about that one...

    BUT after the repairs were done i havent had trouble starting my car. its worked every time since. it seems the only problem i have now is that the security light comes on and then the service engine soon light... but ive had that happen from the begging, but i dont believe that has to do with the repairs that were made...

    now if your going to do the repair i would double check with someone before hand, just to make sure that we are talking about the same things.

    i really lucked out on the cost, it was a $700 + repair and i payed $7, we argued it out, i only had the car for like a month so i thought it bs that i had to pay that much.
  • rockfish1rockfish1 Member Posts: 113
    $7 is all you paid!!!!!!!!!!!

    I would like to have a repair completed for $7.

    Besides the initial cost of a repair, I am mainly concerned that since the problem may not occur in the shop I will end up with a number of parts being replaced that are not required. It could easily cost 4 figures and require multiple visits.

    My car was purchased new in the summer of 2004 so I don't think I will qualify for the $7 special. What was the best point you made to win the argument with the service manager.
  • mzkattitudemzkattitude Member Posts: 2
    Well I was finally able to take the car in to a Saturn dealer, and the problem was the BCM, which they replaced for $500. I just picked it up today, and it seems to be running fine. Hopefully it's all smooth sailing for now. :shades:
  • lear45techlear45tech Member Posts: 6
    I have a manual on order, to be continued after I get it!
  • alcanalcan Member Posts: 2,550
    The problem usually isn't a broken timing chain, but broken chain guides. The guides are aluminum and are faced with nylon. The nylon falls off, allowing slack in the chain, and the chain jumps a few teeth on it's sprockets. Usually hammers the exhaust valves. Replacement chain guides have been updated.
  • cat12cat12 Member Posts: 2
    Please help me! I have a 2006 saturn ion and I have been to the dealership three times already for this problem. I know it is not all in my head. When I turn on the heater on the low setting, I sometimes get this squeaking, chirping sound and the sound will continue until I come to a stop or when I turn the heat up high for several minutes and then go back to the low setting. This loud squeaking doesn't happen all the time (hence why I have been to the dealership three times), but it is getting worse. Thanks
  • viegas99viegas99 Member Posts: 1
    Hello, I have a 2002 Saturn SL2 and am having difficulty starting it. The engine is turning over and the starter is fully cranking, but the engine doesn't fire up. It sounds like it is almost starting, but doesn't. The car has been sitting in a cold garage in MN for about 10 days and hasn't been started, but was starting perfectly fine when it went into the garage. Any ideas? Thanks!
  • kdavdsokdavdso Member Posts: 1
    I am trying to figure out a strange problem that has developed on a 1994 Saturn SL2 Twin Cam, the car starts and runs great and even shifts into reverse and will back up. However when you shift into drive the car dies. It will re start fine until shifted back into drive. I have been told it was an induction boot and also by another garage that this model has no air control system and that it is a torque converter. Both are expensive so I wanted to see if anybody had any ideas before I drop a load of money on something that is not the real problem. Any help is appreciated.
  • lear45techlear45tech Member Posts: 6
    Well I got my Haynes manual, and it's not much help with wiring diagrams. It gives limited information and not any specific. I did use the manual to remove the Instrument Cluster and inspected the connections to it with no joy on fixing the problem, I checked the grounds to the plug and they checked good using a digital VOM. The wiring diagram has some references to a BCM (body control module) although there is no other data in the Haynes manual about it or it's location. Does anyone anything about this component and where is it?
  • skipper4skipper4 Member Posts: 6
    I just checked my 1993 it has a fuel gage problem (stuck at empty) the resister in the tank read 35-159 ohms the problem was that the shaft for the fuel gage needle was stuck in its acetal bearing
  • njsabermannjsaberman Member Posts: 2
    I have a 1995 Saturn sl1 without a working right turn signal idicator light. Both front and rear blinkers work, the indicator light in the dash wont go on. It will go on for the left not the right.
  • user777user777 Member Posts: 3,341
    when you turn on your emergency flashers, do the lights light?

