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Saturn Ion Starting Problems

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Comments

  • gmcustsvcsarahgmcustsvcsarah Member Posts: 1,964
    Sd46916,

    I see you already have a plan for repairing your Saturn. If we can be of any service to you, even by looking into safety recall information on your vehicle, please don't hesitate to get in touch with us via email with your name/user name and the last 8 digits of your VIN.

    Best,
    Sarah
    GM Customer Service
  • pamela519pamela519 Member Posts: 62
    Be careful when the GM people weigh in. The ones on this blog are very nice, but they have no power when it comes to the important decisions. They will open a file for you, make the appointment for you at the dealer, I even had someone named Raymond call and tried to be helpful. when push came to shove his supervisor took over and I got nothing.. they said i was over warranty, even though i started complaining about this prior to the warranty being expired. and as I said to the saturntech (who is no longer with GM, just someone VERY helpful on this blog) You know I have weighed in a lot on this..... And I, being from southern california can confirm what you have said. Does not depend on the cold weather to start or not.. An old friend of my daughter's who is an ace mechanic put the starter in which both the dealership and the mechanic said I needed. GM dealership wanted $600 to replace the starter, the mechanic wanted $300, Jason bought the starter for $180 and it was in. Car started fine each and every time he started it up. At first he watched the utube video about cutting the wire, than adding the switch so I could pass smog, etc. Everything was great, but when he tried to put the switch in, it froze. turned out to be a loose fuse, but we let them be b/c it was starting fine. He had it for about 10 days and each time started right up. I got it back and it started each time i tried. then on the 3rd try (which was a week after i got it back) it would not start and now the key is stuck in the ignition. it won't turn to off, it's stuck somewhere between "on" (the furthest to the right it can go as when you are starting the car) and the middle (between on and off). Won't budge, won't come out of the ignition. Next up for us, the ignition relay switch, which seems to be the most talked about part on this blog for fixing this problem. He is going to switch out the ignition relay switch with a new one and I pray to God this works. If it does I will be selling my 2005 over 100,000 miles Saturn Ion and be happy with whatever I can get for it. I am so over this and I can't wait to get rid of this car... not sure what i'm going to get, but I am 100% sure it will not be a GM
  • dozensaturndozensaturn Member Posts: 41
    Wow! A Saturn Tech that admits something is wrong! And in this posting sharing with us that 'most of the time' the problem is traced to the ignition switch (a GM dealer sourced part at about $50 - available from rockauto.com for less than $20 ...same identical part) and its failing pass lock sensor.
    Note - we now learn there is a bulletin from saturn about this!! How come that saturn did not take care of this during the warranty period? How come those gm dealers that service and repair saturn's know about this? The one we have dealt with is 100% clueless about any bulletin - but will happily sell us the $50 part and point out, no return, it's an electrical part. Do I have one, yes, did it work? No ...
    Like so many other owners posting ...go elsewhere but a new gm product!
  • pamela519pamela519 Member Posts: 62
    Saturntech - As I told the last one who posted on this. You are the only one who actually helped me on this site. The 2 GM people that have their eye on this blog. nice, but useless (sorry ladies, but setting up a "file" that you basically know is not going anywhere - not really helping).... As I said, when GM called me after one of the ladies on here set a file up for me.. He wanted to hep. Raymond knew i was over warranty, knew I'd had this problem b/f i was over warrenty and was pushing to get GM to pay. Last thing he said to me was "Don't worry, I am here to help." The next thing I knew his supervisor called and was extremely rude and told me there is no way GM will be paying. When I asked for her supervisor she told me she is the general manager (or some such title) of southern california and there was no one higher than her to talk to. Basically dismissed me like yesterday's trash. Don't know if you read my other postings, but had it started for a whole week after the starter was put in. now it is frozen and the key won't come out of the ignition, there is no power, no clicks, no nothing. oh yeah, and the mechanic put a new battery in over the summer for $180. next up... that ignition relay switch for $25. we are hoping this does the trick and then good bye Saturn Ion! Hopefully, someone will buy it
  • notcrankyionnotcrankyion Member Posts: 9
    Hi everyone. I bought my '03 ION brand new from the dealer and didn't have any problems until 2 years ago. Then I started getting this no start/no crank problem. At first I thought, OK probably the battery (it was in the winter and well, the battery was 6 years old, why not?). I bought a new one and that of course didn't fix the problem. So I asked the guys who service our cars about it. They started by replacing the ignition switch (better grease they promised too) but that didn't totally take care of it. So last year they replaced the ignition cylinder. Better, but still not 100%. Then on Tuesday, the key wouldn't turn back to the 'off' position. So back to the shop. They fixed the key issue by taking apart the cylinder again, but since then the car won't stay on at all. It cranks, but then stalls. They think the computer is toast, but they don't know. I've tried calling the closest GM dealer to see if they can even diagnose the issue (BCM or just a complete failure of the computer) and I'm still waiting to hear from them. What did I see about disconnecting the anti-theft? Did that actually work for anyone?
  • pamela519pamela519 Member Posts: 62
    My key is also now stuck in the ignition. i was told a simple ignition relay switch will do the job. this is after installing a new battery, new starter.... it actually worked for a whole week after the starter was put in!!

