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I figure for every 10 Happy Saturn owners there are 2 bitterly unhappy Saturn owners. So , since you like math, 8 Happy compared to two unhappy owners means our big mouths will outweigh yours.
Saturn sales are up 26% for the month of January, and up in general, I can give you a specific link if you wish to verify good Saturn news, let me know if you dare to see it.
Also, GM is very close to reaching a decision regarding extending their factory warranty on most GM cars including Saturn's to at least 5yr/60,000 miles to better compete with Korean garbadge cars. Saturn is on the up an up with 3 new models coming and an L Series redesign in 2002-2003.
Is it sad> yes, is it the end of the world? no. A friend of mine has a 1994 SL2 with near 150,000 miles and has had no serious problems, it does use oil, about a quart per a thousand miles. But the secret is, it doesn't make the car unreliable, it keeps going, and going, regardless of some oil useage. I have every confidence that your SC will do the same.
Saturn dealers no help at all; one I bought it at sez there's nothing they can do unless it's doing it when I bring it in; other dealer far outta town wouldn't work on it when it WAS doing it, b/c I didn't have an appt...
Incidentally, I'm fred_putty who asked about the car a couple of months back. I did go ahead and buy it, obviously...just couldn't remember my old password .
This problem, and the notorious nasty engine noises (especially on high-speed deceleration) bum me out, but overall, I like the car a lot. I can provide a rundown of good and bad points on request, if that'd help anyone.
Anyway, back to the point: WHAT COULD CAUSE INTERMITTENT POWER LOSS ON MY '98 SL2?
Go over to www.saturnfans.com and post a messege under the general discussion. Their are many mechanic type people there who know Saturn cars inside and out, it is monitored hevily by the administraitor to keep NON saturn supporters out so enjoy the hassle free chat zone as well
good luck
Pat
Host
Sedans and Women's Auto Center Message Boards
"I think so many people have to have their engines rebuild because they don't check the oil or perform routine maintenance regularly"
And then;
"And I know of 2 Tercels that needed engine rebuilds with only about 60k on them; one of them was extremely well maintained."
Saturn engines are like all others, most run good, some suck. If a lot of people post because they had problems with there Saturn's, then a lot of people had problems with there Saturn's.
Sales of Saturn's mid-size sedans and wagons, made at General Motors' Boxwood Road plant near Newport, also continued to grow. Sales of the L-Series vehicles jumped nearly 28 percent to 7,674 in February. And cumulative L-Series sales for the year are up nearly 48 percent, company officials said Thursday.
"I think it shows that we're continuing to break into the mid-size market," Saturn spokeswoman Sue Mallino said.
But Mallino said Saturn has no plan to boost production by bringing back the second shift of 490 workers cut last year because of lower-than-expected sales.
Any input would be appreciated. Also I have a hole under my CD player that is extra space (no doubt intended for a cassette). What else can I use it for since on the new saturns it is flat and not slanted so everything falls out if it isn't wedged in there.
Thanks,
Chris
they found no error codes in the computer and nothing wrong with the car, except a temperature sensor that was reading about 15 degrees off. Noting that this might or might not be the problem---no guarantees---they quoted me $106 for the part plus 1/2 hour labor.
I decided to go for it. When I went to pick up the car and pay the invoice, I noted that they had charged me only $85 for the part, and no labor at all. Washed the car, too.
Well, as it turns out, this wasn't the problem (although the car does runs almost imperceptibly smoother). But they hadn't guaranteed that it would be, and they'd cut me a big break in case it wasn't, so I'm not really upset about it.
Next I plan to contact Saturn itself and see if they can pick up the maintenance records from the previous owner---maybe a certain service item, like replacing the spark plug wires, was not done...?---because despite the fact the original owner bought a 60,000 mile service contract, and I bought the car with like 61k on it, my dealer has records only up to 24k miles.
...
Incidentally, anyone see that Car & Driver subcompact sedan shootout? The SL2 placed right in the middle of a crowded field, its ranking hampered by a high as-equipped price. As MSN Carpoint notes: the SL series is an excellent value, but only if you're restrained with the options list...
Also, the service center I take it to is wonderful, Saturn North in Columbus, Ohio. When I take my car in for scheduled maintenance, they are friendly, courteous, and always do only the necessary work. I highly recommend them if you're in the area.
