Thanks Unlc John,
I like you anallity. It will make sure I am doing things to spec and not the "ok looks good enough but still might have the problem but i didnt see it". The reason I bought a Saturn was to learn about good engineering through trouble-shooting. I accept this challenge and hope you guys enjoy throwing me some advice. thanks again.

I was just with my dad rebuilding a garden tractor and he was beating on me about my thoroughness about some topics. Uncle John, my dad knows to beat me about analities, I have no problem with you doing the same. It gets the absolute best result in the end.

Your response was detailed and strong. The way it needs to be be.

I am using a multimeter. Those numbers are vs battery negative. not frame ground

I had the battery bench tested. OK but not fully charged. Took it to my dad and charged it for 4 hours. the battery is within 36 months of being new, conservatively, I didn't buy it. No date markers on the battery.

Reinstalled freshly charged, load tested battery, 12.6DCV fresh, 11.9 on load. Hoping that voltage weirdness was the problem. Not so lucky.

Still surging from near stall to 2900rpm. And then it likes to hang at 2900.

Voltage running is 14.3DCV I think the alternator is doing its job.

I will have more info. I just read the feed back and excited again.

I started to dig into the alternator but really dont think I should blame her since she kicks out 13.4 DVC while running, and surging.

Saturn Forum rulez!!! SW2 fer life!!!

 

Whoa!!!!!
How did you get from a running problem, that of the engine running at different rpms when it jolly well felt like it to working on the battery?
From where I sit, and right this min. with 7 cars in my driveway, two under restoration, one waiting to be restored and I have a master cylinder to install on one of them, nothing you have said to date point at a problem with the battery.
To my way of thinking a battery problem is baisc.
Like you said measuring voltage in relation to the negative terminal is good practice a reading os 12.6 or so volts on the battery indicates full charge.
With out starting the engine and turning on all of the lights and any electric motor you can get to run with the key in the AUX position and the radio if the battery voltage stays above 10 volts somewhere the battery should be able to start your car with out a problem.
If the battery voltage drops to something below 10 volts it is an indication that the battery pretty much has reached the end of it functional life unless the battery was not fully charged in the first place .
And if you start the car and read the battery voltage as you say with the negative terminal used as reference, and the reading is something like 14.3 volts the alternator is doing it's job and if you turn on all the lights and then read the voltage and the reading stays pretty much at 14.3 volts the alternator and it's regulator are still doing it's job.
Then you can forget the battery. But this whole discussion has nothing to do with the engine speeds changing all over the map.
So how did you get there and why are you still there. This is a separate problem with nothing to do with the racing or not of the engine.

 

Sorry it has been a while. A lot has been going on and I have only had a little time with the car. But what I did do.

Bought a idle air control valve and installed it. I thought it made a difference but then all the symptoms came back. Took it out boxed it up and returned it for a throttle position sensor which we found to be a problem from testing it's voltage readings. Now the car doesn't sputter but the engine does stay at a high rpm.

I'm going back to searching for a vacuum leak which I thought I tested pretty well for but who knows. Why would the idle be much higher in park and neutral then when the car is shifted into drive? Does that indicate a certain area to check better

 

There is no load on the engine when it's in park or nuetral.

https://www.saturnforum.com/forum/general-tech-help-13/etcs-its-connnector-6417/

Did you remove the napa etcs and get a proper one from the dealer?
Did you replace the etcs connector with a new one you bought from the dealer?

 

So I will change out the etcs when I get back to the car. But a problem that came up when I was test driving the last potential fix was that it stalled out and would not start when I cut the wheel hard to the left. Would this have anything to do with the high rpm or is it a separate fuel problem

Thanks. Justin

 

I am just curious how much fuel is in the vehicle when you said it stalled?