IGNITION STATIC NOISE HEARD THROUGH RADIO SPEAKERS. Saturn SL1/SC1/SW1 1998

SUBJECT: IGNITION STATIC NOISE HEARD THROUGH RADIO SPEAKERS DURING INITIAL COLD ENGINE START-UP (REPLACE SPARK PLUG WIRES)

MODELS AFFECTED: 1996-1998 SATURNS WITH DOHC (LL0) ENGINES BUILT BEFORE AND INCLUDING VIN WZ238224, AND 1996-1998 SOHC (L24) ENGINES BUILT BEFORE AND INCLUDING VIN WZ285136

IMPORTANT: THE FOLLOWING 1998 VEHICLES ALREADY HAVE THE NEW SPARK PLUG WIRES DUE TO PRELIMINARY MANUFACTURING TRIAL RUNS: VIN BREAKPOINT RANGES ---------------------------------------------------------------------- L24 (BASE ENGINE) ] WZ124473 TO WZ125338 ] WZ126324 TO WZ126464 ] WZ169219 TO WZ183063 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - LL0 (PERF ENGINE) ] WZ124477 TO WZ125298 ] WZ126323 TO WZ126483 ] WZ162293 TO WZ179841

CONDITION:

DURING INITIAL COLD START-UP, PRECEDED BY A COLD SOAK SUCH AS PARKING THE VEHICLE OVERNIGHT, IGNITION STATIC NOISE MAY BE HEARD THROUGH THE RADIO SPEAKERS ON THE FM BAND ONLY. THE IGNITION STATIC NOISE TRACKS ENGINE RPM AND THE NOISE DECREASES AS ENGINE TEMPERATURE INCREASES. THE STATIC NOISE WILL NOT BE EVIDENT AT NORMAL ENGINE OPERATING TEMPERATURE. THE CONDITION MAY OCCUR IN ALL AMBIENT TEMPERATURE START-UP CONDITIONS, BUT MAY BE MORE PRONOUNCED IN COLDER AMBIENT START-UP TEMPERATURES.

CAUSE:

THIS CONDITION MAY BE CAUSED BY INSUFFICIENT RETENTION FROM THE SPARK PLUG WIRE TERMINAL CLIP TO THE SPARK PLUG.

CORRECTION:

REFER TO THE PROCEDURE IN THIS BULLETIN TO REPAIR THE CONDITION.

PROCEDURE:

