1993 saturn oil light blinking / code 26

As far as the oil light goes if the oil is full then you have a bad wire,bad oil sender or low oil pressure.There is no oil level sensor on that car.How active is the service engine light?DOes it come on daily etc?Also does the scanner you used have able to show you what rpm the code 26 set?The quad circuit cover's a lot of thing's speedometer radiator cooling fan circuit egr solenoid canister purge solenoid your power seat belt's just to name a few.There is a problem some where within the components in the quad circuit.

DTC 26 (quad driver fault)

Oil light coming on:

Check the oil pressure with a mechanical gauge,if normal replace the oil pressure switch. If abnormal could mean oil pump and engine bearing

the service engine light comes on about 5 to 15 seconds after i start the car every single time. i jumped the wires on the computer plug in located under the steeting column with a paperclip and counted the flashes of the service light. i had a egr fault code before but have since replaced the egr selenoid that is mounted on the valve cover and have not had the egr fault code since. im assuming the code 26 could very well be the canister purge selenoid being as how the code 26 only started appearing after the egr fault code. i assume they are related but i am far from an expert, someone can confirm this for me if i am right. i am a little concerned about the flashing oil light, details on that: it comes on and flashes every once in awhile but i shut down and restart the car and 90% of the time it doesnt do it again that day. anyone know what the most common problem is for that on this car?

You are probably right about the canister purge solenoid being bad if you have a multimeter i can tell you how to test it.As far as the oil light goes you have a bad oil sender or low oil pressure.The oil pump's hardly ever go bad on those but you could have a clogged screen faulty pressure regulator etc.Without removing the oil pressure sender and screwing in a oil pressure gauge when the light is on you won't know for sure.You could try replacing the oil pressure sending unit but there is no way to tell if that's what the problem is for sure without doing what i asked.The sending unit is only 10 at auto zone.

found an oil pressure switch, link>>"http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/details/QQSaturnQQSW2QQAC_DelcoQQOil_Pressure_SwitchQQ19931996QQACD1827A.html" for about $22. at that price i might as well just replace it and see if it solves the problem. i have attached a picture of the part if you decide against following a link. as for the canister purge selenoid where is it on the engine and how much of a hassle, in your opinion, would it be to replace? thanks "saturntech9" for all of your answers, i do believe you answered my previous posted question about the egr fault code around early january.

That looks like the oil pressure sending unit there only 10 at auto zone unless your set on putting a a/c delco one in i would try the 10 one.The canister purge solenoid is mounted to the back of the engine block above the starter it has two vacuum lines going to it.To me it's easy to change but i have replaced a lot of them over the year's.I probably did answer your egr valve question in jan i answer a lot of saturn question's on hear.

o reileys can also order me one for $10, being as how i have never been to an auto zone because i dont have one within 20 miles of my home. with my fathers help i can probably be able to replace the canister purge solenoid but where is the oil pressure sending unit on the engine. my best guess without looking would be on the front side of the engine towards the lower part of the block.

Wrong it's on the back side of the engine block by the back side of the alternator screwed into block.As far a replacing the canister purge solenoid i use a 4 inch long 3/8" drive extension with a 10mm socket use a lock ratchet those bolt's can be tight.

so maybe set aside a saturday and replace both at once and best case scenario both my code 26 and flashing oil light would go away?

It shouldn't take you a afternoon maybe an hour or so.Yes best case everything is fixed.Let me know how it goes.

ok then. thanks again for all your help. any other quick advice?

Non that i can think of let me know how it goes.

one more quick question: how do i adjust the emergency brake? i have recently put new brake pads on the rear wheels, and tightened up the 16mm nut under the center counsel linking the Y cable to the brake handle. but it seems only one cable is grabbing, is there another adjustment underneath the backseat at all or it it just the one nut to be tightened to adjust the emergency brake? as of right now only the driver side rear tire grabs the wheel when i engage the E brake.

adding on to previous comment, rear brakes are disc and under the center counsel inside the car the small metal bracket holding both cables to the handle is far from even. kinda tugged at the passenger side brake cable with my finger and it didnt seem to go anywhere so i am hoping it is not broken completely.

So you have rear disc?If so i would suspect the wheel not grabbing has a frozen ebrake arm on the caliper i have seen many of those in the snowy climate where they use salt to help melt the snow on the road's.Let me know what you find.

