I have a 1993 Saturn Sl 1. Just had a new starter replaced a few days ago. It ran great till about 3 days after the new starter was put on.

I noticed a couple days after the starter was replaced the air bag light came on. Plus the car didn't want to accelerate. Thankfully I was in my yard when it happened. I turned the car off and it didn't want to restart. I started it up. No problems.

Then today, I left for school about 2 miles up the road the air bag light came on again. Then the car started loosing power then all the warning lights came on, the speedometer and the tachometer was going to zero and then back to speed, the car was slowing down not wanting to accelerate. I pulled over on the side of the road it died.

I came back about 4 hours later and it started but didn't want to accelerate.

Please help!

 

It is possible that one of the electrical connections you loosened to change the starter and you did not re-tighten correctly when you put things together. That is the first place I would check. those connections arround the battery and the starter. And anything else you disconnected at the time.

 

Thanks. soon as I get the car home I'll jack it up and look at it myself.

 

Sounds like a low voltage condition. Your alternator may be going bad. These cars are extremely voltage sensitive and when the proper voltage is not present all kinds of weird stuff happens. Like Uncljohn says,there is a wire that runs from the starter to the alt that was disconnected when the starter was replaced. I would check that area and also get a voltage reading at the battery while running.

 

What should the reading be?

 

Take your car to most any auto parts store and they will load test the battery and alternator for volts and AMPS and tell you what you need. Easy.

 

Wish I could But the car is an expensive paperweight. Can't run. It will start up but don't want to go.

 

Voltage should be around 14.2V at idle, accessories off.

 

Thats the number I was trying to remember and kept forgetting to check out.
14.2 at idle and if you turn on all the lights and raise the idle a tad, no real significant change should be seen. A fully charged battery should measure 12.4 volts with nothing running. (including the car)
A meter, Harbor Freight has a perfectly adequate DVM on sale some times for about $2.00 and can be purchased any day of the week for $6.00. I usually buy a couple of them at a time.
A far cry from the almost $400.00 meter I also own which has one unique feature that was important enough to pay that much for at the time.
A far cry in price, not in function.