air injection pump
 

My 2002 SL1 was making all kinds of noises; whistles, whines, groans, moans, thumps- you name it, when I first started the car. I opened the hood, had my wife start it, and then knew for sure it was the air pump, or air injection pump as it is properly called, I guess. I took the thing out and tried to get it apart so I could fix it or at least try to, and that ended up in a lesson in futility. The covers on those things are cemented on with super super glue, or something meant to assure it could never be taken apart. I've found some new ones on Ebay, but am curious whether these air pumps were known to go bad. ??? The car has less than 98k on it. Was this a known issue with these Saturns? I've never had one go bad before, but this is the first 2002 I've had too. I sure miss the ride in my big Lincoln Mark VI, but I like the gas mileage in this SL1 a whole lot! :p
Have a good one, ya all.
RK

I don't know if it's a problem or not. I'm just responding because I want to say that I like your avatar. Buster Brown and Tighe. I haven't seen them since I was just a kid. So, thanks! Do you remember the slogan? "I'm Buster Brown, I live in a shoe. This is my dog, Tighe. He lives in there too."

I laughed right out loud when I read your note. You bet I remember that slogan! I was in gospel music for years. I was up near Albany, NY and called a friend of mine who was a disc jockey up there. His wife answered the phone. When she said "Hello", she asked who was calling. I answered with that slogan and she hung up on me! I called back and her husband answered then. When he answered I told him what I'd done and he laughed and laughed. :-)

I've read a few posts around the net regarding problems with the pumps but not a systematic mass failure issue like the ECTS......

I was getting a P0410 code and thought the secondary air pump might have gone bad, and being a "repair the part" type of guy, I tried to take mine apart. I did not succeed either. Turns out it wasn't bad either. The tube cast into the exhaust manifold for the secondary air was plugged up. A little gumout spray fixed it.

These rarely fail. They only run for 2 minutes after your engine is started from cold. If yours is just noisy, I'd recommend pull-a-part.

I don't have a place near me where I can do that. I found some on Ebay so I'll go that way. Noisy it is! I'm sure I could have fixed it if I could have gotten the thing apart. Oh well.

Have you checked that tube, like Keith suggested?

Yes sir, I did. But I do know the motor is the problem. When I took it out and had it in my hands, I reached down inside it and turned the fan with a long screwdriver. Even though it was not turning fast it still made way too much noise for an electric motor.

I have another question about that air pump; is it normal to have drops of water inside the cap of the air pump where the sponge rubber filter is? I took the cap off when I was trying to get it apart and again today. There was a lot of moisture inside both times. I squeezed the sponge rubber dry and put it back in, but that doesn't seem right to me to have moisture in it like that. What say you?

No. This is probably why your pump is making so much noise. Between the pump and the exhaust manifold is a reed valve. Thats the circular thing at the other end of that rubber hose. It's job is to keep exhaust gasses from getting to the pump.

Exhaust gasses contain a lot of water. It condenses in your pump causing rust and corrosion. In the winter, the water can freeze and lock up the pump. When 12v is applied to the pump motor, it can self destruct.

The reed valves don't go bad very often, but when they do, it's not good.

Keith, I sure am glad I asked about that! And thank you so much for the info! What is that valve called? I don't know what to look for.

Ron

Another question on that valve; can it be repaired?

Thanks again-

Ron

I'm not sure what that reed valve is called, but I took it all off, checked it out, and found that when power was applied to the switch it didn't make any difference to the vacuum/air flow whether power was on or off at that switch. That would seem to indicate to me that the switch is bad, whatever it's called. Right?

Its been awhile since I had a Saturn, I sold mine last year and gave away all the books, so I am working from memory, which isn't all that good anymore. The switch you reference is attached to the reed valve.

The reed valve is the big silver disk the black rubber hose goes into. I was able to take mine apart and clean it, but it wasn't the problem. When you open it up, IIRC, there was either one or two flat SS springs about a inch wide and 2 or 3" long over a hole or two holes. Pressure from the pump opens the valve, pressure from the exhaust pushes the flat spring (aka "reed") closed to keep the exhaust gasses from getting into the pump.

I don't remember what the vacuum switch was for.

Memory is the second thing to go, can't remember what goes first.

