2004 Saturn ION - Page 8 - Answered Questions & Fixed issues

the electric ignition switch on the end of the ignition lock cylinder is going bad,you need to replace it and program it.the switch is like $35,,,,but thats 100% the problem,common issue

There isn't a drain plug you have to pull the whole pan off the bottom of the trans and if you change the fluid you also need to change the filter which is located under the pan once you remove it.

You can remove the positive battery cable for 2 minutes. It should clear the check engine code. Remember to check out the code and write it down to see what the code represent and deal with the problem. It will return if the problem are not fix.

Dextron is fine.

You should have an electric cooling fan bolted to the radiator. If the fan is not working, someone should check the relay and fan motor for voltage and ground. The fan should come on when the ac is running and when the engine reaches 220 degrees.

I know tis may sound a little bad but have you tried to turn the wheel while you turn the key. Sometimes the wheel gets locked up when turned to far after the key is removed.

HelloThe engine and automatic transmission in this vehicles drive train are fully electronically controlled by a computer called the PCM (Power Train Control Module). Whenever a problem like this occurs the computer stores a record of the problem (there are of course some exceptions to this, like the fuel pump, engine coolant temperature sensor and MAF sensor for instance) in the form of a fault code in its memory, to read these fault codes you must have the systems memory scanned with a special tool. Once the fault code(s) are read you then must perform the appropriate diagnostic testing to find and resolve the problem(s) DO NOT REPLACE ANY PARTS UNTIL A TRAINED TECHNICAIN HAS DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM TO AVOID SPENDING YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY ON PARTS THAT MAY NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM

This is caused by a worn out wiper transmission, try and find a used one as any new parts are no longer made by GM.

Make sure coolant is full & cooling fan working , no debri in. Radiator

Duplicate question.

Worn out clutch maybe? Have a ****** shop drive it and see what they say, the preliminary diagnosis is in most cases free, calla few shops to confirm.

Hi Shawn, Make sure that the ATF is at the correct level. You can check that with the engine running at idle and the park brake fully engaged. If the level is low fill through the dip stick tube, being careful not to over fill. If that does not work you'll need to take the vehicle for transmission work. Regards John

Defective wheel casting.

The motor on the power steering is overheating which causes the thermal overloads to trip.

go tho the junk yard and buy a motor for a 2004 thru 206 ion or a 2004 thru 2008 chevy colbalt.

they are all the same. You may have to buy the wholle steering colum but you can remove the motor with 2 - 12mm bolts and a quick dissconnect pulg. Replace just the motor as the whole steering colum is a bit more complicated. the dealerships want you to replace the whoe steering colum, in fact that is the only way they sell the parts. It is a scam. Just the motor needs to be replaced.
I have done it on 4 different ions. try to get a motor with few as possible miles and as new as possible. I have paid between $50 and $125 for these. The dealer wants $900 fnad about $500 to install. It is very simple to do. Only 2 bolts.

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Put the car's front on jackstands(front suspension hanging down) and chock the rear wheels.Remove the tire/wheel.Remove the bolt/nut for the lower balljoint.Remove the cotter pin on the large spindle nut.Remove the nut(you'll need a 1/2 or larger impact gun with the correct impact socket).Dislodge the ball joint from the knuckle(a large punch rapped on the sides of the knuckle hole will help to break it loose).Lower the control arm and pull the knuckle outward(the axle shaft should now slide out).Now you should be able to remove the bolts that retain the bearing assembly.Reassemble in reverse order,thread locking compound on the bolts for the bearing is probably a good idea.

blow air with a air compressor

take it to the saturn dealership, it could be the starter module or the starter itself, or the ignition lock not recognizing the key, there could be a whole laundry list of things that can cause this. the saturn dealer should be able to figure it out.

I'm confused! The heading on this question says 2004 Saturn Ion and the question itself says 1996 Nissan Maxima.Doesn't matter much. The answer is the same for both. There are MANY things that can cause misfires. It could be spark plugs and wires. It could be ignition coils, it could be cylinder head gasket failures. It could be vacuum leaks. It could be broken or burnt valves. It could be faulty injectors....The list goes on, but I think you probably get the point by now.Anyway, "Random cylinder misfire" simply means that you have more than one cylinder that is misfiring. It could be two cylinders misfiring or it could be ALL of the cylinders misfiring at times, or any combination in-between.Proper diagnosis required.

may need to check your vacuum lines. Your car probably has a MAP senor (Manifold absolute pressure) so if you have some sort of leak into your intake manifold it will raise engine rpm to compinsate for the extra air.

If you are saying that it comes on now and then, and goes off, your may just need to add Anti-freeze/boil to the overflow tank. Does it come on when you're coming to a stop or going up or down a hill, if yes, add coolant to the overflow tank to bring it up to the correct level, not the radiator. A small loss over a long period of time is acceptable, but constant refilling, indicates a leak either internally, with the coolant exiting through the exhaust, or one that you should see under your car occasionally. Sometimes you'll find your coolant leak in the floorboards if the heater core or hose leaks.If your sensor comes on after driving a while & goes off as a result of adding coolant, then you'll probably need to pressure test the cooling system to identify where the coolant is going. Bad hose, seal, headgasket, head, etc.Good luck !