service SATURN L-SERIES 2004 Owner's Manual

This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition is on and the engine is
not running. If the light does not come on, have it
repaired. This light will also come on during a
malfunction in one of two ways:
Light Flashing— A misre condition has been
detected. A misre increases vehicle emissions and
may damage the emission control system on your
vehicle. Diagnosis and service may be required.
Light On Steady— An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Diagnosis and service may be required.
If the Light Is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
Reducing vehicle speed.
Avoiding hard accelerations.
Avoiding steep uphill grades.
If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as soon as it is possible.
If the light stops ashing and remains on steady, see “If
the Light Is On Steady” following.If the light continues to ash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle.Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
Turn the key off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart
the engine. If the light remains on steady, see “If
the Light Is On Steady” following. If the light is still
ashing, follow the previous steps, and see your retailer
for service as soon as possible.
If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. SeeFilling Your Tank on page 5-8. The
diagnostic system can determine if the fuel cap has
been left off or improperly installed. A loose or missing
fuel cap will allow fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the cap properly installed
should turn the light off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out. A few driving trips should turn the light off.
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Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel. See
Gasoline Octane on page 5-5. Poor fuel quality will
cause your engine not to run as efficiently as designed.
You may notice this as stalling after start-up, stalling
when you put the vehicle into gear, misring, hesitation
on acceleration or stumbling on acceleration. (These
conditions may go away once the engine is warmed up.)
This will be detected by the system and cause the
light to turn on.
If you experience one or more of these conditions,
change the fuel brand you use. It will require at least
one full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn off,
your retailer can check the vehicle. Your retailer has
the proper test equipment and diagnostic tools to x any
mechanical or electrical problems that may have
developed.Emissions Inspection and Maintenance
Programs
Some state/provincial and local governments have or
may begin programs to inspect the emission control
equipment on your vehicle. Failure to pass this
inspection could prevent you from getting a vehicle
registration.
Here are some things you need to know in order to help
your vehicle pass an inspection:
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the SERVICE
ENGINE SOON light is on or not working properly.
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the OBD
(on-board diagnostic) system determines that critical
emission control systems have not been completely
diagnosed by the system. The vehicle would be
considered not ready for inspection. This can happen if
you have recently replaced your battery or if your battery
has run down. The diagnostic system is designed to
evaluate critical emission control systems during normal
driving. This may take several days of routine driving. If
you have done this and your vehicle still does not pass
the inspection for lack of OBD system readiness, your
retailer can prepare the vehicle for inspection.
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Oil Pressure Light
If you have a low engine
oil pressure problem, this
light will stay on after
you start your engine, or
come on when you
are driving. This indicates
that your engine is not
receiving enough oil.
The engine could be low on oil, or could have some
other oil problem. Have it xed immediately.
The oil light may also come on when the ignition is on
but the engine is not running, the light will come on as a
test to show you it is working, but the light will go out
when you turn the ignition to START. If it doesn’t come
on with the ignition on, you may have a problem with
the fuse or bulb. Have it xed right away.{CAUTION:
Do not keep driving if the oil pressure is low. If
you do, your engine can become so hot that it
catches re. You or others could be burned.
Check your oil as soon as possible and have
your vehicle serviced.
Notice:Lack of proper engine oil maintenance may
damage the engine. The repairs would not be
covered by your warranty. Always follow the
maintenance schedule in this manual for changing
engine oil.
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Change Engine Oil Light
If this light comes on and
stays on, it means that
service is required for your
vehicle.
SeeScheduled Maintenance on page 6-4 Engine Oil on
page 5-16for more information.
Security Light
Your vehicle is equipped
with a Passlock®
theft-deterrent system.
With this system, the
security light will ash as
you open the door if
your ignition is off.
For more information, seePasslock
®on page 2-18.
Reduced Engine Power Light
This light will come on
briey when you start the
engine.
This light is displayed when a noticeable reduction in
the vehicle’s performance may occur. Stop the vehicle
and turn off the ignition. Wait for 10 seconds and restart
your vehicle. This may correct the condition.
The vehicle may be driven at a reduced speed when
the reduced engine power light is on but acceleration
and speed may be reduced. The performance may
be reduced until the next time you drive your vehicle. If
this light stays on, see your retailer as soon as
possible for diagnosis and repair.
