98 questions

[veritasconnor]

i just recently purchased a white 98 sl2 sedan and im already in love with it. its small, semi sporty, and i would like to add some performance parts to it. my main question is, how would i know if its dohc or sohc? also...

1) i would like to buy a cheap cold air intake from ebay (30$ or so) will i mess up any sensors just by installing it?

2) would a performance chip mess it up?

3) what kinds of exhaust would you recommend.

4) im trying to avoid making my car sound to ricey, but i want it to at least purrrrr a bit.

im really worried about messing up sensors, to where it wont make my car start. lemme know if there are any "important" notes i should know before i go buying these parts.


if theres any hints, tips, advice, or anything related to the above questions, i would be greatly appreciative. ive driven many cars and trucks, and the saturn, for some reason is just one vehicle i know little of. also i dont have a manual so im kinda fish out of the water.

thnx alot. -michael

[veritasconnor]

whats the difference between the sl1 and sl2 models?
again im new to saturns, but like i said earlier, am already in love with them!

[r.rogers8]

sl1 is single over head cam and sl2 is dual over head cam with high preformance transmission

[Tylerc161]

plus the 2 series look better. they have the painted ground kit.

i have a new muffler, but its ricey sounding.. no intake yet.. im driving a SW1. DO NOT get one of those $10 "performance chips" off of ebay tho. their literally like, $0.10 resistors.. soooo cheap

[mysatilac]

Originally Posted by veritasconnor

1) i would like to buy a cheap cold air intake from ebay (30$ or so) will i mess up any sensors just by installing it?

2) would a performance chip mess it up?

3) what kinds of exhaust would you recommend.

4) im trying to avoid making my car sound to ricey, but i want it to at least purrrrr a bit.

im really worried about messing up sensors, to where it wont make my car start.
thnx alot. -michael

1)No, but you will have to relocate the IAT (Intake Air Temp.) sensor, it is currently right before your air box in your stock intake, but it doesn't do any harm to have it next to your new intake

2)No, a performance chip won't mess it up, but all I've seen readily available for the Saturns are cheap piggy backs, which as mentioned are just $0.10 resistors that are being sold for profit, here is a post that mentions the resistances, so you can buy your own resistor if you must do this mod,

Originally Posted by MySatilac

Here are the resistances for the ECTS or IAT in various tempertures
-20 degrees F________39K-53K OHMs
0 degrees F__________21K-27K OHMs
60 degrees F_________3.9K-4.5K OHMs
120 degrees F________1.0K-1.1K OHMs
160 degrees F________430-480 OHMs
200 degrees F________215-235 OHMs

3)I reccomend a flow through exhaust with a 4" tip and removable silencer, it is what I have
here is what ebay has to say Take Your Pick

4) With a 4 cylinder, adding a bunch of mods normally makes it sound kinda ricey, not real easy to avoid this, but going with turned down tip(s) on the new muffler give it a slightly deeper less ricey sound... I really enjoy my muffler even though it is a tiny bit ricey,
Its not gonna sound like a honda, but its not gonna sound like a camaro either...Saturns are pretty unique

[veritasconnor]

Originally Posted by mysatilac

Its not gonna sound like a honda, but its not gonna sound like a camaro either...Saturns are pretty unique

thnx alot for the information! and i REALLY agree saturns are their own unique car. i was just worried, for the most part, that if i added the intake, it would cause harm to sensors preventing me from starting it ( i had this problem with a toyota 4runner just recently , and it was a 2002!!! with low miles! but luckily it wasnt my car lol )

well that took the "worry" off my shoulders. i am going to purchase and install an intake for now, and then think about mufflers and exhaust. i know its 4cyl, but i just didnt wanna sound like that ricey guy all decked out with the hugest exhaust tip he could find. ( i kinda think thats annoying, making your car sound faster than it really is... sighz )

thnx again, and i am glad to join the saturn family. -mike

[veritasconnor]

and the boondock saints rule ~veritasconnor~ lol is my af name!

[mysatilac]

I always recommend the largest muffler you can find,
But its a personal preference, that way I can hear it over my system... well sometimes...but again, it doesn't sound like a decked out honda with the same exhaust, its deeper and quiter


Hell yeah Boondock Saints is the best, Props on the name,
It became my favorite movie the first time I saw it...I was really suprised that it didn't get much publicity, my friends were the first place I heard about it, and that was after it was out on DVD,

Yeah, welcome to the Saturn family, you're lucky enough to start out with an SL2, I've got an SL1 but there is still some get up in it,

[Onimacus]

Originally Posted by mysatilac

Its not gonna sound like a honda, but its not gonna sound like a camaro either...Saturns are pretty unique

My Honda sounds better than most Saturn's i've seen with exhaust hehe.


The SL2 is an awesome car, I love mine, it actually has some potential. But if you are gonna get an intake, don't get some cheapo 30$ ebay one. Save up and spend money on a decent one. You are going to what you pay for, so you pay for a 30$ crap intake pipe.... thats all your gonna get...

[mysatilac]

Originally Posted by Onimacus

My Honda sounds better than most Saturn's i've seen with exhaust hehe.


The SL2 is an awesome car, I love mine, it actually has some potential. But if you are gonna get an intake, don't get some cheapo 30$ ebay one. Save up and spend money on a decent one. You are going to what you pay for, so you pay for a 30$ crap intake pipe.... thats all your gonna get...

first, you havent seen my saturn...and your honda (like most others) is the sound this guy is trying to avoid for good reason

second, an aftermarket intake, is an englarged pipe and high flow filter, you my friend are overpaying for a name...

[Onimacus]

haha my honda sounds nothing like any honda you have ever heard. Its loud, but its not a fart can. it doesn't sound like the engine is cracking apart, and it doesn't sound like a can of bee's..... I wish i could record it..

[sierrap615]

Originally Posted by Onimacus

and it doesn't sound like a can of bee's.....

if my muffler sound like that i would rip it off myself, with my bare hands, while it was still hot. my $20 autozone muffler couldn't sound any better, it has a nice deep pur to it, like a 4 cylinder hot-rod.

mysat, when is that desiel exhaust stack coming?

[mysatilac]

Originally Posted by mysatilac

3)I reccomend a flow through exhaust with a 4" tip and removable silencer, it is what I have
here is what ebay has to say Take Your Pick

I'll put in a stack with a flapper when I can afford one,