Simple things first (or last), has the throttle body been cleaned?

Steve

"kohlrabi_croce" > wrote in message
oups.com...
hi all,

I posted on Oct. 3 about my problems with mechanics and getting a
diganosis. I have a 1993 saturn SW2 station wagon. Since then, I
spent
about $550 for the 4th mechanic to change the spark plugs, spark plug
cables,
and supposedly clean the gasoline out of the engine because, they
said, it
had washed the rings, but the rings were still operational. Oh, and
overcharge
for putting a new tire on.

Now it's already starting to have problems again with starting. It's
just like befo it seems to start ok in the morning or at night when
it's cooler, but in the daytime, it's harder. Or when the engine is
warm, it's harder. I have to press the gas pedal all the way to the
floor to get the engine to catch, and sometimes it will just die if I
take my foot off the pedal. Once it starts, and I'm backed out
of the parking spot and moving forward, it's ok.

mecahnic #1 thought it was something electrical, but not anything fuel
related. Pep Boys (#2) was worthless. The saturn dealership (#3)
thought
it was the spark plugs, the valve cover gasket, the fuel filter, the
coolant
temperature sensor, and thought it needed a fuel injection cleaning.
They also wanted to sell me 4 new tires because I had one flat.
Advanced Auto Dynamics (#4) decided it was the spark plugs and
spark plug wires. They said it wasn't the valve cover gasket, that
there
was some leakage but that is common for Saturns, and just to check
it each time I get an oil change.

That worked for about a week, and now it's starting up again. Any
ideas about what I could suggest to mechanic #5? When I can go, that
is....






Lane wrote:
> An S-Series valve cover replacement doesn't require much skill - just a
> bit
> of patience and confidence. If you have that and do it yourself, it will
> cost around $50. It is a very easy repair.
>
> Lane [ lane (at) evilplastic.com ]
> ---
> Visit my Saturn Car Audio and Performance Page at
> http://www.evilplastic.com
>
>
> "BläBlä" . s!rcre4p.c0m>
> wrote in message ...
> > Likely a S-series...? Strange, 4 places/people had the plugs out and
> > only the third noticed the oil in the plug wells? If oil has saturated
> > the spark plug boots then the spark is probably grounding out. If it is
> > an S-series 'Compression Sense Timing' could easily be thrown off by
> > this and unable to make heads or tails of the situation.
> >
> > Goto Saturnfans.com
> > Type in "valve cover" in their search bar.
> > Study the results.
> >
> > $350 will easily buy decent tools and parts needed but not the skill.
> > If you understand the walkthroughs people have done then give it a try.
> >
> >
> > No starts are usually very easy to diagnose unless they're sporadic...
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > In article >,
> > says...
> >> Might help if you told us what model / year you have.
> >> As commonly stated here, engine starts on a combination of spark, fuel
> >> and
> >> air. find which one is missing and go from there. If you can't get it
> >> at
> >> least running poorly, you can't get a good diagnosis on anything else.
> >>
> >>
> >> "kohlrabi_croce" > wrote in message
> >> ps.com...
> >> > Hi all,
> >> >
> >> > I'm about at my wit's end here. I'm currently on my 4th mechanic,
> >> > and
> >> > am very worried he's going to go through the $900 I still have left,
> >> > and then some. Problem is: car doesn't start.
> >> >
> >> > The first mechanic is a guy who just fixes cars in his driveway,
> >> > without a shop or proper tools.
> >> > He said it wasn't the fuel filter or fuel pump, but he thought it was
> >> > something electrical.
> >> > I told him I expected the spark plugs were bad, and he didn't even
> >> > look at that.
> >> >
> >> > next, I took it to Pep Boys. They said that cylinder number one was
> >> > bad, that the engine had no compression, but they they don't know
> >> > about fixing no engines so I'd have to go to a place that does fix
> >> > engines. $100 please.
> >> >
> >> > Next, I took it to the Saturn Dealership. They said the compression
> >> > is
> >> > fine, the engine is still good, but it needs a valve cover gasket.
> >> > Apparently they didn;t even try to figure why it won't start; they
> >> > just took a look at the spark plugs and said: "oh they are covered in
> >> > oil, that's got to be the reason." They also said it needed some
> >> > other
> >> > minor stuff that is not about getting it to start, like a coolant
> >> > temperature sensor and a tuneup. $915.00. So I took it out of there
> >> > to get
> >> > another opinion. $95 Please.
> >> >
> >> > Now it's at mechanic number 4. At least he said: "let's get it to
> >> > start first, then figure out what else is wrong." Ok so he's
> >> > replacing the spark plugs and spark plug cables, putting one new tire
> >> > on it (that went flat while the car was just sitting for a month),
> >> > and
> >> > doing his own diagnosis.
> >> > $550. wow. I only have $350 left.
> >> >
> >> > So if I can't afford to pay this guy to do anything else, which I
> >> > think is likely, I may have to take
> >> > it somewhere to have somebody just open up the engine, slap a valve
> >> > cover gasket on it and close it back up again without doing anything
> >> > else. Shouldn't it be possible to get that for
> >> > about $350?
> >> >