New Saturn owner via marrage haha
#1
10-15-2018, 12:08 AM
New Saturn owner via marrage haha
Recently got married and of course now that we are starting our lives together her car has to cause trouble. Luckily we do have a 2nd vehicle but its been tough with our schedule. Anyhow her 2006 ion with the 2.2l has been going in and out of limp mode, weird thing is it usually goes into limp mode when you make a right turn, while applying fuel. Took it to auto zone and it came back with a mess of codes and i just dont know where to start! Also i so should add, its been raining alot here in MI, and water is finding its way in... and i mean alot of water,. I have not been able to figure our how its coming in so that may have something to do with this low power issue. Anyone with any insight wpuld be greatly appreciated.
#3
10-15-2018, 07:45 AM
Agree with derf. We need codes. As for the water, check the cowl drains. Sounds like they're probably clogged with debris or disconnected. Also, does this car have a sunroof? If so, the drains could either be disconnected or clogged too.
#6
10-15-2018, 04:28 PM
Yeah, you'll have to remove the cowl cover in order to access and clean the drains. If you have an air compressor, that'll make it a lot faster. You didn't say whether or not you have a sun roof. If so, they drain out behind the front wheel well liners. You'd have to remove the liners in order to access the tips. They may need trimming to allow the water to flow through. Here's what I found. Seems there was a factory bulletin.
Bulletin No.: 03-01-39-011B
Date: November 22, 2005
TECHNICAL
Subject:
Water Leaks Into Passenger Compartment Through HVAC Module Condensate Drain Tube When Parked on Incline/Uphill Position (Install Auxiliary Drain Tube Extension)
Models:
2003-2006 Saturn ION Sedans and Coupes
Supercede:
This bulletin is being revised to include the 2005 and 2006 model years. Please discard Corporate Bulletin Number 03-01-39-011A (Section 01 - HVAC).
Condition
When vehicle is parked on an incline with the front end up during a rainstorm or when driving uphill during a rainstorm, water may leak into the passenger compartment through the condensate drain tube opening of the HVAC module.
Cause
Water may drain out of the cowl drain, then drain down the front of the dash panel in the engine compartment and seep into the HVAC module condensate drain tube opening. The water then collects in the heater core cover and upon acceleration may leak into the passenger compartment through the heater core cover seams.
Correction 1. Open the hood and locate the HVAC module condensate drain tube in the engine compartment on the right side of the dash panel.
Important: During installation of the auxiliary drain tube, do not make contact with the HVAC module foam gasket located at the base of the HVAC module condensate drain tube. If the auxiliary drain tube is pushed on too far and makes contact with the foam gasket, water may leak into the passenger compartment.
2. Slide the auxiliary drain tube onto the HVAC module condensate drain tube and make sure that the auxiliary drain tube is angled downwards after installation.
Bulletin No.: 03-01-39-011B
Date: November 22, 2005
TECHNICAL
Subject:
Water Leaks Into Passenger Compartment Through HVAC Module Condensate Drain Tube When Parked on Incline/Uphill Position (Install Auxiliary Drain Tube Extension)
Models:
2003-2006 Saturn ION Sedans and Coupes
Supercede:
This bulletin is being revised to include the 2005 and 2006 model years. Please discard Corporate Bulletin Number 03-01-39-011A (Section 01 - HVAC).
Condition
When vehicle is parked on an incline with the front end up during a rainstorm or when driving uphill during a rainstorm, water may leak into the passenger compartment through the condensate drain tube opening of the HVAC module.
Cause
Water may drain out of the cowl drain, then drain down the front of the dash panel in the engine compartment and seep into the HVAC module condensate drain tube opening. The water then collects in the heater core cover and upon acceleration may leak into the passenger compartment through the heater core cover seams.
Correction 1. Open the hood and locate the HVAC module condensate drain tube in the engine compartment on the right side of the dash panel.
