electrical problem with 98 SL2

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bruce Thiel
  • Start date Start date
B

Bruce Thiel

I have a 98 SL2 with every option but automatic, fog lights and
anti-lock brakes.

Since day 1, the low fuel light never worked even when there was less
then 1 gallon of fuel in the tank. The deal would never even look at
the problem.

Now 95,000 plus miles, when there is a 1/4 or less of fuel in the tank
it will randomly die and not start.

-While driving down the road, it will die or the guages will go "nuts"
sometimes recovering sometimes dieing completly.

-Sometimes it will not start, turn the key, no nothing it even wipes out
the clock and preset radio stations. No key busser, no interior
lights, no headlights, checking voltages at the fuses and there is power
there.

The strange thing is that adding gas seems to "fix" the problems...

This problem has never happened with over 1/2 tank of gas. We drive 100
miles a day and keeping the tank over 1/2 is time consuming.

I'm currently unemployed and my girlfriend who drives the car can not
aford much in repair bills, so we are looking for advice before going to
a repair shop.

Thanks for any info...
 
Kirk Kohnen said:
I recall a TSB on this.

Contact a dealer. The fix might be free.
Click to expand...

Any idea what the bulletin was about? I haven't had this problem on my 98
SL2 but if it's a service bulletin I'd be interested in knowing about what
it dealt with just in case. I'm guessing that with 120K miles and it not
happening I'm safe but you never know I guess.

Charles
 
This one sounds relevant, here's a summary:

Intermittent No Start, Intermittent Stall After Start-Up and/or Loss of
Radio Presets (Replace Instrument Panel Junction Block-IPJB and/or Terminal)
#03-08-45-001
1995-1999 Saturn S-Series Vehicles

Condition
Some customers may comment that one or more of the following conditions has
occurred.

Intermittent no start
Intermittent stall after start-up
Loss of radio presets

Cause
Condition(s) may be caused by terminal tightness at PIN F-5 within the
Instrument Panel Junction Block (IPJB Black 68 way).

Correction
Refer to the Instrument Panel Junction Block (IPJB) and/or Terminal
Replacement procedures in this bulletin.
 
There is a TSB about the evaporation control canister becoming plugged,
and starving the engine of fuel. Opening the gas cap will solve the
problem temporarily. Getting the dealer to replace the cannister will
solve it. Don't know about the gauge problems, maybe it's related?
 
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