At the ebrake arm in the center console behind the rear ash tray is the only ebrake adjustment there is on that car.If it's pulling uneven then you probably have a frozen ebrake arm on the caliper.Remove the cable from the wheel not grabbing and see if you have a frozen arm and let me know what you find.

the caliper did look rusted when we replaced the pads, will probably replace caliper on a warm day when i have the cash and resources to do so. would anything free up the e brake arm on the caliper such as wd 40 or the real way of fixing things, a hammer?

You can try getting a good pentrent and letting it soak down into the shaft for a while then try to work the arm back and fourth to free it up.

ok, thanks again.

Let me know how it goes.

so i have not gotten around to replace any parts yet. and this morning the car wouldnt stay running. would start up but wouldnt even get to 1500 rpm, i could hold the accelerator and it wud run but as soon as i let go it would shut off. fuel pump turns on when key is turned, just doesnt stay running. help! :(

I would check the coolant temp sensor it's pretty common for it go bad on that car.It's the bottom sensor with two wire's going to it a yellow wire and black wire.It's screwed into the head below where the upper radiator hose goes on.Also inspect the connector going to it if it's corroded replace the connector too.The tip of the sensor's were made of plastic and they cracked.The sensor is only like 10.Let me know what you find.

aside from that anything else that would make it not stay running? the temperatures have been fluctuating between freezing and not freezing the past few days here. drove the car around town all day yesterday without a problem. parked it for the night around 11, went to start it around 730 next morning and rpms didnt go past 500 before it shut off. asked my friend and he said possible dirty fuel injector. and if a fuel line happened to freeze would it start at all?

Its not going to be a dirty or bad injector that would cause a miss on one cylinder.Try this hold the gas pedal all the way to the floor while starting it when it starts keep holding to the floor see if the rpms will go to the rev limter that way.Let me know what you find.

i have been reading up in my haynes book on the previous and also current code 26 for my canister purge solenoid, and it sounds like this might be hindering the engine from starting smoothly every time from a cold start. my dad and i got the car to idle for a bit and tried tinkering around a little. my chosen move is to order the evap purge canister and replace it and see if it fixes it. seems like a good place to start being as how it was on the to do list for the vehicle in the first place.

You can try that but when they go bad i really haven't seen them stick open the just don't open when there commanded to.Have you checked the coolant temp sensor it's really common for them to go bad and cause starting running and many other thing's to happen.Even if the canister purge solenoid was stuck wide open i just don't see that keeping it from running.

i havnt replaced or adjusted anything on the car and it started up and idled fine. was just a little hesitant on initial starting. will start with the purge solenoid to be safe then troubleshoot coolant sensor. its not uncommon for my brothers and i to get the very uncommon and unexpected car malfunctions. minnesota weather is tough on vehicles as well. ill update when i get around to it. thanks again for all your help.

Alright keep me posted i vote for the coolant temp sensor.

drove it to work this morning, was able to start it and it idled on its own for about 15 minutes to warm up in the cold and i got in and drove it to work, at every stop sign the engine idled down to rediculously low rpms about 400-600 and at a few stop signs it quit, thankfully it is a 5 speed and i just feathered the throttle when the car wasnt in gear or when the clutch was engaged. boggles my mind but its how i will have to drive until i find my part. found one online for $50 but will have to wait for shipping. o'reileys has to special order it and they havnt even called me back with price info and i highly doubt my local auto value or napa would have it.

You could always try the coolant temp sensor they usually have those in stock and there only like 10.It's really common for those to go bad.All the bad canister purge's solenoid's i have seen i have never seen them cause the problem's your having.

ok this morning going to work it was same story as my previous comment, went home for lunch, same thing. going home from work and the engine rpms didnt want to go below 2,000 whenever i engaged the clutch at stop signs. the engine rpms remaining high is what it had been doing for about a week and a half to 2 weeks before it not wanting to stay running on saturday morning. this may sound like i am providing too much information but it in my mind is relevant to the situation. i will try replacing both purge solenoid and coolant tmep senser as soon as i can because this is driving me nuts.

If it's idling at 2,000 rpm's at idle then you most likely have a vacuum leak or a sticking idle air control valve i really doubt that a bad canister purge solenoid is causing that.Try this when it idle's that high unplug the supply line from the valve body to the canister purge solenoid and plug it off if it still idle's that high you are barking up the wrong tree.the best way to find a vacuum leak is when it's idling high spray some carb spray around all the vacuum area's if the idle goes up down stumble's or die's you found a leak.

it only idles at a lil above 2,000 when the car is moving. if i remain stopped at a stop sign for about 3 seconds or more it idles down to where it should. oh and i realize that the so called oil light that i was seeing flashing before was a coolant light. topped off the coolant just now and we will see if it still does it. if it does then i do believe you were dead on about that coolant sensor. i have attached a picture i snapped when it was flashing.

