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RightGalaxy
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11 Mar 2010, 9:13 am

MyFutureSelfnMe wrote:

When it "would not", does that mean it made a clicking noise, or did it turn over and sound like it was trying to start, or did you just get nothing?

It's possible you overheated and don't know it, in which case driving your car could destroy the engine, which on a 95 Saturn probably means scrapping the car. If it's overheating, you need to know.

Nothing at all - quiet. I thought the battery died. But it did start later on.

MyFutureSelfnMe
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11 Mar 2010, 9:54 am

RightGalaxy wrote:

MyFutureSelfnMe wrote:

Nothing at all - quiet. I thought the battery died. But it did start later on.

Then it's not the fuel filter, and it's not overheating from losing coolant, or any of the other things mentioned. It could easily be electrical, but don't listen to me, get it checked out ASAP! Not by the mechanic who tried to sell you a completely new transmission on a 1995 Saturn for gods sake. Use Google to find reviews of local mechanics. Electrical issues can be tough to debug, and you want someone good working on it.

If the quote comes to over $1,000, I recommend you call the scrapper and start looking for a new car. There are some good deals out there.

RightGalaxy
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11 Mar 2010, 10:17 am

THANK YOU SOOO MUCH for all your great advice! Wait to you hear this one, I called a Fred Beans dealer who work on a Saturns and this tech told me it probably needs a fuel induction cleaning which costs about $129.00. He said it was a basic service. Maybe I ought to just come to grips and kiss the car goodbye. I'm thinking I'll probably pay this bill and then have trouble on the way home still.

Last edited by RightGalaxy on 11 Mar 2010, 10:27 am, edited 1 time in total.

MyFutureSelfnMe
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11 Mar 2010, 10:26 am

Over $129... keep driving it until something bigger breaks

However I don't believe anyone who tries to diagnose it over the phone, and his diagnoses conflicts directly with what I said in my last post. Cars that are not getting fuel still try to crank, but don't start. You got nothing. This is significant. There's no way he should have that amount of confidence diagnosing something over the phone. He's quoting you that price to get you into his dealer.

MyFutureSelfnMe
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11 Mar 2010, 12:09 pm

Don't take it to Fred Beans. What he told you on the phone stinks like garbage.

If you're near Allentown this place has a good review: http://www.yelp.com/biz/wagstaff-willia ... -allentown

If you decide to buy a new car, come back here and I'm sure all of us will have some advice

RightGalaxy
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11 Mar 2010, 2:31 pm

MyFutureSelfnMe wrote:

MyFutureSelfnMe, you have been a wonderful help. Thanks so much. I ended up calling back to that Fred Beans to speak to a tech who transferred there when they closed down the Saturn Dealership he was working for. This guy said that the fuel induction cleaning baloney was WAY off.
He said this is a car computer glitch. By starting the car up later, I rebooted its computer.
Hogwash? Who knows? This guy said in order to bring it in, they'll need more symptoms so I ought to drive it in safe, small areas at low speed where I'll be able to just pull over safely and watch for stuff. I drove it today in a very slow area looking for things like the temp gauge going high, lights going on and I got nothing EXCEPT a tiny jump when I started the car. It ran well. I'm certainly not going to take it on a highway or anything. Thanks again.

MyFutureSelfnMe
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11 Mar 2010, 3:12 pm

I don't like the second guy either. Not that his diagnosis is wrong, but he didn't even look at your car. If it was the computer and it reset itself, they have a tool that will allow them to determine that very quickly in the shop. Your car's computer keeps a log of that, even if it's a 1995 Saturn (which uses the OBD-I protocol as opposed to OBD-II which started in 96).

Diagnosing electrical problems (or any intermittent problems) can be difficult, but there is a procedure. Find someone who is willing to get off his ass and diagnose it. I can't believe what a runaround you're getting. If you drive to Jersey City regularly (especially if you use the turnpike) you don't need this BS. If you let me know where you live I can try shaking the tree and find out who's good near you.

Don't call any more dealers.

LukeInFlames
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11 Mar 2010, 11:01 pm

RightGalaxy wrote:

A while back, this car would do a little thing that reminded me of a hiccup while it was being driven. The car mechanic suggested we get a new transmission which we did. Even now, once in a great while, when I put the car in reverse to pull out of a parking space, it "bucks".
Now, to go back to the original post about the car stalling out: the immediate impression I got was I ran out of gas which I didn't.
Adventus mentioned something about a clogged fuel filter that will dislodge even while the car is being driven. I wonder if that was the "hiccup". Could all this have something to do with what happened yesterday too? Now, yesterday, I thought I felt a little hiccup in that car but wasn't really sure if it was something in the road or the car itself. One more thing: a mechanic told me that with this car, when you start it up, you don't need to traditonally press the accelerator. After that 10 minute wait, I DID press the accelerator to start the car and it started. Could this have dislodged the "possible" clog?? Maybe pressing the accelerator to start the car was like doing a Heimlich Maneuver? What do you guys think??

these issues with reverse are probably something else entirely. i am given to understand that that era of Saturn cars have auto trannies that are susceptible to 'reverse slam'. their trannies have to be kept very clean or they eat themselves, symptoms of which include bucking in reverse, or cars slamming suddenly into reverse gear when driving. i don't know too much about the issue but if you research 'reverse slam' in Saturn car forums you'll get books worth about it.

my two cents,

-Luke

Asp-Z
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14 Mar 2010, 5:26 am

superboyian wrote:

MyFutureSelfnMe wrote:

Cars are pretty reliable if you're not driving a 15 year old one.

Electric cars will be even more reliable.

Northern Jersey is a terrible place to not have a car, due to a catch 22 we discussed in another thread. There are much better reasons to not have a car, like the cost.

Cars that are using the latest Toyota, there is certainly NO way that is reliable when it is going to have stuck accelerators.

Toyotas are very reliable! They just keep on going! Seriously, they stop at nothing! :lol:

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