1998 Saturn SL2 Service Light, code 1690, 1691

My wife took her car to the dealer because the car was hard to start, but
once she would slam
the door or hood or jumped the battery the car started and ran fine. I
checked the alternator and it
was putting out 14.7 volts.

The dealer told her that she needed a battery which was ok because it was
the stock battery when
we bought it, but then told her that the car would need $1100.00 in work to
replace the computer and clear the service light because the computer was
codes 1690 and 1691.

My questions are:
1. What do these codes mean and how are the usually fixed?

2. I am a electrician, these problems look more like a short or bad
connection should I start looking
here?

3. Am I being TOOK?

 

I can't find anything about P1690, but P1691 is coolant temperature gauge
circuit open or shorted. That's certainly nothing that would cause a
no-start condition..

Are you sure those are the correct codes?

 

....if it turns out to be a bad computer (PCM), you might look into a used
one from someone like http://www.6thplanetusedparts.com/ - I don't see
the 1960 code either in my Chilton's.

 

The code are what the service manager wrote on the ticket, code 1690 and
code 1691.

KC