On Tue, 24 Nov 2009 03:03:54 -0800, Gunner Asch
wrote:

The wifes car has started to run for up to 5 minutes..then simply die
for another 3-4..then start right up and run for another few
minutes..then die again. This happened in Bakersfield and I had to
have her towed 43 miles home. No lights show up on the dash..cranks
fine, just dies.

It has a dual coil..a 4 banger with a pair of replaceable coil packs
on a bottom assembly. Coil packs are $33 each..the bottom assembly is
$113. For a total of $179....

Any suggestions what to look for? Coils seem to have the proper ohms
both to each other in each modual and there appears to be proper
voltage on the pins going to the bottom electronics assembly.

It could be something besides the coils assembly....any ideas? Any
ideas of how to test the coils and bottom unit? Autozone doesnt have
the adapters to test this particular assembly.

It's okay, you have Tools and know how to use them...

Eric is right, get a fuel pressure gauge and see if the in-tank pump
is dying. They will drive you nuts going intermittent and you are
checking the wrong end of the car. The pressure regulator can fail
open and loop all the fuel back to the tank, too.

When it dies, follow the signal from the crank sensor through to the
coil pack. The crank sensor tells the computer where the engine is,
and the ECU sends the firing pulse out to the CDI module and then the
coil pack.

Not a lot to go wrong there - unless it's losing an input, or the
output devices have problems. And you can watch the signal lines to
see whether it's an input failure or an output failure.

The ECU computer is rarely the problem, the I/O lines are protected
nine ways from sunday. And it's expensive even from a junkyard. It
gets changed last, and only after you are absolutely sure it really is
the problem, and you've proved it a dozen ways.

Ebay has the parts..for more than what I get em for at
Autozone...geeze....

Its a 1998 Saturn SC, 1.9 engine.

Gee, Mom's is a 95 SL2 twin-cam 5-speed. Energizer Bunny car, it just
keeps going, and going, and going...

Crom but I hate that car...but its the only ride she has..so..it has
to be kept running.

I can probably go to the wrecking yard in bakersfield and pick up a
used one..but Id like to find out for sure before I blow half a tank
of gas.

When I pulled the coil pack..I did notice one pair of plug wire
terminals were badly corroded with "white stuff" so used a wire brush
on them and put it back together. Ran 5 minutes then shut down.

Pay attention to /how/ it dies - if it was one bad coil you'd lose one
or two holes and it would sputter and *try* to keep running, but fade
away as it dies.

If it's a total signal loss from a bad crank sensor or a CDI Module
(coil driver) problem common to both coils it would die Now. Boom!
Switch Off.

Same for the fuel pump, pressure drops off fast and the squirt stops.

Oh, and don't discount a mass airflow sensor problem - that could also
cause the computer to throw up it's virtual hands and go "I Quit!"

Crom but I hate Saturns....phut!
Of course..she is 5'2..and Im 6'2....and I have to put it on like
shoes...

Any suggestions?

Yeah: Grin and Bear It, and drive it like it's supposed to be driven.

I always have to get the smile pried off my face when I totally stuff
a Beemer or Ricer trying to guttersnipe me, they see "Little car,
(Dad's) DP license plates, Easy mark!" WRONG. Eat Bus, Sucker.

Makes it worth squeezing into that little car.

-- Bruce --