1. ON 1996 VEHICLES BUILT BEFORE AND INCLUDING VIN TZ242661 (L24) OR TZ241427 (LL0), THE ELECTRONIC IGNITION (EI) MODULE TERMINAL TOWERS MUST BE INSPECTED FOR SIGNS OF CORROSION. A. REMOVE SPARK PLUG WIRES FROM ELECTRONIC IGNITION (EI) MODULE AND INSPECT FOR CORROSION ON SPARK PLUG WIRE BOOTS AND ON THE EI MODULE TOWER TERMINALS. . IF CORROSION IS PRESENT: -- REMOVE CORROSION FROM EI MODULE TOWER TERMINALS USING A SNAP-ON(R) BRONZE WIRE BRUSH (MB5B) OR EQUIVALENT. DO NOT USE ANY SOLVENTS OR CLEANERS TO AID IN REMOVAL. ALSO, DO NOT USE POWER EQUIPMENT TO DRIVE THE CLEANING BRUSH. IF EI MODULE TOWER TERMINALS ARE DAMAGED BY CORROSION (E.G. PITTING), REPLACE EI MODULE. (REFER TO "TABLE D" UNDER "PARTS REQUIREMENTS" IN THIS BULLETIN FOR CORRECT PART NUMBER FOR REPLACEMENT SPARK PLUG WIRES.) -- REPLACE CORRODED SPARK PLUG WIRE(S) WITH NEW SERVICE SPARK PLUG WIRES. ADD A LIBERAL AMOUNT OF DIELECTRIC GREASE TO THE EI MODULE TOWER TERMINALS BEFORE INSTALLING THE NEW SPARK PLUG WIRES. (REFER TO TABLE A" UNDER PARTS REQUIREMENTS" IN THIS BULLETIN FOR CORRECT PART NUMBER FOR REPLACEMENT SPARK PLUG WIRES.) . IF NO CORROSION IS PRESENT, PROCEED TO THE NEXT STEP. 2. REPLACE SPARK PLUG WIRES WITH SERVICE SPARK PLUG WIRES THAT HAVE A REDESIGNED SPARK PLUG TERMINAL CLIP, ACCORDING TO THE FOLLOWING PROCEDURE. ------------------------------- FIGURE LL0 (PERF ENGINE) ------------------------------- ------------------------------- FIGURE L24 (BASE ENGINE) ------------------------------- A. GENTLY PULL SPARK PLUG BOOTS OFF OF SPARK PLUGS. TWIST BOOT DURING REMOVAL TO BREAK ANY BONDING. B. VISUALLY INSPECT SPARK PLUG TERMINALS FOR EVIDENCE OF ARCING, OR SPARK PLUG INSULATOR FOR EVIDENCE OF CARBON TRACKING. -- IF THERE ARE SIGNS OF ARCING AND/OR CARBON TRACKING, PROCEED TO THE NEXT STEP AND REPLACE AFFECTED SPARK PLUG(S). -- IF THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF ARCHING OR CARBON TRACKING AT ANY OF THE SPARK PLUG TERMINALS OR INSULATORS, PROCEED TO STEP 2F. NOTICE: DO NOT USE A FLEXIBLE EXTENSION SOCKET TO REMOVE SPARK PLUGS. DAMAGE COULD OCCUR TO THE SPARK PLUG INSULATOR. IMPORTANT: USE ONLY A SPARK PLUG SOCKET THAT HAS A RUBBER INSERT TO HOLD THE SPARK PLUG IN PLACE.

IMPORTANT: BEFORE REMOVING THE SPARK PLUGS, MAKE SURE WATER AND OTHER DEBRIS IN THE SPARK PLUG WELLS ARE BLOWN OUT.

C. REMOVE ANY SPARK PLUG(S) THAT HAD EVIDENCE OF ARCING AT THE SPARK PLUG TERMINAL(S) OR CARBON TRACKING AT THE SPARK PLUG INSULATOR. D. MAKE SURE GAP ON NEW SPARK PLUG(S) IS SET TO 0.040 IN. E. COAT SPARK PLUG(S) THREADS WITH ANTI-SEIZE COMPOUND. F. INSTALL SPARK PLUG(S). TORQUE: 27 N.M (20 FT-LBS) IMPORTANT: NOTE ROUTING OF SPARK PLUG WIRES PRIOR TO REMOVING FROM VEHICLE. G. GENTLY REMOVE SPARK PLUG WIRES FROM TOWERS ON ELECTRONIC IGNITION MODULE. H. REPLACE SPARK PLUG WIRES WITH NEW SPARK PLUG WIRES (REFER TO "PARTS REQUIREMENTS" ON THE LAST PAGE OF THIS BULLETIN), THAT HAVE A REDESIGNED SPARK PLUG TERMINAL CLIP. I. ROUTE SPARK PLUG WIRES ACCORDING TO ILLUSTRATION ON PREVIOUS PAGE THAT APPLIES TO ENGINE BEING WORKED ON. (MAKE SURE TO INSTALL SPARK PLUG WIRES TO THE CORRECT SPARK PLUG AS INDICATED ON EACH SPARK PLUG WIRE.) IMPORTANT: MAKE SURE ROUTING OF SPARK PLUG WIRES ARE KEPT AWAY FROM MOVING PARTS AND EXHAUST SYSTEM. IMPORTANT: ORIENTATION OF THE SPARK PLUG WIRES TO THE ELECTRONIC IGNITION (EI) MODULE IS CRITICAL TO THE OPERATION OF BOTH THE EI MODULE AND ON-BOARD DIAGNOSTICS. THE SPARK PLUG WIRE ORIENTATION FROM LEFT-TO-RIGHT IS 4 1 2 3.

