my name is ricky and i just bought a 1995 saturn sl2 5 speed. the car was fine when i got it but things went down hill FAST like 3 days fast. i have numerous problems now with the car. the first one is i believe my clutch went out because when i would shift into any gear it would be sluggish to get up to speed and my rpms would go to about 3 or 4k. now the car doesnt even move. the car is also leaking water out of the over flow valve and the mechanic says he thinks it a head gasket im not sure tho. the help would be greatly appreshiated cuz i believe the shop is trying to screw me. thanks

 

I'd be looking for bubbles in the overflow tank with the engine running -- if found, it would suggest a bad head gasket

 

Unfortunatly a clutch can go out rather quickly. One min. working, next min. slipping. Once they start to fail, total failure is quick and there is no way to Doctor one into pretending it is any good. 1995?, 15 years old and how many miles? And how many of them abused?
If water is comming out overflow, a number of reasons for it can be true. Ranging from it's not really the over flow, but the plastic header tank on the side of the engine compartment where the over flow is located, is broken or cracked, to the thing is actually running hot and the water is boiling. Does the temperature gauge work and if it does, what does it read. And how long has it been doing this.
The entire week or so since you bought it or just recently?

 

my 94 sl2 fell apart fast after i bought it too, only 120k miles and the original owner said about 40% of it was from being towed (my car has a tow package on the front of it so it could be dragged behind a RV) i had to pull my motor and tranny and rebuild the entire thing... and mainly it was because of this same problem, but it led to many other more serious issues... if and when you go to replace the head gasket make sure you inspect everything really close... and you may want to check your timing belt, mine got stretched because of water in the oil, and it broke my tensioner, slapped all over the place and broke a few other things... hugeeeee mess lol

 

the car has about 200k on it right now. the temo guage? i think it works i mean it moves but i has never gone up over the 1/4 line really if it has not too far. the car has been abused in the past. the person that had it before me was 18 and thaught the thing was a race car lol. the only reason i got it was cuz i needed a car and it was cheap. go figure i would put a grand into it. but i have not really been able to look at it too much cuz its in storage right now.

 

Ricky61071 --

Hmmm...........

200k on the clock -- previous owner a teenager with delusions od SCCA championship --

Yeah, it sounds like clutch rebuild to me

As far as a sluggish response, I'd opt for a replacement of the ECTS and its associated connector (about $40usd in parts). Granted, the temp guage seems to be operational, but if that sensor is a bit "whonky", it can cause a whole list of problems, with lousy performance being one of them.

It's a '95, so look in your Chilton's (or Haynes, or whatever) manual and read up on the method of getting the computer to spit out any fail codes. Post the numbers here, and the group will try to guide your footsteps........

 

ok thanks i was gonna get a new thermostat anywyas cuz of the leaking out of the overflow halve. is the ect and thermostat the same thing or are they different parts when i gett he numbers i will post them. i do know tho that when they got the numbers one time is had one to do with the o2 sensors or something like that but no shop could see why it was giving those numbers tho cuz everything was all good they said but i will do it again tho thanks u guys have been helpfull

 

ECTS == Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor. An electrical sensor with two wires going to it that's located on the driver's side of the engine (on the end), just under where the radiator hose comes out.

Thermostat == just that - a mechanical device that fits inside the outlet of the cooling water for the engine (actually, just above the ECTS sensor).

Sure would like to see them codes ................

 

.... And by the way .... Saturns, even with brand new thermostats, will never read up to 1/2 on temp gauge ..... I've had 5 of them and they all stay around 1/4, 3/8 up the gauge.


Is your car a single cam or twin cam??? Single cam heads tend to warp when they get alot of mileage ( head bolt fatigue syndrom I guess LOL!!!) If your gasket failed, you'll have brownish sludge in your overflow tank from the oil mixing with the coolant!!!