Hi all.

The 'Service' light is intermittently coming on on my 2000 Saturn LW wagon (V6). I took the car to AutoZone to check the codes, but they said it wasn't showing any codes. So I took it to the Saturn dealer.

They said it seems like for some reason the ECM thinks we have our foot on the brake, and so it's disengaged the cruise control. I'm not sure why it would interpret pressing the brake as a problem serious enough to light the 'Service' light. But sure enough, the cruise control isn't working.

First they said it might be because two bulbs in the high center brake light were burned out. They replaced those two bulbs, but that didn't fix the problem. I did notice that one of the backup lights wasn't working, although I thought both had been working previously. In fact, I just had the car inspected a couple weeks ago. I'm sure it wouldn't have passed inspection if one of the backup lights was out. They swapped the bulb and socket from the working light to the non-working light, but nothing changed -- so apparently the problem isn't the bulb or socket. Don't know if this would cause the ECM to disengage the cruise control and fire up the 'Service' light or not.

The 'Service' light has been going on and off intermittently -- but on a daily basis -- for several months now. I'm not sure, but I THINK it may have started sometime after the Saturn dealer replaced both tail-light assemblies as part of a factory recall.

Anyway, if anybody has any ideas on what I should do next -- other than taking it back to Saturn and letting them dig to figure out the problem -- I'm all ears!

Thanks.

 

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Well buddy i work for a Saturn dealership...The taillight campaign would nothing to do with the SES light. Also is the light that is coming on the check engine or the service wrench telltale. Usually on the L cars even if the SES light comes on intermittedly it will set a DTC on the PCM or the BCM. What you need to first is check the cruise LED on the cruise on and off button. If that LED works and turns on and off when you turn the button on and off then there is power up to the switch. Also you need to check the 10 amp fuse BCM fuse and the 2 amp cruise control fuse which is located in the fuse box under the hood. Check those items out. Post back what you find. Also assume the cruise control cannot be set?

 

Hey Chriscnl. Thanks for the response!

It is the 'Service' light with the wrench -- not the check engine or service engine soon lights.

The LED on the cruise button does come on like it should.

The mechanic at the Saturn dealership hooked up his little box to the car and worked the cruise control buttons -- he said all the buttons are functioning like they should.

He also checked the fuses and said they were fine.

And you're right -- the cruise control cannot be set, even if the 'Service' light is not lit at the moment.

So I'm open to suggestions. What do we check next?

Thanks for the help!

 

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Did the Technician pull any codes from the PCM or BCM??? The only code listed for the PCM is P0571 which the cruise control brk control circuit. The little box that he is talking about can only see if the cruise on and off button is working. He cannot see if the set/coast button and resume button is working or not. I'm thinking it can also be the set/resume button. Let me know what you find.

 

They ran a diagnostic, but didn't tell me the specific codes -- only that it showed the cruise control wasn't working.

No ideas then? Guess I have no other choice but to take it back to Saturn and have them try to figure out the problem. That tends to get expensive, but what else can I do?

Thanks.