Saturn SL Engine Management

jango20

I'm looking to get an Engine Managment system for my 96 Saturn SL, the only problem is I don't want to spend the thousand dollars for an AEM if anyone can tell me a less expensive alternative that would be great.

howellcop

I have a 1993 saturn and i am having trouble with the idle speed, when i put the car in drive or reverse the engine idles too low (approx 800 rpm) and the engine rattles and squeaks, especially if i have the air on. Isn't the engine supposed to idle back up to 1000 rpm"s when i turn the air on. I believe this problem is caused by the idle speed control actuator but i do not know were it is. Can anyone help?

nyclarry

I have a 1999 Saturn SL2 I have had fair results with it. My Milage is 57k I had a 3 year maintenance contract and everything was fine. Once it was up the problems started to come up.
I got stuck on the road and Had AAA tow me to a Garage and was told that I never had a tune up??? after they tuned up the car it ran well untill I was told (once again the car stoped running) I needed a new Battery I replaced that. Then the Alternator went . Replaced that then the Drive belt went replaced that. Then the Freon needed replacing did that ...... Now My Problem is with My A/C When im idling the A/C Works great then when I start to move the car the A/C puts out very little cool air .... This does not happen all the time just some times any Hints as what to do????

stever

Check the Saturn S-Series discussion or the Saturn Problems & Solutions one too.

rockwilder194

I bought a 2000 Saturn SL2 about 3 weeks ago. So far I have replaced the motors and switches for 2 of the 4 windows. And, the driver's window still does not work properly. Now, I am being told that the new switch has probably shorted out. The repair man told me that the motor for this window is still good but, the switch has gone out again. Is that possible?
In addition to the above the check engine soon light is on and I am wondering if I should attempt to correct this myself of take to the local Saturn dealer? And if anyone knows where I might find a free download on do-it yourself Saturn repairs. Please let me know! All comments appreciated! ">

cemincer

I've owned a 97 Saturn SL2 for 6 years now and haven't had any major problems until recently. It started out that if I sat at a drive-thru the car would overheat - I then learned that the fan wasn't kicking on when the engine got to hot which caused this. That was fixed and the car still overheats, in fact just the other day coolant came pouring out the front after having left running for 7 min. Also, the tempurature gauge is always below the "C" but everything else works fine on the dashboard. Would this be a blown head gasket or just a radiator problem. Also, oil is collecting in the first cylinder causing it to not start correctly. Any ideas????

paulorlo

I own A 1997 Saturn SL. With the temperature gauge below "C" after the car has been running/ is the service engine soon light on? I would first suspect a bad Coolant temperature sensor. Engine overheating can be caused by a plugged radiator/stuck thermostat/ serpentine belt not turning water pump/ or coolant temperature sensor bad . That is why I asked about the SES light being on. If it is always reading below "C" it is sending a cold engine condition to the cars PCM (computer) which regulates the air/fuel mixture going to the motor. On cold starts the mixture is rich with gas, but changes as the motor warms up and that sensor is responsible for telling the PCM that information. Let me know if this helps

paulorlo

Many auto parts stores like Advanced Auto/ Auto Zone etc, will read the error codes off your PCM for free. A Saturn Dealer was charging me $41, but they also check that part that the error code suggests is faulty to see if it is indeed responsible for the error code. I would suggest buying a repair manual at the same time you have your error codes read. I own a 1997 Saturn SL and I purchased a Haynes repair manual from Advanced Auto. They use an OBDII hand held scanner. If Saturn has not improved their product since I purchase mine, that SES light will be going off again and again, as one part or another either looses it't ground due to corrosion, sticks due to cabon deposits, or wears out. Let me know if this has helped.

paulorlo

There is a web site called Saturn Forum/ for Saturn enthusiasts. It is very helpful because it categorizes the different Saturn cars and it is all about car problems and finding resolutions to the problems. Just reading the conversations gave me the above information.