    i'm thinking it is your steering wheel mounted switch that may be broken / not working.
  • jam1126jam1126 Member Posts: 1
    My son just brought a used saturn and he used it once and locked it and when he returned the key would not open the door. I went to assist with my 24 year old son and we tried everything...the key opened the trunk but we could not get the seat to release to get in from the trunk...we finally had to leave it till tomorrow...any suggestions on how to get in the car short of calling for a lock service...don't know why the keys don't work on the doors.
  • jbalcerakjbalcerak Member Posts: 3
    I have a 94 saturn that doesn't always want to start. I thought it was the fuel pump. Because it was not turning on when I put the key into start position. So I put a live switch that turns on the pump. So now the pump turns on but the car still wont start. Is there something else electronic that controls both the fuel pump and something else. If I put fuel in the air intake and the car will start till fuel is gone but it wont stay running......One more thing. it seems to be not working only when its cold outside.
  • nougatnougat Member Posts: 1
    Try changing the air filter. I went to the dealer for an oil change on my 2002 L200. They checked the air filter. It was old, but I declined, opting to change it myself. After I left, I had all those symptoms - hard shift, cooling fan always on high, strange idle speeds. After I got home, I checked the air filter. The rubber seal around the edge was dryrotten and split, and I don't think they or I had gotten the cover back on tight enough. I bought a new filter, removed the air intake tube from the cover in order to get it seated right, and put it all back together. Problem solved.
  • jbermudezjbermudez Member Posts: 2
    Hello all,
    here my problem in detail. my girlfriend owns the car. she has complained to me that on occasion (5 times in the last month) she needs to get jump started at work when she is going home. *** note I bought her a new battery about 2 months ago.***

    Everytime when she gets home I check the car and everything seems fine??? but this morning We woke up and her car was dead. I tryed to jump it but the battery would not hold a charge.
    So I tried to charge the battery. I've got a fancy battery charger that had a diagnostic code that said the battrey was bad. no prob, I have seen this before. So I went to NAPA and bought a new battery.

    Here the current prob. I hooked up the new battery. went to crank the car over and the was a click and everything went out. no power, no accessory, no headlights, nothing.. (however the time was on the stock stereo!). I took the neg off the battery to see if it would reset anything and reconnected it nothing, same problem totally dead.

    I check all the 30 & 50 amp fuses all look good. it is my suspesion possible a relay is bad???? when I reconnect the battery I hear no clicking from any relays.

    Any suggestions are very appreciated.

    johnb
  • jbermudezjbermudez Member Posts: 2
    Ok here it is. I went out last night in the dark to see if I could see anything diffrent on the car. and this is what's up.

    I connected a brand new battery and waited 15 min
    I turned the key and nothing, no power to anything,no accessory, no dash lights, no lights nothing. in the dark when I turn the key. I do see a very faint light for the heater come on of a half of second then gets dim(this is so faint I cannot see in the day). the stereo clock LCD is on????

    I pulled ever single fuse and check and reseated them. all is good. I pulled and reseated all the relays.

    Can someone tell me what could cause a no power problem like this??? bad ignition switch???

    thanks,
    john b
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Do you have headlights? If you don't, you have a battery cable problem I'd guess.
  • paula8paula8 Member Posts: 2
    I have a '96 SL1 on which a brake light has just burned out, and I'm at a loss as to how to replace the bulb. There doesn't seem to be a way to get to the bulbs; inside, the trunk liner is a solid piece of plastic. Outside, there are no screws to remove the light cover. The only possibility appears to be a thin piece of rubber on the lip of the rear body (covered by the trunk lid when it's closed) that has two screw-like heads on it. Unfortunately, neither has a groove in it so it's hard to see whether these are meant to be removed.

    Is it possible to remove and replace the bulbs, or is this deliberately designed to be a "Saturn-service only" procedure?

    Many thanks for your advice.
  • rpmaconrpmacon Member Posts: 1
    My son's car (1994 Saturn S, 4 cyl, 150k miles, 5 speed, maunal)has the same shift probem you mentioned in 2005. Did you find a solution?
  • grandwazoograndwazoo Member Posts: 1
    My 2001 L300 sedan has started having intermittent electrical issues. I had a new crank sensor put in 6 months ago (car stranded me twice, first). The headlights now flicker constantly in time with the engine speed, the door locks and interior light go dead when I shut the car off, and worst of all the headlights and instrument panel lights shut off when I open or shut the windows (when this happens the battery light comes on for a second, but only sometimes). Also seems to crank longer and harder when starting. All this started suddenly on Friday (at first I attributed it to the sudden cold snap, but it's gotten worse over the weekend). The battery is 1 yr old. I know from sad experience that when something begins to act funky on this car, disaster is coming soon. Any ideas? I appreciate any help. Thanks.
  • rockfish1rockfish1 Member Posts: 113
    From my understanding any time a component in the Passlock system is changed, the learn procedure must be completed for the Theft Deterrent System to sync the password. This is the procedure I used since no special tech tools or computers are required.

