1998 Saturn SL2

Basement Paul · Post by **Basement Paul** » Mon Aug 24, 2009 9:41 pm

Well, here it is, my newest driver. It's a 1998 Saturn SL2 with 120k miles. It's a 5spd with leather and a good assortment of options. Mechanically it's in real good condition, at least until the third day I drove it when the check engine light came on telling me I need a cat converter. Luckily this came the day AFTER I got my echeck papers.

I plan to get the complete exhaust done in something bigger. It currently is about six different diameters as the exhaust runs from the front to the back (factory sizes), where it chokes down to about 1 3/8" in the back. The previous owner put a turbo muffer (Cherry Bomb brand) and it's pretty loud (I think the original one rusted off). I'll probably increase the size to about 2.25" with a quiet muffer so I don't have to listen to it buzz on the freeway when I'm going 75mph and the tach is at about 3400.

So far it's been pretty fun rowing the gears again. I already cut up the air box and put a K&N in it (yeah, K&N!). After the exhaust is done, I'll take it to the track once. I'm betting on a HIGH 15 second pass. So far it seems to be getting well over 30 mpg too. I'll report after my first full tank, but I'm betting on 33-34 mpg.

The car is clean underneath, and looks pretty decent on top too (at least after a few hours of buffing & waxing). It needs only a couple small things, but nothing to keep me from driving it.

It seems like a car I might have around for a little while.

-BP

Basement Paul · Post by **Basement Paul** » Wed Aug 26, 2009 9:02 pm

So I'm through my first full tank of fuel, and with joy I report that I went 351.3 miles on exactly 10 gallons of 89 octane. When I bought the car, the previous owner was bragging about 310 miles in a tank. "That's over 30 miles to the gallon!" he exclaimed with enthusiasm. I didn't like that guy much.
Anyway, I've never had a car that got this type of mileage and I'd be lying if I said I didn't like it a lot. And to actually enjoy driving it is even better. I expect after I get the exhaust done, this might go up even a little more.
I got all four speakers working, the misc wiring left over from the subwoofer in the trunk out of the car, the detailing done, and the oil changed with high mileage synthetic blend oil.

-BP

Noisy Cricket · Post by **Noisy Cricket** » Sat Aug 29, 2009 5:06 pm

I loved these cars so much, I got a job at a Saturn dealership.

Make sure you check the oil regularly! Over about 80,000 miles, the rings start to stick in the pistons, and the engine will go through a lot of oil. Run low on oil and the timing chain loses tension, then gets wadded up and spit out of the back of the timing cover. Nothing good has ever been said about that happening.

The dealership fix for oil consumption was re-ringing. What we've been doing where I work now is a thorough decarbonizing which can bring oil consumption down to generally acceptable levels (1, 1.5 quarts per 3000mi).

Basement Paul · Post by **Basement Paul** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 8:42 pm

From what I've seen of these, when the chains get close to crapping out, they make all sorts of ticking and tacking. When the rings get sticky, these start to smoke... but I'll heed your warning and check the oil more regularly (at least until I know how much it uses). This motor is nice and quiet up to the redline (kind of cool that the economy upshift light comes on at 6400 rpms) and there's no smoke to speak of. It doesn't leak yet either.

2nd tank was almost 36mpg. I picked up a couple parts at the local pull a part today too. So far the car is pretty easy to work on (my wife's '94 we had was pretty easy, and this is almost the same).

-BP

Noisy Cricket · Post by **Noisy Cricket** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 1:05 pm

Ah, didn't realize you were not new to Saturn ownership.

Just got an SL2 in today. No oil leaks and there was 3/4 quart of oil in the engine, including oil filter. For some reason the oil light kept coming on

We're going to do the run-rite to it and see how it does for oil consumption.

ttamrettus · Post by **ttamrettus** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 5:00 pm

Paul does have 40 cars on his updated, "how many cars have you owned" thread. I know it's to keep track of what that boy is driving.

Basement Paul · Post by **Basement Paul** » Sun Sep 13, 2009 6:35 pm

Since the cat converter needed replacing anyway, I got the rest of the exhaust, as well as the converter, redone in 2.25" with a flowmaster ripoff and a cherrybomb acting as a resonator. When I first got it done there was no resonator and this thing was LOUD!!! As I was on vacation, I was able to get it back to put the resonator in before I started driving it every day.
The stock exhaust was around 1.5" in some spots, so this upgrade has definitely helped. I do plan to get it to the track this year for some numbers. If I can get it through the gears (1-2 requires a light touch), I'm hoping for a high 15 sec pass. We'll see.
After 1000 miles, no oil consumption, so that's good too.

-BP

GMJohnny · Post by **GMJohnny** » Sun Sep 13, 2009 9:12 pm

Are those PYPES brand pipes???

Basement Paul · Post by **Basement Paul** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 8:48 pm

I learned something sad last Saturday on my way to work while racing an Acura Integra.... my Saturn has a speed limiter. I hate speed limiters.

108mph. That leaves me with pretty much all of 5th gear there, with nothing to do but save me gas. Oh well.

-BP

GMJohnny · Post by **GMJohnny** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 6:40 am

You need to find a computer to get rid of it. I would check to see if HP Tuner will get rid of it, or if maybe there is a "chip" to eliminate it. If it is programmed, it can be un-programmed. GM

Post by **TireSmoker** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 11:58 am

GMJohnny wrote:If it is programmed, it can be un-programmed. GM

If it bleeds, we can kill it.

MostMint · Post by **MostMint** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 1:00 pm

Dis is da maximum speed of dis vehicle

Basement Paul · Post by **Basement Paul** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 9:05 pm

Ultimately, it's not that important. If I could fix it for free, I'd fix it. I haven't been able to find a chip for the Saturn anywhere. Even if there was one, it would cost money. The less I spend on this car the better.

-BP

Basement Paul · Post by **Basement Paul** » Sun Apr 18, 2010 8:09 pm

So far being a reliable, inexpensive, and trustworthy friend, I thought the Saturn might need an upgrade. I found on ebay locally, a 4 - 2 - 1 stainless header for $80 (so no shipping). It's been on my floor waiting for a few months for Spring to arrive and the Trans Am to be ready to race.
So today 32V stopped by to give me a hand. This was a relatively event free installation. We got lucky when we cut the pipe, that we didn't cut it too far down, and that the header pipe slipped right into the cut pipe with just the right gap to weld. I got to put my welding "skills" to the test and apparently was succesful as once we were done there were no leaks. Check out the action...

It seems to have quieted the rapping in the exhaust down a little bit, increased power a little (we'll see when we get to the track), and hopefully helped out mileage a little bit too as this header is supposed to not only help out HP but also torque.

-BP

MostMint · Post by **MostMint** » Mon Apr 19, 2010 8:46 am

Nice. Where does the turbo mount on that?