I just got a 1997 Saturn sl sedan 1.9 267000 mile

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Jul 15, 2009
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Doylestown, Pennsylvania
5 speed manual, original clutch
The previous owner changed oil every 3500 miles At the dealer. I Got THE CAR For free. Runs like ?... well very good.
He had about 40 invoices from his dealer documenting every service from mile 250.
Dino oil. No leaks, no burning, well maybe a little 1 qt in 3500 miles. Guess ill keep doing the same thing.
It needs rear struts, a radiator and tires in maybe 10k miles. Oh we found an exhaust leak that we are fixing.
 
Excellent!

I'm a long-time Saturn owner.

Make sure the $12 ECTS (Engine Coolant Temp. Sensor) is the newer Brass tipped one.

Also make sure the temp needle goes to 3/8 to 1/2 position or you'll need to replace the thermostat.

Ensure the plugs are NGK Copper or change them to the NGK Copper.

Go to Sarurnfans.com - S-Series General & S-Series Tech along with Richpin06 youTube videos for TONS of info!!

Enjoy!
 
Great car, my first Saturn was a 97 SOHC 5 speed just like yours, My friend still drives it with 321,000KM on it. I bought it for $800 back in 2007 with only 171KM. The car has needed zero major repairs 150KM later. I miss that car, probably should have just kept it, even though it had no options...
 
Originally Posted By: Donald
HOW LONG ARE YOU EXPECTING THIS CAR TO LAST?


Who cares? Considering it is free and sounds to be well maintained it could last a weekend and you are getting your monies' worth.

I agree with the temp sensor and the NGK plugs. Considering the age of the vehicle I would look into a used radiator. New can be $$$ and it isnt worth putting a ton of money into a car with that kinda mileage. Baby her but don't spoil her
 
Original clutch after 267000 miles is very impressive plus you can't wear out the 1.9 engine unless you wanted to .Good buy
 
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My very first car was a 1991 Saturn SL1.

Good thing it was because it lasted me for two years and I knew nothing about cars, air filters, transmission fluids, etc. and boy did it take a beating. Only maintenance I did to it was change the oil. Other than the radiator cracking and timing chain guide breaking (probably due to low oil). The car lasted me until the transmission started to slip, but looking back, it probably was low because it was leaking at the time.... If I knew more about cars I would have kept it longer...

BTW, I did frequent Saturnfans forum back in the day. Was the most helpful/friendliest place.
 
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I Was at work and couldn't keep up with the posts.
I plan to keep it until it dies but, I already have a new set of front bushings and tie rods on order. The exhaust leak is being fixed by a GM dealer, I don't want to mess with that.

the radiator I'll do myself, I'll buy a new one, maybe from amazon or a local parts retailer,

I wanted to stress the point that regular maintenance aka oil change is the elixer of engine life,

The oil was what ever the dealer had in the 55 gal drum, what would be a good choice? No brand was specified on the service records just 5w-30 and generic filter
 
Also the front bulkheads, and rear trailing link tie in point. Under the skin, chassis wise, these cars are just typical 90s GM steel with nicer suspension. They do rust.
 
Good for you! I had a Saturn that I sold with about the same mileage on it and the next guy kept it going way over 300K. Great little cars that are easy to service.
 
I had a '97 SL2, good little car. Coolant temperature sensor has already been mentioned. Both of my rear stabilizer links rusted up within a week of each other; about $30 apiece and easily replaced. You'll know when you go around corners and hear clunking and banging. Parts guy clued me in that they keep a supply of those.

Since you have a stick shift, watch out for the shifter cable clips popping out on the transmission end. A little RTV silicone will keep them in place. Another item the parts guy said they keep in stock.

Only other problem I had was a leaky valve cover gasket that filled the #1 and #2 spark plug wells with oil. It got a little crispy after 100,000 miles, but pretty easy to replace. Getting the oil out when I had to change the spark plugs was a pain.
 
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