    my AAA expired, I have to reup and get it towed AGAIN and try the ignition relay switch this time. btw, I live in southern california. cold weather has nothing to do with it!!

    there is a utube video about all this, but be careful. good luck. this is so insane. every week more and more people on here, yet GM won't do a thing if we are over warranty. So over 40 pages on this blog going back years and no recall. they simply have their people monitoring this site. I was very sweet when i started on here. Now I am jaded and just want the car working so I can get rid of it and NEVER buy a GM car again
  • notcrankyionnotcrankyion Member Posts: 9
    I'm right there with you. IF I can get this thing working, I'm unloading it ASAP. But this is the only issue I've had since 2003, so I'm not throwing GM out the door just yet. Then again, if I can't find someone who THINKS they MIGHT be able to fix it, then I'm out of luck and I have to figure out some way to buy another car - and all of the joy that THAT will bring me.
    And the cold weather just seems to bring this issue out in my ION. It may be anecdotal, but that's when it happens. Not necesarily below freezing, but I had no issues when it was over 70 degrees outside.
  • pamela519pamela519 Member Posts: 62
    notcrankyion - It does seem as if many people do have issues in the cold weather. I don't know how much of this blog you have read, but I started here months ago. At that time I was still on the fence about GM and thought, despite everything I read, that maybe they really did want to help. Some do, some don't, but the people that don't are the supervisors of GM and they are the ones with the power. I bought my 2005 Ion brand new in 2005 and not until the summer of 2009 did I start having this problem.. Even though I contacted Saturn several times I was told on here that GM could not do anything for me b/c I was over warranty and there was no documentation. I never brought it in b/c all the wanted to do was charge me $129 to run a diagnostic and I knew the problem, didn't need that I needed it fixed. GM contacted me on this blog, set up a file, made an appointment at the local GM dealer all the while completely aware that I was over warranty. yet, someone from GM called and told me he wanted to help and not to worry. After that call I never heard from him again, but I did hear from his supervisor telling me too bad for me they wouldn't cover it b/c I was over warranty and did not seem to care at all that I had tried b/f the warranty was over..... I need to buy the ignition relay switch and have my friend/mechanic put it in. Not sure how much of this blog you've read, but it's quite interesting and very repetitive in the problems. Plus you should watch the u tube video
  • seansmommy1seansmommy1 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2003 Saturn, I use a blow dryer to heat the ignition switch before putting key in. Usually works. Try disconnecting battery to reset security. Buy a FORD buy a Honda, anything else. I have gone up the GM ladder too and they will not help. Its all a ploy, which is why Saturn is out of business. A large class action lawsuit and general boycott are the only solutions. God luck everyone, I've taken mine everywhere. No luck.
  • lynn224lynn224 Member Posts: 1
    I bought my 2004 Saturn Ion 2 brand new with 10 miles on it in July 2004. I have loved this car even thought I had to replace the ignition switch 3 times. Thursday Nov. 17 my car would not start. I got it to the mechanic on Saturday they tell me it's the ignition switch. A few hours later they tell me they can't reset the security code (passlock system) On Monday they brought the car to a local GM dealership an electrician looked at it and couldn't figure out the problem. Now we are at Wednesday Nov. 23 and it is going to yet another GM dealership to have the car "flashed" (I have no idea what it means) My car has 135,000 miles on it, but this is ridiculous I am going on almost a week without a car and no one seems to be able to fix it. I am starting to get very frustrated and have no idea what to do!!!!!
  • kikibkikib Member Posts: 14
