2002 Saturn SC2

Driving back from the casinos near Denver, my car shut off mid-drive, making me sleep in the car 35 miles outside the city using the floor mats for blankets until the tow truck could get there the next morning.

It was as if the alternator died, but my battery had plenty of juice as I listened to the radio for a few hours afterwords and the headlights were bright. Turning the key gives a single click, and if it's quiet enough I can hear the fuel pump starting up.

The next morning, my friend suggested I check the motor mounts, that there was a safety system designed to prevent it from running in case the motor wasn't mounted correctly. Sure enough, the top motor mount was broken. I checked the trans mount and the dogbone mount behind the wheels and they both look fine. I replaced the top mount this morning, but the car still won't start, and my friend told me this time that there should be a safety reset switch of some kind and gave me a few places to look for it. But I can't find it for the life of me, and Google just gives me different makes/models and videos on how to replace the mount itself.

Edit: The security light shuts off after just a second or two when turning the car to run, and doesn't flash, so I don't think it has to do with the security system as everything I can find for resetting that involves the light staying on for about 10 minutes.

Any ideas, or is there something else going on as well?

 

Ehhh, I'd try tapping the starter with a hammer and see if it starts. If so, then you've either got a bad starter or a loose connection. Check your battery cables for corrosion and good, clean connections. That includes the connections on the starter. I've never heard of a safety reset switch, but I'm not a mechanic. The only thing I can think of is an inertia switch that kills the fuel pump in a collision, but that was a Ford thing. AFAIK, Saturn or GM never did that.

 

never heard of a motor mount monitoring system -- go punch your friend.

Seems like you may have two problems or one may be a result of the other.

Why did car shut off?
1)No fuel
2)No spark
7) CKP (Crank Position Sensor) crapped out, shut down fuel and spark
3)Not enough current to operate PCM and everything else important

Why won't car start now w only one click and fuel pump priming noise?

5) Failing/Bad starter
9) Not enough current to turn engine over
13) Engine seized

What's the recurring theme? Not enough current.

It is possible that you lost a cell in your battery or your alternator is weak and the operating voltage of the vehicle was no longer high enough to operate the PCM, etc.
_______________
Z) Try Rube's hammer starter trick. If you can get it to start, then suspect dying starter

A)Try to jump start vehicle. Post results. Disconnect jumper cables. Does anything change (if you got it started)?

C) Pull your battery and have it tested. As you are doing so, inspect the terminal connections, the connection to the starter, alternator and the battery cables, plus the ground where the Neg batt cable attaches to the frame.

That's where I'd start. Based on outcome of the above, we go from there

 

I'll try all of that and get back to you, just got home from work. So it's just a coincidence that the motor mount busted? Also, if it's the starter, why would it have died mid-drive? Edit: As far as the battery, I did have enough juice to listen to the radio for hours while waiting for the tow truck. Is it still possible it's the battery?

 

That motor mount monitoring system....is that like blinker fluid?

 

Should have mentioned -- measure the DC V across the battery before trying to start it, during attempted starting, and running if you get the car running

Also, after you hear the fuel pump priming, pop the hood and look on the driver's side for a valve like a bike tire only bigger. It'll have a screw on cap. It's a test port for measuring fuel pressure--if you follow it to the left, you'll see it leads to the fuel rail w the fuel injectors.

Anyway, take a rag, fold it over a couple of times, put it over the test port, get your face out of the way, and depress the center of the valve like you would to deflate a tire. If nothing comes out, your fuel filter is clogged or your fuel pump is dead. If you get a good burst of fuel, the pump is at least functional.

Accessory draw on the battery is minor compared to the hundreds of peak amps it takes to turn over an engine. Unless you have a 4kW sound system cranked up.

Starters stop working properly when they reach the end of their life. Which is the the tech speak for it dies when it's ready to die. Usually you get a few warnings on the original AC Delco starters; a click, then nothing, retry starts right up. Different parts of the starter and the attached solenoid can fail or "hang up" (hence the hammer to knock it free) preventing proper starting.

As for the motor mount -- when you say "broken", what type of damage do you mean? Torn rubber, sheared bolts, sheared mount itself?

And how much oil does this car burn per 3000 mi?

 

Appreciate the suggestions everyone, unfortunately though, it's going to take me a while to check through all of them between work, a child, and a 4 day trip coming up in a few days, but I'll get back to everyone as soon as possible.

 

I'm really interested to see where this story ends up. Very intriguing.

 

The CPS was the next thing on my list to check, unfortunately I found I couldn't reach the top mounting bolt for the starter to remove it to access the sensor, so I had to set it aside until I can try to go in through the wheel well. I'll be out of town for the next few days, so I'm afraid I won't make much progress on it this week.

I found it next to the HMMWV keys.

 

you can do the CPS as a blind operation (by feel) w/o removing the starter if you can get the car high enough in the air (safely) to get your arm up there far enough to contort it and hold a ratchet. I tried to do a buddy's in the street on jack stands but I couldn't get enough of my arm up there and bent the right way.

Plus I have the manual dexterity of a 4 year old

Takes less than 5 min on a lift.