Comments: 1-15, 16-30, 31-45, 46-60, 61-75, 76-90, 91-101
The one with the black smoke and the rough idle. some suggestions are to check your fuel filter and change the O2 sensors. if you changed the plug for cylinder three and it still didn't work have your coil pack checked. most times when one of the coils go out it will start to idle rough and it has to use more fuel to keep it trying to working right.
I own a 2002 Saturn SL1, bought it new, oil consumption picked up @ ~65K miles, 1 qt per 1000 miles.
My wife an I have had two '97 Saturns; an SW1 and an SL2. My SW1 wagon has 164K on it and it sure burns up the oil. I have change it in both cars every 3500 miles or so. I'm not sure that mine is currently worth that regular a change as it chug-a-lugs about one quart every two tanks. Wife's twin-cam has about 130k and her oil consumption isn't that bad yet, but it's deteriorating. Other than the engine wear problems, these cars are pretty good in most regards. I can attest that they are amazingly tough structurally. I have a code reader and perform most regular maintenance myself. Since I bought mine used for $4500.00 in 2001 with 80k miles, I really can't complain. I notice that my puffs of smoke occur just when the motor is cold. I'll bet that's when most of the consumption occurs. Would trying a synthetic or perhaps a heavier weight oil be a good cheapo fix? I'll try one of these ideas this week and leave another comment on this forum if and when I can measure the results. A year ago or so, I tried one of those "engine job in a can" additives and noticed no significant change in the wagon's fat intake. We've simply gotten ourselves into the habit of checking oil regularly to ensure that there won't be any unpleasant surprises. We joke that we should try adding some perfume to the oil to make it smell better to the tailgaiters in our area.
Happy trails (contrails or whatever..)
Rex.
I am now reporting on the use of 5w30 synthetic oil in the two 1997 Saturns from the last comment. Although it is considerably more expensive it seems to help quite a bit. The stuff doesn't seem to crud-up like the regular 5w30 that I used to use. I imagine that it behaves more like warm oil even when cold. Although after start up, I still notice a bit of blue smoke upon initial engine revs up my hill, the smoking seems to last much less than it did before. I am now burning a quart about every 700-800 miles or so-even in cold weather. This is so much better than the consumption which I reported in my last comment using regular oil. These Saturns are not bad cars as some earlier comments suggested. Just make sure that you check your oil regularly-this is the case with any internal combustion engine vehicle.
Happy trails.
Rex.
For the user, Angi I think, that could not change the oil because it was to hard you may want to take a look at the job again. The filter is one of the easiest filters to remove from any car. You can get your whole arm up to it and even use a oil wrench. Just slide under your car and its on the right hand side half way up the rear of the engine.
PS - If you can't get under the car use a larger jack and stands. Or do something everyone that read that was thinking.
These cars are crap. I have a 99 SL2. I'm on the 3rd engine. The second one was bad from the salvage yard (go figure). I've replaced the transmission because the case cracked. Saturn told me that I did not perform proper maintenance. Because I did all my own oil changes and could not provide a receipt for labor (well DUH!!!) then they said that is was never done. They are liars, and know about this problem.
If there is ever a class action lawsuit I will join it in a millisecond.
To Rex, who has left several comments.
I had a 1993 SL2. I got it at 120k and I drove it hard on a delivery job for 3 years. I scrapped it at 283k miles; it was the manual transmission. I only got rid of it because the engine was giving a slight knock, not through any oil starvation, I believe the cam chain/gear was needing replacement, it still drove the same.
I did have many problems with alternators, and the usual consumables, starter x2, clutch, fuel pump.. it also jumped out of second gear unless held in by hand after 225k. I believe that was just a nylon part under the shroud that needed replacing.
It sure did burn oil from day one! I changed it religiously and it does not matter what oil you use, it will always burn it. I used to joke that I needed an oil tanker in tow. In spite of its annoyances, it was easily fixed. I would buy another if it was dirt cheap.
I hope this gives you confidence Rex, they will soldier on if the oil level is checked good.
Thank you for the kind comments and boost of confidence from January 5, 2008. You've certainly gotten your money's worth out of your Saturn if you were able to get it to 283K. Wow! I had trouble with a shifter retaining clip falling out of both of our '97s (once in each car). I was immediately locked out of anything under third gear. Fortunately, the repairs were cheap and allowed full function immediately thereafter. This condition may be similar to the shift problem you experienced.
