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Saturn (car)
This category covers questions about Saturn Corporation, a car manufacturer and subsidiary of General Motors. All production of Saturn-brand vehicles were halted on October 1, 2009.
1,285 Questions
Where is the conector for the diagnostic tool for the service engine soon light on a 96 Saturn?
Most connectors are located under the drivers side dash. Most are connected to the bottom side of dash.
How many miles before a new set of brake pads?
That depends on a person's driving habits. Most GM products have a "squeaker," which is a small sheet metal clip attached to the brake pad that will scrape against the rotor when the pad has reached a certain thickness. Listen for a high pitched noise when applying the brakes.
Why is there water in the front floor boards of my 2002 Saturn L200?
possible leaking heater core
My sister has a 2003 l200I pulled the carpet up. Looks like the water wascoming from calking cracked on the inner fender well.Its a hairline crack.In the engine compartment. Its hard to get your hand in there. I put silicone on my hand and placed it above and below the calking and anywhere else in that area.I think I got it this time. Previosly I removed plastic from behind windshield wipers and sealed gutter area. Removed and blew out AC drain. Also removed door panel and sealed.Those three areas were not the culprits. The inner carpet is like a sponge. I would pull the carpet up. Must have squeezed out at least half a gallon of water.
Where is the starter for a 1994 Saturn SL?
If you look where the alternator is to the right you can see it. Most likely it is covered with grease but is the only gold part on the car.
well im not sure but every one else is saying the same for most cars. look under the passenger side by the exahaust mainfold and transmission.
How do you replace the passenger's mirror of a Saturn coupe SC1 1994?
Take the plastic cover off on the inside of the door .There should be a Phillips screw holding it on. Then remove a piece of foam rubber. This should expose three 10 mm nuts holding the mirror on. remove mirror . Reverse to re install
What fluid type goes in a manual transmission of a 1991 Saturn sedan?
Dextron 3 automatic transmission fluid. now known as domestic automatic transmission fluid. Yes it is a manual but they used the same stuff. It just lubricates the needle berrings.
Why can you not replace just the wheel bearings on a Saturn Ion?
Remove the wheel, the brake caliper, and the brake caliper bracket. Remove the axle nut ( 32mm i believe). remove the 3 bolts on the back of the bearing( next to the axle shaft). Tap the end of the axle back in towards the center of the car, and tap on the hub with a hammer to separate the bearing from the knuckle.
Sounds really involved but I did both sides in about an hour - no alignment is required afterwards, and it is not necessary to remove the ball joint or tie-rod ends as several other posts on the web indicate.
Addendum 12/31/2009 from another user:
The information above is very good, thank you for that. I just did this myself on a 2003 Ion and it went very smoothly. Here is a little more information:
- The axle nut on this car is 30mm. I actually used a 1 3/16" socket (about the same size) because I have one that fits my hefty 3/4" drive breaker bar. The nut wasn't nearly as tight as I thought it would be, but if you are not using an impact wrench, be sure to loosen it first thing with the car resting on the wheel, before you take the wheel off.
- Be ready with a piece of rope or wire to hang the brake caliper after removal. Never let the caliper hang from the hose.
- The hub does indeed have three bolts securing it from the rear, and once removed, it taps off fairly easily. One cautionary note... when the suspension spring was fully extended (ie, the car was jacked up and the wheel removed), I could not get a socket onto the top bolt because the CV joint was in the way. I got around this by putting another jack directly under the ball joint and pushing the hub assembly up, compressing the spring and changing the angle of the CV joint. With much pushing, I was *barely* able to get the socket on and remove the bolt. A good, closed-ended wrench might have sufficed instead but I couldn't find the right size in my toolbox. I was using a 13mm socket.
All things considered, this was the easiest wheel bearing job I've ever done, but certainly the most expensive as well :) To buy the entire hub, it cost me $160 at AutoZone (PA, USA). Good luck!
How do you replace the alternator on a Saturn wagon?
The alternator must be removed either through the bottom of the vehicle, or threw the passanger side wheel well opening. Raise and support the vehicle. Disconnect the battery. Remove the serpentine belt by removing tention, and sliding it off. Under the car, disconnect the power wire using a 10MM socket. use a small screw driver and pry upwards on the electrical connector to remove quickly. remove both the Lower and Upper mounting bolts. in some cases, the upper bolt can be more easily accessed from under the hood. once the mounting bolts are moved, some prying, or wiggleing of the alternator may be necessary to free it from the bracket. Installation is just opposite. should take a novice around 30-45 minuites to complete the job.
How do you fill auto trans fluid to a 1996 Saturn?
The Saturns, and in fact MOST modern automatic transmissions are what is considered "sealed", meaning that there should be no need to top off the fluid unless there is a leak, and if there is a leak, they obviously think you should take it to a shop.
However...
Part way up the transmission, on the side, is a fill hole that has a plug in it. Remove the plug and add fluid until it starts to run out. A service manual should be available in your local library, and there should be a picture to show you which is the fill hole.
Saturn recommended that you have the transmission fluid and filter changed periodically. Some shops offer a "power flush", in which clean fluid is forced through the lines and the torque converter. Not a bad idea if it hasn't been done before.
