I bought a 95 saturn from my new girlfriend last summer that has been sitting for over a year. I had to jump the battery a couple of times (just startedto drive it this week) before I actually put a meter on it today and determined that the battery was shot. I jumped it to take it to town and get a new battery, and when it started, the rpms shot up to 3500 and would not idle down, and my speedometer stopped working. Could the low voltage output from the old battery (about 4 volts) be causing problem with some sensors? I will replace the battery tomorro, hoping that is the problem, but I thought I would ask you guys...it ran fine the last time I drove it.

 

Fiddlebick ...


Yes, and while you are at it, replace both heavy battery cables as well

 

why should I replace the cables? They seem fine

 

Uh huh ...


That is the sneaky side of things coming in here. If/when the battery leaks, the acid is wicked up into the cables (underneath the insulation). They look fine, but internally it looks like termites were at work. Suddenly, the cables will not carry the proper voltage/current, and you have all sorts of strange things going wrong ...

 

I see, thanks for the tip. I put a new battery in today, but it was a bad battery off the shelf. I should have had them test it before I left the parts store. I put a meter on it and it was dropping voltage from 12 down to 3 when I tried to crank the engine. Back to the store tomorro I guess

 

WOW!


Usually, the stores around here at least check the status of the battery they just sold, before it goes out the door. Sounds like someone was falling asleep at his job.


I would still double-check those cables anyway ...

 

Got my new battery installed and that cured the speedometer and high rpm problem...but it is still idling a bit too high, so I will refer to other posts I have read to cure this problem. My cables are fine it turns out, and I am haveing a ball driving this little 5 speed. My clutch seems to be slipping a bit if I push too hard, that may be my next project.

 

Glad to hear you have the car back on the road ...