PARTS REQUIREMENTS:

DOHC (LL0) ENGINES 21024465 WIRE ASM-SPLG (CYLINDERS 1 + 4) 21024466 WIRE ASM-SPLG (CYLINDER 2) 21024467 WIRE ASM-SPLG (CYLINDER 3) 21024005 SPARKPLUG ASM (AC 41-627) 0.040 IN. GAP 1996-1997 MODELS

SOHC (L24) ENGINES 21024472 WIRE ASM-SPLG (CYLINDERS 1 + 4) 21024473 WIRE ASM-SPLG (CYLINDER 2) 21024474 WIRE ASM-SPLG (CYLINDER 3) 21024004 SPARKPLUG ASM (AC 41-628) 0.040 IN. GAP 1996-1997 MODELS

NOTE: ON 1996 VEHICLES, IF SPARK PLUGS ARE REPLACED, AND VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED WITH 0.060 IN. GAP SPARK PLUGS, ALL FOUR SPARK PLUGS AND THE "VEHICLE EMISSIONS CONTROL INFORMATION LABEL" MUST BE REPLACED. REFER TO TECHNICAL INFORMATION BULLETIN 96-T-25, ENGINE CRANKS BUT WILL NOT START, OR ENGINE STALLS IMMEDIATELY AFTER START FOLLOWED BY EXTENDED ENGINE CRANKING, AND/OR IGNITION MISFIRE RESULTING IN DTCS P0300, P0301, P0302, P0303, P0304."

CLAIM INFORMATION:

TO RECEIVE CREDIT FOR THIS REPAIR DURING THE WARRANTY COVERAGE PERIOD, SUBMIT A CLAIM THROUGH THE SATURN DEALER SYSTEM AS FOLLOWS:

CASE LABOR TYPE DESCRIPTION OPERATION CODE HOURS

VW REPLACE ONE OR TWO SPARK PLUG J4206 0.3 HRS WIRES

ADD: TO REPLACE ALL SPARK PLUG WIRES 0.1 HRS

VW REPLACE ONE OR TWO SPARK PLUG(S) J4226 0.3 HRS

ADD: REPLACE ALL SPARK PLUG WIRES 0.1 HRS

VW REPLACE IGNITION MODULE J4343 0.6 HRS

ADD: REPLACE ALL SPARK PLUG WIRES 0.1 HRS

IF ANOTHER PROCEDURE IS PERFORMED, REFER TO THE APPROPRIATE ELECTRONIC LABOR TIME GUIDE FOR THE CORRECT LABOR OPERATION CODE AND TIME.

FIGURES: 02

SATURN BULLETINS ARE INTENDED FOR USE BY PROFESSIONAL TECHNICIANS, NOT "DO-IT-YOURSELFER". THEY ARE WRITTEN TO INFORM THOSE TECHNICIANS OF CONDITIONS THAT MAY OCCUR ON SOME VEHICLES, OR TO PROVIDE INFORMATION THAT COULD ASSIST IN THE PROPER SERVICE OF A VEHICLE. PROPERLY TRAINE TECHNICIANS HAVE THE EQUIPMENT, TOOLS, SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS AND KNOW-HO TO DO A JOB PROPERLY AND SAFELY. IF A CONDITION IS DESCRIBED, DO NOT ASSUME THAT THE BULLETIN APPLIES TO YOUR VEHICLE, OR THAT YOUR VEHICLE WILL HAVE THAT CONDITION. SEE YOUR SATURN RETAILER FOR INFORMATION ON WHETHER YOUR VEHICLE MAY BENEFIT FROM THE INFORMATION.