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2005 Saturn ION misfire and it sputters
2005 Saturn ION manual 197k miles
It starts and runs in idle ..does not overheat I can drive it in neighborhood but I can not go on road .. i.e. can not go pass 35 mph.. I believe after 20 mph it sputters when accelerator is pressed recently changed spark plugs and coil pack but no change Where do you think problem is ? Do you think its fuel pump or fuel filter or something else? |
If you can creep up on it to increase speed but heavy throttle slows it down it probably needs a fuel filter. It also may have a plugged cat, they can act the same. Fuel filter is inexpensive, actually free if you remove it and blow through it. If you cannot blow through it buy a new one and see how it runs. If you can blow through the filter easily then remove the oxygen sensor and see if it runs better. If it runs better then replace the cat. |
Originally Posted by 02 LW300
(Post 59870)
If you can creep up on it to increase speed but heavy throttle slows it down it probably needs a fuel filter. It also may have a plugged cat, they can act the same. Fuel filter is inexpensive, actually free if you remove it and blow through it. If you cannot blow through it buy a new one and see how it runs. If you can blow through the filter easily then remove the oxygen sensor and see if it runs better. If it runs better then replace the cat. Actually I wrote as if I own it but I am considering buying this car with the symptom I mentioned ... that is why I want to make sure ? can it be anything else other than fuel filter or cat? again it has misfire code on check engine light and does not go pass 35 mph |
I will ask this because I am a professional mechanic. Why would you consider purchasing a high mileage car that runs like this? You have no idea how to diagnose or repair it. I enjoy helping people with their repair questions however they need to understand basic automotive theory. |
Originally Posted by 02 LW300
(Post 59874)
I will ask this because I am a professional mechanic. Why would you consider purchasing a high mileage car that runs like this? You have no idea how to diagnose or repair it. I enjoy helping people with their repair questions however they need to understand basic automotive theory. |
The misfire code for a single cylinder could be anything from a bad spark plug to zero compression. One costs $2 to fix, the other requires diagnostic equipment, lots of knowledge or Lots of $$, and you'd have to spend more than this "deal" is worth to make it run right. Includes a total teardown and rebuild of a completely worn our engine.
What is the full list of codes you pulled from the car? Or did he only TELL you this one? Things in life that seem too good to be true usually are. A 200k car running likely on only 3 cylinders won't go faster than 35. The money to have it fixed will eclipse the small sum you purchase it for. How much oil does it burn? What is the compression across all four cylinders, dry and wet? What are ALL the SES trouble codes? Are there Psslock issues? Has he locked it with the fob, unlocked it, and started it on the first try? Has the vehicle been scanned for body codes? Chassis codes? Does the cat glow red when he holds it at 2000rpm for 2 min? This is not an "I know more than you" list. It is the tip of the iceberg of a list of questions that would need to be asked and answered honestly for you to determine the health of the car and whether this "deal" is a deal or a running parts car. |
It’s an 05- check the MAF sensor, if it’s dirty the engine won’t run correctly and could misfire under load... check fuel filter and visually inspect fuel lines... either a clogged filter or a leaking line can cause fuel pressure issues(won’t have enough fuel to make power) check the catalytic converter, remove (not disconnect) O2 sensor and drive it again... this will allow some back pressure to escape and help the car run better... (now we’re getting into last ditch ideas) remove and visually inspect the injectors, looking for crud on them, as clogged injectors can starve the engine of fuel... do a a compression test... a single cylinder misfire will still carry the car, just with less power... mine would do about 85mph but no more, on 3 cylinders... |
What are causes of misfire in this cars? code was p0301
Seller already replaced spark plugs and coil pack? But that did not help ...now based on your exp. with Saturn what could be cause of this misfire ? this misfire eventually led to sputtering because he continued to drive it. I want to find out what causes misfire..he checked if there is oil and coolant are mixed with each other.. that is not the case... |
Apparently you did not read my post thoroughly. As I addressed just some of the possibilities that could lead to a misfire. Either the seller is playing dumb or really does not know how to troubleshoot. Which means there are probably other things wrong with the vehicle he does not understand
Since my advice does not seem to impact your quest to purchase this aailing vehicle, I'm done here |
Originally Posted by curiousv
(Post 59883)
What are causes of misfire in this cars? code was p0301
Seller already replaced spark plugs and coil pack? But that did not help ...now based on your exp. with Saturn what could be cause of this misfire ? this misfire eventually led to sputtering because he continued to drive it. I want to find out what causes misfire..he checked if there is oil and coolant are mixed with each other.. that is not the case... take the fuel rail and injectors off, look them over, and switch the one on cyl 1 with any other one(just remember which one)... Clear the misfire code and start the car, see if it comes back on cyl 1(P0301) or if it moves to another cylinder (the one you switched injectors with)... If it moves, you have a bad injector. Replace the bad one at least, but you'd be better off replacing the set(that way all the cylinders get the proper amount of fuel) if if the misfire doesn't move, then we've ruled out the fuel system... Check the compression, and if cyl 1 has more than 10% less than the others, it's out of spec and "needs rebuilt", but from experience on a 2007 L61, I had a plug disintegrate on cyl 1, and it dropped to 20-25% less compression than the others and ran fine, no codes... Lost about 5% fuel mileage overall, but it was still plenty good enough to drive... a compression number below, say, 100psi, and you should really walk away unless you're truly desperate for cheap wheels, as fixing it is gonna be expensive, or you're gonna have to learn to live with a misfire... as as for the sputtering, I'd say the CAT is clogged from running with a miss for too long... Either replace or punch out the material(will not pass emissions though) |
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