check engine SATURN ION 2007 Owner's Guide

What to Use
Use a mixture of one-half clean, drinkable water
and one-half DEX-COOL®coolant which will
not damage aluminum parts. If you use this coolant
mixture, you do not need to add anything else.
{CAUTION:
Adding only plain water to your cooling
system can be dangerous. Plain water, or
some other liquid such as alcohol, can
boil before the proper coolant mixture will.
Your vehicle’s coolant warning system is
set for the proper coolant mixture. With
plain water or the wrong mixture, your
engine could get too hot but you would
not get the overheat warning. Your engine
could catch re and you or others could
be burned. Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX-COOL
®coolant.Notice:If you use an improper coolant
mixture, your engine could overheat and be
badly damaged. The repair cost would not be
covered by your warranty. Too much water
in the mixture can freeze and crack the engine,
radiator, heater core, and other parts.
If you have to add coolant more than four times a
year, have your retailer check your cooling system.
Notice:If you use extra inhibitors and/or
additives in your vehicle’s cooling system, you
could damage your vehicle. Use only the
proper mixture of the engine coolant listed in
this manual for the cooling system. See
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants on
page 402for more information.
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Checking Coolant
The surge tank is located on the driver’s side of
the engine compartment. SeeEngine
Compartment Overview on page 280for more
information on location.
{CAUTION:
Turning the surge tank pressure cap when
the engine and radiator are hot can allow
steam and scalding liquids to blow out
and burn you badly. Never turn the surge
tank pressure cap — even a little — when
the engine and radiator are hot.
The vehicle must be parked on a level surface.
When your engine is cold, the coolant level should
be near the cold ll line. When your engine is
warm, the level should be at the cold ll line or a
little higher.
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Checking Intercooler System Coolant
(2.0L L4 Engine Only)
Park your vehicle on a level surface and turn off
the engine. When your engine is cold, the coolant
level should be just visible within the horizontal
tube section of the ll neck. When your engine is
warm, the coolant level could be as high as
the FULL HOT line, or a little higher. The FULL
HOT line has an arrow pointing down at it.
Notice:This vehicle has a specic coolant ll
procedure. Failure to follow this procedure
could cause your engine to overheat and
be severely damaged.
Adding Coolant
If you need more coolant, add the proper
DEX-COOL®coolant mixture at the surge tank
and/or intercooler ll neck, but only when the
engine is cool. SeeCooling System on page 300
for instructions on how to add coolant to the
coolant surge tank and/or intercooler ll neck.
{CAUTION:
You can be burned if you spill coolant on
hot engine parts. Coolant contains
ethylene glycol, and it will burn if the
engine parts are hot enough. Do not spill
coolant on a hot engine.
When replacing a pressure cap, make sure it is
hand-tight and fully seated.
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Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap
Notice:If the pressure cap is not tightly
installed, coolant loss and possible engine
damage may occur. Be sure the cap is properly
and tightly secured.
If you replace your coolant surge tank pressure
cap, a Saturn cap is required.
Engine Overheating
You will nd a coolant temperature gage on your
vehicle’s instrument panel. SeeEngine Coolant
Temperature Gage on page 173for more
information.You also have a check gage message and a
transaxle uid hot message. SeeCheck Gage
Message on page 184andTransaxle Fluid
Hot Message on page 183.
Notice:Driving with the CHK GAGE message
displayed in the message center and the
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage on your
instrument panel in the red zone could cause
your vehicle to overheat. Your vehicle could
be damaged and the damages might not
be covered by your warranty.
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{CAUTION:
Heater and radiator hoses, and other
engine parts, can be very hot. Do not
touch them. If you do, you can be burned.
Do not run the engine if there is a leak.
If you run the engine, it could lose all
coolant. That could cause an engine re,
and you could be burned. Get any leak
xed before you drive the vehicle.
If there seems to be no leak, with the engine on,
check to see if the electric engine cooling fan
is running. If the engine is overheating, the
fan should be running. If it is not, your vehicle
needs service. Turn off the engine.Notice:Engine damage from running your
engine without coolant is not covered by
your warranty.
Notice:Using coolant other than DEX-COOL®
may cause premature engine, heater core,
or radiator corrosion. In addition, the engine
coolant could require changing sooner, at
30,000 miles (50 000 km) or 24 months,
whichever occurs rst. Any repairs would
not be covered by your warranty. Always
use DEX-COOL
®(silicate-free) coolant in
your vehicle.
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How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Surge Tank
If you have not found a problem yet, check to see
if coolant is visible in the surge tank. If coolant
is visible but the coolant level is not at the cold ll
line, add a 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable
water and DEX-COOL
®coolant at the coolant
surge tank, but be sure the cooling system,
including the coolant surge tank pressure cap, is
cool before you do it. SeeEngine Coolant on
page 293for more information.
{CAUTION:
Steam and scalding liquids from a hot
cooling system can blow out and burn
you badly. They are under pressure, and if
you turn the coolant surge tank pressure
cap — even a little — they can come out at
high speed. Never turn the cap when the
cooling system, including the coolant
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
surge tank pressure cap, is hot. Wait for
the cooling system and coolant surge
tank pressure cap to cool if you ever have
to turn the pressure cap.
