1995 SL 1 oil consumption
#11
12-11-2022, 12:37 PM
As the owner of two s cars 95 and 97 SC2s, I ran 5w30 from day one mobile synthetic after break in w dino oil. Oil changes like clockwork every 3000. 95 to not start burning oil until about 110 k. The 97 started burning oil at about 85K.
It is my understanding that there were no return holes behind the oil control rings which hastened them getting varnished and stuck in such a position on the piston that oil control was greatly decreased. Maybe they change that in the third generation, I have no clue.
I know people doing home rebuilds on first gen and second gen DOHCs would actually drill out four holes at the top of each piston before reassembling. Seemed to work out pretty well but I have no numbers to support that.
The SOHC engine you have is not known to be much of an oil burner when you look across the board at the prevalence, certainly compared to the DOHC engine in the SC2s. As Andy said, not keeping up with oil changes eventually catches up to you in different ways on different cars. Actually he didn't say all of that I added some stuff.
What is not being discussed are the valve guide seals in the head. My 95 burned oil at a slow steady rate until about 150k when it took off. Before I burned an exhaust valve at about 180 k, it was one quart per 500 mi.. I drove it that way for probably 20,000 mi. It never failed inspection so I assume the oil was burning efficiently in the cat which also never required replacing. It was not the original cat, as it was cheaper to replace the downpipe flex pipe and cat as a single assembly with a flange that just bolted to the resonator which was also replaced along with the muffler. Bolts and flanges I can do and did at home.
95 is OBD1 and I'll bet you a dollar since I also live in Pennsylvania that you are going to have to drive to bum**** who knows where in the state to find an inspection station with a functional OBD1 state certified tester. Per my mechanic, It cost him $10,000 a year in software updates, required updates to stay certified and he tested my car and three others every year and then my car and two others.
Anyway, the valve guide seals on DOHCs became as much of an oil passage problem as the rings on the piston did. So when dude says slap a rebuilt head on it, that's part of the reason why. I don't believe the valves between the SOHC and DOHC were the same, but I'll bet you the valve guide seals were similar.
The other significant variable here is how low you have ever let the oil level get. People post here that their car suddenly started burning oil. one of the first questions is did you let the level get low and how low. If it gets down below two and a half quarts in the crankcase, you've got slightly more than half the oil the engine needs to stay lubricated. The oil control rings absolutely bake in place along with other things due to the oil starvation. It only holds four quarts and it needs all four.
I believe the most success in the Saturn community has been using MMO marvel mystery oil to do a piston soak for whatever amount of time. You dump some in the spark hole plugs and I believe some in the crankcase and let it sit. It billows foul dark smoke until it all burns off so don't do it in your garage nor during the day when your neighbors can trace where the stench is coming from.
People do repeated MMO soaks. Results very based on how glued in place your oil control rings are so no promises.
Another way to keep the volume of oil being lost down is to run a higher viscosity oil like 5W-40 synthetic. Back then it was a cheap enough option but comparatively percentage-wise it is probably just as much more expensive percentage-wise as it was compared to five or 10W-30. The higher viscosity oil doesn't seem to get into the cylinders as quickly so you don't have to add oil as often and you don't go through it as quickly. I wouldn't run 5W-40 in the winter Stick with a 30 weight but spring summer and fall you decide whether the money is worth a convenience and since you are 84, on fixed income, it's your call. I'm just trying to lay out the array of options.
Trying to find even a reasonably priced used car that is not riddled with problems that the owner does not tell you about is pretty much impossible. And the actual nice ones that run cost too much. A new car is obviously out of the question for you unless a bag of money lands on your front step. I'm not making fun of you. You've worked hard your entire life. I hate the way the elderly community is disrespected in this country. Indirectly, I wouldn't have what I have if not for the work you did your entire life. People should have more respect.
Since this post is getting all over the place as many of mine do, I will leave you with this: unless someone with true skills Will do the rings and the head basically for free, just keep adding oil to it and try a few MMO piston soaks. You have nothing to lose with those as long as you follow those directions. Given the amount of oil that has already gotten to your cat, if it's not dead yet it doesn't much matter. You've only got a front O2 sensor and I fully expect states will start exempting the rest of the OBD1 cars soon or they will ban them from the roads.