    Tell them to check the body control module, the fuse box, and the gear shift box. My son's 2005 Saturn Ion had to have all three replaced in the past several months. He has less than 60,000 miles on his car. Not one mechanic or service advisor seemed to know what to do until my son went to pick up his car at the dealership yet again after being towed there and they were unable to "duplicate the problem." Thankfully, while he attempted to start his car and leave the dealership lot, his key got stuck in the ignition and the car wouldn't start. Only then was a mechanic able to figure out that it was the body control module. Why? It doesn't make sense. GM should never have been bailed out by the government. This ongoing blog proves that.
  • hallie11hallie11 Member Posts: 1
    I'm beyond fed up with this issue. So I need help with knowing what I need to do for my car. This is my third winter with it and I refuse to put up with this bs again. Seems to only happen when its cold it won't start and the security light flashes at me...but I'm concerned that something may be wrong with my computer someone help me please! I'm sick of trying to talk to gm they haven't helped me a bit but try to rape my billfold any help would be appreciated..I have an 03 Saturn ion level 3
  • oblio9oblio9 Member Posts: 19
    Cut the white wire.
  • dozensaturndozensaturn Member Posts: 41
    The advise is pretty straight forward, and simple .... Get rid of the Saturn ION, trade it for a non-gm product, go for a Honda, Nissan, Toyota, Ford, Hyundai, KIA etc but stay away from GM. They have not earned your business, especially after how they have mishandled the ignition issue for thousand's and thousand's of GM-Saturn owners, and this from the very first day the problem was reported.
    After having purchased total of 17 Saturn's --- we, like so many other Saturn owners, have given up on GM products. Have replaced most of the fleet at this time with but still a few to go, maybe one or two in December this as I just had report of one more of the remaining 2005 ION's are 'acting' up to frequently.
  • nforr121287nforr121287 Member Posts: 2
    I was reading this thread and looked like others were having problems similar to mine so I figured id see if anyone might be able to give me anymore information. I have a 2005 saturn Ion with about 70,000 miles. A couple days ago my inside lights started acting up, and would stay on til i drove a yard or two. Also my factory alarm would not sound when I locked my car via the keyless entry keypad. Went to start it the next morning and nothing. I assumed my battery was dead because I got nothing when I put the key in the ignition but clicking. So i jumped it. All my lights would come on, my aircondition turned on. everything as far as power was working, but not my car just wont start. wont turn over, or click, or anything. My security light flashes when trying to start it. I called it quits and locked my car with the key fob. The next days my battery had died again, and my alarm would randomly go off faintly and quietly when I wasnt around. Any suggestions from anyone on what It may be or what I should do?
  • gmcustsvcsarahgmcustsvcsarah Member Posts: 1,964
    I'm sorry that your Ion is having trouble starting. Have you already been working with a dealership to get a diagnosis on this concern?

    Sarah
    GM Customer Service
  • dozensaturndozensaturn Member Posts: 41
    Dealerships are 'clueless' when it comes to this problem. For the consumer, it is total spill of time and money! If GM has a workable solution - please share it with any and all Saturn ION owners and, why not share it with the gm-dealers as well.
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,148
    From what I see in this discussion, I tend to agree. Unless you can go in to the dealership already armed with info about what's causing the problem (and what part(s) might need replacement), it appears to often turn in to a pointless waste of time and money. The key seems to be to find a really GOOD mechanic (dealership or independent) who can diagnose & fix the problem the first time.

    MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
    Need help navigating? kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
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  • pamela519pamela519 Member Posts: 62
    Kirstie, Sarah, nforr121287 and everyone else

    I am sure some of you are tired of hearing from me. I must say this. I did find a very good mechanic whom I told exactly what I was told time and again in this blog what the problem was. And I had/have the same problems as what was described by nforr121287, except as most of you know mine started in the summer of 2009 and finally died altogether. From this blog i learned it was the ignition relay switch. the mechanic assured me i needed a battery and by that time I probably did. He also said I needed the starter. after reading this 48+ page bog he was uncomfortable working on it further and also, b/c GM told me they would help me. I took it to the dealer and told them about the ignition relay switch a $25 part. they said they had to run the diagnostic on it and then would see. so $180 for the battery, another $129 for the diagnostic and I was told for $600 more a starter. An old friend of my daughters who is an ace mechanic did put a new starter in for $180 (for the part) and for a week it worked fine. now the key is stuck in the ignition, it won;t turn on, the lights, nothing,. I have to get it towed and try this $25 part, but this is so upsetting, frustrating and expensive. My problem started when the car was well under 100,000 and still in warranty. now that it is over warranty GM refuses to pay. And one would think after 843 posts and 43 pages that they would do a recall and make good on the part. I will NEVER by another GM car again. I only hope and pray to get this fixed and get rid of it and have my life back
  • nforr121287nforr121287 Member Posts: 2
    Would an ignition relay switch cause my battery to die? That is what confuses me. My battery died before my ignition switch problems. Is it possible that my battery died due to leaving my trunk ajar and that cause my passlock system to lock up. I am considering doing a passlock reset before I replace the ignition switch because some people are saying that their car will start once in a while after 10-15 minutes. Mine does not start at all. Just flashes the security lock symbol.
  • notcrankyionnotcrankyion Member Posts: 9
    Greetings fellow Ion owners! I tend to agree that this is something that GM should have handled better. But as for my personal situation, it is fixed. For how long I don't know (and I'm not holding my breath) but for now I'm up and running again. I DID take my 2003 Ion to the "GM Certified Saturn Service Center" at a dealer. BUT, they have my car running again. They did the $97/hour diagnostic and found nothing and then had to disassemble the ignition assembly. That is where they say the problem was. According to them, when my local mechanic replaced the ignition switch last year he didn't use "genuine GM parts" and the wrong voltage was being passed so the anti-theft system shut the engine down. The total came to a little over $200 so I'm happy to NOT have to shop for another car just yet. I think I'll stay with this thread for a while still and see how everyone else fares. Good luck!
  • jenniemcpjenniemcp Member Posts: 2
    Sarah, thanks for your message. So far so good but I am really bothered that the dealership charged me $120 for a diagnostic test that revealed nothing and THEN tested the replacement battery which they said was bad. I just got laid off so $120 isn't pocket money, plus I don't trust a dealership that won't do anything else before charging you $120 for a diagnostic.
  • dweezildweezil Member Posts: 271
    It's the "Genuine GM Parts" that caused the problem in the first place. ;) These guys will say ANYTHING: "They all do that" "Never heard of that before." "Needs a new BCM". "Needs a new starter". "Battery". And the beat goes on.

    At this stage in the ION's time on the road it's all going to be passed off as "normal wear and tear" and GM will be even more forthright in ignoring their problem. Again. Still.

    Mine was replaced at least three times at the dealership and like you I am not holding my breath either. Glad to have it fixed and the place treated me right.

    It still bugs me: in 40 years of driving the only time I ever had to replace an ignition switch was when I lost the keys to my car.

    A shame: the ION was a better car than people gave it credit. It's almost like GM went out of their way to prove that Saturns were unsalable.
  • gmcustsvcsarahgmcustsvcsarah Member Posts: 1,964
    Great to hear that things have been going well since the replacement. I'm sorry to hear about your job situation, and understand how diagnostic fees can be steep. If we can be of further service on any vehicle concerns, please don’t hesitate to get in contact with us via email.

    Regards,
    Sarah
    GM Customer Service
  • blucatblucat Member Posts: 7
    For your sake, I hope this is a permanent fix and solves your problems once and for all time! But I do not trust the dealers and mechanics. The first thing they're taught is to lie, sell unnecessary parts, blame someone or something else and steal your money with an outrageous "diagnostics fee". The white wire solution has worked for for about 2-and-a-half years and cost nothing!

