P0186 Saturn Ion Diagnostic Trouble Code

P0186 Saturn Ion code definition:
P0186 is a kind of OBD-II Diagnostic P-Powertrain Diagnostic Trouble Code for Saturn Ion.

P0186 Saturn Ion is defined as Knock Sensor Circuit Range Performance (Bank 1 or Single Sensor). This refers to camshaft timing, which in this case is over-retarded. There are two wires dedicated for each coil; one is battery feed which usually comes from the distribution center, and the other one for the coil driver circuit from the PCM. The PCM grounds or ungrounds the circuit to activate or deactivate the coil.

Symptoms

Symptoms of a P0186 Saturn Ion diagnostic trouble code may include:

Poor fuel economy
Possible spark knock (detonation / pre-ignition)
Misfire
Engine surge

Possible Causes :

Rusty exhaust systems, cracked exhaust manifolds or damaged or missing gaskets or donuts will cause air leaks.
An air leak forward of the DPF will change the sensor readings resulting in the code
A large vacuum leak would cause a massive amount of un-metered air to enter the intake manifold resulting in an overly lean mixture.

Common Misdiagnoses

Exhaust Gas Recirculation System Valve 1 Problem
BBV Sensor Circuit Low Voltage Problem
Transmission Engaged At High Throttle Angle Problem
Cruise Inhibit Control Circuit Problem
TFP Valve Position Switch-Drive Without Drive Ratio Problem

Repair Processes :

If the engine displays a miss and there wasn't a code, determine which cylinder is misfiring. If the exhaust manifold is visible, spay or pour a small amount of water on each cylinder exhaust port. Water will evaporate immediately on good cylinders and slowly on the missing cylinder. If this can't be accomplished pull the plugs and check the condition. Check to make sure they are not burnt or corroded. If in doubt, get some Electrical Contact cleaner at any parts store if cleaning of the terminals is needed. Find out what kind of system you have and verify that voltage to the fuel level sensor is present at the fuel pump wiring harness.

Process Tips

Diagnostic trouble code P0186 Saturn Ion is not difficult to diagnose and repair. Thus, it always pays to have a qualified technician to look after your vehicle should this error code arise.

Diagnosing this code requires the engine to be in good running shape, without unmetered air entering the engine. If other codes that relates to misfiring condition, lean running or air entering the engine is present, then you must first fix those error codes before P0186 Saturn Ion.

Fortunately, P0186 Saturn Ion is a fairly common OBD code, meaning that it applies to all makes and models of vehicles made after 1996.