[ptparker]

OK, sorry in advance if this post is a little long....

I got my 04 RL last weekend with 600 miles on it... I haven't owned a stick in 6 years (last one was an 86 Sentra) and haven't driven anyones in like 2 or 3... So there was a little getting back into it if you know what I mean...

So anyways, I am on 15/501 North in chapel hill this afternoon (about a mile south of the dealership that I bought mine from) sitting at a light. The light turns green, and I start to go... The car sputters out.... OK, so far no problem... I didn't think so, but maybe I let off the clutch too fast or something... But now I am having a hell of a time restarting it. Finally when I do, after 20 seconds or so, the car has like no power. By this time, I missed the red light cycle and I am now front row at the light. I take the car out of gear and I am sitting there waiting, and it sputters out on its own.

So, I am fighting to get it to start again. I do and now the engine is reving up to about 1700 or so and dipping to near 0 and recovering. So I give it gas.... A good amount, But it appears there is a new rev limiter at about 4000. I hold it at about 2500 to keep it from dying again. The light turns green, and there is no power. I manage to get it going, but whenever I go to third gear, it starts to struggle, and the SES light starts flashing. It goes off about 10 seconds after I drop it back into second...

So i limp in second to the dealership (2 more nail biting traffic lights) and I see my sales rep closing up shop. He had never seen this problem, and the service bay was closed, so he opened up the store and got me the keys to an Ion 3 coupe till next mon or tues, while they looked at mine.

When I got out of my car there was an odd smell, not quite brake dust, but something of that sort, but the reality is, that could be an enviormental thing, and I am imagining things.

Our dealership is at the top of a semi-steep hill, and I was truly afraid that the car couldn't climb it it 1st or 2nd gear. That is not the sort of power I am used to from my baby.

This just happened this evening, so I have no info as to what the problem is, but I wanted to know if anyone had any theories. My best theory is a bad tank of gas, I only use 93, but this last tank I got about 30 miles ago, and it was a generic (Sheetz), not the exxon or BP I usually opt for.

I will update this thread as I get more info as to what happened. Again sorry for the wordyness of it all. I tried to cut out all the superfulous (*sp) information.


***RL's rule, ricers drool!***

 

[goofyguy]

Sounds almost like the clutch isnt fully disengaging to me or our ebrake is on. Hope you can figure it out. It almost sounds like the cam postion sensor recall to me. I wonder if it has been done yet.

 

[jpapa]

Sounds eerily similar to what my car was acting like before my cam shaft sensor recall. Check to see if the car has got that done. Your RL shouldn't be acting like that anymore after the recall, so hopefully that's the problem.

 

[WopOnTour]

If you MIL was "flashing" on and off at a 2Hz frequency then the engine managment system had detected a misfire (will probably have P0300 series DTCs set). Any one of myriad of faults could be causing a misfire.Anything else is mere speculation, but should be a pretty easy fix though.
Regards
WopOnTour

 

[tha sikest]

i had the same problem, my car wouldnt move like the transmission was out but i let it sit and then it was just fine, took it to the dealership and they said that it was probably bad gad, trash in the gas or to much water, but they said that the engine can fart like ppl s that is probably your gas man.....

 

[ptparker]

Thanks guys for the advice.

According to John, this car has had all of the recalls done to it already, but I am not sure specifically what that means (i am assuming the cam sensor is one of the 'all').

In response to ***, it was flahsing at about that 2Hz freq.

I will let you know what the dealer says tomorrow.

Thanks again...


If it is bad gas, will they siphon it out and replace the filter?

 

[BlackLine]

this is the same thing that happened to me, i also had that weird burning smell my whole story is in the general section. ill take my car down monday to see whats up.

 

[daveglessner]

Off topic

Sorry about going off topic... but There's a SHEETZ in NC... wow... I miss my MTO subs... Moving to Greenboro in June now I have 2 things to look forward to... Jersey Mike's and Sheetz...

IONTOP

 

[ptparker]

Not to continue getting off track, but G'boro has quite a few sheetz. and everwhere in nc has jersey mike's subs...

Still no news from the dealership. If they don't call me by 4, I will call them.

This ION-2 QC is nice (the loaner that they gave me), but I think that it needs a supercharger, a bad-ass transmission, some nice seats, a pimp body kit, a real suspension, maybe a nice exhaust, and I can't forget about some rims, need some 17" bling.... Then I would buy it. Oh wait, I already did...

 

[ptparker]

I just got off the phone with them. It is the cam shaft sensor.

I hope it doesn't become a chronic problem like BlackLine....

I asked if it caused any engine damage, and they assured me it didn't. I am wondering because of that burning smell. Unless the sensor was physically burning, something else was the at root of that smell.

Sorry for the cross post, but this is valid info in both threads.

