[t8sgolf]

I have had a cold driveability problem with this car since day one. It's annoying but I can live with it til Saturn releases new calibrations to it's service dept. They tell me it should solve the hesitation experienced in the first few minutes til the car warms up.
At 2K car refused to start one morning. It would crank about two seconds, then fire, but refuse to stay running. After 7 or 8 tries, it ran but was all loaded up. After excess gas burned off, it ran great rest of day. Next morning, same issue; but it took about 20 tries in 30 minutes to get it running. All loaded up again. Drove it to Saturn of Wexford. Tech couldn't pull up any codes, but found TSB # 040601026. It's an adjustment from factory setting on camshaft position sensor. It was explained to me that this sensor basically aids only in starting motor, so it made sense to me that this was the problem. Service dept. at Saturn of Wexford has always come thru for me. I've owned 7 Saturns and it's their service that keeps me coming back. Great group of people.
All was fine til 3500 miles. Same problem. After 10 attempts to start it with no luck, I called Saturn. They said if I got it running bring it in, or have it towed if it wouldn't start. Went back and tried it after about 15 minutes and it started right up. Tried to rev it a bit, it backfired and quit running. Couldn't get it started so coasted it down a big hill in front of my home. Tried to kick it in twice at 15 or 20 mph in second gear. Almost got it to run , but there was so much gas in engine, it wouldn't stay running. Towed it to dealer and it started right up, but ran so rough they shut it down. Pulled plugs and to no ones surprise, plugs were saturated with fuel. Parts dept didn't have new plugs in stock , so old ones were cleaned and put in. Started up and ran fine, but I refused to take it home. I know it's just a matter of time before it happens again. They gave me a rental to drive til they get new calibrations, which they say will solve the problem. Very frustrating situation. I refuse to drive a car I can't depend on.
Ironically the Spring Hill engineer that service mgr. from Saturn of Wexford spoke to on Thursday, stated that the Redline he drives failed to start that same morning, and it was in the shop also. Saturn of Wexford also said they had a few Redlines on the lot that wouldn't start when trying to move them around in lot. Hard to believe with the technology today, these car refuse to start in 30 degree temps. What's it gonna do when it's - 20 ? It does get that cold here in Pittsburgh area. Hope they solve problem ,cause I really do like the car.
Paul

 

[JPK]

Wow. That sucks man.


I haven't had any problems getting mine started other than having to hold the key and let it crank over for a few extra seconds sometimes.

Good luck to you. I know how you feel. I had a leaky tranny saga that damn near made me file a lemon suit.

 

[xtremesc2]

I haven't had any problems getting mine started other than having to hold the key and let it crank over for a few extra seconds sometimes.

same here..


but good luck with it man, i hope it all works out for u.

 

[paintedblack]

my car had the same problem, it sat at the dealer for a whole weekend for them to change the spark plugs and readjust the cam shaft.... same bs!

 

[Vita]

check out the thread entitled "Official Message From Saturn" or something like that, maybe that could have something to do with it!?!

 

[t8sgolf]

Spoke to service mgr. yesterday at Saturn of Pittsburgh. They received disc from Spring Hill with new calibrations Monday morn. They were working on it yesterday, and since I was told it would only take a half hr. to reprogram computer with new settings, I've got to asssume the problem still exists. Can't imagine why else it's not done yet.

Holdup maybe because I told them I didn't want it back til they were sure it was right. Might be holding onto it to start it a few mornings and see how it runs. This will prove nothing. they thought they fixed it at 2K with TSB # 040601026 ( cam position sensor adjustment ). I've got a gut feeling it will happen again.

This is my 7th Saturn and I've been happy with all of them til now. We've run a couple til 200k with nothing major happening. Only time any of them refused to start, was when battery died; but you expect that after 4 or 5 yrs of driving every day. Unless they solve this problem soon, this will be my last Saturn. I can't accept a no start issue in this day and age.

To all of you who think this won't happen to your '04; I'm sure the problem is bigger than you think. It will probably just take a little longer to show up in some. There aren't a lot on the road, and I'm sure a lot of owners don't even know about this forum.

 

[xtremesc2]

wow, im real sorry man, but ur really jumping to rash conclusions.......keep in mind this is the first year that the car was made. you should known going into it that there might be problems....


im near 5,000 and my car starts better on cold mornings than it did on warm mornings.....and it didnt have trouble starting then.


best of luck to u tho.

 

[blue_arcade]

I had that happen to me the other day. I was driving home from work(about 50 miles or so) and came to a stop at the top of an exit ramp. My RL stalled. I had to crank it 4-5 times before it would start again. That freaked me out. I only had it a week. 600 or so miles on it. I have to have a chat with my dealership.