    I bought a code reader on sale from Advanced Auto Parts for under $100 and each and every time I've used it, it has shown the same thing as the mechanic's and/or dealer's "diagnostics" . I think the $75 to $100+ fee is just an entrance fee to get in to the garage with the den of thieves who'll rob you blind once you're in there.

    Just bought my oldest granddaughter a 2005 Ford Focus and it's starting to exhibit similar cold weather starting failures. Oh, well . . . here we go again. I hope I'll find a "white wire" fix for the Focus!

    Good luck to you!
  • notcrankyionnotcrankyion Member Posts: 9
    Thanks for your support dweezil. I think that since I came in with the bulliten information and the fact that the ignition switch and cylinder had both already been replaced that they knew I had done some research and wouldn't buy a huge pile of bs.
    The mechanic who did the original work says he hates seeing Saturns come in for anything other than an oil change. But like I told him, this is the only issue I have with mine. Almost 9 years old and under 70k miles but no 'major' work on it. Here's hoping that it stays that way for at least one more year. That's when our son is done with daycare and we get a nice little break with the household expenses.
  • notcrankyionnotcrankyion Member Posts: 9
    Thanks blucat. I can't see the video here at work, but I'll check it out at home. I'm not sure I will go for the 'cut the wire' solution, but I'll keep it in mind. For now, I'm still running just fine.
  • dweezildweezil Member Posts: 271
    edited November 2011
    Blucat: You're on to it. I have a 99.00 Car MD that does most of the same stuff and puts it into laymen's terms for me.

    It would generate as much business as they could handle to do as Auto Zone and others do and read your codes for free. All that 99-125 dollar fee does is put people off the dealer service depts and pisses them off enough never to return.

    First brand that gets wise is going to have people lining up to use their service dept and an opportunity to build the groundwork for potential sales. That was the basis of Saturn's popularity in the first place. And it worked.

    It will never happen: the quick buck is always easier to get than the one you have to cultivate.

    But I have to say: my SSP @ Oreilly's Chevrolet Tucson has been fantastic. Enough so that once again I would possibly consider them for my next car purchase. They might have actually retained me as a customer of GM with the problem resolution and follow up they've given my ION.
  • adam271976adam271976 Member Posts: 10
    Hallie,

    I had the same problem but it happened when it was cold out or not. What happened in my case with my 2003 saturn ion 1 was the ignition switch. After it wouldnt initially start, i had to wait 30 mins. till the security passlock
    disabled itself then it would start. Whats happeneing is there is a resistor on the ignition switch. When that goes bad, the anti theft/paslock system thinks the car is being stolen! So i had the gm dealership replace the ignition switch even though they tried to rape me by telling me it was my BCM(Body Control Module) and would cost $500 to replace the computer. Then i came on this site and talked to saturntech on here and said it was the ignition switch so i had it replaced about a month ago and low and behold no more problems!! To replace the switch at the dealer was about $120. Hope this helps, Adam
  • dozensaturndozensaturn Member Posts: 41
    Adam,
    The same switch is less than $20 at rockauto.com - less than half of what gm dealer charge! The install is a matter of minutes ... if handy you should be able do it yourself.

