Leaking valve cover '96 SL 1.9L & Intake
 

Do the Saturn's have the same problem most other GM engines have with Valve Covers and Intake Manifold Gaskets leaking? Anything in particular to look for or do when inspecting or replacing them? Thanks - BC

At the risk of sounding simplistic, if you don't see oil streaks/traces coming from the valve cover, chances are you don't need to worry about it. Now, occasionally, there will be a failure at the sparkplug hole, and they will fill with oil, so you need to check that occasionally.

As far as the intake manifold, unless the manifold itself breaks, you shouldn't have a problem - but anything is possible, I guess. Point I'm trying to make here, I've personally owned 6 different Saturns since 1993 (still have three of 'em), and I've not had either of the problems show up in any of my cars (so far)

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The young man that owns the car changed the spark plugs. When he did, he didn't know he should check to see if there was anything in the recess with the plugs. Two of the recesses were partially filled with oil (can see on the old plug) and he didn't get the spark plug socket all the way down on the new plug. He cracked the porcelain on two of the plugs. I can't throw a rock at him as the very first time I changed plugs in a small block Chevy, I did the same thing, many more years ago than I care to remember. He has 10 error codes in the PCM. The engine won't idle and he has been using the gas peddle to keep it from dieing. Cleaned the carbon off the IAC and the EGR, but still runs terrible. Changed the valve cover gasket and used only enough RTV in corners to keep the gasket in the valve cover, but oil is still leaking into where the spark plugs are. It has also been running a little hot. The coolant looks good and the cooling system is pressurizing. Thanks - BC

Ok so replace the cam cover set, get it from a GM dealer or change it 3 times as often. If the car is a Saturn SL as you stated ("just1oldman Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Southeast Texas Posts: 3 Leaking valve cover '96 SL 1.9L & Intake")
then it is not a twincam or dual overhead cam engine and does not have oil galleys in the cam cover. Must be a SL2?

It is an SL2. Just RTV'd the "%#@&" out of the Valve cover, replaced a bad Ignition coil, IAC, TPS, broken vacuum hose, and broken new plugs. Getting no more error codes. Now he has to replace his broken (worn out?) mount. Thanks guys - BC

PS - as far as Saturn being "dead", every time I see a GMC Acadia(?), Chevy Traverse, Buick Enclave, Chevy Malibu, Cadillac SRX, or Chevy Equinox(?), I see a Saturn. Every one of these was a Saturn first before it was any of the aforementioned. - Saturn still lives on. - BC