bdotson

hello..
I am working on 1998 saturn s series 4dr auto w air...I just replaced the trans which had serious transaxel damage.Broken case.... pinion gears came through case ect...I thought that damage was due to abuse from young driver.However I replaced transmission(used)Previous trans I had rebuilt.I had had problems with the nut on the hub for clutch pack backing off.The donor trans worked fine for about 3-4blocks...shifted fine thru gears..then check engine light appeared...car abrubtly shifted into 1st gear and would not shift out of 1st..no slipage but no shift...took home and placed on scanner..got codes for for improper gear ratios.I cleared codes and test drove agian..with same reasuts(shifted fine at first then down shift agian...then would not shift i cleared codes agian ...same results the book for what trans will work call for 95 thru 02 I took trans from 96 The symptoms made me think that the origional damage may not of been thru young driver abuse but from pcm being faulty and car shifting to low gear all at once at a good rate of speed.I replaced the pcm from the car trans came from and trans worked fine shifting gears and all...however the car ran rough and low fuel light stayed on and gas gauge would not work.I did more research and found that only pcm from 1998 would work,which i purchased and installed.which upon testing agian made the car do the same thing agian...after this i replaced all of the selonoids ,valvebody all the sensors all electronics on the trans...trans still will not shift has anyone got a clue as to what may be the problem ????...I am goin nuts!!!!Is it possible that i got a bad pcm???

bdotson

Found cause of problem.....trans 95-02 will work ...problem is that they make 2 models for each year one for single overhead cam one for double.Thats why when I used the pcm from the doner car that the trans shifted and worked but the engine ran rough because pcm was sending info for single overhead engine!Feel so stupid but learned valuable lesson for future.Also that the pcms for saturn still need to be flashed,when changing them.I thought that I would leave this info in case any one else encounters this problem....Cause it sure had me baffled.
Beasley

hoodlatch

My daughter's SC1 was over heating. After trouble shooting, I found it was a faulty temperature sending unit causing the problem. As it turns out the factory sending unit has the probe made of plastic which was cracked thus giving a false reading.

minicoopers

Or, you can get the free little Autozone booklet "What It Means When Your Check Engine Light Comes On" and the free "key" to insert in your diagnostic connector and do it yourself.

danny1954

danny1954

Anybody have info on a 1995 Saturn SL 2 auto transmission. Car runs like it is in high gear at all times. I installed used trans, and tested all 5 solenoids-OK. Car still feels like it is pulling a large truck when accelerated from stop. No change

malessia

:sick: I am the proud owner of a 1997 4dr SL. I have replace the thermostate, radiator, water pump, and heater coil. Still, I overheat per the gauge 3 or 4 times in a 25 mile stretch. The gauge reads in the read a while and then theres some noise and it cools down. I also do not have heat. Yes, again I have change the thermostate twice. I am good on my antifreez. I am out of ideas.PLEASE HELP.

paisan

This section is for modifying your car, not repairing it, you might want to repost this in the maintenance and repair section.

-mike

b13steve

my friend has a 1998 SL2 sedan and is leaking water. im a nissan guy so IDK. is the water pump easy to replace, do i need to take off the timing cover?. im a light line tech, never worked on a saturn, and the boss wont let us look anything up on alldata or mitchell 4 personal vehicles. i just dont want to get into n e thing i need specialty tools for :surprise:

442dude

Water pump is easy...work on it through the pass front wheel well...comes off with 5 bolts...do not need to remove timing chain cover...just the belt & belt tensioner...no special techniques or tools...USE A TORQUE WRENCH...good Luck :shades:

timtari

My son has a 1998 saturn sl. I went' to check the oil in it and it needed about 11/2 Qts. I poured the oil into the oil fill and it won't go down. It stays in top end. Can the oil ports be plugged? It has sat for a day and a half and hasn't changed. He has been having problems with the valve cover gasket leaking,could it be building up pressure because it won't drain to the oil pan. Duh!!!
I haven't seen this before but I'm no mechanic. Please help !!!! I would appreciate it very much. Thanks Tim