Looking to buy this car before we get a manual luxury car. Priced "as is" for $700. Clutch seems fine, dealer informed me that the car has an overheating issue, needs new brakes and tires. Clutch seems to engage properly for the minute they let me drive it. Anything that would steer you away at this price?
1996 Saturn SL
- Thread starter MaximusD
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I wouldn't touch it, you can find another less than 1000 bucks 5spd vehicle that won't need much if any work to learn on if that's the angle for the purchase here.
Yeah, just trying to get something for the wife to get her bearings on, then trade it in. Yeah, 700 bones from a dealer has me scratching my head at the money pit I would purchase, but also I know trade in value and, after everything is set, could probably get at least 1k in trade. Where I live, there don't seem to be many 5 speeds for sale that aren't trucks.
Some of those SOHC engines had issues with cracked heads. This could be one of them.
If the dealer can't fix it, run screaming. If their lousy mechanic can't add value to clunker trade ins there's a reason they aren't telling you.
Overheating is well documented, any mechanic who can run a google search will discover the faulty batch of coolant temp sensors, fix the system, and get on the way.
Overheating is well documented, any mechanic who can run a google search will discover the faulty batch of coolant temp sensors, fix the system, and get on the way.
I vote for running away from this, as mentioned if there was a chance it is an easy fix then the dealer would have done it.
A dealer will have to pay staff wages anyway so using that member of staff to add value to stock is standard practice in the trade (or at least it is in the UK, shell user may disagree as apparently the US is nothing like the UK)
I would never risk a penny or indeed a cent on a vehicle with an overheating problem.
If they are simple they would have been fixed which leaves the other option, the head is warped or maybe cracked.
And if the engine is like a lot of French cars with alloy blocks if they are overheated there is a chance that the block itself will be damaged and no amount of head gasket changes and head skimming will sort it.
Saw this myself on a little Citroen AX GT when I ran a garage.
God alone knows how long the "youth" driving it had allowed it to over heat for!
My rule with cheap cars is be very picky, there will be another along in a minute.
A dealer will have to pay staff wages anyway so using that member of staff to add value to stock is standard practice in the trade (or at least it is in the UK, shell user may disagree as apparently the US is nothing like the UK)
I would never risk a penny or indeed a cent on a vehicle with an overheating problem.
If they are simple they would have been fixed which leaves the other option, the head is warped or maybe cracked.
And if the engine is like a lot of French cars with alloy blocks if they are overheated there is a chance that the block itself will be damaged and no amount of head gasket changes and head skimming will sort it.
Saw this myself on a little Citroen AX GT when I ran a garage.
God alone knows how long the "youth" driving it had allowed it to over heat for!
My rule with cheap cars is be very picky, there will be another along in a minute.
Originally Posted By: eljefino
If the dealer can't fix it, run screaming. If their lousy mechanic can't add value to clunker trade ins there's a reason they aren't telling you.
I'm guessing the dealer would never fix-it and that this would be a 'pre-auction' sale, and they're being honest in disclosing what's wrong with the car. usually dealers just dump their old trade-ins at auction. They won't even bother selling this stuff anywhere but an auction in NYS unless the buyer has a dealer license...
Quote:
Overheating is well documented, any mechanic who can run a google search will discover the faulty batch of coolant temp sensors, fix the system, and get on the way.
As far as the car, it could be a bad head gasket. I'd only touch the car if it were near perfect cosmetically and on the understanding that you might be spending over a thousand to recondition it.
*But, I think there still is a large used parts network available as Saturns are cult-cars, and you can still get a working, used engine for a few hundred buck$ and parts are relatively cheap overall. If it is worth it or not just depends on what the OP is willing to put into it as that car is worth more than $700 is good, working condition...
If the dealer can't fix it, run screaming. If their lousy mechanic can't add value to clunker trade ins there's a reason they aren't telling you.
I'm guessing the dealer would never fix-it and that this would be a 'pre-auction' sale, and they're being honest in disclosing what's wrong with the car. usually dealers just dump their old trade-ins at auction. They won't even bother selling this stuff anywhere but an auction in NYS unless the buyer has a dealer license...
Quote:
Overheating is well documented, any mechanic who can run a google search will discover the faulty batch of coolant temp sensors, fix the system, and get on the way.
As far as the car, it could be a bad head gasket. I'd only touch the car if it were near perfect cosmetically and on the understanding that you might be spending over a thousand to recondition it.
*But, I think there still is a large used parts network available as Saturns are cult-cars, and you can still get a working, used engine for a few hundred buck$ and parts are relatively cheap overall. If it is worth it or not just depends on what the OP is willing to put into it as that car is worth more than $700 is good, working condition...
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Find out about the overheating issue.
Some people think their Saturn is overheating even though the gauge is in its normal spot.. It is one of the few gauges on a car that actually shows a normal temperature swing. The fan comes on not too far before the red area and that is totally normal.
Is it boiling and leaking coolant? Expansion tank caps are often worn out and replacement solves the problem.
I'd be all over it. They are simple cars, there is not much to go wrong and a ton of misdiagnosing happens.
If it does actually have a cracked cyl head then that's more work, but you'd likely find some other signs of that as well (white smoke, gummy coolant, etc)
Some people think their Saturn is overheating even though the gauge is in its normal spot.. It is one of the few gauges on a car that actually shows a normal temperature swing. The fan comes on not too far before the red area and that is totally normal.
Is it boiling and leaking coolant? Expansion tank caps are often worn out and replacement solves the problem.
I'd be all over it. They are simple cars, there is not much to go wrong and a ton of misdiagnosing happens.
If it does actually have a cracked cyl head then that's more work, but you'd likely find some other signs of that as well (white smoke, gummy coolant, etc)
If it truly is overheating, how much would it cost to get a junkyard motor and a new radiator? [Presumably the radiator is cheap enough to just replace.] I'm not saying the motor is toast, just pointing out that it might be dirt cheap to shotgun a repair.
radiators can be had for very cheap on ebay. last one i bought for a subaru ran $60 bucks shipped.
motors, maybe $300 from a junkyard?
car-part.com is your friend, i've ordered and picked up parts from it several times with success.
motors, maybe $300 from a junkyard?
car-part.com is your friend, i've ordered and picked up parts from it several times with success.
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MaximusD,
If it helps you to gauge the Saturn you are debating to purchase I attempted to trade in my 2001 Saturn SL 5spd to the dealer I bought my car from and they determined the following:
134k miles - good body condition
Slipping clutch
Engine Knock
(it also had a bad Wheel Bearing and a leaking water pump).
They offered me $300 for it.
If it helps you to gauge the Saturn you are debating to purchase I attempted to trade in my 2001 Saturn SL 5spd to the dealer I bought my car from and they determined the following:
134k miles - good body condition
Slipping clutch
Engine Knock
(it also had a bad Wheel Bearing and a leaking water pump).
They offered me $300 for it.
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