I hate our SL2!

[The Critic]

In 93,000 miles and 10.5 years, we've replaced:

- Alternator at less than 70,000 miles
- Serpentine Belt Tensioner at 90,000 miles

And just today, I pull off one spark plug wire and got the whole top-end of the engine flooded with oil.

It appears that the valve cover gasket and tube seals are toast, causing oil to leak into one of those holes. No wonder we've had driveability issues! The spark plug wire boot in that cylinder (#1) seems to be greatly affected by the oil and hasn't sealed well for the last 30k...

So adding to the list, I must still replace:

- Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor with the updated "metal" tip due to stupid GM engineering's decision to originally use a plastic tip.
- Transmission Valve Body, due to wear issues, thankfully aftermarket has the Sonnax sleeve for the pressure regulator valve bore wear.
- Transmission Valve Body Cover gasket
- EGR Valve cleaning
- PCV Valve
- Motor Mounts...which seem to need replacement every 50k, at least.
- Valve cover gasket and spark plug tube seals
- Spark Plugs (again)
- Spark Plug Wires

Is it normal for one, to need to replace so many items before 100k miles?

 

[Tosh]

Can there ever be enough GM hating threads?
My mommy said if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. So here goes: Seems GM is doing more than their share of keeping the aftermarket alive.

 

[JAG]

My ex had one. It was one of the worst engines I've ever experienced. Slow, rough, noisy, burned oil, oil leaked past valve cover gaskets into spark plugs, and overheated in hot weather.

 

[kanling]

Ahh, but Saturn was a nearly independent appendage of GM at the time this car was made. It was those Saturn engineers.

Mike... there were several poorly engineered parts in the S-series. And it seems like you've literally found all of them.

Fix these problems with the wealth of available online information (for these common problems)... and I think you won't have to worry about unusual additional failures too much.

 

[The Critic]

Yep, if there is a known issue with the Saturn S-Series, I've probably experienced it.

Sucks to have an early build '96 model, mine is even affected by the infamous carrier rod? "launching" problem in the transmission.

Also, I think my wheel bearings and exhaust hangers are toast as well.

Now I'm just wondering when I'll have to replace the water pump and radiator.

Seems like all heck breaks loose once your car hits that magical 10-yr/100k mark...

I swear that if I get a well paying job in the future, I'll NEVER keep a car past 75k.

 

[The Critic]

Oh, and my AC needs to be recharged too...

 

[JAG]

quote:

---

Originally posted by The Critic:

I swear that if I get a well paying job in the future, I'll NEVER keep a car past 75k.

---

Ah, don't let this cheap car affect your general perceptions. My 2003 VW 1.8T has 70k miles now and it performs as good as new. It's all about picking the right car, getting lucky, and taking good care of it. I'm shooting for 300k miles without an engine or tranny rebuild on this baby!

 

[The Critic]

Perhaps I'll need to find a car that allows me to do nothing but oil changes, tire rotations, brakes, tires, and fluid changes for the first 100k...

When I have to replace such oddball parts well before 100k (mounts, alternator, sensors, gaskets, etc)...it ticks me off.

 

[JAG]

I totally agree! I had my lemon already: an 02' Impreza RS bought new. I was blessed with this VW that was expected to be unreliable but has been a precision Swiss watch instead. That's where the luck factor comes in.

 

[NJC]

quote:

---

Originally posted by The Critic:
I swear that if I get a well paying job in the future, I'll NEVER keep a car past 75k.

---

I've never bought a car with less than 75K. In fact, I recall an automotive columnist advising purchasing used cars with >100K ... since, at that mileage, most of the failure-prone parts have been replaced.

It has worked for me too.

 

[The Critic]

That's only provided that the vehicle had previously been well-maintained. But I prefer new cars anyway...

 

[Audity]

I've had the best experiences (or luck) buying cars with 30k-50k miles on them. I (actually we -my wife and I) have bought three cars from people I've known so I'd seen how the cars were treated from day 1; another I paid a dealer for a really thorough prepurchase inspection; and the fifth I knew had been maintained by a specialty shop with a superb national reputation.

This is over the past 20+ years; before that I had a couple of clunkers. I'm a big believer in well maintained, moderate-mileage used cars. (trucks are another story - rust buckets, shared ownership with a neighbor, for plowing and dump runs)

My wife's past two cars have been new, however; she's on the road a lot, and it just seems right.

Needless to say, we feel blessed in the extreme to have been able to do all this.

