2002 1.9 engine ??

[DWJ]

Looking at getting a fully loaded 2002 SL2 with the 1.9. I've been through the paces with a 95 that had the same size motor with the dreaded ring problems. Did they correct this problem in the latter years of this same engine?

[sierrap615]

by "dreaded ring problems" you mean the oil burning?(which by the way there is a easy and cheap piston soak how-to on saturnfans.com) well the design of the pistons including the ring lands did change two or three times between 95 and 02, in part to help the carbon build-up on the rings. they may have changed the design specs on the rings a bit, but they are still the same basic product from the same manufactior (Hastings i think?). so in other words, sticking piston rings = better but not perfict, only time will tell.

[saturnsc2]

Originally Posted by sierrap615

by "dreaded ring problems" you mean the oil burning?(which by the way there is a easy and cheap piston soak how-to on saturnfans.com) well the design of the pistons including the ring lands did change two or three times between 95 and 02, in part to help the carbon build-up on the rings. they may have changed the design specs on the rings a bit, but they are still the same basic product from the same manufactior (Hastings i think?). so in other words, sticking piston rings = better but not perfict, only time will tell.

does anybody know if these oil soak procedures are effective? i seem to see a lot of conflicting info on that site. i have a 2001 sc2 which burns no oil at all, but the car only has 19,000 miles on it & i don't expect it to now. i hope my engine has the improved rings, or whatever they did to the engine in later years to stop the oil burning problem....

[sierrap615]

the pistons were change in 96 and again in late 99. and, assuming the rings are the problem, the soak does have a high success rate.

[InsigniaDelta]

I'm not sure how much my info will help, because I have an SL1, that I used for commuting an hour each way to school. It's a 2002, with a 1.9SOHC, it's already got 108,000 miles on it though. I drove an hour each way to school during the week, and to work on the weekends. Now I have a 2002 Taurus SEL, and my mother took my car to drive an hour and a half one way to work daily.

So mostly, it's a highway-mile car, it's used for commuting.

It burns oil now like you wouldn't believe. About a quart every week and a half, give or take a couple of days.

I've lost a lot of compression in my cylinders causing a noticeable loss of power. My timing chain got stretched and caused problems, and now the clutch is starting to go.

I know a couple people with '02 SL2s, and '02 SC2s, none of them have had a real terrific time.

What I can say is, that under 80,000 they run great. But I'm looking at a complete rebuild now, when it gets towards like 125,000.

It probably doesn't help that I whooped the crap out of the car when I bought it new, I was into racing and such ::shrugs::

If you treat them well, they run forever, but they don't take a beating. This goes for every saturn I've ever really run into. So think about your driving habits, if you don't plan on beating it, then I'd say go for it.

[lonelywolf8588]

my 2002 sc2 has @42,000mi on it and has had no problems with burning oil