Hi all. I recently bought a 1998 Saturn SL2 Automatic with 138k. It is loud but ran good until about 5 months after buying it. When stopping at red lights or parking the engine revs by itself up and down and check engine light came on. My father and I hooked up a code reader and it said P0711 which was transmission fluid temp sensor which we replaced and that seemed to fix the problem. A few weeks later and I am having the exact same problem. I have looked online in Saturn forums and some have said it could be the intake air temp sensor which also seems simple to replace. Has anyone heard of this kind of problem???

 

You need to run the codes on it again, first. Then post them here. You could have a vacuum leak, TPS problem or IAC problem, just to name a few. No way to really try to help you without the other codes. ECTS (engine coolant temperature sensor) is a major problem with these cars. That goes bad and it causes all kinds of problems.

 

The only code that comes up is the P0711. Had auto zone use their code reader as well still just that one code.

 

I don't know what to tell you, young lady. You can try shot gunning parts at it, but I DO NOT recommend that. Maybe take it to a shop and have it professionally scanned by a real mechanic. Most Autozone employees don't have a mechanical background and their scan tools are not the best available.

 

Beth --

I'm in agreement with Rube, need to have a local "pro" put some eyes on it. This is an unusual situation, because usually the guys here are falling over each other to help out a young lady -- ask Mandee, and she'll tell you true ....

 

try replacing the ects not the iat. The ects to tranny temp ratio being out of whack can lead to this code. Plus if you've never replaced your ects it is time.
Also replace connector. Source from GM dealer. Yes the connector is expensive. Just do it

 

I just replaced the ECTS and connector on my car and the parts with tax included cost me an even $51.00. Well worth it though as yesterday the car ran and shifted better than it ever has. Just make sure that whoever replaces the connector solders the wires and uses some heat shrink around the connections too. I even went the extra mile and wrapped mine with electrical tape over the heat shrink.

 

Well MsBethClark whats the word?

Please go to the new member area and give yourself a proper introduction. When done open the USER CP top left of the page and go to "signature" and add your first name, location, and Saturn year and model.

 

Beth, if you are still checking for answers, I have a little info. First, did you change your transmission fluid and filter? If you did not, then you need to do that next. In fact, you should have done that before changing the sensor. Old ATF will run hotter than fresh ATF.

I once had one of those Ford better ideas where the AT did not have any cooling circuit. The ATF had to be changed every 20K and believe me, if you didn't do a complete change, including the torque converter (it at least had a separate drain), the ATF would get so hot you could even touch the gear shift (floor shift) without getting burned.

Now for the bad news, this type of problem is due to the engine trying to stay within emissions requirements. It is working as far as that is concerned so it won't give a service engine soon light, but it will store a DTC (code) for the problem. Your father and AutoZone are using code readers that only read the generic OBDII codes required by law. The computer can detect and store codes to help the mechanic locate the problem, but they are only detectable on a computer system programmed for GM codes or a GM code reader that is used by the dealers.

If changing the ATF does not solve the problem, or you already changed it, then you will need to go to a GM dealer or an independent mechanic that has a system like on of the SUN diagnostic systems.

I looked up this problem in the factory service manual for 2000-2002 models and the list for this problem is very long. There are a lot of things that could cause this problem.