99 4 cyl Saturn 160,000 mile

Hey Lange,
With 160,000 miles on the ticker I would think it has been well maintained. Is it the DOHC or SOHC? Standard or Auto?

Listen uder the hood to the engine. If the timing chain is bad it will sound like a diesel engine and clatter and whine. The noise will alter in pitch and frequency with engine speed.

Check for oil leaks at the crank. Pass if so.

My 96 needed a waterpump, alternator, and rad between 95,000 and 115,000 miles. Check if these have been replaced.

Lastly depends on price. My sons SL had the same low comp. And did quite well. Just always check the oil! The 3rd Gen S models are the best in my opinion (2000 to 2002) if you can find one for the right price.

Good luck and let us know. :)
peppermrj

Hey Lange,
Standard or auto?

Look at the rear rocker panels for rust thru.

The DOHC is a peppy little 4 that has few problems. Oil Consumption is an issue caused by sticky oil control rings. Some say the best remedy is 3000 mile oil changes with the superior detergent power of mobile 1 oil. Lucky you. Just be sure your son checks oil frequently.

Have never seen an injector problem on any S-series engine. What is common tho is a valve cover gasket leak. The spark plugs sit down in a hole in the middle of the head and valve cover. The o-ring seal in the valve cover fails and the plug hole fills with oil. This can cause misfiring. What might be happening is that the oil is burning off as the engine heats up. A real simple procedure to replace the valve cover gasket.

Saturn automatic transmissions also require frequent (30,000 mile) fluid changes. Most folks miss this in the owners manual. A real simple procedure. They have a spin on oil filter and a drain plug just like the motor oil does. Again Mobile 1 tranny fluid is recommended. A change requires only 3 to 4 quarts.

If neglected the transmissin will develope a condition most refer to as reverse slam. There will be a bit of a bang as the car goes into reverse. If caught early their is a simple procedure to fix this involving a fluid change, some cleaner additive and some run time. If not caught early it is a bit more expensive including a valve body repair or replacement.

Good gas mileage and dependability if you just check the oil and do the recommended maintenence. Very easy to work on also. If you do make this purchase let me know and I will give you a list of PM (preventitive maintenece) items.

Good luck and let us know. :)
peppermrj