2007 Saturn Ion engine misfires?

Question

I am a loyal Saturn owner, however I've had some issues with my 2007 Saturn Ion. My car just turn one year old and it's spent 8 weeks at the dealership getting repairs. I'm one away from implying the Lemon Law. The problem is engine misfires. They've replaced the whole top half of my engine and it still misfires. I often sit at my destination waiting for the check engine light to come on before I turn it off. One of the Saturn employees told me that all the Ion's misfire at an Idle. He told me that he has 2 Ion's and they both do it. Does this make it ok? Engine misfires cause problems with your catilack converter, that's an exspensive repair down the line. Any one who's from Ca knows that a bad cat. converter doesn't pass smog. Am I being petty, or should I *****? Does anyone else have engine misfires in their Saturn? Please let me know!

Answer 1

An employee of the dealership telling you that all Ions misfire at an idle is VERY unprofessional conduct, and he should be fired from that dealership. Vehicles are NOT engineered to misfire, they are built to run fine under normal conditions. Take it back, tell them they either fix it right this time, or they can call you when your new car is ready for you.

Answer 2

Misfires can be really hard to diagnose. The car's computer can tell the technician which cylinder is misfiring, but not what causes it. Saturn Ions shouldn't misfire at idle. An occasional misfire isn't a big deal, but a steady misfire is definitely a problem. It's unusual for a 2007 model to have a problem like this. It could be the fuel your using, which means it might go away if you swich gas stations. Thats the easiest thing to try. Other parts that could cause misfires are: injectors, spark plugs, ignition coils/control module, a vacuum leak, or a internal mechanical problem.
I would take it to another Saturn dealership and get a second opinion. The car is probably still under warranty, and Saturn Corp. is really good with handling problems like this. I would give them a call too.

Answer 3

This sounds more like a brain box issue since they have "relaced the whole top of the engine".

Too many problems at the same time usually means the engine management system is bad. The "computer" box.

Good Luck!

P.S. If they didn't get the mechanical timing set correctly when they tore off the top of the motor then this will throw off the whole timing/firing and yadda yadda yadda.