No start issues, 1998 sl1

hello! I have a 1998 sl1, and for three weeks now I have a no-start problem. Won't start late at night or early in the morning, I assume cold weather. Just started on easter. Three mechanics including the saturn dealer can't figure it out. I've had new spark plugs & wires, all codes checked and fixed, and a new fuel pump/filter. Total cost so far $1000.

Any ideas?

Thanks! Gina Marie

hello! I have a 1998 sl1, and for three weeks now I have a no-start problem. Won't start late at night or early in the morning, I assume cold weather. Just started on easter. Three mechanics including the saturn dealer can't figure it out. I've had new spark plugs & wires, all codes checked and fixed, and a new fuel pump/filter. Total cost so far $1000.

Any ideas?

Thanks! Gina Marie

You paid a professional (or professionals) a thousand bucks and they can't figure it out? Holy crap. Normally a mechanic does a diagnostic to determine the problem BEFORE throwing parts at it and charging you for them. You may want to shop around to find a competent shop that operates in this manner.

Lane [ lane (at) evilplastic.com ]

Lane,

Sorry, I wasn't clear, the diagnosatic checks at three places aren't showing what's wrong with it. I'm not stupid. Any codes that come up are being fixed. Low fuel pressure, we fix it. Broken spark plug, we fix it. Codes, we fix them.

It still won't start at night/early AM.

As far as competent shop. How about one that an entire family uses, and most people in town, for many years with out issues?

I was hoping someone who had the same problems in the past could help. I really don't need advice on how to get a car fixed, i need advice abour THE CAR.

Thanks, Gina Marie

Discribe "wont start". Wont "turn over", turns over but does not start or other things that you dont give much thought to. Coolant sensor is the only thing I have to go on at the moment and that is just a thought, not a diagnosis.

Understood.

Have you considered leaving it with the shop, and letting them monitor/troubleshoot it when the problem is occurring? Plugging into the computer and looking at all the sensors and other various readings when the problem is happening could be beneficial, if it hasn't been done already...

Lane [ lane (at) evilplastic.com ]

Thanks. yeah, each place has had it, to tinker with. Done the computer diagnostics on it a bunch of times. They keep it for a week at a time. Sometimes it starts every day for a few days, so they can;t diagnose the problem when it;s starting. They needed to wait for it to not start. SO frustrating. I've been wiht out the car for three weeks now.

Saturn keeps telling me it's a loose connections, and they fixed it, then in the AM< it won't start. Even they are stuck.

Thanks.

it won't turn over. I turn the key, everything clicks, lights work, radio, dashboard.. just won't turn.

I'l tell them to check the coolant sensor. thanks, that helps.

Ohhh that gives us something more to go on. The coolant sensor has nothing to do with case so forget that. If you get this again try moving the shifter and starting in neutral or park. You may be having a problem with your "Neutral Position Switch".

I had problems with my 97SL2 with stalling, zero starts, etc. After all the work, I found most of the time was the Coolant Temperature Sensor.

I've had that replaced each time, since it was too cheap to test. That fixed most major problems for me.

imho,

tom @

Neutral position sensor is a good thought. You can diagnose by moving the shifter into neutral and park to see if it starts.

I am assuming you have some power and battery is good (headlights light, etc.)

Other possibilities are a bad/dirty battery cable or connection, a bad starter solenoid, a bad starter relay, bad starter, or defective ignition/key switch.

At that age, I'd suspect the solenoid. Any competent mechanic should be able to trace this circuit and find the problem WHEN IT IS FAILING. I understand that if it is not failing and intermittent that it is impossible to diagnose.

Good luck

Bob