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Daytime Running Lamps Indicator
Light
This light is located on the
instrument panel cluster. It
goes on whenever the
Daytime Running Lamps
are on.
SeeDaytime Running LampsunderExterior Lamps on
page 3-13for further information.
Low Washer Fluid Warning Light
This light will come on
when your vehicle is low
on windshield washer uid.
For more information, seeWindshield Washer Fluid on
page 5-35.
Trunk Ajar Light
If this light comes on, your
trunk or liftgate is ajar. Try
closing the trunk or liftgate
again. Never drive with the
trunk or liftgate open.
Service Vehicle Soon Light
This light will come on if
you have certain
non-emission related
vehicle problems.
Take your vehicle in for service as soon as possible.
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Fuel Gage
When the ignition is on,
the fuel gage tells you
about how much fuel you
have left in your tank.
When the indicator nears empty, the low fuel light will
come on. You still have a little fuel left, but you
should get more soon. SeeLow Fuel Warning Light on
page 3-40for more information.
Here are four things that some owners ask about. None
of these show a problem with your fuel gage:
At the service station, the fuel pump shuts off
before the gage reads full.
It takes a little more or less fuel to ll up than the
gage indicated. For example, the gage may have
indicated the tank was half full, but it actually took a
little more or less than half the tank’s capacity to
ll the tank.
The gage moves a little when you turn a corner or
speed up.
The gage takes a few seconds to stabilize after the
ignition is turned on, and will go back to empty
when you turn the ignition off.
For your fuel tank capacity, seeCapacities and
Specications on page 5-98.
Low Fuel Warning Light
The light next to the fuel
gage will come on briey
when you are starting
the engine.
This light also comes on when the fuel tank is low on
fuel. When you add fuel the light should go off. If it
doesn’t, have your vehicle serviced.
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The RCA jacks are color coded to match typical home
entertainment system equipment. The yellow jack
(right) is for the video input. The white jack (middle) is
for the left audio input. The red jack (left) is for the right
audio input.
To use the auxiliary function, connect a camcorder or a
video game unit to the RCA jacks and turn on the
auxiliary device. If you want to view a DVD, insert the
DVD into the DVD radio. The system will automatically
switch to DVD and start to play. To switch between
the auxiliary device and the DVD, press the AUX button
on the DVD player or on the remote control. See
“DVD Radio” and “Remote Control” later in this section
for more information.
Audio Output
Only one audio source can be heard through the
speakers at one time.
The only way to listen to the audio through the vehicle
speakers is if the front seat passengers select DVD
Family Mode using the AUX button on the radio. Audio
will still play through the wireless headphones.There are three modes to the RSE system:
RSE:This is the default. When a DVD is inserted, the
rear speakers will be muted. The rear seat passengers
will be able to hear audio through the wireless
headphones. The front seat passengers will be able to
listen to the radio by pressing the AM FM button, or
listen to XM™ Satellite Radio Service (if equipped) or
CD, by pressing the AUX button, through the front
speakers.
DVD Family:When in RSE mode, press the AUX
button to switch to DVD Family. All passengers will be
able to hear audio through the vehicles speakers. Audio
will still be available through the wireless headphones.
DVD Aux:This is the default. When the RCA jacks
are connected, the rear speakers will be muted. The rear
seat passengers will be able to hear audio from the
auxiliary device through the wireless headphones. The
front seat passengers will be able to listen to the
radio by pressing the AM FM button, or listen to XM™
Satellite Radio Service (if equipped) or CD, by pressing
the AUX button, through the front speakers.
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The DVD radio is only compatible with DVDs authorized
for use in the United States and Canada (Region
Code 1). The DVD region code is printed on the jacket
of most DVDs. Regular audio CDs, CD-R, CD-RW,
and MP3s can also be played by the DVD radio.
If an error message appears on the video screen or the
radio, see “DVD Display Error Messages” and “DVD
Radio Error Messages” later in this section.
DVD Radio Buttons
RSE:Press this button to pause the DVD. Press this
button again to play the DVD.
Press and hold this button for more than two seconds to
turn off the DVD system.