    -----

    30 Minute Learn Procedure
    1. Turn ON the ignition, with the engine OFF.
    2. Attempt to start the engine, then release the key to ON, vehicle will not start.
    3. Observe the SECURITY telltale light, after approximately 10 minutes the telltale light will turn OFF.
    4. Turn OFF the ignition, and wait 5 seconds.
    Repeat steps 1 through 4 two more times for a total of 3 cycles/30 minutes, the vehicle is now ready to relearn the Passlock Sensor Data Code and/or passwords on the next ignition switch transition from OFF to CRANK.

    Important
    The vehicle learns the Passlock Sensor Data Code and/or password on the next ignition switch transition from OFF to CRANK. You must turn the ignition OFF before attempting to start the vehicle.

    Start the engine. The vehicle has now learned the Passlock Sensor Data Code and/or password.
  • lisa35lisa35 Member Posts: 2
    was the noise all the time or just when it was cold out, did the noise go away when exhaust heated up.
  • shaneboegershaneboeger Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2002 SL1. I have searched all posts and not found this certain problem. I hope someone can help.
    It started after my car was recovered from being stolen.
    My car idles fine when at a stand still. When i drive and push in the clutch the rpms stay above idle rpm which is about 7 or 8. If i push in the clutch or put it in nuetral while moving my rpms drop slowly to about 11 or 12 and dont go to 7 or 8 until i come to a complete stop. My car also makes a whining noise in low gears while accelerating. I was told this could me my alternator diodes going out. PLEASE HELP!!
  • dcarluccidcarlucci Member Posts: 1
    I bought the car for my daughter, we change the oil every 3 to 5,ooo miles. She was having problems starting it and it was making a loud grinding noise. Took it to the dealer. She needs a new timing chain and ignition. The NHTSA is probing these issues with Saturn cars. make sure you file a complaint with the NHTSA with your issues. These are ongong issues that saturn is making the consumer pay for. Our total is 1200.00 and there are only 37,000 miles on the car.
    We have an attorney working with us. Call 1-800-my-lemon these people are great and will get you results. Look on the recall bulletin board for Saturns also some of these issues may be there.
  • michiganpogirlmichiganpogirl Member Posts: 1
    Hi guys. Just wanted to know if anyone had any ideas for the following scenario:

    I have a manual 1995 Saturn SC1 with 124000 miles on it. It has been running like champ. This morning I went to go to work and of course, it doesn't start. The interior lights and dash lights come on, the door chime sounds and the "click" happens when you turn the key. The car even ATTEMPTS to start, but its very, very weak the first time; almost no attempt the second try, and nothing but the "click" the third time. It was ZERO degrees out last night here and the car is not garaged, with wind chill its about -15 or so. Does this sound like it could be a cold weather problem or something more? AND if it is a cold weather problem, would a core heater help with this issue? Thanks so much!
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Your battery will lose 40% of its strength at that temperature, if not more. So if the battery is more than 3-4 years old to begin with, you have 40% of an old battery, not a new one.

    Definitely anything you can do to keep the engine warm (or even just keeping the battery warm by bringing it inside) would be helpful.
  • user777user777 Member Posts: 3,341
    or a new battery with more CCA (cold crank amps)?

    i suppose i'd run it over to a autozone or other similar and have them load the battery and alternator.

    also - this person should be going for some good long drives with the cold weather to make sure alternator has time to re-charge the battery.
  • jaymelynne74jaymelynne74 Member Posts: 1
    I bought a 2000 Saturn LS2. I have been told by Saturn that it would cost 400+ dollars to fix this. is there a way I can buy the part and have someone install it without a huge problem????? ANYONE!!! they said it was the crank shaft sensor.
  • jammasterjammaster Member Posts: 1
    Hi,

