Service Engine Soon Light
Your vehicle is equipped with a computer which monitors operation of the fuel,
ignition, and emission control systems.
Notice: Modifications made to the engine, transaxle, exhaust,
intake, or fuel system of your vehicle or the replacement of the original tires
with other than those of the same Tire Performance Criteria (TPC) can affect your
vehicle's emission controls and may cause this light to come on. Modifications to
these systems could lead to costly repairs not covered by your warranty. This may
also result in a failure to pass a required Emission Inspection/Maintenance test.
This system is called OBD II (On-Board Diagnostics-Second Generation)
and is intended to assure that emissions are at acceptable levels for the life of
the vehicle, helping to produce a cleaner environment.
Notice: If the vehicle is continually driven with this light on,
after a while, the emission controls might not work as well, the vehicle's fuel economy
might not be as good, and the engine might not run as smoothly. This could lead to
costly repairs that might not be covered by the vehicle warranty.
Malfunctions often will be indicated by the system before any problem is apparent.
This may prevent more serious damage to your vehicle. This system is also designed
to assist your service technician in correctly diagnosing any malfunction.
This Service Engine Soon light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition is on and the engine is not running. If the light does
not come on, have it repaired. This light will also come on during a malfunction in
one of two ways:
| • | Light Flashing
- A misfire condition
has been detected. A misfire increases vehicle emissions and may damage the catalytic
convrter, an emission control device, on your vehicle. See your Saturn retailer for
diagnosis and repair, if necessary. |
| • | Light On Steady
- An emission control
system malfunction has been detected on your vehicle. See your Saturn retailer for
diagnosis and repair, if necessary. |
If the Light Is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to your vehicle:
| • | Avoiding hard accelerations |
| • | Avoiding steep uphill grades |
| • | If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of cargo being hauled as
soon as it is possible |
If the light stops flashing and remains on steady, see "If the Light Is
On Steady" following.
If the light continues to flash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle
. Find a safe place to park your vehicle. Turn the key off,
wait at least 10 seconds and restart the engine. If the light remains on steady,
see "If the Light Is On Steady" in the information that follows. If the
light is still flashing, follow the previous steps, and see your retailer for service
as soon as possible.
If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system malfunction by considering the
following:
| • | Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle? |
| | If so, reinstall
the fuel cap, making sure to fully install the cap. The diagnostic system can determine
if the fuel cap has been left off or improperly installed. A loose or missing fuel
cap will allow fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere. Three driving trips with the
cap properly installed should turn the light off. |
| • | Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water? |
| | If so,
your electrical system may be wet. The condition will usually be corrected when the
electrical system dries out. A few driving trips should turn the light off. |
| | As your engine starts to run out of fuel,
your engine may not run as efficiently as designed since small amounts of air are
sucked into the fuel line causing a misfire. The system can detect this. Adding fuel
should correct this condition. Make sure to install the fuel cap properly. Refer to
Filling the Tank
. It will take a few driving trips to
turn the light off |
| • | Have you recently changed brands of fuel? |
| | If so, be sure to
fuel your vehicle with quality fuel. See
Gasoline Octane
. Poor fuel quality will cause your engine not to run as efficiently
as designed. You may notice this as stalling after start-up, stalling when you put
the vehicle into gear, misfiring, hesitation on acceleration, or stumbling on acceleration.
(These conditions may go away once the engine is warmed up.) This will be detected
by the system and cause the light to turn on. |
If you experience one or more of these conditions, change the fuel brand you
use. It will require at least one full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn off, your retailer can check
the vehicle. Your retailer has the proper test equipment and diagnostic tools to fix
any mechanical or electrical problems that may have developed.