 

[JPK]

Man, this sucks that all these guys are having starting problems. Luckily, mine is cranking over fine. (knocks on wood)

 

[palahniuk]

Like I mentioned in the other post dealing with this topic, I haven't had any issues starting my car when its cold outside--it has been around zero the past two mornings, negative if you include wind chill--nor has it ever stalled on me. It has ~2000 miles on it now and drives great.

 

[t8sgolf]

Got car back from shop yesterday. Started fine this morning at 10 degrees. It has never failed at 10 degrees or at 0. My problem starts have been between 25 and 30 degrees. Seems to me fast idle is 150 or 200 rpm higher since repair.

For all of you still having problems, tell dealer you want the latest '04 calibration patch downloaded. They say this will fix the flooding issue. They loaded the '05 calibration, but said car ran like crap ,so they removed it. Fix for the cold hesitation due to be released in January.

Good luck to all

 

[oaktonarcher]

i went to test drive one at my local dealership and the sales man started it, it stalled, started again and again stalled, and the third time he got it going. but to t8sgolf, where do you live in relation to Pittsburgh, im going to college about 1 hour east of pittsburgh.

 

[t8sgolf]

location

I live about 45 miles north of Pittsburgh, in a small town near New Castle. I've owned 7 Saturns and all but one have been purchased at Saturn of Wexford. Mine has been great since calibration patch was downloaded last week. Hopefully it will stay that way. Incidently dealer said they had 2 or 3 Redlines flood when trying to move them around the lot. Flooded to the point where plugs had to be pulled and cleaned before they would start. Most prospective buyers would probably look elsewhere if they had this experience on a test drive.

Paul

 

[SaturnI0Nredline]

Starting Problems

Are you guys still having starting problems? I know I am with the upgrade to the ECU. I do know per my Saturn Dealership that another upgrade to the ECU is coming out. I have gone thur 3 cam sensor because of either a borken seal or not starting. But I have found one think that help my car start. If I try and start it and it won't start I switch it to the ACC position not off ( if you sw to off this will not work I found) then try and restart it work everytime for me? Someone else try this and let me know. Maybe I have another problem?

Thanks Rick
http://www.saturnionredline.com/

 

[Daytona955i]

RL won't start

I just had a problem with my RL not starting 2X on two different days, I brought it to the dealership and they had it for 3 days, they said they started it over 2 dozen times, no codes, no problem... I give up and go to pick the car up. Then on the way home, I am on the highway and the car just DIES!!!! The headlights worked thank GOD, since it was night, but blinkers and everything else was non-functional. I coasted to a stop after trying unsuccessfully to restart, then the car restarted. My '04 only has 3700 miles. PLEASE SATURN, read this and know your car has a problem. Please help!!!!!

 

[pclear9061]

I just had a problem with my RL not starting 2X on two different days, I brought it to the dealership and they had it for 3 days, they said they started it over 2 dozen times, no codes, no problem... I give up and go to pick the car up. Then on the way home, I am on the highway and the car just DIES!!!! The headlights worked thank GOD, since it was night, but blinkers and everything else was non-functional. I coasted to a stop after trying unsuccessfully to restart, then the car restarted. My '04 only has 3700 miles. PLEASE SATURN, read this and know your car has a problem. Please help!!!!!

hahahahaha .............. please saturn ...... fix my ride hehehee sounded like mtv's pimp my ride when i read it.


well it sounds like you have loose wires somewhere................. ok do this go under the hood to the black box that has two power cables running to it. make sure that the post is TIGHT. if not use a (i think) 10 or 12 mm socket or wrinch to tighten it down. that is what i think it COULD be. either that or you have a ground wire loose somewhere

 

[Daytona955i]

Battery cables were the first thing I checked before I called the worthless dealership.

As far as a loose wire, I too think something is grounding out. I have no clue how to find which loose wire it is though. I wonder what could ground out that would cause a running car on the highway to just SHUT OFF?

 

[pclear9061]

ok the other thing is check out the ground cable that runs infront of the intake that screws down to the body on the dirivers side of the car under those metal brake lines, and im talking about the fuse box under the hood not the battery in the trunk.

 

[Kirtsky]

This thread is almost a year old, but I'm happy it has surfaced, as I am havingthe same problem this year. Didn't do it last year, but this year, with each cold weather start, it chokes for a moment and then fires back up , still missing. I've bitched about it enough, but just to update, it is in the shop again, and hope it will do it for them this time, as last time all they could say was couldnot duplicate, but did say I did not have the latest update. Three weeks ago it had all the updates and reflash that was available, but who knows. I love the car when it does right, I just want it to run all the time and start right, without floodingitself.

 

[Daytona955i]

pclear9061

Thanks. So far no luck. The cables by the fuse box as well as the grounds by the fuse box and brakes are all good.

Feel free to keep the hints coming. I'd stand on my head in a speedo during the middle of a winter storm if it would fix the car. But I don't think anyone on this forum would want to see that. lol