The last engine at the local P&S sold before I could get there. Still driving the car. I disconnected the fuel injector for the bad cylinder to see if it would help the gas mileage. No difference, just acts a little wimpy compared to before. Work is going crazy too so I might have to drive it like this for a few more weeks. Hope it holds up.

 

Well, that sucks.
Just think of it as a mobile vibrating massager.
I drove mine for 9 months with a dead cylinder until I saved up enough cash for a replacement engine. Tried to keep it at lower rpms.
Pretty sure the PCM turns off an injector after a continuously misfiring cylinder arises to limit the damage caused by pumping raw gas into the cat.

 

Yeah, I thought the same thing (PCM turning off injector) which may explain the negligible difference with it unplugged. One thing that did change after I unplugged it is it stopped having a high idle when driving or out of gear (2500-3000rpm) which was causing drivability problems.It had a more normal idle after I did that although it's starting to have a high idle again (now 1500-2500rpm). BTW, in either case the idle will slow down if I'm stopped (in or out of gear) for more than about 20 seconds. As soon as I let off the brake (or tap the gas if it's out of gear) the high idle comes back and I have to wait for it to slow down again.
Seems to me the PCM is trying to compensate for things and it's making it worse. I think I also have a second cylinder acting up too. Maybe I'll unplug it too and run as a twin. Already sounds like a Harley at idle when it's in gear.

 

Today I pulled up to a light a little behind and to the left of a Harley. The guy kept looking around for the other Harley.

 

Well at this point, you might as well just ream out the cat and straight pipe the rest so you will get all the street respect you deserve...

 

9,000 miles later and still driving this thing on 3 cylinders. 2nd vehicle has been out of action for a month or so and this poor Saturn is getting the thrashing of a lifetime. Runs no worse or better than before except now the throttle position sensor is staring to flake out.
Wife was trying to back up in a bank parking lot of all places and it acted like she never touched the gas - until she started to let off the gas, then it lurched backwards over the curb and into the bushes.
Just a little scrape on the muffler so it's good.

 

Still going on 3 cylinders.

 

And the service engine soon light bulb hasn't even burnt out yet. That's reliability. That's Saturn. A different kind of company. A different kind of car. FGM

 

You got that right derf!

 

Went to start the car this morning and it wouldn't crank. Between the super cold weather and the car having sat for a week the battery just didn't have the guts to turn it over.
Hooked up the jumper cables and after a few minutes it had enough juice to turn it over but it was almost too slow. Kept starting only to stall as soon as I released the starter.
Finally ended up keeping the starter engaged until the rpms got up enough the engine could run on its own (sorry starter!).
Reminds me of the Geo Metro I used to have that only ran on 2 cylinders (out of 3). Had to stop driving it when the really cold weather hit for the same reason. Just didn't have enough power to come up to idle speed when it was really cold.

Hopefully the Saturn will do a little better this evening when I get off work. Got the jumper cables in the back just in case.