Like burnt crispy Applewood bacon.
Smells like oil and/or carbon to me.
We suspect oil in the cat from the old grenaded engine...
1998 Saturn SW2
- Thread starter JT20
- Start date
Like burnt crispy Applewood bacon.
Smells like oil and/or carbon to me.
We suspect oil in the cat from the old grenaded engine...
The saturn s rear drum brake backing plates are about impossible to find, except at a pull it yard.
Usually if it is coolant, then coolant will also be getting into the oil and the oil will look light brown, something like chocolate milk. Also exhaust from a vehicle that has coolant in the oil has a unique smell, that once you smell it you can recognize it anytime in the future.
OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
I thought the old engine in your Subaru was running fine, you were just concerned the head gasket was going to fail?
Well that was the initial concern, somewhat.
Most people don't know this, but I actually had two Subarus.
One was an H6
And one is an H4 .
The funny part is they looked identical.
The H6 I bought because I needed a car, and there were no other good options. So I rolled the dice.
The H4 I bought as my own personal birthday present to myself.
The H6 was AMAZING.
The H4, unless it just starts working tomorrow, sucks...
I never talk about the H6 because it ran like a dream, was a really really good car, and got stolen. So that's all I'm ever gonna say about it. Mad at myself for awhile.. now it's 2021 so the same way I need to do a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, I wrote that car off in my mind.
That *may* have been the one I *may* have been referred to once, I don't remember and don't want to.
The H4..
It stalled on me 20 minutes after I bought it
Sat around for.. almost 5 months, maybe even 5 I forget
Cost me $1000 to get back
And gradually developed a noise that sounded like a Sawzall under a blanket.
That's the one where I thought the noise was "all sorts of things" (and knew it wasn't normal because it didn't start doing that until near the end of one of my 2000 mile road trips) and now that engine has ultimately been condemned.
It is now out of the car and awaiting the scrap head.
The smoke plume pictured is from the EJ201 that is supposed to be fine, a drop in replacement, and warrantied....
OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
And running with an ECM programmed for an engine a full half litre larger 
Beyond the gobs of smoke, is it running OK?
Beyond the gobs of smoke, is it running OK?
Yes, it smells like candy and sugar. And that's why I don’t think it is that.
Could it be over-fueling ?
OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
Coolant smells sweet.
And running with an ECM programmed for an engine a full half litre larger
Beyond the gobs of smoke, is it running OK?
Honestly? I have to go over there and basically politely tell the guy to "step aside" so I can determine that.
I think you're on to something about putting in .5L worth of fuel too much.
Is it 20W-50 time.lol?
Jackson_Slugger
$50 Site Donor 2022
Actually 15W-40 seemed to be the summer weight of choice for a lot of people. The heaviest I ever went was M1 HM 10W-40 but mine wasn't a huge burner some were. In any case, check out saturnfans.com for tips if you own it...
It's a great site that of course is dying a bit and nowhere near what it was maybe 10-15 years ago. Some of the posters were actual Saturn techs at one point. In any case one guy said his daughter's Saturn 2 burned a lot less after using M1 0W-40 and Rotella 5W-40. But that might be the least of your worries...
That was a pretty cheap repair even at the Saturn dealership when I worked there in 2005-2006. Parts are likely even cheaper now. We did several every week.The other common problem is the coolant temp sensor. They were polymer up until late 01. They would leak and fail causing the car to run pig rich. They freqently leaked enough to corrode the connector from the harness, so a lot of times that has to be replaced too, soldered in.
After late 01 they were brass. I used standard motor products replacements.
Isn't that every car that old or older?
I'd take the Saturn over a Honda needing a transmission, any day. Check for subframe rust. If ok offer $600 and go up to $750. Worth that much in parts.
