I bought a ’99 SL2 (automatic) about 18 months ago with 132,000 miles on it and it’s been relatively trouble-free since then. Now with 146k miles. The only work I’ve done was a new set of rotors last week (they were irreparably warped). The mechanic tells me I’ll need new tie rod ends by the time of my next inspection (January) – it’ll be almost $400, but if it keeps her going for a while longer, I figure that’s ok.

The other issue has been electrical, and it seems I’m going to need to replace the fuse box (starting issues that are resolved by pulling and pushing fuses). Based on what I’ve read on this forum so far, this seems like a pretty typical issue. I’ve found a used fusebox online for $125 (is that a decent price?), but the mechanic also tells me we’re looking at 2-3 hours of labor to replace the old one with the new one. Does that seem about right?

The REAL REASON I’m posting though is more general. Since I’ve had the car, the only maintenance I’ve done is regular oil changes. Of course, when you go to Jiffy Lube they love to pull up the screen with all of the “manufacturer’s recommendations” for various things like coolant system flushing, transmission service, fuel filter service and the like. I don’t have any of the records from the previous owner, so I’m wondering what sorts of things I should really consider doing. Are some of those services critical? Is there some order in which they should be done? My goal is to keep the car for at least another 50,000 miles, if not longer. Any advice as to how to achieve that in terms of general maintenance?

 

if you don't know the history:
coolant flush n fill
tranny flush
fuel filter

will give you a good baseline to work from

 

Sounda great - I'll get started on them. Thanks!

I'll probably be posting a new thread as soon as I can get my thoughts together about this pretty bizarre electrical issue I'm having with the car - won't start sometimes and it seems to be the interior fuse box - mechanic says I need a new one, but I haven't looked behind it to see if it's just some worn wirting. Today the culprit seemed to be big fuel pump relay in there - should it be hot after 30 minutes of driving?

 

Derf, I seem to be getting some conflicting info about flushing the auto transmission on my SL2.

You recommended doing the flush and fill, but I've had other folks recommend against doing a flush of that transmission. Any thoughts?

Also, now that Saturn is extinct, where is one to get OEM parts (like the transmission filter)?

 

Your S series Saturn uses a Spin On Transmission Oil filter similar to an engine oil filter and it can be obtained from Wallmart or any auto parts store. The oil pan for the transmission has a drain plug on it. If you are in to DIY it is a wrench, and oil filter and I don't know how many quarts of Dextron III to fill it up. If you want it done, about $75 - $150.00 depending on where you go. It is routine to change the transmission fluid every 75,000 to 100,000 depending on who you talk to.
Jiff Lube places are programed to sell you a bunch of flush stuff which consist of motor fix it in a can. I can tell you that you probably do not need any of the stuff that they are trying to sell you. I can not tell you that you don't need it. You need to learn that your self. I can say that my cars have never needed any of it. IF it was needed I both decided, what, when and then did it myself.
I might suggest using a heavier weight oil, selected based on mileage and temperature ranges you drive the car in. A 10 W 40 is not a bad summer weight oil and if your winters are not very cold, it works well for winters too on high mileage cars.
I for example use 20 W 50 year around where I live.
I do not know the cost of Tie Rod ends for your car. Wear on suspension and steering parts on Saturns has been minimal on them. I think it is a bit odd that it NEEDS them.
I have never paid more than $15.00 a piece to buy them, they are not hard to install but I know how, have the tools and the place to do it. A front end alignment is about $65.00.
I would learn how to do it, buy the tools and have them so I can do something else before I would pay $400.00 to have that done, but that is me.
As far as length of service, I have to agree with an old friend who ran a junk yard and recycled wrecked Saturns into his rent to own fleet.
He said " I love Saturns, easy to fix and will run 400,000 miles on neglect!"
I love mine and so far I found it to be true.
But DIY goes a long way towards cutting costs.

 

Salvatore --

I'm more interested in your electrical problem. Granted, a Saturn can get kinda "quirky" about starting (walk around the car three times, then spit into the wind before you open the door) (LOL) ... but the only other times I've seen a complete replacement of the fuse assembly was due to an electrical fire. Not saying you don't need to have it done, just highly unusual

 

Well, OA, it seems you're right (which, as the Super Moderator, I'd expect). After a bit of further of investigation and experimentation, it certainly was not the entire fuse box that needed replacing. Behind the fuse box is that big 68-pin connector, and into that connector (maybe into terminal F5) runs a pretty thick red wire (perhaps it's the one that powers those circuits?). That wire was the culprit - it was not entirely or properly seated in its terminal. Fidgeting with it got the car to start, and then in looking more closely, I found that the wire actualy had some "play" in it; that is, I could actually slide it in and out a little from the terminal. I tried to get the entire 68-pin connector out, but it was difficult and i didn't want to damage anything in there, so, since the wire was thick enough, I pushed it into the terminal as far as it would go, bent it a bit so it would stay in place, and I haven't had a problem since.

Seen anything like that before?

 

Glad we managed to save you several $$s -- thanks for the feedback

And yes, loose connections can be a BIG problem