1997 Saturn Sl1 Codepo731 Car Drives Fine Had Transmission Pressure Checked Good

There is a service bulletin regarding a PO731. Are you getting a slipping from 1st gear or a rough shift?

SES) Service Engine Soon Light On with Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) P0731, No Movement in Drive During Cold Ambient Temperatures (Replace Oil Pump or 1st Gear Sprag Clutch Assembly) #03-07-30-008A - (May 12, 2004)


(SES) Service Engine Soon Light On with Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) P0731, No Movement in Drive During Cold Ambient Temperatures (Replace Oil Pump or 1st Gear Sprag Clutch Assembly)


1998-2002 Saturn S-Series Vehicles

with Automatic Transmissions (MP6/MP7)


Check to see when your vehicle was built, This could relate to your vehicle.

The Saturn was made in 1997 and we don't have any shift problems in cold weather the strange part of it is when I take the car over and power wash the car and play with the norm or prof switch on the side of the shifter the service light goes out on it's own and I don't have to turn the light out the code is still in the memory this car is a pain in my butt let me know what you think

Just to add to this one did you just have a high low pressure test performed?If so what was the pressure at idle in park with the line pressure fuse in and with it out?Also a step pressure test should be done that will tell you if you have a worn pressure regulator bore in the valve body very common on that car.Also the pressures should be checked with the line pressure fuse in and the car in revesre and in drive.Also the pressure should be watched when placing the car in reverse if the pressure is slow to build to full line pressure you could have a loose input shaft nut very common on those cars.Do you have a delay bang or delay into reverse?Has anyone done a actuator audiable test when the code is active?

transmission guy check the pressure in park with fuse in and out and said that all pressures where great they where what they should be I don't know the numbers no delay bang or delay in reverse the guy put his computer on it and run the car in all gears while the code was active in the cars computer

also the only code he got was the po731 but no reason why I was wondering if it was the speed sensor or first gear soleniod

I would still do a step pressure test to test for worn pressure regulator bore you need a tech to do that with a pressure gauge.

The transmission guy was a tech and he hook the car up to pressure gauge through the heat sensor and found no problem with transmission pressure that's why it is so strange because the transmission works good when it is hot or cold no delays he told me that all pressures where correct he spent 2 hours checking it

I was also told that sometimes the speedometer could set off code po731 I checked it and notice that it makes a noise when you drive the car this speedometer doesn't have a cable to it

,If he only checked the pressure with the line pressure fuse in and with it out and didnt do a step pressure test he didnt do a step pressure he didn't do a full line pressure test.A step pressure test you use a tech 2 scan tool and has the computer command the pressures to all different pressures starting with the lowest pressure to the highest pressure and you watch a see if each step is within range of what its commanded?Its a great way to check for a worn pressure regulator bore.It doesn't sound like you have a bad 1st gear clutch pisiton.It sounds like you have wire issue pressure control solenoid issue or a worn pressure regulator bore in the valve body.I know how to test the pressure on these transmissions I am factory trained Saturn tech I went to spring hill Tennessee where they build them for training.I have also worked for Saturn dealers for over 16yrs working on them so I know these cars well.

I'm going down to talk to the tech this afternoon and I'll tell him what you said and let him test the computer while the code is still in there and see what happens I'll let you know thanks

Sounds good.

The guy I saw today doesn't have a tech 2 scanner so I have a name of a tech who might so I'm going to make an appointment with him is there any thing I should make sure that I ask him for if he doesn't have one them I'm going to have to go to a GM dealer witch is going to cost quite a bit

His scan tool has to be able to be to do a step pressure test which only the tech 2 and the oringal scan tool that Saturn dealers used with the Saturn software which I have.Those are the only two that I know of.Also what happens is the wires going into thetrantransmission valve body the wires break inside the insulation causing intermittent transmission issues.

I talked to GM tech And hopefully the car goes in Friday morning he is going to test the transmission and he also said that there might be a computer update for this car to solve some of these issues I'm going to try and see what happens thanks for the help and I'll let you know what happens

OK let m know what they say.

Just to let you know I went in and let the gm tech test the car to day and he found two codes in the car one was the po731 first gear not working and the other was p1111 intake air sensor high voltage he said first gear was working he couldn't find a reason for the po731 code that he was sorry there wasn't anything they could do he told me just to drive it so at this point I'm thinking I'm going to turn off the service engine light and drive the car unless you have any suggestion thanks

So he said the code P0731 is just setting for no reason?If so he is full of it and doesn't want to take the time to find the problem.I already made my suggestions about the code.So why was it setting the other code?Also how quick does the code P0731 come back after you clear the code?

It takes a full week to set off p0731 code after you clear it nobody can tell me why it goes off I keep spending money on this and I'm not getting any ware? for the code p1111 we set that code off when we pull apart the air intake to get at the top of the transmission we ran the car with the air intake apart and that's why it went off I can't keep throwing money in to this car and getting no ware I'm not sure what's next

If it takes a whole week to set the code then its possible a bad wire harness to the valve body.Wait till it happens more frequently and easier to find.But there is a reason the code is setting.

I agree that there is a reason for the code going off and I will keep a eye on it and I'll let you know down the road if anything comes out of it thank you for all help

Your welcome that's what we're here for.