    I have complained to the dealership, to NHTSA and to my local news channel. I am having the same experience that everyone else is. The dealership insists that I bring the car in for diagnosis so they can charge me $100 for the repair. I don'te think I should have to pay anything for this malfunction and I am trying really hard to be patient while others investigate this situation. In the meantime is there anyone else I can complain to where I know I will get results. I really don't want to have to pay for Saturns mistakes. and if we all wanted to get together and start a class action lawsuit how can we get the ball rolling on that?
  • sampsongrsksampsongrsk Member Posts: 1
    I AM HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM!!! any ideas or did you solve the problem yet? please tell me, any help is appreciated
  • bgilsonbgilson Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2003 LW200 with 27000 miles. The headlamps blink off and on at road speeds on some road surfaces? Anyone else experienced this problem?
  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    It is most likely your alternator. Very common problem with the Malibu/L-Series/Grand Am as they all shared the same platform and had many common parts. Try pushing the dealership to replace as a warranty item.
  • amanda9amanda9 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 1997 Saturn SC1 Single Cam want to convert it to a Twin Cam Manuel- Don't even know where to start shopping for engine and parts! I know only a little about cars but i know enough as to what im looking for. Now i just need to find them!! Any help is great!
  • theaaddtheaadd Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2000 Saturn SL1- I have two issues and can't really afford to take it to Saturn so they can charge me a fee just to tell me what they need to fix.

    The first is that my keyless entry has stopped working. It will lock all the doors but only unlocks the driver door. I've changed the battery but that didn't work. Anyone know how I fix this?

    The second issue is that my car stalls all the time, usually when it's cold. I literally have to drive around with one foot on the gas and one on the brake to keep it from stalling every time I stop. Autozone ran a diagnostic check and it said there was something wrong with my idel control but they couldn't tell me what that meant. Any advice here?
  • user777user777 Member Posts: 3,341
    1). some wireless remotes have a means to set if it unlocks all doors or just driver's, and it's a toggle that is accomplished i think by holding both the unlock and panic buttons. maybe it's in your manual or it's found via googling

    2). hmmm, yeah an idle air control valve (IACV), something that provides a bypass around the throttle valve, when the throttle is all the way closed. maybe your's can be cleaned. maybe there's a broken hose.

    another possibility, when you changed the battery, you messed up the idle. maybe your vehicle, like other vehicles has an idle "learn" procedure after replacing the battery.

    more googling.
  • theaaddtheaadd Member Posts: 2
    Hmm, maybe my two year old reset it when she was playing with it, I'll try that, thanks.

    I'll google the idle control and see what I get.

    Thanks
  • relantelrelantel Member Posts: 2
    Today is Day 49 in my ongoing fight with Saturn over a broken timing chain at 84,700 miles on our 2001 L200. It broke while the vehicle was in operation on April 17, 2007. I discover after the fact that Saturn had known about the problem for a long time, since well before the vehicle had moved out of the extended warranty period, even as far back as during the model year, when they changed the design of the lubricating nozzel for the timing chain in the middle of the MY. On NHTSA, Saturn admits a high rate of failure for vehicles manufactured between Nov 2000 and Feb 2001, yet did not recall those to remedy the problem. There are fresh complaints on NHTSA's ODI site even now.

    We purchased ours new from Saturn of Fairfax in June 2001, after the change had been made, but ours had been manufactured in November 2000, part of the increased failure period.

    The above notwithstanding, Saturn has offered an insulting 15% off of a warranty price on a new engine - admitting responsibility but not wanting to pay the cost or even willing to make it reasonable for the customer - who in their right mind would sink $3k into a vehicle whose trade-in value is less than $5k?

    Futher details on http://dontbuysaturn.blogspot.com/ - we were die-hard Saturn loyalists, having bought four Saturns (a 2000 SL2, 2001 L200 and two VUEs, 2003 and 2004) within a 5 year period between 1999 and 2004. The treatment during the process has been about as bad as the "final" word from the last-name-less area manager at Saturn. A four-page letter, along with 9 pages of email-thread with Saturn, and 12 pages of NHTSA printouts was fedexed to the head of Saturn Corporation, General Manager Jill Lajdziak, on May 23, 2007, and copies were sent by certified mail to G. Richard Wagoner, Jr., Chairman & CEO of General Motors Corp; Troy A. Clarke, President, GM North America; Mark R. LaNeve, Vice President, GM North America, Sales Service and Marketing; and Tom Tellepson, General Manager of Saturn of Manassas. These copies were sent on Friday, May 25, 2007. No response has been received from Saturn, and none of the reply cards have yet been received from GM or the local dealer.