 

[Signals]

I just got off the phone with them. It is the cam shaft sensor.

I hope it doesn't become a chronic problem like BlackLine....

I asked if it caused any engine damage, and they assured me it didn't. I am wondering because of that burning smell. Unless the sensor was physically burning, something else was the at root of that smell.

Sorry for the cross post, but this is valid info in both threads.

Well it's very easy to install that sensor housing incorrectly. Would definitely show the symptoms you described. If it's just the sensor itself, maybe the wiring shorted or something, causing the smell. Good luck.

 

[SaturnI0Nredline]

I had this problem many times. I went thur 4 cam sensors before they realized they knocked my time off, which cause to cat converters to go bad because it was running rich. So good luck getting it fix. Hopefully you wont have a starting problem when you get it back.

 

[ptparker]

I had this problem many times. I went thur 4 cam sensors before they realized they knocked my time

And blackline said that he has killed 3 sensors, so I hope they get it right the first time. I am glad I brought it in within 10 minutes after the problem started, so i am thinking i didn't do any damage to the cat or anything

 

[D3XXFR]

Hopefully they won't do what they did to mine and install it backwards the first time!

 

[loreg]

I had a similar experience just yesterday. I have an '04 RL with just over 5,000 miles. I live in Tampa FL, was waiting at a red light on Dale Mabry during rush hour, ease up on the clutch to get moving and the car just stops. I could understand if I was popping the clutch too fast or wasn't giving it enough gas but that wasn't the case. It took 3 tries to even get it to start again, and then hardly any power once it started moving again. I didn't notice any lights coming on, not use to the instrument panel location yet.

I seem to have a little trouble with starts in general. I just got this car on the 13th, upgrading from a 93 SL2 that would start with very little effort, just flick the key and it was running. We also have an '04 Mazda 6s and it's the same way. With this car, I have to actually keep the key turned for a couple of seconds to get it to start. Only time my SL2 was hard to start was when the alternator or battery were dying. My husband said he doesn't notice how long it takes to start and theorized that it's because it's a manual but that doesn't sound right to me. I would think that a start is a start no matter the transmission.

Any ideas?
BTW, this is a wonderful place. I really enjoy reading other's posts about their RL's.

Laurie

 

[ginsui]

I am in NC too!

Hey Parker, I live right up in Burlington NC. I go to The Hill all the time! I never miss my Heels! Do they have any more 04 RLs in Chapel Hill? Hope to get my RL soon.

 

[ptparker]

Hey Parker, I live right up in Burlington NC. I go to The Hill all the time! I never miss my Heels! Do they have any more 04 RLs in Chapel Hill? Hope to get my RL soon.

I think I got the last 04 in CH, but I think that Cary might have some... Same dealer that you see on the banners on this site all the time. If you call them, they can answer your questions.
But if you go to saturn of chapel hill, say hi to linda (My IRL was her first sale ever) and ryan (who used to be a sales rep who sold me the two before this one, but now he his floor manager). Saturn of CH has at least two or three 05's that I know of, I was just there like two weeks ago, and Cary as another 4 or 5.

 

[ptparker]

I had a similar experience just yesterday. I have an '04 RL with just over 5,000 miles. I live in Tampa FL, was waiting at a red light on Dale Mabry during rush hour, ease up on the clutch to get moving and the car just stops. I could understand if I was popping the clutch too fast or wasn't giving it enough gas but that wasn't the case. It took 3 tries to even get it to start again, and then hardly any power once it started moving again. I didn't notice any lights coming on, not use to the instrument panel location yet.

I seem to have a little trouble with starts in general. I just got this car on the 13th, upgrading from a 93 SL2 that would start with very little effort, just flick the key and it was running. We also have an '04 Mazda 6s and it's the same way. With this car, I have to actually keep the key turned for a couple of seconds to get it to start. Only time my SL2 was hard to start was when the alternator or battery were dying. My husband said he doesn't notice how long it takes to start and theorized that it's because it's a manual but that doesn't sound right to me. I would think that a start is a start no matter the transmission.

Any ideas?
BTW, this is a wonderful place. I really enjoy reading other's posts about their RL's.

Laurie

I will mail you a dollar if it is not the camshaft sensor seal tsb.

It is ok to drive it in limp mode for a few miles, but your cat is taking a little extra wear, and you are burning a little oil. No real serious damage. They should give you a loner/rental for the two days it takes to get the fix done.

pretty common tsb around here. also make sure they check your intercooler water pump wiring, your shifter knob sometimes comes loose, and you should get the latest ecu version.

those are all the major tsb's i can think of at 2 am...

 

[ginsui]

cool!

Thanks Parker, I will give Cary a call today.

 

[loreg]

Thanks for the help ptparker! I'll call to get the car in this week. It's going to be rough not having it for a couple of days.

Laurie