As for continuing the report on the synthetic 5w30 in the 97 SW1, I just put in my second quart at about 1200 miles from the oil change I did just before Thanksgiving. I am averaging somewhere between 500-700 miles before I burn off a quart. Judging from the smoking pattern, I'm sure that it occurs almost exclusively just at initial warm up. I guess that's not too bad after all, so I also switched my wife's '97 SL2 to synthetic this week. These are economy cars and one should not expect them to function like a Bugatti Veyron especially when they're well above 100k. Wash and take care of these mostly plastic covered little beasts and they'll look and run fine for years. From 50 feet, ours still look new.
By the way, I also recently performed a first time serpentine belt job on both cars. If you take the front passenger wheel off and remove the lower plastic access panel in the wheel well, the operation is very easy. Who would ever imagine that you'd have to pop off wheels and access panels to gain access to a serpentine-oh well..
Thanks again.
Onward!
Rex.
I was soooo screwed by Saturn... I have a Saturn SL2 2000 and I bought it 2 years ago. I thought that I was buying a good car and that this car would last me for a good period of time. I was really mistaken. It all started about a year ago when the transmission and coolant intake system needed to be replaced and Saturn would not cover either on my extended warranty. I couldn't believe it... I am a 25 year old female and no I don't have that kind of money to just replace a transmission, but I still owed money on the car, but I had no choice, but to fix it. Well then I noticed that the car started sucking oil. I was putting oil in it constantly even between regular oil changes. It was ridiculous. Well then one day without warning I am driving and the engine seized up and now that dealerships and shop are telling me the car is worth nothing. It has 80,000 miles and is in great condition otherwise. I can't get a decent trade in on it and Saturn stated that it is not covered in my warranty. As I expected at this point!!
I cannot believe how I was treated and will NEVER buy a saturn again. In the mean time I have no idea how I'm going to get to work since I can't afford to get a new car since I still have monthly payments on the seized engine piece of garbage I purchased two years ago!!!
Our `97 SC2 was bought in `97 and we put about 140k miles on it. The car did use some oil (quart every 1500 miles) although far less than our friend's `90 Toyota Camry which had a rear main leak that used a quart every few hundred miles. The alignment of the rear caused the car to eat tires a bit more than was expected, but other than that it was a good car. Looked like new when we sold it recently for a larger car that could hold five passengers.
I own a 99 SC2 and also a 95 SW2 both have the 1.9 DOHC engines.
People gripe about oil consumption, both mine aswell, My 99 SC2 has 150,000 and my 95 SW2 has 137,000 miles and I have to put in a 1/2 qt of oil every 250 miles in each of them.
I buy case of Advance oil, either SAE 40 (not 10w40, just straight 40) (for summer) or 20w50 (for winter).
This slows down oil the loss. some people who say use synthetic or 5w30...NO WAY! 5w30 is waaaay to thin and trash oil, the polyimers shread (do a web search and see for yourself) and synthetic costs too much and won't slow down oil cinsumption at all.
I had few problems with my cars:
*Altenator went out 80,000 (SW2).
*Driver side wheel bearings 130,000 (SC2)
*Leaks water after a rain onto the driver side back seat floor board, I cut the carpet out and applied a sealant all around the floor board there, fixed. (SC2)
*Motor Mount went bad (Sw2) $70 for a new one, easy to put on.
All and all these are very good cars, just check your oil every few days or after a long road trip, some simple TLC will go a long ways on these Saturns.
So many of these complaints in many ways are the owners negligence, sure you excpect a car not to have massive oil loss, but its still the owners responsibility to at least check the oil now and then, as well as air pressure in the tires, transmission fluid, ect. Just common sense. I guess most people feel they can just buy a car and drive it and every 3,000 take it for a oil and change and then just drive it agian and have no worries, not so, always be safe and do a quick check every few days, its gonna take you 2 minutes!
Also...3,000 mile oil chang is a JOKE!
You are throwing your money away, plus also consider you're putting in new fresh oil every few hundred miles, even the Saturn book says 5,000 is sufficient for a oil change, why people go for this 3,000 mile oil change crap is beyond me, hell you can go 7,000 miles and be fine.
