Questions and Answers

Saturn SC2 Runs Warm And Shifts Hard Q. Hi, I've been reading the question and answers about a lot of Saturn cars, and your answers are great. I have a few questions of my own: My car is a 1995 Saturn SC2, 1.9 liter DOHC, manual transmission, 106,000 miles, fuel injected, power steering and A/C. I've been having idle problems when the car is in neutral or the clutch is pressed in.

Sometimes the rpms will stick at about 2,200, while other times they will be at 1,500, or 1,200. I have cleaned the IACV with a throttle body spray. It now shines like new. I have read a response from you about a similar problem and you told the lady to check the ECU or load sensor. Should I check into those, or just find an IACV from a junk yard?

I have also been having problems with the cooling system. The car will maintain a constant temperature a little above the ¼ mark on the temperature gauge. My girlfriend has a 1995 SL2 and her temperature needle stays on the lower side of the ¼ mark. Is it possible that I have a higher temperature thermostat installed?

Also, once in a while, the coolant temperature will rise past the ½ way mark. It has yet to overheat, but it seems to cool back down upon getting some air flowing through the radiator. I have recently flushed the coolant system. Should I replace the thermostat and water pump?

Finally, I am having trouble with the transmission. Once in a while I will encounter resistance when shifting from neutral to first gear. Almost like something is blocking the shifter. My remedy is to let the shifter back to the neutral spot and then go to first again. I usually encounter less resistance. Should I replace the manual transmission fluid?

Thank you very much for your help,
Jacob

A. 1. If an IAC valve can be found, that would be the way I'd go first. Although, without a scanner hooked up to see what's going on it would be a guess.

2. Cooling system sounds normal to me. Just make sure the electric cooling fan is working. A new thermostat would be a good maintenance item. Water pump should be done when the timing belt is changed.

3. Changing transmission fluid is okay but probably will not solve this. Do you leave your hand on shifter when driving? Sometimes this will put a constant load on one or more shifter forks inside transmission and causing wear. Could also be a worn synchronizer.