{CAUTION:
Adding only plain water to your cooling
system can be dangerous. Plain water, or
some other liquid such as alcohol, can
boil before the proper coolant mixture will.
Your vehicle’s coolant warning system is
set for the proper coolant mixture. With
plain water or the wrong mixture, your
engine could get too hot but you would
not get the overheat warning. Your engine
could catch re and you or others could
be burned. Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX-COOL
®coolant.
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3. Fill the coolant surge tank with the proper
DEX-COOL®coolant mixture, to the cold
ll line.
4. With the coolant surge tank pressure cap off,
start the engine and let it run until you can
feel the upper radiator hose getting hot. Watch
out for the engine cooling fan.By this time, the coolant level inside the
coolant surge tank may be lower. If the level
is lower, add more of the proper DEX-COOL
®
coolant mixture to the coolant surge tank
until the level reaches the cold ll line.
5. Then replace the pressure cap. Be sure the
pressure cap is hand-tight and fully seated.
Check the level in the surge tank when the cooling
system has cooled down. If the coolant is not at
the proper level, repeat Steps 1 through 3
and reinstall the pressure cap. If the coolant is not
at the proper level when the system cools down
again, see your retailer.
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How to Add Coolant to the
Intercooler System Fill Neck
(2.0L L4 Supercharged Engine Only)
If you have not found a problem yet, turn the
engine off and allow it to cool down, then check to
see if coolant is visible within the horizontal
tube section of the ll neck. If coolant is not visible,
add a 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water
and DEX-COOL
®coolant to the ll neck. Be sure
the Intercooler System, including the Intercooler
System pressure cap, is cool before doing so. See
Engine Coolant on page 293for more information.
{CAUTION:
Turning the Intercooler System pressure
cap when the engine and intercooler are
hot can allow steam and scalding liquids
to blow out and burn you badly. Never
turn the Intercooler System pressure cap,
even a little, when the engine and
intercooler are hot.
{CAUTION:
Adding only plain water to your cooling
system can be dangerous. Plain water, or
some other liquid such as alcohol, can
boil before the proper coolant mixture will.
Your vehicle’s coolant warning system is
set for the proper coolant mixture. With
plain water or the wrong mixture, your
engine could get too hot but you would
not get the overheat warning. Your engine
could catch re and you or others could
be burned. Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX-COOL
®coolant.
Notice:In cold weather, water can freeze and
crack the engine, radiator, heater core and
other parts. Use the recommended coolant and
the proper coolant mixture.
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Brakes
Brake Fluid
The hydraulic clutch and
brake master cylinder
use the same reservoir.
The reservoir is lled
with DOT-3 brake
uid. SeeEngine
Compartment Overview
on page 280for the
location of the reservoir.
There are only two reasons why the brake uid
level in the reservoir might go down. The rst
is that the brake uid goes down to an acceptable
level during normal brake lining wear. When
new linings are put in, the uid level goes back
up. The other reason is that uid is leaking out of
the brake system or hydraulic clutch system if
you have a manual transaxle. If it is, you should
have both systems checked and the necessary
repairs made, since a leak means that sooner or
later your brakes and/or clutch will not work
well, or will not work at all.So, it is not a good idea to top off your brake uid.
Adding brake uid will not correct a leak. If you
add uid when your linings are worn, then you will
have too much uid when you get new brake
linings. You should add or remove brake uid, as
necessary, only when work is done on the
brake and/or clutch hydraulic system.
{CAUTION:
If your vehicle has too much brake uid, it
can spill on the engine. The uid will burn
if the engine is hot enough. You or others
could be burned, and your vehicle could
be damaged. Add brake uid only when
work is done on the brake and/or clutch
hydraulic system.
When your brake uid falls to a low level, your
brake warning light will come on. SeeBrake
System Warning Light on page 170.
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Checking Brake Fluid
You can check the brake uid level without
removing the reservoir cap by just looking at the
brake uid reservoir. The uid level should be at or
below the MAX ll mark. After work has been
done on the brake hydraulic system, make sure
the level does not exceed the MAX ll mark on
the reservoir.
What to Add
When you do need brake uid, use only DOT-3
brake uid. Use new brake uid from a sealed
container only. SeeRecommended Fluids
and Lubricants on page 402.
Always clean the brake uid reservoir cap and the
area around the cap before removing it. This
will help keep dirt from entering the reservoir.
{CAUTION:
With the wrong kind of uid in the brake
system, the brakes may not work well, or
they may not even work at all. This could
cause a crash. Always use the proper
brake uid.
Notice:
Using the wrong uid can badly damage
brake system parts. For example, just a
few drops of mineral-based oil, such
as engine oil, in the brake system can
damage brake system parts so badly that
they will have to be replaced. Do not
let someone put in the wrong kind of uid.
If you spill brake uid on your vehicle’s
painted surfaces, the paint nish can
be damaged. Be careful not to spill brake
uid on your vehicle. If you do, wash it
off immediately. SeeWashing Your Vehicle
on page 369.
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