I'm trading my baby in this year, probably for a 2001 SC2 with more options (dang I really wish I had gotten the sunroof and the manual transmission!), and I'm going to be very sad to see her go. She's been good to me, and Saturn has always treated me like an intelligent person instead of someone to gouge for more cash.
Re: SL2 Intermittent loss of power
Check the fuel pump. The fuel pump in my 1987 Chrysler died on the freeway at 65 MPH. Had to roll to the shoulder through three lanes of fast merging traffic _with no power_. That's when I decided to purchase a new car. I'd been experiencing power loss previous to this incident.
Our saab '900 beat the saturn for headroom, but it's one of the few, and it's quite a bit more expensive, of course, unless you go used.
dave
Ford Focus ZTS
Toyota Corolla CE
Hyundai Elantra
Nissan Sentra GXE
and the Saturn SL2
I ordered a 2001 Saturn SL2 5 speed with abs/traction control, and cd player. I was very impressed with the power increase over my SL, seemed strong through out the entire RPM band, steering and handling seemed very good also.
The ABS brakes seemed to work very well even thou some might consider it's operation unrefined. The seats seemed much more comfortable with the newly revised lumbar adjustment and higher grade cloth covering. Should arrive in 4 - 6 weeks.
Floridian
Ford Focus, con number one, it's a FORD, good steering, lots of room
Hyundai Elantra, seemed to drive old school, unrefined, good price, warranty is only as good as the company providing it
Toyota Corolla, my second choice, great build quality, nice interior, numb steering and handling thou, no flare, lousy dealers
Nissan Sentra, did nothing particually well nor stood out in any way, decent price thou
And of course, none of these other models have polymer panels, low cost of ownership, and they do not offer competitive lease rates in my area, www.intellichoice.com rates Saturn as a "best lease deal" consistently.
I found the Saturn SL2 5 speed to be the most fun to drive, at a reasonable price, with a retailer I know, trust, who has treated me fair over the years.
I ruled out another SL/SL1 for their lack of handling, power, and believe an SL2 will keep me in the Saturn family till they get newer models to blow the doors off the likes of recent new designs from other manufacturs.
Please do so.
Pat
Host
Sedans and Women's Auto Center Message Boards
So I was looking for a new car and was considering a 2001 sc2 with sunroof. My new car has to be reliable and there seem to be some question about longevity. do these cars really last? I would like anyone input.
Altenators - Due to their position behind the engine they tended to get extremely hot. In 1998 Saturn went to a dual fan. Since then there have been very few problems in this area.
Engine mounts - Due to a lot of engine vibration you would need a new mount every 50-60K. Since 1999 the engine vibration has been lowered substantially. Engine mounts have a much longer life now.
Interior rattles - Caused by excessive engine vibration. Saturns still develop rattles but on a very limited basis depending on how hard you drive the car. See Engine mounts for further clarification.
Oil Consumption - The technical details of how this was cured is beyond my understanding. Needless to say this problem was largely solved in 1997 and has supposedly gotten better every year since.
Brakes - Rotors warped a lot in the past. I never hear of this with anything 1996 or newer.
The engines - tranny - and entire powertrain on Saturns are VERY durable and reliable and always have been. The cars are not perfect but if you do regular oil and filter changes your 2001 S series should last you a LONG LONG time.
Good luck whatever you decide.
just a datapoint.
dave
By the way my friend has a Toyota Seinna that has some NASTY rattles and the dealer gave me the "thats normal" treatment until he raised hell. JD Powers ranks Saturn service #2 second only to Lexus and Consumer Reports ranks Saturn number one in this area.
Just a data point
Floridian
I expected you to say something like AND I CANT WAIT TO GET RID OF THIS TOTAL PEICE OF CRAP THEY CALL A CAR!
Today, I have about 55K on my 95 SL2. No transmission related problems to report.
Just my 2c.
They are having a special on leases. I'm sorry I did it. The car is very sluggish, very uncomfortable and handles like a bowl of jello. Please, don't even consider this car. Get a cavalier or better a sunfire. This would not be a bad deal if the lease were about $99/month.
If you want super cheap transportation its perfect.
Its well worth buying for the price.
thanks
dave
The most I have heard of is averaging 48 mpg with an SL manual. The guy is an airline mechanic and has a 40 mile one way commute, no air conditioning used.
He put in some kind of oil by-pass filter in which he only changed his oil twice in 50,000 miles. He also used a K&N drop in air filter.
I wouldnt believe any of the above had I not seen his reccords with my own eyes.
Floridian
Floridian