1997 Saturn SL1 Dies when driving

Tiny
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  • 1997 SATURN SL1
  • 4 CYL
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 105,000 MILES
When driving after several minutes it will shut off and not restart for about ten minutes and then it will repeat in a few minutes. No warning
Friday, December 11th, 2009 AT 10:59 AM

15 Replies

Tiny
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First of all thank u so much for ur donation it really helps to keep this site going to answer everyones questions. When the car stalls and doesn't restart for ten mins does it crank over but not start?If it does that then try to get it to shut off at ur house when it doesn't restart unbolt two spark plug wires from ur coil pack where u have two coil posts expossed right next to each other then don't touch the car have someone crank the car over while u watch for a spark jumping between the two coil posts if it doesn't then it looses spark when it stalls let me know more about the mo start and we will go from there.
Louie
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Friday, December 11th, 2009 AT 1:33 PM
Tiny
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It will crank and will sputter alittle when it does fire after 10 minutes it catches on the first crank.
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Friday, December 11th, 2009 AT 1:44 PM
Tiny
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It sounds like a bad crank sensor but iam trying to narrow it down to that. By having u check for spark when it doesnt start. If u had a scanner that could read engine rpm when it didnt start it would be easy to see if it was or wasnt that can u check for spark when it happens for me so we can see if were on the right or wrong track?Do u have a volt ohm meter?
Louie
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Friday, December 11th, 2009 AT 2:21 PM
Tiny
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I don't have a meter.
I will do the spark thing this weekend. If the sensor was bad wouldn't it not run at all.
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Friday, December 11th, 2009 AT 2:26 PM
Tiny
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Not always the case the sensor ethier just stops working or it will get hot stop working till it cools down then start working again. The sensor is like 40 there not expensive just trying to isolate it to that without tools. Let me know about the spark though. Talk to u soon.
Louie
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Friday, December 11th, 2009 AT 2:44 PM
Tiny
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Does it have a fuel filter and if so where is it
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Monday, December 28th, 2009 AT 11:23 AM
Tiny
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Did u ever check for spark when the car wouldn't start?I really don't think ur fuel filter is causing ur problem. To find ur fuel filter find the line uder ur hood that goes to ur fuel rail where ur injectors go follow that back and mounted to the body of the car is ur fuel filter. Let me know about ur spark so we can fix ur car.
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Monday, December 28th, 2009 AT 2:01 PM
Tiny
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I get no spark. And after a couple of minutes it will restart
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Friday, January 8th, 2010 AT 1:16 PM
Tiny
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First of all thanks again for the donation. So u dont get spark when it doesnt start how long does it not start for?The most likely cause for no spark then it cools down and has spark is ur crank postion sensor. Only problem is u have to check it with an ohm meter when it doesnt start a good one reads 800-1200 ohms across the two terminals a bad one usually reads open. But problem being if it only happens for a short time u wont have time to test it. Only other way to test it is when it doesnt start have a scan tool ready that reads engine rpm and if it reads 0 rpm when cranking its a bad sensor. There pretty cheap under 40 I think. So let me know what u find and we will talk about what we can do.
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Friday, January 8th, 2010 AT 8:12 PM
Tiny
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I have a ohm meter now where is the sensor? It usually lasts for about 10 minutes and it is getting worse.
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Monday, January 18th, 2010 AT 12:28 PM
Tiny
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Wow only 10 mins lasting huh ok well that sensor is under the starter so u will have to have the front of the car on jack stands up pretty high. Then let it run till it dies and wont start. Then slide under there its the sensor under the starter I belive it has a green plug with two wires going to it. Its on the right side of the back of the engine block facing straight up. The best way to test it is to remove it. Its only held in by a 10mm bolt then test across the two terminals it should read 800-1200 ohms when they test bad they will usually read open no ohms value.U might want to pick up a crank sensor just in case urs tests bad u can always return it if u dont need it. Let me know how it goes.
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Monday, January 18th, 2010 AT 1:14 PM
Tiny
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Something new. I started it to move it. It started right up ran for about 10 seconds and died and something in the dash started to smoke and the car now will turn over but won't start at all.
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Friday, January 22nd, 2010 AT 12:13 PM
Tiny
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The only thing I know of that suddenly smokes is the ground wire for the key minder it shorts to power thru the ignition switch if the smoke is comming from that wire u will need to replace the switch which isn't the funniest thing to do in the world. Unless u clearly know it didn't come from the wire from the ignition switch then we should check there first. Usually they still run even with the smoke unless there was alot smoke then I don't see why it shouldn't start. Let's check for spark again if there isn't spark then let's check the crank sensor the crank sensor might have finnally given out then we can atleast figure that part out. Could u tell where the smoke was comming from was there alot of it?Let me know.
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Friday, January 22nd, 2010 AT 12:36 PM
Tiny
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It came from behind the steering colum. I tried to start it again today and it will turn over but won't start and I am not getting any smoke now.
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Friday, January 22nd, 2010 AT 12:41 PM
Tiny
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Sounds like that ground wire shorted to power.U need to get a 5.5mm nut driver that is thin and remove the upper and lower column halves and u will have to remove the igniton cyclinder once u take off the top cover put the ignition in the acc postion then find the little square button on top press and remove the cyclinder then u can get the bottom cover off. Then look at the wires and see how much damage u have they may have even melted together but as long as the copper isn't touching were ok. Let me know what u find.
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Friday, January 22nd, 2010 AT 1:19 PM

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