Yeah that would be the low coolant light if it stay's on with it full check to see if the back up light fuse is good.Then unplug the low coolant switch jump the two connectors together and see if the light goes out if it does then you have a bad switch.As far as the high on a stick shift when the computer see's that your moving it raise's the idle up that is normal.

in that case i will proceed as normal with replacing the canister purge solenoid for my code 26 quad driver, if the coolant temp sensor is good. since i have topped off the coolant level i have not seen the light flash at all, it didnt look that low before i topped off the coolant but i could have been mistaken as well. thanks again for your help.

I would just replace that coolant temp sensor just because its really common for them to go bad and there only like 10.It's hard to tell if there bad without a scan tool that can read engine live data and a temperature gun.I'm on my second sensor on the saturn i have owned going on 5yrs now.It's just cheap insurance also inspect the connector.

small question that makes me sound dumb. is the coolant temp sensor possibly connected or related to the quad driver?

I posted the code description for code 26 no the coolant temp sensor isn't part of the quad driver circuit.The power seat belt module is though does your speedometer work?Does your power seat belt work?So what happen to your canister purge solenoid replacement?Did you test the solenoid before replacing it?Does your radiator cooling fan work?




DESCRIPTION
A quad drive module is a semiconductor device capable of controlling four separate outputs. Each output of the QDM is an open collector driver which when turned on pulls the output to ground. A load is connected between 12 volts and the driver. When the output is turn on, current flows from the battery, through the load, through the driver to ground. Each QDM has a fault line feedback. A comparison of the driver input and output states is performed. If the input and output are in the same state, a fault will be detected. Each QDM has only one fault line that will detect a fault on any of the four

CODE PARAMETERS
Code 26 will set if there is an open or short on any of the QDM output circuits.

DIAGNOSTIC AIDS

Components Resistances:
^ EGR Solenoid 20 - 50 ohms
^ Canister Purge Solenoid 20 - 50 ohms
^ Coolant Fan Relay 80 ohms
^ A/C Relay 8O ohms

NOTE: all resistance are ±10 ohms

A shorted or open solenoid, relay or bulb can cause a Code 26.

If one output is bad the PCM will shut down only that QDM output and not the entire quad driver unless the Quad driver reaches its thermal limit (short to voltage). At this time it will turn all four Quad driver outputs off. When the Quad driver cools down it will turn back on and this process will start over.

If any corresponding codes have been set: (Example Code 32) diagnose that QDM circuit first.

Check the tightness of the female terminal grip with the spare male terminal.

Use the Saturn Service stall system (if available) to diagnose the Quad Driver circuits.

When viewing "QDM FAULT" (using a scan tool or Dynamic Display), you may notice the fault appears to be intermittent. This may be due to it being an intermittent fault, but more likely is due to the way the fault detection logic works. For example, if the EGR solenoid is off, the PCM expects to see 12 volts on the sense line. If the circuit is open, 0 volts will bee seen, and the fault will be displayed. However, if the EGR solenoid is turned on (for instance at cruising speeds) the PCM expects to see 0 volts on the sense line, and will not detect a fault. In this example, the display would show "QDM FAULT A" at idle, but if the RPM is raised, the display will show "QDM FAULT NONE". When returned to idle, the fault will again be displayed.

NOTICE: When using the Saturn Service stall system to diagnose PCM/EC code 26, a PCM/TC code 51 may be set. Under these circumstances PCM/TC code 51 is a false code.

replaced coolant temp sensor, thermostat, and a 30A fuse for the radiator fan, i thought i had checked them all, and no more service engine light. :) found a receipt for the canister purge solenoid that was replaced professionally a little over a year ago. now i only have 2 minor issues, anti lock brake indicator light is on and for some reason the door keeps dinging when the door is open and the ignition is in the off position, and key is out of the ignition. any ideas? not really a high priority at this time but would help to get absolutely everything taken care of on my car. thanks again for all your help.

If it's a slow beeping minder it's for the key.If so is the key cylinder popping all the up if it is you will have to replace the ignition switch the electrical one.It's pretty common for the key minder on the switch to stick and not release and cause the warning chime to stay on.As far as the abs light goes if you can get the car scanned with a abs code scanner and get me the code numbers i will help you out with that.