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1996 Saturn SL2 failed HC Hydrocarbons

I bought the 1996 Saturn SL2 brand new in 1996. I have had it serviced at the dealership every 3000 miles since then. It looks new and runs well. However, it almost failed HC 2 years ago. So I did a piston soak with a caustic and a regular service. I've had all my regular services since then. Now I got it tested again and it failed HC at the lower speed Max allowable was 66 and I got 83. In doing an internet search it appears that the 1996 Saturn SL2 often fails HC. Should I just retire the car at this point? It has 170K miles, but runs great, and doesn't need any work. I'm sure it'd be fine for another 2 years.
Answer:

Saturn cars do typically have high HC problems related to their electronic ignition system, but we can not recommend you retire your vehicle just based on that. The fault may cost a low as a few hundred dollars to diagnose and repair. Surely it's a good investment, and once the problem is properly diagnose and repaired your Saturn will provide you many more years of continued service with no more high HC. Your Saturn does not have a distributor and all ignition spark and timing functions are computer controlled. It is equipped with an ignition module which has been known to cause problems. We'd recommend you have a certified smog check mechanic or technician run your Saturn on an engine ignition diagnosis machine to check for spark plug timing and voltage output. More then like they will see a variance in spark voltage, maybe even intermittent timing issues. Using an Ignition Analyzer, the smog station can diagnose your vehicle ignition system accurately. This is important because in many instances, non-smog certified service mechanics end up replacing many un-needed ignition components before determining the exact problem. This ends up wasting allot of time and money. We recommend a hands on diagnosis focusing on the ignition module. posted by SmogTips Support

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