Questions and Answers

Saturn SL2 Is Overheating? Q. I have a 1991 Saturn SL2, 4 cylinder engine with automatic transmission. It has about 134,500 miles on it. I have a temperature light on the dashboard that goes on after about 20 or 30 miles of steady freeway driving at speeds of 65 to 70 mph. The temperature gauge is reading normal temperature. I did smell something burning off the engine after the drives. I took it to the dealer and the diagnosis was a temperature sensor.

I took it in a second time and the diagnosis was a loose connection to the temperature sensor that they put in. The third time, they didn't know because there was no diagnosis code reading to tell them what was wrong and they recommended a test drive.

They did a 36 mile freeway test drive but the light did not go on. Next time I take the car out on a 25+ mile freeway drive, the light went on under the same conditions. That next day there was a puddle of transmission fluid under my car.

My brother is a mechanic and thought it was a leak but instead determined that transmission fluid level was too high which caused the vent to spit out extra fluid which got all over underneath my car. No more fluid is leaking after that day.

He also believed that was the smell and the small amount of smoke I saw from under hood after the last freeway drive when light came on. We thought overfilling transmission fluid might have caused light to go on.

However, I took it a fifth time to dealer and they said that transmission fluid level were normal and they cannot find anything wrong that could trigger light to go on.

They did replace another sensor located underneath the coolant container since this is the other sensor that could cause the temperature light to go on. Do you have any suggestions? What could be going on?

Please respond! Thanks,
Jennifer

A. I would make sure that the electric cooling fan is working properly. Then I would get to a dealer with this thing and take them on a drive while you demonstrate the light coming on. Make sure someone has a scanner with them so they can watch the data for problems.