My Saturn Revs HIGH in Neutral

[MIKEinORLEANS]

So, this could very well be my fault.

My Service Engine Soon light has been on for quite a while, but I've learned from trusted sources that Saturn's lights do that every 20,000 miles so that you'll keep up with the maintenance (understandable, since they are giving you a warranty).

Anyways, about a month ago, my car just started reving really high when in neutral, like, 3500 RPMs. Then it will quit for about five seconds... and start right up again. It's making the car nearly overheat, and ain't doing much for my mileage either. At red lights, I compensate by keeping it in gear, and sort of letting the clutch up a little bit until the RPMs hover around 1000. Why? I don't know, it's just the quietest at that point, and the temperature gauge stops rising. Now, there's a definite smell that's been coming from under the hood that I thought smelled like antifreeze, but I think I'm wrong.

It's a 2000 SC1.
Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
-Mike

[jsh22]

does your exhaust have a smell to it? maybe a sweet smell like antifreeze?

[MIKEinORLEANS]

It's almost smells like a cross between antifreeze and a soldering iron.

Something else I've noticed:
If I turn the heater on full blast while the engine is reving, it will slow down to about 2000 RPMS on it's own...

-M

[jsh22]

hmm....i remember when i had a 89 tempo, the exhaust smelled like coolant. found out when checking the spark plugs that coolant was getting into the 2nd cylinder due to a leak in the headgasket. however, i don't know much about cars....just what i've learned through all the crap i've been through on my car

[ThreeTwentySix]

I have a 95 SC2 and I had a problem sort of like that recently. My car would rev really high in neutral and then eventually it would overheat so much that it would shut off automatically. What I found was wrong with it is, believe it or not, it was the engine coolant sensor was bad, it was saying that the engine was colder than it actually was so it sped up the engine to heat it up some. Hook it up to a computer and see if that's what it may be. The sensor only costs about $8. Or it might be your TPS (Throttle Position Sensor), I thought at first when my car had that problem that it was the TPS so I went out and bought a new one and put that on, that didn't do much good, but in Saturn's the TPS tends to go a lot, that should only cost around $14. Try either one of those, it should be either of them.

[MIKEinORLEANS]

Okay! Thanks!

Oh, uh... now what? HA!

1.) Hook it up to a computer? I assume you mean I should see if it's throwing out any codes? (Is that the right terminology?) Can someone do that without bringing it in to a professional?

2.) If it's the sensor, is it something a novice and his father can easily change out?

3.) Same thing with the TPS? Can a novice attempt this?

If money wasn't an issue, I wouldn't be asking these questions.
And also, thanks for yall's response! I've tried other websites and forums and this seems to be the only place for reasonable advice.

-Mike

[ThreeTwentySix]

Yeah, either sensor's are relatively easy to put on. I put both of mine on. And yeah the computer deal is just figure out what code it's spittin out at you. But if you don't want to take it to a professional just replace both of those sensors first adn see if that does it, because when I took mine to get hooked up to a computer it costed i think anywhere around $50 to $70.

[smoka_9]

If by rev you mean idle, it could be caused by a variety of things unfortunately. The most likely of the bunch are the EGR valve the IAC(Idle Air Control) valve or the TPS as someone mentioned earlier. It could also be your coolant temp sensor(CTS) or a MAP sensor. If it is throwing a code chances are it is the EGR, or a combo of the EGR with any of the previous.