    The gloves have come off, and I am telling this story far and wide. Saturn has done a lot these past 7 weeks to keep us from ever purchasing a Saturn or GM product again. They seem not to care about losing my business, or that of anyone who hears this story.
  • ryanfiala81ryanfiala81 Member Posts: 35
    I recently bought an A/C recharge kit for my 2000 SL2. It blows warm air and I thought it might need a recharge. The kit came with a pressure gauge, which told me that my system is holding at between 65-70 psi (25-45 is normal, according to the kit). Any ideas what could be causing this? My old auto shop teacher suggested a sensor?

    Thanks!
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    Relantel,
    I know you'd like to have a new engine (heck, who wouldn't), but just what is their responsibility in this? What is the published warranty on this product, 3 years and 36K miles?........which would put your vehicle at twice both the years and miles?

    What would the cost be to pull the engine out of a wrecked car, and put it in yours (an engine from outside of that higher defect timeframe)?

    I think your options are to:
    - Continue to try to rattle the cages, which will probably have minimal chance of success. My opinion is that you are so far out of the warranty period that any reasonable third party person would come down on the side of the dealer as being fair.
    - Swap out the engine with a previously totaled vehicle, guessing it would cost ?? 1K ??, then either continue to drive it or sell it at around it's value of 2.8-3.5K.
    - Accept their offer of 15% coverage, spend 3K for a new engine, and then drive it till the wheels fall off (since you'll have a new engine good for another 80K miles).
    - Unload it as is, take about a 3K loss.

    I think I'd be looking for a replacement used engine.

    I personally had a similar situation. Transmission went out on 11 year old 85K GM Suburban (our road trip vehicle). Turns out that they made a model year change to a transmission part, and didn't spec it as being made out of hardened steel any longer. These things are failing right and left, obviously a manufacturing weakness. Vehicle is worthless in broken condition, and way outside of warranty even though it's a previously recognized problem. This is a significant repair I ended up eating.

    I'm sure you don't want to hear this, but I'd suggest channelling energies to finding a more reasonably cost solution than a full new engine replacement. You got dealt a bad hand of cards, make the best of it and get on with life. You'll look back at this in 5 years, and it will be a blip on your radar screen.
  • relantelrelantel Member Posts: 2
    Kiawah, the vehicle in question had a Saturn Car Care extended warranty until 60k, the max offered for that year, and a recall replacement of the transmission was performed at 72k even though there were no issues with the original one. The timing chain is said to be part of the 90,000 mile scheduled service according to Saturn - an implied warranty that the original should last at least that long. All maintenance was performed at a Saturn dealer, most of it at the same dealer. Saturn knew of the timing chain problems in the 2001 Ls long before the extended warranty was up - in fact, they knew of the problem before we purchased our L200 new from Saturn of Fairfax.
    In its ODI filings, Saturn claimed the failures never happened during operation. Wrong. The failure due to a manufacturing defect could have resulted in serious injury, and I am not alone. Saturn used to value the "100,000 mile club" - a wall of poloroid photos at each dealer of Saturn owners and their cars that made the 100k mark. They used to value the customer - now they'd rather throw them under the bus. A timing chain should have lasted more than 200,000 miles, not fail at 84,700.
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    The vehicle was purchased with a 36,000 mile "Car Care" service package, which was extended to 60,000 miles before its expiration, a package which also acted as an extended warranty.


    So is the care package a legal warranty specifically covering parts and labor, or a service package covering normal maintenance and serviceable items....in your terminology "acting as" an extended warranty? If the original 36K package was was purchased by you (as opposed to a warranty which is included in the sale of the vehicle), it sounds more like the service packages that dealers have which cover oil changes, brake pads, etc. Does it use the words warranty?
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    relantel,

    Been thinking about your situation some more. What exactly is it that you are asking for from Saturn? What is it in your eyes, is a fair resolution to your situation?

    Is Saturns' logic on their offer of 15%, that you drove 85K miles of the 100K miles that gets your picture on the dealership wall....therefore you were short 15K miles or 15%?

    Now I don't know what the actual statistics would prove (as opposed to marketing/sales hype) as to the average mileage of Saturns before they are retired....but I'm betting that most people would think by the time an average GM vehicle is at 100K it's taking it's last breaths. There's always the stories about someone making 250K, but I'm talking about the actual average mileage @ retirement.
  • george74george74 Member Posts: 1
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    If it died after an oil change, you should check to make sure there is the correck amount of oil in the engine. If you check the oil level (via the dipstick) and it's low, check to see whether the oil filter came loose and and lost all the oil, or the oil pan bolt came out and is missing (thereby loosing all the oil).
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