One last option is to register it as an antique vehicle. 25 years old is the requirement and you meet that. You pay a one-time registration fee and some other bogus fees and it must have passed inspection in PA meaning it must have good stickers at the time you apply.
What You get in return is no more annual renewal for the registration. That becomes permanent and is in big bold letters on the registration card.
The other thing you get is no more inspections of any type ever. The fees you pay up front basically buy you these rights.
You are only supposed to drive these vehicles to and from shows and such. Can't use them for commerce and not supposed to use them for daily drivers, but I have a hard time seeing a police officer pull you over in a 95 Saturn, and then in your case, come up to your window to see you are 84 years old and just trying to get to the store. If you are a military veteran and I believe you are but I can't see your original post, have something clearly visible to that effect maybe hanging off the mirror. Any law officer who tickets in 84-year-old veteran for violating antique automobile use laws is just a dick.
So that is my take on all this and a bunch of other stuff you never asked to know. Make your kids wash it and maintain it nice and clean. Or your grandkids. Keep it clean inside and out and nobody will bother you.
Okay shutting up now.
We are always here for you. Dude is a new regular, something we haven't had on this form in about 7 years but the rest of us are here.
It is my understanding that there were no return holes behind the oil control rings which hastened them getting varnished and stuck in such a position on the piston that oil control was greatly decreased. Maybe they change that in the third generation, I have no clue.
I know people doing home rebuilds on first gen and second gen DOHCs would actually drill out four holes at the top of each piston before reassembling. Seemed to work out pretty well but I have no numbers to support that.
The SOHC engine you have is not known to be much of an oil burner when you look across the board at the prevalence, certainly compared to the DOHC engine in the SC2s. As Andy said, not keeping up with oil changes eventually catches up to you in different ways on different cars. Actually he didn't say all of that I added some stuff.
What is not being discussed are the valve guide seals in the head. My 95 burned oil at a slow steady rate until about 150k when it took off. Before I burned an exhaust valve at about 180 k, it was one quart per 500 mi.. I drove it that way for probably 20,000 mi. It never failed inspection so I assume the oil was burning efficiently in the cat which also never required replacing. It was not the original cat, as it was cheaper to replace the downpipe flex pipe and cat as a single assembly with a flange that just bolted to the resonator which was also replaced along with the muffler. Bolts and flanges I can do and did at home.
95 is OBD1 and I'll bet you a dollar since I also live in Pennsylvania that you are going to have to drive to bum**** who knows where in the state to find an inspection station with a functional OBD1 state certified tester. Per my mechanic, It cost him $10,000 a year in software updates, required updates to stay certified and he tested my car and three others every year and then my car and two others.
Anyway, the valve guide seals on DOHCs became as much of an oil passage problem as the rings on the piston did. So when dude says slap a rebuilt head on it, that's part of the reason why. I don't believe the valves between the SOHC and DOHC were the same, but I'll bet you the valve guide seals were similar.
The other significant variable here is how low you have ever let the oil level get. People post here that their car suddenly started burning oil. one of the first questions is did you let the level get low and how low. If it gets down below two and a half quarts in the crankcase, you've got slightly more than half the oil the engine needs to stay lubricated. The oil control rings absolutely bake in place along with other things due to the oil starvation. It only holds four quarts and it needs all four.
I believe the most success in the Saturn community has been using MMO marvel mystery oil to do a piston soak for whatever amount of time. You dump some in the spark hole plugs and I believe some in the crankcase and let it sit. It billows foul dark smoke until it all burns off so don't do it in your garage nor during the day when your neighbors can trace where the stench is coming from.
People do repeated MMO soaks. Results very based on how glued in place your oil control rings are so no promises.
Another way to keep the volume of oil being lost down is to run a higher viscosity oil like 5W-40 synthetic. Back then it was a cheap enough option but comparatively percentage-wise it is probably just as much more expensive percentage-wise as it was compared to five or 10W-30. The higher viscosity oil doesn't seem to get into the cylinders as quickly so you don't have to add oil as often and you don't go through it as quickly. I wouldn't run 5W-40 in the winter Stick with a 30 weight but spring summer and fall you decide whether the money is worth a convenience and since you are 84, on fixed income, it's your call. I'm just trying to lay out the array of options.