I had to laugh right out loud with that memory thing. Cute. I've been searching and digging all over the internet investigating all this. The switch is called the System-Diverter Valve, part #21210001. The big silver disk is called the Secondary Air Injection Shut-Off Valve and is part #21210000. From what I can find, the switch is what stops the exhaust from going into the big silver thing when it shouldn't and on into the air pump. It appears I need to replace both of those parts right along with the air injection pump. That should make everything run happy happy happy. :-)

Well, here it is, just a little over 2 years since I last posted about the air pump problem, and now I'm back with almost the same identical situation. I put a brand new pump on it 2 years ago. The thing hasn't lasted even 2 years and is giving me fits again. It was posting the PO410 code, but that did clear itself out again and it's run for several days now without that coming on again. However, the thing sounds like an Oreck vacuum cleaner and that is no exaggeration! I cannot believe how much noise that thing makes! I just got done taking it out and taking the end cap off to check the sponge filter in it to see if there was any water in it and it looks brand new yet. And the thing seems to turn fairly decent, but still does not turn like an electric motor should turn. It makes so much noise that anyone walking in front of the car will stop and look at the car, wondering what all that noise is. If you put your hand on it when it's running, it will surprise you so much because of the intensity of the vibration, that for a moment you will think you've been shocked! I also replaced all the parts that work in conjunction with the pump.
I really don't know what to do about it. As much as the things cost brand new there's not much sense in spending that amount again if it's only going to be 2 years before it starts whining like that again. And if you get a used one from eBay, you have no idea how that thing is going to sound. BTW, the new one I put on was an OEM part.
As I said in the first post, you can't get the things apart to repair them. That is an exercise in utter futility.
It's strange to me, anyway, that no one else seems to have this problem. I sure wish I could get that thing apart. And so goes the Saturn air pumps. Not made very well in my opinion.
Ron K.

Where'd you get the replacement, Ron? Did it not come with a warranty? I'd suggest getting in touch with the place that you got it and find out.

I got it from eBay. It did have a warranty on it, but for sure it wasn't 2 years. Think how long the original lasted and this one only lasted 2 years and supposedly was an OEM part. I may still have a copy of the seller. I sent for another one, a used one this time. I figured if the original lasted all these years another used one ought to last for a while. This one has a 60 day warranty on it. I'll jump it to the battery and see how it sounds. If it doesn't sound like an Oreck it should be okay.
I had a '65 Caddy when I lived in Maine. I knew where every junk yard was in Southern Maine that had a Caddy in it. When I sold it I had 10 big boxes of spare parts. I may have to do that with the Saturn; find every junk yard that has a Saturn with an air pump like mine and start a collection of them. ha. If you could get at the thing to lubricate it, that would help a lot!

Well, good luck with it. No way to take them off and lubricate them? Is that what you're saying?

Why not gently open the failed one and see if you can determine if it has a sealed bearing. even if so you may able to drill a tiny hole into the bearing for lubrication, then plug it w a shard of heater hose/similar. Highly non-optimal but better than a 2 yr replacement cycle.

You'd be surprised.

The 3"' x 3" square fans that go in the desktop computer cases gave no indication they could be lubricated. Once you peeled up the edge of the center sticker, there was a removable rubber plug where you could add 3 n 1. Saved $8 for a new one. They got noisy as the orig lube broke down and ceased to lubricate. If you did something about it soon enough you could easily get another 4-5 yrs out of the thing.

My mom had an oreck for a short time when I was growing up. That is the loudest excuse for a vacuum I've ever experienced. The military should have hardwired the power switches and attached the motor leads to batteries and encircled locations under siege with them in order to mentally and physically torture those inside.

I think that the thing did a half decent job. Probably only because it vibrated the dirt loose. The only other household device I've ever heard that was almost as loud were the early Dirt Devils-- the red ones with power cords. I would use that to vacuum the steps now and then. Even at arm's length, my ears still rang at the end of the flight of stairs.

Derf; I had thought about that, but no way to gently get the thing apart! When I got the used one I see the newer one was made in 2015 by the same company that made the old one- Pierburg. The old one was made in 2001. All the numbers were the same except the date, so at least it was made by the same company. I may still work on that newer one to see if I can get at it enough to see what it failed.
I have lubricated a ton of those computer fans, and just like you describe. I kept a lot of them going that way.
I'm with you on those Dirt Devils, too! Wow! Oreck must have used the same motor! You know what? I have an old little vacuum exactly like those hand held Dirt Devils that was made by Montgomery Ward! It was my Grandfather's. I'm 81 so you can see that was a long time ago. Also knowing MW went by the way side years ago adds to its 'oldness'. :-) That thing runs amazingly quiet. It had sort of a light green color and had a nice long cord on it. Of course it used the same belts and bag. Any similarity between that and the Dirt Devil excludes the sound!

A the pea soup green of the 50s.appliances

I saw that reply and was trying to figure that out- "What in the world is he talking about, pea soup green? Then I finally figured out you were describing the color of that little vacuum. That says it pretty good. ha.
Tell you what I think happened to the newer air pump. I think the squirrel cage came loose from the motor shaft. I can reach in the front and move the center of it around in a circle and now that I hacked the other end off, I can tell it does not move the motor's shaft. The front part also rattles. Right now I don't know if it broke or what, but that seems to be the case. I put the "pulled one" I got from eBay on and I can't even hear it run. That's a good 'sound'. :-)