A little old lady that is a close family friend bought a new car. The dealer said they would give her nothing for her 96 SW2 because the computer chip is bad, whatever that means.


She offered it to me for $300. I have a 97SW2 so this would be a great deal for me. This car has less miles than mine and is in better shape than mine.


She said the windows will not go down and the wipers sometimes quit working. That is why the dealer said the computer chip is bad. I live 500 miles away so I need to drive it home.


I am assuming if it is a computer problem it must be the BCM? If so should the car still make a 500 mile trip okay? I don't know what all the BCM controls is why I ask. Where is the BCM located? If I have to I will replace it at her house. I just don't have room for many tools.


Thanks Mike

 

A 1997 SW2 doesnt have a BCM. Saturn didnt start putting BCM's into their cars until 2000.

If they were referring to the PCM, thats not the problem either. PCM's rarely if ever go out on these cars. And if it did, the car wouldn't run at all.

The window problem sounds like a bad regulator. $15 at the junkyard. The wiper problem sounds like a bad wiper motor or switch. Both very cheap at the junkyard. Look like you're getting one hell of a deal if those are the only problems. Less than $100 will fix them and they dont effect the drivability or resale value of the car at all.

Sounds like the dealer that she bought her new car from took advantage of a little old lady.

 

Yes it does sound like the dealer is taking advantage of her. She was going to donate the car to a chairity and the chairty said they did not want a car with a bad computer. She just wants the car out of her garage.</>


I talked with her tonight and she said the power windows, windshield wipers, and the interior lights suddenly quit working while driving. She said a few minuets later they all started working again.


I asked her if the SES light came on and she said that it did not. It almost sounds like a bad ground. Anybody happen to know by any chance if the interior lights, power windows, and wipers are on the same fuse?


Hopefully this will be easy to troubleshoot, I cannot get to the car for a few months so I will see.Edited by: busone

 

For $300 bucks .... I'd take it.

 

I'd check the connections at the fuse panels where the harness connects to the back.

 

I had the same problem on an SW2 a little while ago. Check the body ground on the left side of the trunk area underneath the carpet. Bad grounds can cause all kinds of weird stuff. It is very unlikely a fuse would do something like that considering when they go, they go. The only other things to check out would be possible bad fuse block, or body harness connections.

-JOE