Trouble w/94 SOHC

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jim Smith
  • Start date Start date
J

Jim Smith

My buddy bought a 1994 SL1 SOHC w/automatic transmission.
At this time, it is undriveable.
I will try to explain the symptoms as best as I can.
Cold engine-When you start the engine, it runs a little rough. If you
give it some gas it smoothes out. Once you let off the gas, it idles at
about 1200-1300 RPMs. Nothing you can do will drop the RPMs.
The cooling fans comes on as soon as you start the car. When you put
the car in gear, the RPMs jump up to about 2500 and will slowly drop
back to 1200 RPMs. After a few minutes, the cooling fan stops running.

Warm engine-The engine starts and runs at 1200 RPMs. Put the
transmission in gear and it again raises the RPMs to about 2500. But
now if you give it some throttle, the engine will sputter and many times
it dies.

Now after that, the engine is very difficult to get fired up again! You
have to give it a little bit of throttle while cranking the engine and
after about 4-5 seconds, the engine runs.

My friend was told to replace the throttle body gasket, which he did.
This did not fix the problem.

The one thing that really is odd is the operation of the cooling fan.

The fan comes on immediately after starting the engine, regardless of
the engine temperature. It will cycle off after a few minutes
regardless of the engine temperature!

Any ideas?!?!?!?!?!?!?


Thanks!
Jim Smith
 
Before resorting to guesses, consider reading the stored codes. Luckily
with 1st gen cars, you can do it with a paperclip.

Some excellent instructions can be found here:
http://www.differentracing.com/tech_articles/index.html
Refer to Diagnostic Trouble Code Information, and Diagnostic Trouble Code
Chart for 1st Gen Saturns. Or, people posting here have said you can stop
by any Auto Zone and have them read the codes for no charge.

Any Haynes or Chilton manual will give additional info on what each code
means.

If that doesn't give any results, it may be worthwhile to have your local
Saturn take a look at it. Paying the diagnostic fee beats buying stuff that
may not fix the problem.

Lane [ l a n e @ p a i r . c o m ]
 
Coolant temperature sensors seem to be a common failure item on Saturns.
(There may be two, one for the ECM with two wires and one for the gauge with
one wire - the ECM one is the one that matters here.) If you take it out,
you may find that the sensor end is actually cracked. I believe the newer
replacement sensors are made out of brass..
 
Lane said:
Before resorting to guesses, consider reading the stored codes. Luckily
with 1st gen cars, you can do it with a paperclip.
Click to expand...
I got to work on the car tonight.

I got a code 89, does anyone know what this code means?

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jim Smith
 
I don't see any code 89 on a 1.9L engine - are you sure you counted the
flashes right?
 
My buddy bought a 1994 SL1 SOHC w/automatic transmission.
At this time, it is undriveable.
I will try to explain the symptoms as best as I can.
Cold engine-When you start the engine, it runs a little rough. If you
give it some gas it smoothes out. Once you let off the gas, it idles at
about 1200-1300 RPMs. Nothing you can do will drop the RPMs.
The cooling fans comes on as soon as you start the car. When you put
the car in gear, the RPMs jump up to about 2500 and will slowly drop
back to 1200 RPMs. After a few minutes, the cooling fan stops running.

Warm engine-The engine starts and runs at 1200 RPMs. Put the
transmission in gear and it again raises the RPMs to about 2500. But
now if you give it some throttle, the engine will sputter and many times
it dies.

Now after that, the engine is very difficult to get fired up again! You
have to give it a little bit of throttle while cranking the engine and
after about 4-5 seconds, the engine runs.

My friend was told to replace the throttle body gasket, which he did.
This did not fix the problem.

The one thing that really is odd is the operation of the cooling fan.

The fan comes on immediately after starting the engine, regardless of
the engine temperature. It will cycle off after a few minutes
regardless of the engine temperature!
Click to expand...

It sounds like you definitly have a coolant temp sensor issue, although you may
have multiple issues. Definitly start with the sensor. On your car there are 2
sensors, you need to replace the on that gives the computer data(it has 2
wires).

When the fan turns on right at startup, I don't know any other reason for that
but a faulty coolant temp sensor or computer. If the coolant temp sensor is
telling the computer that the car is hot all the time, it will turn the fan on
right away. A quick test would be to switch the intake air temp sensor with the
coolant temp sensor(IAT is in the intake pipe) as the sensor is the same thing.
The older plastic sensors were likely to bulge and/or crack(I've had both
happen.......).

Good news is, the newer style brass sensor was only around $11 at NAPA when I
bought mine last.
 
Robert said:
I don't see any code 89 on a 1.9L engine - are you sure you counted the
flashes right?
Click to expand...

Yep! I made sure I counted it through 2 cycles, which means I watched
it 6 times!

Dangest thing I've ever seen!

I guess a call to a Saturn dealer is in my future!


Thanks!
Jim Smith
 
BANDIT2941 said:
It sounds like you definitly have a coolant temp sensor issue, although you may
have multiple issues. Definitly start with the sensor. On your car there are 2
sensors, you need to replace the on that gives the computer data(it has 2
wires).

When the fan turns on right at startup, I don't know any other reason for that
but a faulty coolant temp sensor or computer. If the coolant temp sensor is
telling the computer that the car is hot all the time, it will turn the fan on
right away. A quick test would be to switch the intake air temp sensor with the
coolant temp sensor(IAT is in the intake pipe) as the sensor is the same thing.
The older plastic sensors were likely to bulge and/or crack(I've had both
happen.......).

Good news is, the newer style brass sensor was only around $11 at NAPA when I
bought mine last.
Click to expand...

Not a CTS, another one installed from a working Saturn and it does the
same thing. I'm trying to find a computer, that's what it has to be (as
his buddy pulls out his wallet!!!)

Wish me luck finding a computer!!!


Thanks!
Jim Smith
 
It is extremely unlikely that it is the computer. Spring for the diagnostic
fee and have your local Saturn tell you what's up. It's better than
spending money on parts based on guesses.

Lane [ l a n e @ p a i r . c o m ]
 
Not a CTS, another one installed from a working Saturn and it does the
same thing. I'm trying to find a computer, that's what it has to be (as
his buddy pulls out his wallet!!!)

Wish me luck finding a computer!!!
Click to expand...

Thats interesting. I haven't heard of too many fried computers though so it may
not be that..........unless of course someone used jumper cables that hooked
them up backward...........
 
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