I have had a few saturns and they have always given me great service. I am looking at a 2001 Saturn SL2 and I'm going to take a look at it tomorrow. It has been difficult trying to find a mechanic that is available after 6. What are some things I should look for with this model specifically? I paid for a car fax and everything seems good on that end.

Thanks for your help guys!

 

Mileage?
Original Engine?
Automatic?
Stick?
Price?
Private owner?

DOHC engines in the S series tended to develop oil burning issues.

1st thing, check the oil. If it is more than half a quart low, ask the owner how much oil it burns between oil changes. It will likely tell you about half the real amount. If he claims it just started then walk away.

Service engine soon light on? Service light on?

Even if the light is not on, there may be codes pending which can be read with the scanner. People with cars that have codes they can't fix routinely clear the codes with a tool before you arrive. Unless you bring a scanner with you or take it to AutoZone on a test drive, you will not know what you are inheriting.

Check the end of the intake manifold which on these cars is plastic. There is a known issue with the corner breaking off by one of the boat holes and not ceiling. There is a fix out there that works.

Coolant should be orange dex cool.

Upper passenger motor mount goes bad every 70,000 MI. If it is bad you will feel significant vibrations in the driver's seat at idle. OEM mounts we're the only decent ones. All aftermarket mounts suck.

Oil leakage from valve cover gasket is common. If it has been pouring down the block, then liquid the car has been run low on oil and I would probably walk away or at least ask.

The one thing you do not want is a dohc engine in an s car that has been run down lower than three quarts, maybe 2 and 1/2. That is enough to initiate the whole burning thing . If you run them down until the oil warning light comes on it is too late.

Check all of the power functions. Windows door locks sunroof heat AC everything you can think of. A bad body control module will have lost control of certain things and you don't want that vehicle.

Also ask the owner if they have had any issues with the security system called Passlock II. The brains are integrated into the BCM and when that part goes bad there is no real way to fix it other than to replace the BCM and you don't want to go there.

In general this is a great car if you are a DIY car person. Most are sturdy and fairly easy to work on. A thought of spending $100 an hour on labor for a 19-year-old vehicle is a bit scary.

I could keep rambling for hours but that would serve neither of us any purpose. Private message me on the forum if you have any further questions throughout your purchase journey. Better yet email me at the email address in my signature which you can't see on this post. chevelle [396@ comcast.)net. Just take all the goofy characters out. I do that to keep from getting spammed by bots