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Car will not start, throttle body clicking

Tiny
JON GUTIERREZ
  • MEMBER
  • 2003 SATURN L300
  • 3.0L
  • V6
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 144,670 MILES
Throttle body clicks when I try to start the car, however when I disconnect the throttle body. The car will turn over. But I have no acceleration and after awhile the engine starts to shake. When the throttle body is connected the OBD meter will not connect, it says error. When disconnected the OBD meter works and says error codes P0123 and P0222. Need some help getting my car running again. Any and all help would be appreciated. Thank you
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Friday, May 26th, 2017 AT 3:29 PM

11 Replies

Tiny
WRENCHTECH
  • MECHANIC
  • 20,757 POSTS
You have an electronic throttle body (drive by wire). It cannot run if it's not connected. You have set a bunch of false codes now because of it being unplugged. What you have to do now is plug everything back in. It sounds like you have a bad throttle pedal sensor.
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Friday, May 26th, 2017 AT 4:49 PM
Tiny
JON GUTIERREZ
  • MEMBER
  • 4 POSTS
Upon looking online and browsing forums I was pretty sure the throttle body was bad, so I went out and picked a throttle body from salvage yard (making sure it was compatible before getting it). I installed it pretty easily, but the problem was still there. I made some calls and browsed online for awhile longer and then thought it had to have been the Pedal sensor. So I went out picked that part and installed it. No luck. So with the Throttle body replaced, the Pedal sensor replaced, good fuses. I'm at a stand still. Throttle body still clicking when I try to start the car. Obd meter wont connect unless its unplugged. (I will no longer disconnect it) Thinking it has to be a faulty connector to the throttle body? When I connect the obd meter there is a linking error when the throttle body is connected. So disconnect the throttle body, connect the meter, clear the codes. Reconnect the meter and see if it starts?
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Sunday, May 28th, 2017 AT 1:31 PM
Tiny
WRENCHTECH
  • MECHANIC
  • 20,757 POSTS
No, you can't do that. As soon as you unplug something, you set a new, false code. I don't understand what unplugging the throttle has to do with the computer interface. That should have no effect on anything and if it does, you may have a bad computer. I would try using a different code reader.
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Sunday, May 28th, 2017 AT 2:13 PM
Tiny
JON GUTIERREZ
  • MEMBER
  • 4 POSTS
Ok yeah that's what I was thinking, There's something electrically going wrong. Well ill try to get a different code reader, ill keep you posted when I get it. Say the computer is bad. What would be the labor+parts cost be in replacing something like that.
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Sunday, May 28th, 2017 AT 2:18 PM
Tiny
WRENCHTECH
  • MECHANIC
  • 20,757 POSTS
You need a lot more diagnosis before jumping to that conclusion. The labor isn't much but it will likely require about $150 of programming from the dealer after it's installed and before it will run. List price from the dealer on the computer is about $650
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Sunday, May 28th, 2017 AT 2:23 PM
Tiny
JON GUTIERREZ
  • MEMBER
  • 4 POSTS
Understood. Right on Thank you for your help. I will definitely keep you posted
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Sunday, May 28th, 2017 AT 2:27 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
  • 30,870 POSTS
Just to add to this one you might have a bad ground to the computer. Look on the intake manifold tubes there are 4 invertered torx bolts holding it on. Unbolt it and make sure all that mounting is clean and tight. Also as far as the throttle body when they set throttle position codes without unplugging it you usually end up replacing the throttle body the harness to it and a harness mount that keeps the new harness you splice in from vibrating and breaking the wires inside the insulation. Thats common on Those and the saturn vues. Bit first you need to see what's up with the no link to the ecm.
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Sunday, May 28th, 2017 AT 3:09 PM
Tiny
GOODWRENCH1
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
What wrenchtech said about said about the vehicle not being able to run with the throttle body unplugged is incorrect. This is the same concern that we are having right now on a customer car that came in yesterday. Throttle body clicks when keyed up, no communication with ecu while concern is present, also gauges on dash inop until throttle body is unplugged. Only then will gauges register, and then communication with ecu then works. Obviously with false throttle body codes but with throttle body unplugged, that is the only way the vehicle will start. While it is running you can plug it back in and will stay running but it still has almost no throttle response from pedal. Still diagnosing the problem but have already replaced throttle body and harness with no success. GM tac told to check voltage drop on all power and grounds at ecm but I have been told by someone else that it could also be a faulty bcm.
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Wednesday, September 13th, 2017 AT 7:34 AM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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Those bcms are junk I have replaced so many of them for gauges inop no communication with ecm while all that's happening car won't start. Also sometimes door locks inop keyless entry inop and can't get out of park on a automatic transmission?I was a saturn tech for over 16yrs I just kept the bcms I replaced wrote on the bcm what the problem was with it and swapped it out to use it as a tester. We never tried unplugging the throttle body to see if things worked from doing that. But those cars I had to replace so many bcms on them.
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Wednesday, September 13th, 2017 AT 1:41 PM
Tiny
GOODWRENCH1
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
After testing all ecu to throttle body wiring and class 2 lines I replaced the ecu and that fixed all of the problems. Throttle body ticking, gauges inop, shifter lock etc.
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Thursday, September 14th, 2017 AT 11:04 AM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
  • 30,870 POSTS
That's great you figured out the ecm is least likely but I have replaced some of them as well on the v6
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Thursday, September 14th, 2017 AT 8:26 PM

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