Non Saturn repairs this weekend
 

I am putting together a car for my grand daughter, she turns 16 in September. I had given her older brother a Metro several years ago, so it's her turn. It is a 2002 Olds Alero with an Eco-tec 2.2. My used car buddy bought it a year ago with bad steering, it seemed to run fine. When I started to look for a car for her I spotted this one behind his shop. It had sat over the winter with the windows down about an inch. So it was a little moldy but not too bad, he had been stealing parts off the engine also. The rack was ripped out of the frame and partly removed, all that was connected were the hoses. It looked like a good candidate and it ran when he bought it. $600 including the buy fee and he delivered it to my house. I put the engine back together and it started right up and the chain is quiet. I got it in the shop and up in the air to see what I had.

The previous owner had tried to replace the broken rack and could not get the hoses loose. What a pain to get the hoses off without the rack bolted down. He had put it back together enough to run it through the auction. Many critical bolts were missing and the subframe had an ear ripped off where the rack bolts up. The steering column was also disconnected so the clock spring was toast. Every warning light was on on the dash.

I dropped the cradle and inspected the missing mount area, no problem it was only one ear missing. I fabricated a new ear and welded it to the subframe. One junk yard rack and a toolbox full of missing bolts and we have a car! Now for the clock spring, I took my car apart and took the tools needed to remove the clock spring to the wrecking yard and found a replacement. Don't believe the counter guy when he tells you all Aleros take the same clock spring. I had to change both connectors but it works. Now for the dash trouble lights, check engine-abs-traction control- oil change due-airbag all on.

The scanner told me the right front abs sensor was open. I found the harness smashed between the tranny and the subframe. I repaired the wires and put them back in the factory mounts and three lights went off. The clock spring fixed the airbag light and the cruise control came to life. I found the oil change reset button, look ma no trouble lights.

Four wheel alignment and a trip to the GM dealer for the ignition key recall and a test drive. Crap the check engine light is on again. P0141 rear O2 sensor heater circuit performance. The car has a new sensor and a new cat already so someone was chasing this before the steering gave up. I found the wire harness smashed and twisted near the drivers side above the rack. I repaired the wires and cleared the codes and another drive, quick cel this time. This time it was a p0440 evap code. I cleared it and drove it again by the time I got home there was a pending O2 code again. Checked the fuses and there was a blown 10 amp fuse for power to the heater circuit. Test drive again for 20 miles so far do good, I will drive it again next weekend, oh yea I replaced the front rotors and pads also today and rotated the tires. This is going to be a fine car for her. I grabbed a real nice carpet and factory floor mats out of a Grand Am last trip to the pick and pull, the interior is coming together nicely.

My daughter's Mazda Mpv is a story for another post but it is repaired also.

The Mazda repair
 

Lesson learned, the Mpv was throwing lean both banks all of a sudden. Just after filling the fuel tank. Thinking we got some bad gas I loaded up the tank with gas drier. Still ran crappy and now a check engine light. I work on late model diesel trucks for a living. I have not had to do much gas drivability for many years. The car ran well at full throttle so I knew the pump and filter were fine. I borrowed my Snap-on red brick from the car lot I loaned it to 11 years ago. The O2 sensors read 0.02 volts until I got way into the throttle then they would sweep like they should for a while then settle back to nothing. I ordered 2 Denso sensors from Rock Auto and installed them..... Crap no change.
So I read a little more on line and saw about the pcv hose issues. So I checked out the hoses and they seemed fine. Read a little more and someone mentioned a dirty MAF sensor. I was getting what I thought were good readings for it, but might as well check it out. I unplugged the MAF and the O2 sensors went full rich. We are on to something, this car disregards O2 when there is a problem with mass air flow. I removed the MAF sensor and there was a very small blade of dry grass across the hot wire.
Now the O2 sensors sweep at idle and down the road, it will have to relearn all the fuel trim again. My daughter is glad to have her minivan back again.
Maybe this is a Mazda thing with the MAF priority over the O2 thing, I have not run into that with Fords or GM.
Hope this helps someone before you buy O2 sensors. They don't cost much but they sure are fun to change even with a hoist.
Andy

I didn't know the Alero could be had with the L61 engine... There might be good ones out there after all...

Feel free to post pics of the mentioned vehicles... It's always nice to see new stuff, even if it's not Saturn related...

My mom has an 02 olds intrigue with the 3.5 v6. She doesn't like it any where near as much as the Ion, but it has been a great car with almost no issues.

An Alero? On the road? Legally?

Sorry, but I'll need to see pictures......

Sorry Derf but cars don't rust out here. I have a 68 Chevy pickup that needs new wood in the bed but the body is still nice with original paint. Now it needs paint but I don't need to change any panels to restore it.

I meant mechanically, mainly. Weren't those service dogs or were they just purchased by folks that never maintained them?

An Ecotec and a 4t40, pretty good power train when properly maintained. The seats cleaned up and I picked up a nice carpet from a Grand Am. It will make a good first car for my grand daughter.

Geez, with all the time and money you put into an Olds, couldn't you have just found her a decent Saturn instead?

This was a car of opportunity, I found it before my Saturn turned up. The Saturn was also a car of opportunity, I had never paid attention to them before. The only reason my car dealer buddy only bought my car was because it was a deal. I had repaired the Ecotec in an L series for him last year and I commented to him how nice the car drove. I was looking for something to replace the Metro that I had been modding and driving for 6 years. My dealer buddy stays away from S series Saturns because most of them smoke and need engine rebuilds.
My car runs great at 150,000 miles, most of the S series he sees in this mileage smoke.