Well, Its been 2 months and 3000 miles on the new engine and used trans - time for an update! Everything is going alright so far, engine runs very well, however it appears that it has already started burning oil (or leaking it - somewhere). I havent really looked into it to much yet.

However, for the headaches that have troubled me for the past two weeks.
It started out as a trip to a repair shop to grab my friends car. As I was headed up rt 18, the battery light started flickering on, and off - bout every 30 seconds to 5 minutes (depending on driving). So we got there, got the car, and hopped back onto 18. Under WOT, the battery light came on and stayed on, until I hit next gear and laid off. Now it was worse, with all of the lights flickering in my car when the light came on, and happening more often. Got home, parked it, and went inside and raged for abit hahaha.
Started at the tensioner (since I forgot to replace it and was original) and belt, since it was squeaking. Fixed the problem, for the most part.

That was, until today.....
going around looking for jobs, the car wouldnt crank at one of the stores I stopped at. Lights dimmed, solenoid clicked, but nothing. So, I pushed it out (with a good handful of people watching me now from the windows) and bump started it.
What was strange is the starter would engage when the engine was running, but would hang up when it wasnt.
Got home and was toying with it abit more, checking the battery cables and what not. Go to start it one more time and all the lights dim alot - and the chime starts fading out - I look up and all i see is smoke pouring out of the hood :/ So, now im struggling to figure out what happened, when I started checking everything out I found that the line connecting the starter to the solenoid popped out of the starter motor and burnt more than 75% if the rubber casing off.
Took it to pepboys & got a warranty replacement (thank god) - For some reason my friend bought a mini dirtbike while we were there (but thats another story)
2 hours of my day gone and hopefully the riddance of headaches from this thing (until I start toying with it in the summer)

 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooo --

Don't ya just LOVE after-market rebuilds ?

That one musta come from Ed's Electrical Appliance and Smoked Meats Emporium

 

Isn't it amazing what one frayed wire can do to ruin your day?

 

$hit happens, but it's still a pain in the ***

 

I know right? hahahaha gotta live with it though, still love the car

Yes quite the pain in the *** though, by the time I was done, I couldnt feel my hands thanks to the wind. Although I did enjoy ripping about in the yota for awhile. It just brings a grin to my face every time I run though the gears, or hit a bump for that matter hahaha

 

better get on that oil consumption thing--we all know what happens when oil ain't where it's supposed to be..........

 

There seems to be an unwritten law that says things have to go bad when there is snow on the ground and it is cold out. It is good you found the immediate problem, but the oil loss sound more complicated.

 

Yes, im afraid that it is. I smell no oil burning at idle, or after driving, however my friend has said hes seen alittle smoke at top end. Ive been checking for leaks, and I want to check the front cover when I do the oil change.

 

Please take this question with a grain of salt, (or sand, whichever it is). I am the type who can usually fix something after somebody helps me figure out what is wrong. I have been helping my grandson with his car oil usage problems. We just found if we pull the pcv valve hose that a ton of smoke comes out. Much more than should. Plus one plug gets completely oil fouled every few weeks. And his engine was supposed to be rebuilt by the previous owner. Have you checked your pcv for smoke? Actually I think taking the cap off the oil fill will do the same thing.

With the weather we have been having around here, I would be tempted to wait until it got warmer unless you have a nice garage to work in. I have to do everything in the driveway.

 

It is unfortunate but the S series Saturn and many others from it's time frame, some more so than others has developed the reputation for burning oil. And it does as a function of time and miles and the time seems to be about now and the miles somewhere around 100,000.
As far as I am concerned that can be directly related the the manufacturers instance on using a 5W-Something motor oil. A motor oil that I am sure the engine was more or less designed to use as most of them always have been, but prior to this the 1990 or so time frame with the emphasis (and it still is) on Miles Per Gallon or MPG as an advertising mechanism, a lighter weight oil most probably will give some minor if at all measurable difference in gas mileage and a significant decrease in engine reliability and an increase in wear which has taken place.
Prior to this bogus advertising hype oil weight was chosen to be compatible to the operating environment, that is a 5W-something motor oil reflected winter usage in say Alaska, or may Wisconsin or possibly Vermont. A 10W-something in many other area's of the U.S.
I used to use a straight weigh of 20W in upstate N.Y. in the winter and a 30W in the summer.
Multi -Viscosity oils gave you the option of a year around oil with something like a 10 or 15W30.
Here where I live now where 45 degrees is cold and there are over 100 days a year of over 100 degrees. I use a 20W50 year around.
When I bought my Chrysler new in 2007 the dealer was adamant that I MUST USE A 5w20 or the manufacturers goon squad would visit me. After I signified that I heard this by indication of the single finger solute I promptly changed the oil to a 20W50.
And almost 100,000 miles later I still change the oil every 4000 miles with no usage between oil changes
I am old school and have no use for marketing campaigns. My S series Saturn purchased as a used car 2 years old had been serviced by the local Saturn Dealership at the time using 10W30 oil. And a conversation again at the time with the dealer indicated that they were having trouble with GM for doing so.
About a year or so after purchasing the car it to was switched to an old school recommendation of a 20W50 motor oil Now at something over 100,000 miles it too runs 4000 miles between oil changes with no usage.
If present Saturn and other car owners from this era are using good judgment the odds are they are using a 10W30 at least and have not started burning oil. If they are still locked into the 5W20 the odds are they are going through quite bit of oil at the present. The engines are now worn out. Nothing can fix that except a for real rebuild. Changing to a heavier weight oil might slow down the usage or prolong the time interval between needing to add oil and doing so is certainly a good idea.
The bottom line is if oil consumption has started, the engine is worn and you can thank advertising and marketing for the job they have done.
AS to GM? There concern stopped when the warranty ran out.