Electrical problem
2002 Saturn SL1 4 cyl Automatic
Recently, my Saturn has been having trouble starting when the engine is hot. It will start just fine when it has been sitting for at least 4 hours, but if I have driven it for more than about 15 minutes, it won't start back up from a key turn, it just clicks loudly. Some research led to tapping the solenoid with a hammer (worked perfectly, twice) and wiggling the purple wire leading from the diagnostic port, which I am led to believe is the starter relay (worked for a while, but is becoming less and less reliable.) I don't think it is the starter motor, due to the perfect cold starts and the lack of any grinding or scraping noises. It could be the solenoid, although I don't get why it would still start okay when cold. It cold also be the fuse relay, since around when this problem started up, the blowers for the a/c and heat have been intermittently failing as well. The actual temperature control is fine, since you can feel the cool or hot air near the vents, but it won't blow out through the car. I don't have the money to have a mechanic check it over, or to replace anything I don't need to. I mainly need to know if there is a way I can test the fuse relay and the solenoid, to see what is causing the problem. Also, is there another stopgap that will start my car in case of emergency, besides wiggling the relay or tapping the solenoid?
2002 Saturn SL1 4 cyl Automatic
Recently, my Saturn has been having trouble starting when the engine is hot. It will start just fine when it has been sitting for at least 4 hours, but if I have driven it for more than about 15 minutes, it won't start back up from a key turn, it just clicks loudly. Some research led to tapping the solenoid with a hammer (worked perfectly, twice) and wiggling the purple wire leading from the diagnostic port, which I am led to believe is the starter relay (worked for a while, but is becoming less and less reliable.) I don't think it is the starter motor, due to the perfect cold starts and the lack of any grinding or scraping noises. It could be the solenoid, although I don't get why it would still start okay when cold. It cold also be the fuse relay, since around when this problem started up, the blowers for the a/c and heat have been intermittently failing as well. The actual temperature control is fine, since you can feel the cool or hot air near the vents, but it won't blow out through the car. I don't have the money to have a mechanic check it over, or to replace anything I don't need to. I mainly need to know if there is a way I can test the fuse relay and the solenoid, to see what is causing the problem. Also, is there another stopgap that will start my car in case of emergency, besides wiggling the relay or tapping the solenoid?
Oct 31, 2010 at 4:05 PM