Here's a helpful hint if you can't sell your Saturn or afford something else and your forced to live with it. I unfortunately own a Saturn... 97 sc2, but it still gets 27 /35 MPG and used to consume mad amounts of oil, however some of this was actually oil leaking. Oil will leak through the poorly designed cheap plastic cover, gasket and the block. If you notice this problem it is easy to take care of. A new gasket is only about $7 and a tube of sealant/form a gasket (I used what ever was in the tool box) make sure the joining parts are perfectly clean, oil free, denatured alcohol works very well. Cake the grove in the cover and make a bead around top of the block, let it stiffen for about ten minutes and then seal it up and wrench it down in a staggered pattern. Mines gone on for an additional 25k so far with now more oil leak. The Saturn is up to 175k now and still running. There was a knock and Lucas oil saved the day. The oil it once burned will pay for a quart of Lucas and buy your Saturn more life and more MPG. I don't have anything to gain by promoting Lucas oils, but I thought it couldn't make it worse so I tried it and now I use all their stuff, Trans lube, Gas additive THE STUFF IS WORTH IT. Oh one more thing there are a few places that are all part of the air intake that are easily removed and cleaned you'll find em' keep them clean or it will start stumbling and stalling. Saturns will keep running for as long as you are willing to baby them.
Hello, my 1995 Saturn wagon lost the manual shifter the other day. (Easter Sun. brunch, 2008) The crummy little rubber boot that holds the linkage together, fell apart. (very common from what I'm reading) It was stuck in 4th gear. I drove it home in 4th (I live at the top of a 1500 foot hill) Starting from a stop in 4th on an up hill, is tons of fun. (I can still smell the clutch) After I got it home, I just pulled out the center console and wrapped some bailing wire around the linkage. Works like a champ! There is very little stress on the wire because it's just holding the ring on the steel ball. The steel ball takes all the stress. I just wanted to know how you guys drilled out the steel ball to install the bolt? That sounds almost imposable. I got this car for $1200 to haul my dog around and so far it has been fairly good. I have over 200,000 miles and other than sucking oil, it just goes. (what do ya want for $1200)? Thanks for reading and Good Luck...
I recently bought a 97 Saturn wagon SW1. The car works very good so far. My only problem is that the rear wiper doesn't work. The washer works fine, but not the wiper. I tried replacing the fuse, but that didn't help. My next guess is the wiper motor. Is this a big job? Any advice as to how to do this?
I bought a brand new '97 SL and faithfully did all the recommended maintenance at the dealer. All I can say is thank God for the extended warranty I bought. I have had nothing but problems with this car. The Saturn dealers are generally awful & could care less - contrary to their "We are a different kind of company" marketing ploy of years ago. (Wonder why they dropped that marketing campaign...) My favorite trip was when we took it to the dealer to fix an issue with the transmission. Very obvious symptoms and it took us three trips to them to convince them that they needed to fix it properly ("No, the car STILL doesn't shift without grinding, so we're not driving away in it").
While I acknowledge that some of the problems that people are having may be due to poor maintenance, I don't think it is accurate as far as the oil burning problem to put that one on the consumer. (BTW, to the poster who said that 5W30 was garbage and shouldn't be used: I can't argue as I don't know enough about oil but fyi that's what Saturn RECOMMENDS in their manual for '97SLs. Maybe that's the problem!)
And yes, we are also experiencing the oil burning issue and the piston ring issue to the point where my mechanic has told us to prepare to buy a new car because it isn't worth it to fix the engine (extended warranty over). I'm now refilling oil on a regular basis to try to keep the engine from seizing and cleaning the spark plugs to remedy the "Service Engine Soon" light when the oil fouls the plugs. This started at about 85,000 miles, and so far I've milked it to 90,000. I only drive 4 miles a day, so hopefully I can milk it a long way before the car dies.
To all those people who think Saturn has a good product: Glad the gods smiled on you guys - you got lucky - but the rest of us got dumped on. I have owned a Jeep, a Volkswagen, and a Ford aside from this and while the Ford certainly had its issues (am not a fan after that experience), I would much sooner buy another Ford over a Saturn again. I know we are talking about a mechanical object that will experience wear and tear in its lifetime, but compared to the other cars I have owned, this Saturn has spent a lot more time at the dealer.
All I can say is that if a class action came along on the oil burning front, I'd be happy to join. Not as a way to just make some dough, but to get Saturn to acknowledge that they put out a product that has a serious flaw. The fact that they won't take responsibility for their poor design will prevent me from ever buying another Saturn. Too bad there's nothing safety related or maybe we'd all get this fixed via a recall...