1994 sw2 acting Werid
#1
06-18-2014, 12:16 AM
1994 sw2 acting Werid
Just bought this 94 saturn sw2 from the original owner.. 157k on it 5 speed paid 200 bucks....
So they for some reason think it has a stuck valve and it runs on 3 cylinders... Never took it to a shop that's there guess...
It idles bad sometimes dies when it's cold or hot. No missing at all just idles low It's sluggish in the lower rpms... Higher rpms it runs great.., no smoke at all it dies eat gas after 18 miles it shows I used a quarter tank seems off I ran some seafoam in the vacuum line and gas tank which was filled with 92 oct. The seafoam in the intake seem to make it idle a little netter
For you saturn vets wat do u think is wrong anything I should look into??? I don't mind putting some money into the car it's super clean but it just don't run right
Could it be as stuck valve? Or ??? Any input would be great
So they for some reason think it has a stuck valve and it runs on 3 cylinders... Never took it to a shop that's there guess...
It idles bad sometimes dies when it's cold or hot. No missing at all just idles low It's sluggish in the lower rpms... Higher rpms it runs great.., no smoke at all it dies eat gas after 18 miles it shows I used a quarter tank seems off I ran some seafoam in the vacuum line and gas tank which was filled with 92 oct. The seafoam in the intake seem to make it idle a little netter
For you saturn vets wat do u think is wrong anything I should look into??? I don't mind putting some money into the car it's super clean but it just don't run right
Could it be as stuck valve? Or ??? Any input would be great
#3
06-18-2014, 01:16 PM
Uses a lot of gas, idles poorly. My initial reaction is a leaking fuel injector, but i would start with some basic troubleshooting first.
Pull one spark plug wire and then start the engine. Does it run worse, if yes, shut down and replace that spark plug wire and pull another one. Does it run worse, if yes, repeat until you find the spark plug wire that doesn't make it run worse, that is the cylinder affected.
Remove that spark plug and examine the tip. If it smells of gas and is powdery black, could be a bad plug, bad wire, bad coil, bad wire from computer. Get a new plug, or a good used one, plug it into the wire and lay it on the top of the engine. Then have someone crank the engine and see if you get a spark at the tip. If so, then you have a leaky injector or a bad cylinder.
If the plug is oily black, then the cylinder may have bad rings or bad valve guides/seals. If the plug looks normal, then you may have a bad valve.
Remove the valve cover and check to see if the valves are closing all the way. Its a little difficult on this engine because it has hydraulic lifters but you can sometimes tell.
Do the compression test.
Pull one spark plug wire and then start the engine. Does it run worse, if yes, shut down and replace that spark plug wire and pull another one. Does it run worse, if yes, repeat until you find the spark plug wire that doesn't make it run worse, that is the cylinder affected.
Remove that spark plug and examine the tip. If it smells of gas and is powdery black, could be a bad plug, bad wire, bad coil, bad wire from computer. Get a new plug, or a good used one, plug it into the wire and lay it on the top of the engine. Then have someone crank the engine and see if you get a spark at the tip. If so, then you have a leaky injector or a bad cylinder.
If the plug is oily black, then the cylinder may have bad rings or bad valve guides/seals. If the plug looks normal, then you may have a bad valve.
Remove the valve cover and check to see if the valves are closing all the way. Its a little difficult on this engine because it has hydraulic lifters but you can sometimes tell.
Do the compression test.
#4
06-18-2014, 07:46 PM
Uses a lot of gas, idles poorly. My initial reaction is a leaking fuel injector, but i would start with some basic troubleshooting first.
Pull one spark plug wire and then start the engine. Does it run worse, if yes, shut down and replace that spark plug wire and pull another one. Does it run worse, if yes, repeat until you find the spark plug wire that doesn't make it run worse, that is the cylinder affected.
Remove that spark plug and examine the tip. If it smells of gas and is powdery black, could be a bad plug, bad wire, bad coil, bad wire from computer. Get a new plug, or a good used one, plug it into the wire and lay it on the top of the engine. Then have someone crank the engine and see if you get a spark at the tip. If so, then you have a leaky injector or a bad cylinder.
