ok this is whats up i got a 02 sl1 1.9 sohc, i recently did tuen up i put ac delco plugs in it back in septmber ran good, now every now and then at a red light the rpms will surge a couple hundred and what not and getting semi bad gas milage, i read saturns love ngk but hate evrything else, i also heard good things bout the e3 diamond fire plug, my local orielly has the e3 but not the ngk in stock, has anyone ever used e3 diamond fire in there sat? i know my mustang loved them and also what bout royal purple oil filter and oil and royal purple trans fluid?

 

I use Champion double platinum's in my Saturn, the current plugs have been in there for about 90k miles and they have worked quite well. I also have used Bosch +4 plugs with no ill effects.

I would advise against the e3, not because I have heard anything bad about them, but that the diamond tip blocks a large part of the combustion chamber, and that they are way overpriced. In the old days, we used to "index" out spark plugs to ensure that the ground electrode (anode) does not block or shadow the combustion chamber, The anode on the e3 has a very large shadow and no way to index it.

The cathode on that plug is a large area cathode, similar to copper or iron core plugs. The larger area spreads out the corona, making it harder to develop and taking more voltage to create the spark. The larger area also means a less intense spark.

But for the most part, a spark is a spark. As long as you get a spark, the fuel will ignite and the quality of the spark has little effect on the final outcome. The advantages are that the Platinum and Iridium tipped plugs spark more reliably and last longer.

Platinum and Iridium tipped plugs can make the cathodes much smaller because they erode so much less. The smaller cathode concentrates the corona and makes a more intense spark with less voltage. This is why these types of plugs last so long.

But I don't think the spark plugs are your problem. I think you need to look at the intake manifold gasket which is a known problem on the 00-02 sl1 engines and causes the symptoms you are experiencing. The problem occurs at the top outer edge of the manifold by the #1 cylinder. saturn used a soft gasket and this area is not well supported so the gasket gets sucked in at this point.

Typically when the issue gets serious, your idle will be 950 or higher and the idle will have a very slight roughness to it and your gas mileage will drop around 10%. You can check it by warming up the engine, idle in neutral and spray something like a carb cleaner, propane, wd40 or just about anything. If the idle is affected at all, there is a leak. Replace the gasket with a Felpro, not a factory gasket.

 

Yea but i used the cheap ac delco i may order bosch plat 4 for her also what bout the royal purple oil filter, oil and trans fluid?

 

overpriced, no benefit. No quicker way to ruin an automatic transmission than to use non spec ATF. Royal Purple does not make their own oil filters. I use basic Purolator filters but the Puro one filters are arguably the best. I have 266k on my 02 SL1 using the basic filter and conventional oil changed when the light comes on.

I have a manual transmission that still has the factory fill, but if you have an AT, then change it every 30k or so and use dexron VI. Nothing is better for this AT even though it came with Dexron III, GM recommends the Dexron VI now for it.

 

this is the royal purple filter i ment lol

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/ch...turn/model/sl1

 

I've run the OEM-recommended plugs in my Saturns since the early 90's, and have never had a problem

 

Oil changes with what ever 10w30 oil is on sale, Walmart house brand oil filters, changes when ever the light comes on, 266k miles, still runs like new.

The total I spend on an oil change is about what just one of those filters cost.