Is there a Cam shaft position sensor in a 1999 Saturn sl?
No. And you're probably asking because you're getting a "Service Engine" code relative to the cam pos sensor, P0340 or P0341. These codes, on these cars, usually mean you need to replace the spark plugs and/or wires, or clean up all the electrical connections (including grounds) related to the ignition system.
The fix is usually very cheap. Unfortunately, many auto parts stores don't understand this, and will, confused that they can't find a listing for a cam pos sensor, will go for something that only sounds similar by name, the crankshaft position sensor. In this case, that's a total waste of money, and does NOTHING for the P0340 or P0341 codes.
How do you change the timing chain on a 1995 Saturn?
Since you have to ask the best answer I can give you is take it to a mechanic.
How do you replace a water pump on a 1998 Saturn?
Remove the Serpentine belt. Pull the bolts that hold the water pump in place (5 or 6, something like that). Then the water pump should pull out of the block. It may be held in place with some gasket sealer, so once you have the bolts out you can pull hard on the pump. Remove the pulley by turning the 3 bolts. Put it all back together in reverse order. You may need to remove a couple parts to get to the pump.
Can removing a spark plug crack a cylinder?
No, spark plugs screw into a threaded hole in the cylinder "heads," and therefore cannot crack a cylinder [wall around the pistons].
NOTE however, that if spark plugs are not removed and reinstalled PROPERLY, this process can "strip" and ruin the threads in the cylinder "HEAD."
How to reset Check engine light on 1998 Saturn?
you need access to an OBDII scan tool in order to reset the check engine light on any vehicle 1996 or newer. autozone or advanced auto usually provide this service for free
How do you replace timing chain on Saturn SL2?
You need to remove the housing on the "front" of the engine (as differentiated from the traditional rear of the engine).
Once you have the front of the engine open and the pan off, the timing chain, camshafts and crankshaft should be exposed.
Turn the crankshaft to #1TDC and put a small drill bit or other small rod into the alignment holes on the camshaft sprockets to keep them in place.
Remove the timing chain tensioner rails, making sure that you retract the tensioner first (piston on a spring) then remove the bolts from the crankshaft and camshafts.
Once you get to that point, the chain and sprockets should all come off.
Reassemble in the reverse order, but use new tensioner rails, sprocket and timing chain.
Additional information:
If the engine has been properly maintained, the timing chain shouldn't need replacing until you rebuild the engine. A timing chain isn't like a timing belt; chains last a lot longer.
Hello All !
I have two Chevy S10 Pickup Trucks and they both have died from overheating / Blown Head Gaskets .
There are several ways to determine if a Head Gasket is " Blown" . Basically what this means is that it is the Head Gasket that that seals the surfaces between the Engine Cylinder block and the Head has a leak .
If the Head Gasket is "Blown" or leaking you will most definetly experience overheating . In both of my cases a component of the engine cooling system failed and caused the "Blown" Head Gasket . In Truck #1 , the radiator fan clutch broke and caused the engine to overheat and then subsequently caused the "Blown Head Gasket . In Truck #2 , the Water Pump Gasket leaked and the engine overheated and caused the "Blown " head gasket . Truck #1 was driven past the point of no return and we had to replace the whole engine .Truck #2 was caught in time to forestall any massive engine damage and the Head Gasket replacement did the trick . The big problem I have with all of this is that in both trucks , the Idiot gause didn't actuallly show an overheat condition . We determined from the smell of the engine that something was amiss. By the time we twigged to the Overheat condition , the damage was already done . Chevy lets us down with their poor overheat warning system . I am considering checking if this might be covered by the Magnason & Moss Act ( the Lemon Law). So far this fammily has lost seven GM cars to overheat problems . We have had 1 Corsica , 3 Grand Ams, 1 Buick Alero (a Glorified Grand Am ) and now 2 1998 S10's .
The 2000 Alero we own now is experiencing the same problems as all of the other owners on the Internet . Dashboard cracking problems , Ignition switch problems , fuel pump failure problems and so forth .
I wonder if there is a Class Action in this somewhere ?
Here are the methods I use to determine if a Head Gasket is "Blown" .
The most telling is of course overheating . You can pull the oil dipstick and look for a grey or milky colored oil and that indicates that there is a leak between the water cooling jacket and the oil system . Another method is to pull offthe Radiator Cap and look for explosive bubbling of the water ( kind of like Old Faithful ). This indicates a leak betweeb the Exhaust system and the water cooling jacket . The last method I use is to do a cylinder compression check and you can see if there is a leak from the engine cylinders .
Some of these same symptoms can also indicate a cracked block . Cracked blocks can occur during a winter freeze or if you are silly enough to add cool water to a overheated engine . You can generally add water to an overheated engine ONLY if the engine is running . If the engine will not start and is still very hot , you can cause the Engine Block to crack with the introduction of cool water to the Radiator . It is best to wait at least an hour after an overheated engine condition to try to add cool water .