Important: During installation of the auxiliary drain tube, do not make contact with the HVAC module foam gasket located at the base of the HVAC module condensate drain tube. If the auxiliary drain tube is pushed on too far and makes contact with the foam gasket, water may leak into the passenger compartment.
2. Slide the auxiliary drain tube onto the HVAC module condensate drain tube and make sure that the auxiliary drain tube is angled downwards after installation.
#7
10-16-2018, 01:49 AM
P0030 HO2S Heater Control Circuit Bank 1 Sensor 1
Problem with the heater element circuit of the heated oxygen sensor. Sometimes a theater has burned out, sometimes there is a wiring issue (damaged). Bank 1 Sensor 1 is the front O2 near the exhaust manifold.
P0128 Engine Coolant Temperature Below Thermostat Regulating Temperature
If the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) detects the calibrated amount of air flow and engine run time have been met, and the Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) has not met the minimum thermostat regulating temperature, the code P0128 will set. Can be caused by low coolant level, bad temp sensor, stuck open thermostat. More often than not, the thermostat stuck open.
P0135 HO2S Heater Performance Bank 1 Sensor 1
Comes with a dead Oxygen sensor heater. Check wiring but between P0030 and this one, likely replace front O2 Sensor.
P2138 Accelerator Pedal Position (APP) Sensor 1-2 Correlation
THIS ONE WILL TRIGGER LIMP MODE BY ITSELF'
The Accelerator Pedal Position (APP) sensor is made up of 2 sensors that are housed inside one assembly (redundant on purpose).
The code is triggered when APP 1 and APP sensor 2 disagree more than 4.5 percent for less than 1 second.
Possible causes
P0030 + P0135 indicate, barring a wiring or fuse issue, that the heater on your front O2 sensor is dead. It cannot be replaced separately. Check wiring and fuse. If no issues there, replace front O2 Sensor.
Do not try to use a universal one.
P2138 is responsible for limp mode behavior. The fact that it is intermittent makes it hard to track down the root cause. You are far from the first Ion owner to be stricken by this code.
Do NOT run out and buy parts to throw at the car. It's expensive and expensive.
Search saturnfans.com and sixthsphere.com and the rest of the net for the code in Saturn Ions ("Saturn Ion P2138"). You'll learn how to troubleshoot it based on what others have figured out.
It may take some troubleshooting time but you will solve it.
P0128 -- check coolant level. Investigate if low. check to see that wiring to ECTS is intact. Check resistance across the sensor with cold engine and after car is "warmed up."
Where is temp needle on gauge? 1/4, 1/2, 3/4? Do you get any heat out of the vents once it has warmed up?
This usually ends up being a thermostat stuck open but it is worth the small effort to check the other things first.
Could have been a lot worse.
Problem with the heater element circuit of the heated oxygen sensor. Sometimes a theater has burned out, sometimes there is a wiring issue (damaged). Bank 1 Sensor 1 is the front O2 near the exhaust manifold.
P0128 Engine Coolant Temperature Below Thermostat Regulating Temperature
If the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) detects the calibrated amount of air flow and engine run time have been met, and the Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) has not met the minimum thermostat regulating temperature, the code P0128 will set. Can be caused by low coolant level, bad temp sensor, stuck open thermostat. More often than not, the thermostat stuck open.
P0135 HO2S Heater Performance Bank 1 Sensor 1
Comes with a dead Oxygen sensor heater. Check wiring but between P0030 and this one, likely replace front O2 Sensor.
P2138 Accelerator Pedal Position (APP) Sensor 1-2 Correlation
THIS ONE WILL TRIGGER LIMP MODE BY ITSELF'
The Accelerator Pedal Position (APP) sensor is made up of 2 sensors that are housed inside one assembly (redundant on purpose).
The code is triggered when APP 1 and APP sensor 2 disagree more than 4.5 percent for less than 1 second.
