Unusual fix for Service Engine Soon Light

My '92 Saturn SL2 had the 'Service Engine Soon' light come on. Doing the jumper on the OBD connecter gave blinks for only trouble code 26 'Quad Driver Output Fault.' Looking in the docs for code 26 showed that the most common causes for it are

  1. egr vacuum solenoid open or shorted
  2. fuel vapor canister purge solenoid open or shorted
  3. a/c clutch relay
  4. cooling fan relay
  5. burnt out dash light

I had a hard time believing that a burnt out dash light could trigger a code 26 but I checked the dash lights and the upshift arrow light was burned out. I replaced the dash bulb for the upshift light and...surprise the heck out of me...it corrected the fault and no more code 26. So...if you get the code 26 for the SES light, look at the upshift light to be sure it's working before you start digging around with the fuel vapor cannister purge solenoid. The upshift light does not normally light with the key check either so you have to notice that it doesn't turn on when you're driving. Maybe that's why it's connected into the code 26 fault. Weird...but at least its a simple fix.

BTW, to change the bulb, you have to partially snap off the top of the dash from the front to reach the screws that hold the front panel piece. Unscrew the four screws along the top that anchor the front panel that goes over the top of the instrument cluster. Then you unscrew four screws around the instrument cluster (two on each side) which will make the cluster loose and dangly. Then reach to the back and their is a big mama bayonet connector on the right rear that is locked with three little clips. A genter tug and it will pop free and the cluster will be loose in your hand. To change the bulbs, you have to twist them out of the back of the cluster but they are all clearly market.

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David T. Johnson
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