AUX (Auxiliary):Press this button to switch between
RSE and DVD family when a DVD is playing.
Press this button to switch between playing a CD or
listening to XM™ Satellite Radio Service (if equipped)
when a CD is playing.
Z(Eject/Load):Press this button to eject a DVD or
CD. If a DVD or CD is ejected, but not removed,
pressing this button will load the DVD or CD.
Playing a Disc
To play a disc, gently insert the disc, with the label side
up, into the loading slot. The DVD player will continue
loading the disc and the player will automatically start.
If a disc is already in the radio, press the play/pause
button on the remote control to start playing the disc.
Vehicle speaker volume, bass, treble, etc. may be
adjusted using the radio controls.
Some DVDs will not allow fast forwarding or skipping of
the copyright information or the previews. Some
DVDs will begin playing after the previews have nished,
although there may be a delay of up to 30 seconds. If
the DVD does not begin playing the movie automatically,
press the RSE button on the radio. If the DVD still
does not play, refer to the on-screen instructions.
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Care of Your Cassette Tape Player
A tape player that is not cleaned regularly can cause
reduced sound quality, ruined cassettes, or a damaged
mechanism. Cassette tapes should be stored in their
cases away from contaminants, direct sunlight, and
extreme heat. If they are not, they may not operate
properly or they may cause failure of the tape player.
The tape player should be cleaned regularly after every
30 hours of use. The radio may display CLEAN to
indicate that the tape player has been used for 30 hours
without resetting the tape clean timer. If this message
appears on the display, the cassette tape player
needs to be cleaned. It will still play tapes, but it should
be cleaned as soon as possible to prevent damage
to the tapes and player. If there is a reduction in sound
quality, try a known good cassette to see if the tape
or the tape player is at fault. If this other cassette has no
improvement in sound quality, clean the tape player.
For best results, use a scrubbing action, non-abrasive
cleaning cassette with pads which scrub the tape
head as the hubs of the cleaner cassette turn. The
recommended cleaning cassette is available through
your retailer.The cut tape detection feature of the cassette tape
player may identify the cleaning cassette as a damaged
tape, in error. If the cleaning cassette ejects, insert
the cassette at least three times to ensure thorough
cleaning.
A non-scrubbing action, wet-type cleaner which uses a
cassette with a fabric belt to clean the tape head
can be used. This type of cleaning cassette will not
eject on its own. A non-scrubbing action cleaner may not
clean as thoroughly as the scrubbing type cleaner.
The use of a non-scrubbing action, dry-type cleaning
cassette is not recommended.
After the player is cleaned, insert a cassette tape, press
and hold the eject button for ve seconds to reset the
CLEAN indicator. CLEAN will no longer appear on
the display to show the indicator was reset.
Cassettes are subject to wear and the sound quality
may degrade over time. Always make sure the cassette
tape is in good condition before the tape player is
serviced.
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Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you are ready. Try to be well rested. If you
must start when you are not fresh — such as after
a day’s work — do not plan to make too many miles that
rst part of the journey. Wear comfortable clothing
and shoes you can easily drive in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it
serviced and maintained, it is ready to go. If it needs
service, have it done before starting out. Of course, you
will nd experienced and able service experts at
Saturn retailers all across North America. They will be
ready and willing to help if you need it.
Here are some things you can check before a trip:
Windshield Washer Fluid:Is the reservoir full? Are
all windows clean inside and outside?
Wiper Blades:Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids:Have you checked
all levels?
Lamps:Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
Tires:They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble-free trip. Is the tread good enough for
long-distance driving? Are the tires all inated to the
recommended pressure?
Weather Forecasts:What is the weather outlook
along your route? Should you delay your trip a
short time to avoid a major storm system?
Maps:Do you have up-to-date maps?
Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as “highway
hypnosis”? Or is it just plain falling asleep at the wheel?
Call it highway hypnosis, lack of awareness, or
whatever.
There is something about an easy stretch of road with
the same scenery, along with the hum of the tires on the
road, the drone of the engine, and the rush of the
wind against the vehicle that can make you sleepy. Do
not let it happen to you! If it does, your vehicle can
leave the road inless than a second,and you could
crash and be injured.
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