Hi, my teenager is looking at buying a 1997 Saturn 2dr that appears to be a
good deal if these issues can corrected inexpensively. It is a private
seller and has been sitting 6 months while he has been on deployment. Before
taking it to a shop to get checked, I was hoping to get some guidance
here.

1. The brakes are pulsing considerably and barely work. Owner
states that since the car has been sitting in a humid climate for 6 months,
the rotors have warped and will need to be changed? Sound about right or
could the master cylinder or other components cause this?

2. The
service engine soon light is on. If it''s like my Toyota, it means
to change
the oil and can be reset manually. Is this the same thing? He said it has
been on for almost a year and the car runs fine, that his
mechanic had it diagnosed as an o2 sensor, replaced it, but the light remains.

It''s a good deal, considering these issues above,
and it runs strong &
drives well. Thanks for any advice!

 

i''ll put my money on the front rotors being warped. as for the ses light. it has nothing to do with the oil changes. probally nothing major if the car runs fine and shifts good. if the price is right i would invest in it. depending on the miles.

 

Thanks. What do you think it would cost to replace the rotors, new pads?

 

you can replace rotors and pads yourself if your even the least bit mechanically inclined. And as for price they are very cheap. I think i got away with only about 80-$100 for 2 rotors and 2 sets of pads. Then just did it myself.

as far as the SES light. I would just unplug the battery for about 5 minutes or so. Then plug it back in and the light should stay off. If it come back on then bring it to autozone and they can scan the code for you and let you know the issue. But in general an SES is usually related to either a sensor or something stupid like a vaccuum leak. In either case its a cheap and easy fix.

Id say go for the deal.