99 SC2 Flooded Out and Would Not Start
Fred Cantz
get it towed to the dealer, who subsequently asked me if I moved the car a
short distance without adequately warming it up, by letting it run for a few
minutes, before it refused to start. I replied that I had moved the car
from one side of my driveway to the other, several hours before experiencing
problems. He said this engine is prone to flooding especially in cold
weather, if the engine is started, run only for a brief period and then
turned off.
I was told a temperature sensor was defective, the spark plugs (practically
new) needed replacement, because the flooding condition ruined them and the
extreme flooding also diluted the engine oil, requiring a fresh oil change.
After $ 200 in parts and labor, the car was repaired, but I am skeptical of
the technician's diagnosis. I have never owned a car that you could not
startup, let run for a few seconds and then turn off, and I never heard of
plugs being completely ruined by engine flooding. Nine months ago, I had to
have the crank sensor replaced on this engine, when the car died on a cold
rainy night, when it again had to be towed to the dealer. Also just out of
warranty, a motor mount broke last year, which I thought was unusual for a
fairly new car.
In 35 years, I have never owned a car with such problems as I have had with
the Saturn. I bought it new, and it only has 45,000 miles on it, but the
reliability of this engine is suspect. I would not buy another Saturn.
Does anyone have any comments about the "flooding" problem?
James1549
In 10 years, my SL2 has flooded twice. I called the 800 number and the Saturn
Assistance Center took me step by step to get the car started.
Basically, push the gas pedal to the floor and don't leave up. Attempt to start
the engine. Only leave up on the gas if engine starts! If engine won't start
after 10 seconds, stop cranking but leave key in "on" position. Attempt to
start engine again after 30 seconds. Keep trying until engine starts but do not
leave up on gas pedal until car starts. Leaving the gas pedal down tells the
PCM not to give the injectors any fuel.
James
David Teichholtz
(practically
> new) needed replacement, because the flooding condition ruined them and
the
> extreme flooding also diluted the engine oil, requiring a fresh oil
change.
Plugs ruined by gasoline??? I absolutely guarantee you that I could take 4
plugs, drop them into a bucket of gasoline for a week, take them out, let
them dry for a few minutes, and they would be fine.
As far as the oil change, how much gas could have gotten into the oil? a
few tablespoons or so? But oil changes are cheap insurance.
Speaking of Oil changes, I was helping a friend work on his Volvo today. I
noticed that it had a 'Group V' oil filter on it, which I think is what
Jiffy lube uses. I remember it having the same filter when he bought the
car three years ago. Upon questioning, he admitted that he has never
changed the oil. 3 years and perhaps 40,000 miles.
-David
BANDIT2941
>get it towed to the dealer, who subsequently asked me if I moved the car a
>short distance without adequately warming it up, by letting it run for a few
>minutes, before it refused to start. I replied that I had moved the car
>from one side of my driveway to the other, several hours before experiencing
>problems. He said this engine is prone to flooding especially in cold
>weather, if the engine is started, run only for a brief period and then
>turned off.
>
>I was told a temperature sensor was defective
Here's what likely happened:
The temperature sensor broke, causing the computer to think the engine was
warm. When you are trying to start a cold engine, the air/fuel mixture needs to
be richer(what the choke does on an old engine). Since the computer now doesn't
know the car is cold, it also doesn't know to turn on the "choke" (ie richen
the mixture). In the end, your car doesn't start. AND, its not from flooding,
its from the opposite actually.
BTW, I've never had my car flood in regular driving. I had it flood once when
my battery flat out died and I was messing with it trying to get it started.
The injectors must have just been dripping fuel in. That wasn't that big of a
deal either b/c it started up pretty quick anyway.
As far as spark plugs and oil, sounds like baloney to me.
BANDIT2941
>noticed that it had a 'Group V' oil filter on it, which I think is what
>Jiffy lube uses. I remember it having the same filter when he bought the
>car three years ago. Upon questioning, he admitted that he has never
>changed the oil. 3 years and perhaps 40,000 miles.
LOL, I have a similar story. A friend of my brother has a Hyundai. Apparently
one day he actually checked his oil and it was a quart low. Upon trying to add
oil, the oil was coming right back out of the hole in the valve cover. The hole
was so plugged up with shit, oil wouldn't go in!! He stuck a stick in there to
move the gunk so he could add oil! LOL!
So he called my brother wanting him to change his oil. I happened to be there
when he came over, and it was real funny!! The car had like 90k miles on it and
he said he's had the oil changed 2 or 3 times in the cars lifetime, but that
was only when it was pretty new. We ended up running some kerosene and some
product thats meant to degunk everything(smelled just like kero anyway - can't
remember what the stuff was called) in it and changing the oil a couple times.
Amazingly it cleaned up real good. Now its at least a year later, car has
stopped burning oil, and he's got probably another 50k miles on it. The kicker
is, he hasn't changed the oil since!!!! My brother asked him if he changed it
and he said something like my oil is fine now, why fix it if it ain't broke or
something to that effect. LOL!!!!
Dave
I had started it, and moved it about 8 feet to do some snow clearing. When
she tried to start the car about 8 hours later, she said it had not started,
or had run for just a second and died. I just went out, and tried, noted the
smell of fuel, floored it, cranked about 6 or 7 seconds and it chugged to
life. I have known to do this to cars which fail to start in cold weather
for better than thirty years, so obviously the problem is neither new or
strange. IMHO you need a new dealer, and you need to take some time to
understand how vehicles work. Car dealer and service location count on
owners not knowing or understanding what they do, and the frequently are
able to overcharge for work which is neither needed nor performed. The only
way to protect yourself is with education.
Brigg222
>warm. When you are trying to start a cold engine, the air/fuel mixture needs
>to
>be richer(what the choke does on an old engine). Since the computer now
>doesn't
>know the car is cold, it also doesn't know to turn on the "choke" (ie richen
>the mixture). In the end, your car doesn't start. AND, its not from flooding,
>its from the opposite actually.
>
Had a similar problem with a car I had a few years ago. It was a 4 cylinder
car with fuel injection. For the car to start in cold weather it had a fifth
fuel injector on the side of the intake manifold.....that when a sensor told
the car it was cold the fifth would inject extra gas into the manifold to make
it start. In this same cold period the windshield washer fluid got frozen in
the lines. I was messing around with it by that fifth injector and ( found
this out later) I broke one of the wires going to that fifth injector. The
car would not start no matter what in the cold. I remember I did get it to
start to get it to the dealer. There was a rubber plug on a hole in the intake
manifold and I took it out and squirted some starting fluid in it and put the
plug back in and the car started.
Just a car starting problem story.
Dan