Hello everyone,



&nbs p;
I just purchased a 1995 Saturn SL1 with only 89,000 original miles on
it and I noticed a problem. When I take off from a dead stop in
1st gear sometimes I hear a clunking and a beep. This is very
strange to me and I am not sure if it is an indicator of a larger, more
serious problem. I was told by a friend that the timing chain
needs to be replaced at 90,000 miles or serious damage may occur.
Is this true? How much does this usually cost? Thank you
for your time and concern.

1) Clunk with beep pulling from a dead stop sounds like ABS system -- does your car have ABS ? You will hear this when you get up to a few miles an hour after you've a) just started the car and are moving it for the first time b) after the ABS system has actually kicked in and done some ABS'ing. Entirely normal.


2) S Cars have steel timing chains, not rubber belts. It is the belts that need to be replaced every 75-85k, not the chains. S car timing chains last quite a while (150-180k) provided you keep up with your oil changes.

The car does have ABS brakes. I haven't braked so hard for the
ABS to need to kick in so it must be when I just take off which is when
it normally does happen. It also happens sometimes after I have
started the car up to move it. Thanks for the quick
response. This is good knowledge to have. I will post a pic
of the car. I really like it so far and I got it for a steal at
only 2,300 dollars. Also, would it be a good idea to have the
transmission fluid changed right away? It is a 5 speed.

Tranny fluid -- Can't hurt if you don't know the history--but manual tranny fluid just lubes the gears - it isn't under the same stress as auto tranny fluid.....


Recommend


1) Replace Engine Coolant Temp Sensor (ECTS) and connector (Saturn only). Original sensors had flawed design, and pretty much all failed. Replace with brass-tipped design.


2)Throttle body cleaning


3) EGR cleaning (when you start having accel/decel strangeness--after having changed the ECTS)


4) Be religious on your oil changes (3K) and it should run indefinitely....

Would you suggest a fuel additive for the throttle body cleaning?
What are your thoughts on synthetic oil instead or regular? And
one more question, what is EGR cleaning? Sorry for all the
questions

Never really noticed a difference with fuel additives. Just don't use crap gas and you should be fine. Clean throttle body by disconnecting the air inlet ducting and spraying throttle body cleaner while working the throttle by hand under the hood. With the engine off, be sure to get the back of the throttle plate good with a toothbrush.


Switching to synthetic at this point can actually lead to seal leaks b/c the synthetic tends to flow better and can work its way where the dino oil has trouble getting to. (Never had this problem personally but others have)


Personally, I switched both my SC2s (95 and 97 -- orig engines lasted to 185 K each) over to Mobil 1 -- burns about half the total amount of oil, and supposedly helps to keep the varnish buildup on the rings down.


EGR cleaning -- remove the EGR valve and clean inside with choke cleaner. Work the pintle valve (gently) until it moves freely. Also clean the gunk out of the ports where the EGR mounts to the engine. Most S cars develop EGR issues between 75 and 125K -- I believe due to significant oil burining -- leading to carbon buildup and hindered/sticking EGR valve.

I'm sorry to intrude on your conversation, but i just saw that oyu said you switched to mobil 1 and burned half the amount of oil, is mobil 1 a type of oil? My car burns oil very fast and i didn't know if there was a way to change that. Thanks.

Yes MOBIL-1 is a type of oil