2002 saturn sl2 nice car 155,000 miles emissions NIGHTMARE spent 1,000 so far new 02 sensor, new egr valve, new knock sensor , cleaned intake manifold now the emissions garage cannot connect to the car! the sensor egr valve and 02 sensor have all been replaced before everytime this goes for admissions its been a problem i have owned it 8 yrs any suggestions.

 

Please post the diagnostic codes. Your mechanic would have read them from the port you are having trouble with.

Please post as Pxxxx where each x is a number from 0 to 9.

Please post just the codes, not his interpretation of the codes.

Should be on your paperwork from your visit to the mechanic. Please include all codes.

Some might start w B, C, or U. Please include those as well.

We need to know what the codes WERE in order to try to understand why certain parts were replaced.

Spend $0 until we sort this out.
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Go to your nearest AutoZone or similar and ask them to read your codes. It is 100% free and will tell us whether or not the diagnostic port is working properly.. be sure to keep the print out of any codes read. Is it cannot read the codes, keep that receipt too.

 

my registration is due friday the check engine light has been on for a yr but of course i did not fix it i had no idea it would be this much of a hassle for now the 410 light is pending but no check engine light that was the biggest problem he took the pipe going to the manifold that was loaded with soot the light came back on after he cleaned that so he took off the intake and cleaned that so far so good drive it a few days only the evap and cat are not ready he said it should pass come down now his computer cannot communicate with my car sends me to another garage same problem we are waiting to hear from the emissions people. its a 2nd car i only paid 2400 for it 8 yrs ago its been decent but things are starting to go now not so much the engine but the break lines control arm it runs ok for a 2nd car but this is a NIGHTMARE my mechanic things the parts are going bad because it burns a lot of oil the deposits are getting on the parts it just started with the egr valve then the knock sensor then the 02 rear sensor now this 410 code the hoses and motor are fine

 

i bought a scanner its been such a hassle i just bought my own its reading it fine so that port is working he checked the fuses he was sure it was that. i swear this car is possessed! if it passes i prob can get another yr out of it i have a fortune in this thing now

 

i do have a scanner 16 on amazon its worth it with this monster

 

Go get a bottle of Techron Fuel System Cleaner AND a bottle of Techron Fuel Injector Cleaner and put them both in the gas tank. This may help clean some of the crap out of the system. I'd also get a can of Seafoam and add the appropriate amount of it to the crankcase. If the oil level is a little bit low, that's okay. The Seafoam will help clean any deposits off the valves and pistons. Of course, it make take more than a couple of days. And at this point, none of this will hurt anything.

 

thanks i will try it yes at this point how much worse can it get summer is coming so i wont' be driving it much i have a 2002 firebird that i drive in the summer i just bought this to drive in the winter

 

A pending code will fail you.

The evap and other emissions tests will not run with a pending P code to my knowledge.

P0410 is secondary air injection system malfunction. I think that's the tube you were mentioning earlier that your mechanic was trying to clean.

Here are two excellent troubleshooting sources that you yourself can do out in the driveway. Watch the YouTube video first.

https://m.smogtips.com/OnlineForumQu...em-Malfunction

It sounds like your mechanic got rid of the rest of your emissions related codes but did not correct the issue or all of the multiple issues with your secondary air injection system. As evidenced by the depending code.

If you cannot get the secondary air injection system functional before your registration runs out, to be as legal as possible, take your car in and have it fail inspection on purpose. In most states This gives you a 30-day window in which to throw money at the problem. While still being on time for inspection. Keep the receipts as you will need them at the second follow up inspection after you repair the vehicle. Obviously do not drive the vehicle with an expired registration.

The issue with the OBD2 connector may be that there is a loose or bent terminal in the connector of your vehicle. If this is the case, it may be pushed back into the connector and the shops connector is not making contact with all of the pins on the cars connector. Result is can't read data. When you next go to where the vehicle is, bring your scanner that works with it to prove to them the issue is not a fuse rather it is connector or wiring related from the connector.

The YouTube video is excellent in that it shows in what order you need to check the components to properly diagnose what is wrong. If you just jump into checking different sections, you are not likely to guess correctly.

Please keep us updated.

Burning oil will foul the EGR valve and require cleaning of the EGR valve at more frequent intervals.

Your mechanic should spray a bunch of carb choke cleaner , let it soak, then put a shop towel over the pipe leading to the EGR inlet, put on some ear protection and then pulse the throttle from under the hood. The goo and carbon deposits that come out from doing this are absolutely disgusting but this is common maintenance on an S car. If you don't blow this crap out, it just gets blown into your brand new EGR valve which immediately starts clogging. The EGR valve itself can be cleaned.

O2 sensors have a finite lifetime. The burning oil fouls the sensors and requires replacing them more often than it otherwise would.