car mystery

Hi all, I don't know much about cars but I know when my car is messed
up. I think it's a fairly simple problem but no one has figured it out.

The problem started when I took my 2003 ION for its 10,000 mile check
up. They did only minor stuff, didn't change the oil, they did change
the heat filter, etc. I never had a problem with the car before I took
it in. After I take it in about three days later I notice the
following: the power steering is not as "powerful" anymore, that is it
takes more turn of the wheel to steer. Even worse, the engine acts
different. It lurches forward, the acceleration is poor, it feels like
the car is slipping gears. I take it to two different Saturn dealers
and they can't find anything wrong with it but I was so sure that it
was driving much better before. I also noticed that this lurching and
slipping got worse after the gas level got below half. So ok I go maybe
six months thinking I can do nothing about it. I take it in to Walmart
for an oil change and boom, they change the oil and the filter and the
is just like it was. Nice and smooth. At this point I think everything
is fixed and thank god I wasn't imagining things. But after a week or
so the same stuff is starting to happen. Now I think I have a piece of
pertinent information that may help crack this: when the car is having
problems, the heat or AC functions even if it is set to off. In other
words, I can be driving with the heat off but it is still blowing lots
of hot air into the car.
I may be wrong but in my other cars if the heat was off it was off
period. Any ideas? Please!

Gabe

you will always have a tad bit of air flowing into the cabin even when the
air switch is set to off. If your temp switch is set to heat, then that air
may be warm. Try setting the temp switch all the way to cool. Also make sure
that you have the air recirculator button on so that outside air isnt
blowing in (the lil button w/circular arrows).

as far as an oil change "fixing" your electrical steering or throttle
response, doesnt make sense to me.

marx404