If all else fails , see a mechanic . They should not charge more than $200. labor for a head Gasket Job and the subsequent head machining (to check for warped head from overheat ) should be less than $100. and the Gasket set should be less than $100. DIY cost may be around $ 200. and the cost at your favorite Mechanics Shop should be less than $500. or you are buying his KId's Braces ths year .
!!!!
The Moral of this story shoud be "DO NOT DRIVE AN OVERHEATING CAR" . The longer you wait the more damage you cause .
Ken
Warning: this answer is given for "most" systems, but may not work with all and could result in a small (and expensive) explosion. It is strongly suggested you get a repair manual for your year, make, and model of car.
In most systems you disconnect the NEGATIVE battery cable (at the battery post) and touch it to the POSITIVE battery post, then using a low pressure clamp; clamp the cable to the post for the entire time you are working on the system. If you disconnect the wiring for the air bag you MUST connect the two wires together (with a jumper wire) to ensure no static discharge sets off the explosive.
Second Warning: The above information cannot be used to operate the vehicle with the air-bag disconnected for any length of time; the car may not run with the air-bag disconnected and its disconnection results in a serious danger to the occupants (more so if it is left in the car but disconnected, as any form of static or EMP discharge can set off the unit and injure occupants)
How to change brakes on 2003 Saturn L200?
Brakes are a critical component of your vehicle's safety systems, and as such, you should not be messing with them if you don't know what you're doing. If you aren't already familiar with brakes, you should either work with someone who has already repaired a number of brake systems, or get training before putting yourself and others in jeopardy.
When in doubt, take it to a professional.
Having said that:
Saturn front disk brakes are not much different than any other vehicle.
Lift the front end and put it on jack stands. If you aren't strong enough to lift it one handed, use an automotive jack. (That is my only attempt at humor, I promise)
With the front wheels off the ground and the vehicle supported by jack stands, remove the front wheels.
Examine the calipers. Note that on the back side of the calipers are two bolts that hold the calipers to the axle assembly. Remove those bolts and slide the calipers off the rotors.
EXAMINE THE BRAKE PADS TO MAKE SURE YOU GET THE REPLACEMENT PADS BACK IN THE SAME PLACE AND ORIENTATION!!! Note things like the wear sensor, anti-squeal plate and other characteristics unique to your brakes.
Next, remove and examine your rotors. If the pads were worn to the point of gouging into the rotors, you may need to replace them. Rotors should be turned to make them "true" whenever you replace the brake pads, but some rotors cannot be turned without making them too thin for safe operation. Your local auto parts retailer may be able to help you with that.
Expand the calipers to accept the new brake pads. You may need to rent, borrow or purchase a special tool, or you may be able to use a large "C" clamp.
With new or freshly turned rotors in place, install the new pads, lubricate the caliper slide bolts with lubricant that has been designed for that purpose, then install the calipers back over the rotor and tighten the bolts that hold them in place. Wash down the rotors, especially if they're new, with brake cleaner.
Replace the wheel and lower the vehicle to the ground.
Test the brakes in an area that gives you a little margin of error in case things don't always work right the first time.
Where can you find a wiring diagram for a 1998 Saturn?
Try an auto parts store; They should have repair manuals for your car. The 'Haynes' books are best.
Another Perspective:If your dealership is friendly, you might be able to get them to copy those pages from their book. Also, try the local library, sometimes they have a more complete service manual than is generally found in the Haynes series.How do you adjust the rear drum brakes on a 1994 Saturn SC2?
I adjusted one just before installing the drum, I had the same question, but they worked great afterward.. dave
Where is the transmission module located on a 2000 Saturn SC2 coupe?
The transmission module is integral to the PCM/or engine computer
What does it cost to replace an alternator for a 2002 Saturn L200?
There will be a big cost variation for replacing an alternator.
Basically there are three things that you'll pay for:
1. The replacement alternator. A rebuilt alternator may include new bearings, brushes, diode plate and voltage regulator, depending on who did the work. If the rebuild process was done correctly, a rebuilt alternator can be just as good as a new one, but you have to be careful where you get it. Rebuilt is much cheaper and are often guaranteed for the life of the vehicle. A rebuilt alternator can typically be purchased for somewhere near $100.
2. Labor. It shouldn't take much more than an hour to remove and replace an alternator. Shop rates vary from one place to another, but plan on spending somewhere between $75 and $100 for labor unless you are able to do it yourself. If you do it yourself it will probably take longer than 1 hour though.
3. Markup/profit. Depending on the shop, there may be some significant mark-up on the parts. Often they will double the parts cost and charge "shop fees", which is actually them passing on the cost of having used oil picked up, shop rags, worker uniform cleaning and other related costs of doing business. Markup/profit is typically hidden in the bill, somewhere in the other prices.
How do you replace a driver side rear view mirror on a 2002 Saturn SL?
from what i have seen most of the saturns are made ideally the same.
The
I have knocked off a mirror on my 95 sc2 i owned a few years ago
Power or no power mirror you should use a flat head screw driver and gently pry off the cover in the front corner closest to the mirror. The mirror is bolted. Use a ratchet the right size and take it off. When your done put it back on . its easy as pie. I had power on mine. Its a 5 minute job or less. Good Luck.