If the plug is oily black, then the cylinder may have bad rings or bad valve guides/seals. If the plug looks normal, then you may have a bad valve.
Remove the valve cover and check to see if the valves are closing all the way. Its a little difficult on this engine because it has hydraulic lifters but you can sometimes tell.
Do the compression test.
Pull one spark plug wire and then start the engine. Does it run worse, if yes, shut down and replace that spark plug wire and pull another one. Does it run worse, if yes, repeat until you find the spark plug wire that doesn't make it run worse, that is the cylinder affected.
Remove that spark plug and examine the tip. If it smells of gas and is powdery black, could be a bad plug, bad wire, bad coil, bad wire from computer. Get a new plug, or a good used one, plug it into the wire and lay it on the top of the engine. Then have someone crank the engine and see if you get a spark at the tip. If so, then you have a leaky injector or a bad cylinder.
If the plug is oily black, then the cylinder may have bad rings or bad valve guides/seals. If the plug looks normal, then you may have a bad valve.
Remove the valve cover and check to see if the valves are closing all the way. Its a little difficult on this engine because it has hydraulic lifters but you can sometimes tell.
Do the compression test.
Okay I'll pull the plug wires one by one tomorrow
Wat should the compression be?
#5
06-19-2014, 07:32 AM
The exact value of the compression for an investigation of this nature is not important, it will be what it will be. But it will probably be some where around 125#. What you are looking for is a cylinder that is not like the others. Pulling all plugs at the same time makes it easier.
So, pull all plugs and check the compression of each cylinder.
Record it if you wish to take the time.
If there is some form of a problem, one cylinder will not be like the other three. That is your problem cylinder if there is something like a valve hanging open or the rings are worn badly or ?
The wet portion is simply once done, squirt some regular oil down inside the cylinder. If the rings are a problem when you re-run the compression tests (which is one reason you recorded the values) the number you read will be greater as the oil will temporarily cause and increase in compression by helping the rings to seal better. In essence, on an older and somewhat tired engine you can expect to see all readings slightly higher. IF rings are a problem.
But if a valve is hanging open, nothing will make the reading better and that cylinder would be having a valve problem when tested the 2nd readings would be close to the 1st reading what ever it is.
Having the error codes will tell you whether a cylinder is firing or not. And which one it is.
So, pull all plugs and check the compression of each cylinder.
Record it if you wish to take the time.
If there is some form of a problem, one cylinder will not be like the other three. That is your problem cylinder if there is something like a valve hanging open or the rings are worn badly or ?
The wet portion is simply once done, squirt some regular oil down inside the cylinder. If the rings are a problem when you re-run the compression tests (which is one reason you recorded the values) the number you read will be greater as the oil will temporarily cause and increase in compression by helping the rings to seal better. In essence, on an older and somewhat tired engine you can expect to see all readings slightly higher. IF rings are a problem.
But if a valve is hanging open, nothing will make the reading better and that cylinder would be having a valve problem when tested the 2nd readings would be close to the 1st reading what ever it is.
Having the error codes will tell you whether a cylinder is firing or not. And which one it is.
Last edited by uncljohn; 06-19-2014 at 07:34 AM.
#8
06-20-2014, 05:07 AM
Zack,
the on board diagnostics will still be recording operational data. Whether it has decided to turn on the SES light or not to let you know about a potential problem or not is another story but it is amazing how much information is being stored.
If you can get a read out of the information stored it might be very rewarding to have been able to do so.
My local O'Reilly's store has a sign in the window that they will check codes for you if you would like them to. Which is a good advertisement. After all if something is broken, the odds are you will buy parts from them. One of the stores around you should be doing the same thing.
the on board diagnostics will still be recording operational data. Whether it has decided to turn on the SES light or not to let you know about a potential problem or not is another story but it is amazing how much information is being stored.
If you can get a read out of the information stored it might be very rewarding to have been able to do so.
My local O'Reilly's store has a sign in the window that they will check codes for you if you would like them to. Which is a good advertisement. After all if something is broken, the odds are you will buy parts from them. One of the stores around you should be doing the same thing.