Possible causes
- Faulty Accelerator Pedal Position Sensor
- Accelerator Pedal Position Sensor harness is open or shorted
- Accelerator Pedal Position Sensor circuit poor electrical connection
- Faulty Electric Throttle Control Actuator
P0030 + P0135 indicate, barring a wiring or fuse issue, that the heater on your front O2 sensor is dead. It cannot be replaced separately. Check wiring and fuse. If no issues there, replace front O2 Sensor.
Do not try to use a universal one.
P2138 is responsible for limp mode behavior. The fact that it is intermittent makes it hard to track down the root cause. You are far from the first Ion owner to be stricken by this code.
Do NOT run out and buy parts to throw at the car. It's expensive and expensive.
Search saturnfans.com and sixthsphere.com and the rest of the net for the code in Saturn Ions ("Saturn Ion P2138"). You'll learn how to troubleshoot it based on what others have figured out.
It may take some troubleshooting time but you will solve it.
P0128 -- check coolant level. Investigate if low. check to see that wiring to ECTS is intact. Check resistance across the sensor with cold engine and after car is "warmed up."
Where is temp needle on gauge? 1/4, 1/2, 3/4? Do you get any heat out of the vents once it has warmed up?
This usually ends up being a thermostat stuck open but it is worth the small effort to check the other things first.
Could have been a lot worse.
#8
10-18-2018, 12:40 AM
I'm gonna hazard a guess about your limp mode issue... You said a fair amount of water is making its way in, and it mainly goes into limp mode when turning right under throttle (would generate lateral G force)
there's a kick panel in the drivers side floorboard, and underneath it is a big electrical connector, and one circuit that runs through it is the one for the APP sensor... My guess is the wet floorboards are allowing water to slosh onto this connector when turning right, causing an intermittent short...
you could, for the time being, access the connector, clean it with WD-40 and then dielectric grease, and wrap it with cling wrap/electrical tape to keep water out...
of course solving the water leak will make the cling wrap superfluous, but that would maybe take longer?
there's a kick panel in the drivers side floorboard, and underneath it is a big electrical connector, and one circuit that runs through it is the one for the APP sensor... My guess is the wet floorboards are allowing water to slosh onto this connector when turning right, causing an intermittent short...
you could, for the time being, access the connector, clean it with WD-40 and then dielectric grease, and wrap it with cling wrap/electrical tape to keep water out...
of course solving the water leak will make the cling wrap superfluous, but that would maybe take longer?
#9
10-18-2018, 11:18 PM
Thanks for the replies guys! Ive been preoccupied with the other car, a 2009 camry needing an alternator. But got that taken care of so now its time to focus on her car again.
So it does have a sunroof, but it was sealed by someone long ago. I assume because it was leaking but my wife doesn't know if the sunroof even works. What are the chances its leaking again? I really want to get this water issue fixed first because if not she wants to get a different car... and i dont wanna buy another car! I was gonna go for the cowl drains today but when i went to remove the wiper arms they wouldn't budge, pretty sure i need a puller. Once the cowling is off, were can i find the clogged drains?
So it does have a sunroof, but it was sealed by someone long ago. I assume because it was leaking but my wife doesn't know if the sunroof even works. What are the chances its leaking again? I really want to get this water issue fixed first because if not she wants to get a different car... and i dont wanna buy another car! I was gonna go for the cowl drains today but when i went to remove the wiper arms they wouldn't budge, pretty sure i need a puller. Once the cowling is off, were can i find the clogged drains?
#10
10-19-2018, 12:47 AM
The sunroof was possibly sealed because the previous owner did not know how to clean the drains, got tired of cleaning them, or simply couldn't keep them clear anymore.
I would consider resealing the sunroof to ensure the entrances to the drains are sealed off. Still, clean them first before resealing if you go this route.
Can't help you with drain location on an ion, but there must be diagrams on the web -- this is a very common issue.
I would consider resealing the sunroof to ensure the entrances to the drains are sealed off. Still, clean them first before resealing if you go this route.
Can't help you with drain location on an ion, but there must be diagrams on the web -- this is a very common issue.
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