02 SC2 possible head gasket?
timguyli
02-18-2013, 04:34 PM
Hi, I have a 2001 sc2 that i think needs a head gasket. i bought the car last month with 104k miles. I replaced the cracked radiator and now the car is leaving puddles of anti freeze on the street, and the oil is milky. I am new to saturns and am not familiar with these engines. i was quoted $950 to $1200 to do the head gasket. how can i make sure its the head? Thanks
ryanusrey2012
02-18-2013, 05:27 PM
It sounds like you definatly will have to replace either a head gasket or an intake gasket when you take it in I would have a smoke test or a leak down test to prove which is the problem
Ruley73
02-19-2013, 12:13 AM
Let me first say that the head gasket doesn't fail very often in the DOHC Saturn 1.9L engine.
Where are you seeing the milky oil? If you are seeing it under the filler cap, this is nothing to worry about. This is normal and usually occurs when the car is driven on short trips in cold temps. Have you changed the oil since you bought the car? If not, I'd start by doing that first. A common cause for a coolant leak on 2000-2002 DOHC 1.9L Saturn engines is when the composite (plastic) intake manifold develops a crack just behind the EGR valve where the heater hose and bleed hose (the one that goes back to the reservoir) connect to it. This CarSaturn fix (http://www.carsaturnstore.com/products/2000%252d2002-S%252dSeries-DOHC-Intake-Manifold-Repair-Kit.html) is the only one that has been proven to be reliable. I have had it on my car for almost 2 years. I would recommend it as preventative maintenance because intake manifold has a very high failure rate.
While you have the coolant drained, you should replace the thermostat, water pump, and coolant cap as a preventative measure. The best thermostat is a Stant (p/n 14279) from Advance Auto. The water pump and cap won't really matter where you get them from.
Also, if your car is a 2001 then you should replace the engine coolant temp sensor with one that has a brass tip. Saturn changed it to a brass-tipped sensor in the middle of 2001 so you may already have one, but you won't know unless you check. If your car has the plastic-tipped sensor it can crack, leak coolant, and cause irradic idle & bad fuel economy. If your car is a 2002 then you won't need to worry about this
Where are you seeing the milky oil? If you are seeing it under the filler cap, this is nothing to worry about. This is normal and usually occurs when the car is driven on short trips in cold temps. Have you changed the oil since you bought the car? If not, I'd start by doing that first. A common cause for a coolant leak on 2000-2002 DOHC 1.9L Saturn engines is when the composite (plastic) intake manifold develops a crack just behind the EGR valve where the heater hose and bleed hose (the one that goes back to the reservoir) connect to it. This CarSaturn fix (http://www.carsaturnstore.com/products/2000%252d2002-S%252dSeries-DOHC-Intake-Manifold-Repair-Kit.html) is the only one that has been proven to be reliable. I have had it on my car for almost 2 years. I would recommend it as preventative maintenance because intake manifold has a very high failure rate.
While you have the coolant drained, you should replace the thermostat, water pump, and coolant cap as a preventative measure. The best thermostat is a Stant (p/n 14279) from Advance Auto. The water pump and cap won't really matter where you get them from.
Also, if your car is a 2001 then you should replace the engine coolant temp sensor with one that has a brass tip. Saturn changed it to a brass-tipped sensor in the middle of 2001 so you may already have one, but you won't know unless you check. If your car has the plastic-tipped sensor it can crack, leak coolant, and cause irradic idle & bad fuel economy. If your car is a 2002 then you won't need to worry about this
Automotive Network, Inc., Copyright ©2025