Trying to find even a reasonably priced used car that is not riddled with problems that the owner does not tell you about is pretty much impossible. And the actual nice ones that run cost too much. A new car is obviously out of the question for you unless a bag of money lands on your front step. I'm not making fun of you. You've worked hard your entire life. I hate the way the elderly community is disrespected in this country. Indirectly, I wouldn't have what I have if not for the work you did your entire life. People should have more respect.
Since this post is getting all over the place as many of mine do, I will leave you with this: unless someone with true skills Will do the rings and the head basically for free, just keep adding oil to it and try a few MMO piston soaks. You have nothing to lose with those as long as you follow those directions. Given the amount of oil that has already gotten to your cat, if it's not dead yet it doesn't much matter. You've only got a front O2 sensor and I fully expect states will start exempting the rest of the OBD1 cars soon or they will ban them from the roads.
One last option is to register it as an antique vehicle. 25 years old is the requirement and you meet that. You pay a one-time registration fee and some other bogus fees and it must have passed inspection in PA meaning it must have good stickers at the time you apply.
What You get in return is no more annual renewal for the registration. That becomes permanent and is in big bold letters on the registration card.
The other thing you get is no more inspections of any type ever. The fees you pay up front basically buy you these rights.
You are only supposed to drive these vehicles to and from shows and such. Can't use them for commerce and not supposed to use them for daily drivers, but I have a hard time seeing a police officer pull you over in a 95 Saturn, and then in your case, come up to your window to see you are 84 years old and just trying to get to the store. If you are a military veteran and I believe you are but I can't see your original post, have something clearly visible to that effect maybe hanging off the mirror. Any law officer who tickets in 84-year-old veteran for violating antique automobile use laws is just a dick.
So that is my take on all this and a bunch of other stuff you never asked to know. Make your kids wash it and maintain it nice and clean. Or your grandkids. Keep it clean inside and out and nobody will bother you.
Okay shutting up now.
We are always here for you. Dude is a new regular, something we haven't had on this form in about 7 years but the rest of us are here.
Last edited by derf; 12-11-2022 at 12:40 PM.
#14
12-12-2022, 04:17 PM
I thought I had sent this reply but it doesn't seem to show up here. Again, I really appreciate the kind words. So, I was born and raised in Pittsburgh and moved to Charlotte North Carolina early in my career in the steel business. I married a gal from Charlotte, raised my three kids there, and now am retired living close to the city in Kings Mountain, NC. I have been a car nut from my teenage years and my only regret is that I can't work on them like I used to. I checked on having the engine rebuilt completely but $4400 is more than I can afford and even if I could, it probably doesn't make a lot of sense. So, I think the best route is to continue to change the oil with Mobil 1 5w30 and a Mobile 1 oil filter, as soon as the oil looks dirty. I'll do this for the next few thousand miles and see what happens. The car doesn't have to pass a smog test where I live so if the cat dies, would it be ok to just run a straight pipe? Or would that throw some annoying engine lights? And has anybody heard of the Kreen Gas and Oil Treatment I mentioned earlier? Thanks for all the comments and words of encouragement.
#15
12-12-2022, 04:42 PM
Alright Jimmy, but Mobile 1 is expensive and few people realize w/synthetic the plan is to change JUST THE FILTER and top off the oil. I did that in a 1979 Ford battlewagon I had, it was running like a watch when I sold it at 279K. I started that program at 60K when I bought it. So at 3k I changed the filter and topped off the oil, when I hit 25K I did a COMPLETE oil change and repeated the cycle. Cost effective and worked out great for me.
In your case I'd use ANY organic oil you choose BUT replace 1qt w/ MMO then add MMO as needed till I reached 3K and repeat the drill. This will continue to emulsify the carbon in your oil control rings and drain back holes.
Just my 2 cents, good luck.
In your case I'd use ANY organic oil you choose BUT replace 1qt w/ MMO then add MMO as needed till I reached 3K and repeat the drill. This will continue to emulsify the carbon in your oil control rings and drain back holes.
Just my 2 cents, good luck.
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