    Have installed a few switches purchased from rockauto ....
    Also have one 'on the shelf', bought at the gm dealer for like $49, with clear conditions, that "it is an "electrical component" and "no warranty" - and sure enough it was a bad one, bought at a gm-dealer! It does not make you turn to the gm-dealer for more parts ...
  • etofmaineetofmaine Member Posts: 9
    edited December 2011
    My 2005 Saturn Ion, Manual transmission, with Cruise had the Inital startup
    anti-theft problem also, 6 times. I also had to wait 10 to 20 minutes for it to reset. Another woman in my area had the Ignition switch replaced to remedy her issues with this same problem. I while waiting one darn cold morning, remembered how my OIL change indicator kept coming on after an oil change 2 days prior, and was told that to reset that, you turn key to ON position (not start) press gas slowly to floor 3 times. Turn off key for 5 seconds then start. I wondered about that and tried that 4, 5, 6,,,, until I got to 11 times. After each sequence turn to off position for 5 seconds and tried to start vehicle. #11 seemed to have done the trick for me as I have not had a problem in 2 years. Seems there are computer codes for certain things using the gas peddle to reset them like the OIL one.
  • notcrankyionnotcrankyion Member Posts: 9
    That is the wierdest thing I have heard of! Pumping the gas pedal to re-set the 'change oil' idiot light?!? Do you have the owner's manual? Mine has a much easier (and more understandable) way to reset the indicator - I just hold the odometer/trip meter button for 5 seconds and it resets. Of course, on my wife's 2002 L100 there was a button on the fuse panel in the engine compartment that you had to press to do the same thing and nobody seemed to remember to push it when the changed the oil.
    BTW, still running just fine with the 'genuine GM part' ignition switch from the dealer a few weeks ago. For now...
  • etofmaineetofmaine Member Posts: 9
    I got that info for the gas peddle reset of Oil indicator from the Used car dealer where I bought the vehicle, she is one smart lady on about all vehicles she sells.
    I just took an educated guess that other codes may reset by trying a different sequence. Like I said not another problem in 2 years, no more -20 degree waits :) Hope this works for others also as it gets expensive at least for me to travel 50 miles to a GM dealer just to get ripped off.
  • eboniw06eboniw06 Member Posts: 1
    Omg! I am having that problem now, I thought it was my battery so I replaced it! But it's still doing exactly what happen to your car! Now this morning my key got stuck it wouldn't turn all the off it stayed on the "Acc" part, which I was mad because I couldn't lock my doors because it was stuck. I'm so made about it because I live in the Lancaster CA we use to have a Saturn dealer in Palmdale CA but GMC just had to buy it out! So I guess I have to go to GMC which I really don't want to. I use to have a Ford Focus and I never had problems with the Ford at all. But my 2003 Saturn Ion is a great car it rides smooth of course with my rims. Also didnt know my battery was located in the truck! That's the first for me now I'm starting to research more about this Saturn Ion because I don't want to get rape at the dealer! Love this Forum/discussion!
  • etofmaineetofmaine Member Posts: 9
    edited December 2011
    You wrote: "They fixed the key issue by taking apart the cylinder again, but since then the car won't stay on at all. It cranks, but then stalls."
    in a response to pamela519

    I had vehicle once with that problem. Ended up being a fuse for maintaining the running of the vehicle after starting. Hmmmm wonder ???

    UPDATE: Actually as I now remember I would stay running as long as you never removed your foot from the gas, then it would stall.
  • etofmaineetofmaine Member Posts: 9
    Saturn out of business??? Hmmm looking at 2013 models with 6speed Auto & Manual Loaded, on Internet.
  • saturntech9saturntech9 Member Posts: 152
    She is wrong use the trip reset to toggle the message to change oil message then hold the trip reset down for a few seconds and you will hear a beeping conformation.So of the saturns used the gas pedal for oil change reset but not all the them.I worked at the saturn dealer for many years working on these cars.As far as your no start its most likely your ignition switch being bad.Have your body control module scanned for codes if you have a B3033 and or B2960 replace the ignition switch its easy to do.You could even do it yourself if you need instructions i will give them to you.
  • etofmaineetofmaine Member Posts: 9
    Keys stuck in ignition? Although I am not a mechanic or knowledgable as to how ignition switches work these days, since the advent of locking stearing wheels, all vehicles I have owned have had that issue when force on the steering column is applied to it due to residual pressure from the tires applying pressure back to the steering column. Unaware; I have somtimes turned into a parking spot, even into my garage, turned off the ignition, released the steering column then gone back to start my vehicle but to turn the key and either unable to, or have turned it part way before tire tension to the steering column locks my key part way. On one occasion I had to use brute force to turn the steering column to release the key.

    Although I have never heard of, nor could conceive (nor sound logical ) such a Relay that can entrap a key, especially if battery dies leaving such relay with no power.