 

[ex_MGB]

'97 Nissan Maxima 5-speed manual bought new. Now has 140k miles:

60k miles - Replaced front pads myself (they were only half worn, just wanted aftermarket)
75k miles - New starter $75 (replaced by me, known problem)
85k miles - New alternator on a recall replaced free. Seems it had a diode which could catch fire.
105k miles - New O2 sensors replaced by me, OEM $200.
110k miles - Passenger door power window stopped working. Bolt loose. $60 repair
135k miles - Torn CV boot. Replaced all. $180 repair.

Vehicle runs perfect. I do all fluilds, belts, plugs, filters, etc. myself (Mobil 1 EP, Redline MT-90, Nissan coolant, Nissan filters, Valvoline Syn Brake brake fluid & NGK copper plugs).

This car is great on the interstate. Fast and rock steady.

 

[brianl703]

quote:

---

Originally posted by The Critic:
Yep, if there is a known issue with the Saturn S-Series, I've probably experienced it.

---

Did you experience the issue where it uses a quart of oil ever 1000 miles or so?

 

[The Critic]

My goes through a quart about every 2-2.5k.

I think consumption will drop once I replace the leaky valve cover gasket and run Auto-RX.

 

[Greaser]

My 1999 Jeep Cherokee(bought new) has just turned 200,000km and it needed new pinion seal on the rear axle $15(I fix my own stuff) and they fixed my heater/defroster switch (under warranty) other than that new brakes all around, plugs,fluids,tires,battery.. etc. and it runs better than new.My 2001 Jeep TJ(bought new)has 147,000km on it and so far it needed new rad,water pump,rear pinion seal (fixed under warranty)then brakes,fluids,plugs etc...both have the 4.0L engine .I'm happy with em' and I wheel those Jeeps also.I've owned bikes & hot rods and the Jeep TJ with no doors and top is the most fun ,year round,for the buck!

 

[Gary Allan]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Tosh:
Can there ever be enough GM hating threads?
My mommy said if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. So here goes: Seems GM is doing more than their share of keeping the aftermarket alive.

---

Yes, Critic should be proud of how many people that he's supporting in aftermarket purchases. It's really very nice of some manufacturers to allow such personal participation in such supporting efforts. He might not have access to this act of benevolence otherwise

 

[Thermactor]

quote:

---

Originally posted by The Critic:
Yep, if there is a known issue with the Saturn S-Series, I've probably experienced it.

Sucks to have an early build '96 model, mine is even affected by the infamous carrier rod? "launching" problem in the transmission.

Also, I think my wheel bearings and exhaust hangers are toast as well.

Now I'm just wondering when I'll have to replace the water pump and radiator.

Seems like all heck breaks loose once your car hits that magical 10-yr/100k mark...

I swear that if I get a well paying job in the future, I'll NEVER keep a car past 75k.

---

To quote that guy from Shadow Warrior who tries to start a forklift but it won't:

"Must be American made!"

 

[lght1]

Hi

quote:

---

My 2003 VW 1.8T has 70k miles now and it performs as good as new.

---

My Olds LSS has 238,000 miles on it. The interior looks almost new, the exterior is still pleasant to look at and its fun to drive with the aftermarket suspension and powertrain mods done.

The transaxle has never been out of the car and the ball joints, tie rods and rack are also original.

BTW, the 3800 SII uses about .5 /pt of oil between changes (M1 @ 6k mi)and is very clean insdie and out. Earlier this summer, I replaced both V/C cover gaskets as a preventative measure. Easy and reasonable in my estimation.

Never had a S-series, but there are plenty of them from the 90's around here still running amd looking nice. If you like the car, do the maintenance, otherwise, time to update your ride.

 

[Nickdfresh]

quote:

---

Originally posted by brianl703:

quote:

---

Originally posted by The Critic:
Yep, if there is a known issue with the Saturn S-Series, I've probably experienced it.

---

Did you experience the issue where it uses a quart of oil ever 1000 miles or so?

---

A lot of that is due to the issue of the timing chain running inside the head and being lubricated by the oil system. I guess it tears apart the oil and causes more deposits resulting in typically more consumption issues on higher mileage Saturns than most equivalent vehicles. I've been told that a piston soak, and then running synthetic oil can remedy most of this issue. I'm currently finding out is this is true, using GC 0W-30, it seems like my consumption has been steady at 1qt for every 2000 miles though (but only with highspeed, highway driving, otherwise it uses significantly less). But it might just be starting to slow a bit.