    A key locked in such a position due to my knowledge of the mechanical pressures from tire back to locking steering column, could in fact leave some vehicle systems active, thus draining battery voltage over a period of time giving the appearence of battery issues. Much like older vehicles where one dome light use to drain a battery overnight.

    Even my 2005 Ion entraped my key once but as I described it was due to pressure from tires back to locking steering column. Once I forcefully turned steering column it Released.

    I hope there is no such relay :mad: in modern vehicles.
  • etofmaineetofmaine Member Posts: 9
    edited December 2011
    You wrote:
    She is wrong use the trip reset to toggle the message to change oil message then hold the trip reset down for a few seconds and you will hear a beeping conformation. So of the saturns used the gas pedal for oil change reset but not all the them. I worked at the saturn dealer for many years working on these cars. As far as your no start its most likely your ignition switch being bad. Have your body control module scanned for codes if you have a B3033 and or B2960 replace the ignition switch its easy to do. You could even do it yourself if you need instructions i will give them to you.
    I believe dozensaturn or notcrankyion may have written about the trip reset, I was writing about the "She" that informed me about the depressing the gas peddle slowly 3 times to reset OIL change warning indicator, which did work immediately and several times since, on my 2005 Ion. BTW I like my Ion and the 45mpg that it was not suppose to deliver :) 135,000+ winter snow and summer.
  • iatmgiatmg Member Posts: 1
    edited December 2011
    Backstory: About 2 years ago, my 2003 Burgundy Ion 1 would start randomly not-starting. First time it happened was at a gas station. I pulled over, filled up, then it wouldn't start - Now, like then, it usually just sits there and shows me the lights every time I turn the key with no other effort to start the vehicle. It sometimes turns once and then goes back to just being the lights. I've had the electrical system checked pretty much every time it's happened and it always checks out 100%. I've had the starter checked and the guy said it was ok, albeit it was about 5 months ago. Tonight, the following video happened. It's completely different from the other time aside from that it's been 2 hours now and won't kick over. As you can see from the lights, the power is fine. Usually, when it does this, I'll try for about 30 minutes and it'll eventually kick over. Twice I had a false start where it sounded and acted like it started, but then it just quickly, yet slowly, faded out to 'off'. I'd say in all, it's happened about 10 times in the 2-3 years I've had this problem. And, when I say it's random, it truly is: in hot weather, cold weather, day, night, it just decides to get tired, sometimes. Any ideas?

    Video: http://youtu.be/gN6tBpeyi40
  • etofmaineetofmaine Member Posts: 9
    Gas station incident sounds like the Pass lock anti-theft issue most of us have. Turning once then just indicators sounds about the same issue assuming battery and all battery connections front and back are good.
    unClean / insecure battery cables can cause lots of woes, not always the same on all vehicles. The 30 minute wait agains sounds like pass lock anti-theft issue. Starting then slowly shutting down could be clogged fuel filter,
    as by your gages it looks to have sufficient fuel.

    I made some still shots of your video, noticed that the indicator at 11 o'clock above your speedometer does not come on if the check engine indicator is on, and the reverse happenes if the indicator above the speedometer comes on. This happened twice during your video. Maybe a hint. (Ask someone reputable about this and if it could be the BCM module but have them do the research first before replacing) ( I am suspicious of a lamp controller preventing my vehicle from starting my vehicle. Maybe it does more though. I am no vehicle mechanic, just and Electrical / Electronics tech )

    I had the fortune of resetting my pass lock anti-theft problem (read my replys) others have had to have Key switch cylinders replaced (may have been problem but some seem to have repeat issues with that fix)
    some have been cond on battery replacements and some type of ignition relay (may / maynot be issue ) , BCM modules (controls idiot lights amongst other things I guess )

    Good luck
  • saturnsonsaturnson Member Posts: 1
    I have to go to Detroit to take my mothers Saturn Ion into the dealer in a few weeks. I am glide to have come across this site. Her car has been doing this turn the key don't start for ten minutes stuff intermittently for two years-worse in the winter.
  • pmsull1pmsull1 Member Posts: 6
    Just wondering why you are going to a dealer to have the starting problem fixed? A large portion of this thread has stated that the dealer will most likely charge you $125-150 for diagnostic test before they even touch your car. I had mine repaired by my own mechanic who , by the way, did replace the switch with a genuine GM part for a total cost parts and labor and re-learn the computer of $120.00. The replace time was only about 25 minutes and the relearn took about 40 minutes (Not a high end GM unit which can relearn in about 5mins) so justify the 1 hr labor charge.
    Hope you reconsider going to the dealers....
    Good Luck
  • jc80jc80 Member Posts: 2
    My 2004 Saturn Ion has been in & out of my mechanic's garage for a couple of months. My car occasionally does not crank, but after 20 minutes of attempting it will turn over. My mechanic was able to diagnose it as a problem with the anti-theft passlock. My mechanic said only a GM dealership is able to correct the problem; that he can’t yank out the alarm system. I took the car into the dealership this morning and asked if they could just disable the anti-theft system. It’s been five hours and they say they haven’t been able to figure it out yet.

    Has anyone tried to have the anti-theft system disabled? Can they do it? Does it solve the problem?
  • pamela519pamela519 Member Posts: 62
    When I took mine to the dealership and told them I only needed a relay ignition switch (which I got off of this blog) they refused to do that. they said they had to do a diagnostic ($129) and then told me I needed a starter which they wanted to put in for $600. A friend who is a mechanic put one in for $180. It worked (2005 Ion) for barely a week and then on the 7th day when I went to turn it on the key got stuck between the on and the off. I still can't get it out.. I have to get it towed and still need to get that ignition relay switch... Supposedly, a $23 part.
  • jc80jc80 Member Posts: 2
    What a bummer!!! I have a new starter and a new battery. My mechanic tried replacing the relay ignition switch and held onto the car to see if it would solve the problem, but it didn't so he put the original switch back in.
  • 05saturnowner05saturnowner Member Posts: 1
    My 2005 Saturn Ion is not reliable when it comes to starting. Basically, it's like a 50/50 chance that I'll be able to drive somewhere. I had my battery replaced and my starter replaced a week ago. Since then, it's not started 3 times. I've been told it's a problem particular to the Saturn.... I really don't want to have to buy a new car but I'm not sure what to do at this point. (It seems that it usually doesn't start when it's cold outside...)
  • pamela519pamela519 Member Posts: 62
    05Saturnowner You could have been talking about me and my 2005 saturn ION. except my problem started the summer of 2009. not until may of 2011 did it die and not start at all and that's when I got the starter and battery replaced. worked for a week after the starter was put in and now the key is stuck between on and off. i have probably ruined my battery. i am in southern california and had the problem in the summer as well. weather may be a part of it, but certainly not the cause. the cause is a defective part. everyone says it's the ignition relay switch. My AAA just ran out so I have to renew that, get the car towed and hopefully, this last part which is only $25 will finally make it work. there are u tube videos talking about our problem.... there are close to 50 pages on this blog, you were post #856 and most of this blog is the same problem. so instead of having GM customer service (which wanted to help me (they said) and did not help me b/c my warranty was over even though i started this way before it was over) my point being if so many of us have the same problem.. why isn't GM doing a recall? having a GM rep contact us... doesn't do much. let me know if you get it fixed and how.
  • gmcustsvcsarahgmcustsvcsarah Member Posts: 1,964
    I am sorry to hear this. When you had your battery and starter replaced, was this done at a dealership? If so, we can follow up with them for you. Please send us an email with more information, including your name, the last 8 of your VIN, and the name of your dealership.
    Best,
    Sarah
    GM Customer Service
  • brava58brava58 Member Posts: 27
    edited December 2011
    Ugh, I am seriously thinking of getting rid of my Saturn. It's not worth any of the frustration.

    I can go out to my car at 6:30am, 32 degrees and no start. But I can go out to my car on another day, at noon, with the sun hitting the car for a couple of hrs. at the same temp. , 32 degrees (obviously it would be lower than 32 at 6:30a) and it starts right up.

    Is the sun loosening the grease? Beats me. But I'm so over it.
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