1998 Saturn SL Logo
Posted on Sep 16, 2010
Answered by a Fixya Expert

Trustworthy Expert Solutions

At Fixya.com, our trusted experts are meticulously vetted and possess extensive experience in their respective fields. Backed by a community of knowledgeable professionals, our platform ensures that the solutions provided are thoroughly researched and validated.

View Our Top Experts

I own a 1999 Saturn SL2 sedan. The car is losing coolant somewhere and results in overheating. Thus far I have changed the engine coolant temperature sensor and it signals the temp. gauge just fine. The cooling fan also works as it should. I replaced the thermostat, and the coolant pressure cap. I can not see any visible leaking out of any hoses or from the temp. sensor. When you park the car there is no coolant dripping to be seen. I can refill the coolant so that it turns off the low coolant light but within about 40 miles the coolant is back down to where the light comes on. Shortly thereafter, the engine temp. climbs into the red zone. I have tried to use the metal flake radiator seal and it has not helped. I am getting plenty of heat from the heater in the car as well. There are no fuses blown anywhere and I have replaced the fan relay just in case. There does seem to be some shiny oil/glazed looking stuff on the engine block, just below the temp. sensor but I'm sure that the sensor isn't leaking. I used teflon tape and made sure to insert it all the way in leaving no threads visible. There was only one time were we could see the coolant on the ground. It was the front left side underneath the bumper. But it only happened once and never again. Any ideas would be very helpful at this point. Thank you all. Brian

1 Answer

Joseph Prosser

Level 3:

An expert who has achieved level 3 by getting 1000 points

Superstar:

An expert that got 20 achievements.

All-Star:

An expert that got 10 achievements.

MVP:

An expert that got 5 achievements.

  • Master 780 Answers
  • Posted on Sep 16, 2010
 Joseph Prosser
Master
Level 3:

An expert who has achieved level 3 by getting 1000 points

Superstar:

An expert that got 20 achievements.

All-Star:

An expert that got 10 achievements.

MVP:

An expert that got 5 achievements.

Joined: Apr 15, 2010
Answers
780
Questions
0
Helped
411114
Points
2711

You have done everything right so far. Sometimes water leaks out when the engine is hot and evaporates almost instantaneously, a classic point is the seal on the water pump pulley shaft. To find such a leak you need to pressure test your coolant system. The normal operational pressure of a coolant system is 7lbs/sqinch at running temperature. The pressure test will put in 11lbs/sqinch and then monitor this over some time looking for a bleed down due to the leak. If a leak exists to the exterior of the engine you should be able to spot the seepage. The next test will be to run the engine up to normal temperatures and to monitor the pressure, if the pressure jumps to 15lbs/sqinch when still cold then this indicates an internal gasket leak as exhaust gases are pushing out of the cylinder in to the coolant. One check to make is to remove the plugs one at a time and inspect them. Sometimes if water leaks into cylinder it has the effect of 'washing' the specific spark plug clean.

Add Your Answer

×

Uploading: 0%

my-video-file.mp4

Complete. Click "Add" to insert your video. Add

×

Loading...
Loading...

Related Questions:

0helpful
2answers

My saturn 1994 s12 is overheating even after i changed the water pump.

How hot is it getting in degrees F? Some electric fans won't even turn on, till around 220 degrees F. Does the fan turn on at all?
As far as overheating, does the coolant recovery reservoir fill up in a hurry?
Sometimes after opening up the cooling system, you get air in the system that may cause temp gage to react.
What about your thermostat? Did you check for coolant flow through the radiator? Another thought might be a head gasket issue, I'd check everything else first.
1helpful
1answer

Why is my 1997 Saturn sl2 overheating

What have you checked so far ?
Low coolant ?
Cooling fan working ?
1helpful
1answer

My coolant light keeps coming on even when the reservoir is full. there is a definite leak because theres liquid everywhere i park, but the amount of liquid doesnt seem to be matching the amount thats...

Well, that's a good engine test, anyway, not smoking and blown up yet, lol. I like your attitude, are you sure you don't drive a cavalier?
It sounds like the water pump, Molly. Better get it changed before serious damage results.
2helpful
1answer

97 Saturn SL2 sedan overheating,I replaced the waterpump,radiator,thermostat & heat sensor but it still overheats what else am i missing, thank you for your help in advance,I really appreciate it.

Pretty much it, except for the radiator fans and a good radiator cap that maintains a low pressure (about 13-15psi) in the coolant system. Any possibility you could have air trapped in the engine water passages?
I would recommend a compression test of the cylinders to check the head gasket. Or you could rent the little tester that checks for exhaust gases in the coolant.
0helpful
1answer

My 1993 sl2 saturn its over heating i already change termostat and replace anti freese they gave me the green one so i mix it with water bt it still over heating the fan works only when i put on the a/c...

It could be the water pump. To check this:
  • Make sure the engine is not hot and open up the radiator cap.
  • Turn on the car and let it idle with the cap off.
  • Allow the car to warm up.
  • When the engine is hot and it is getting close to overheating, look down into the radiator. The coolant should flow. (It should look like a little river is going past the radiator opening). If the coolant appears to be still then your water pump is bad.

Other possible problems:
  • Bad coolant temperature sensor.
  • Air bubble in the cooling system.
1helpful
2answers

My 99 Saturn SL2 has recently been leaking the engine coolant. Every time I drive it, I need to put in a 1/4 to 1/2 bottle of coolant. It was overheating a couple weeks ago and I replaced the fan motor. A...

Take it to a shop and ask them to put it up on a lift, take a look and figure out where it is leaking. They can tell you and also how much to fix.
0helpful
1answer
1helpful
1answer

98 saturn SL2, P0172 and misfire dtc's, jerks when accelerating after warmed up. Coolant looked a little frothy but doesn't seem to need coolant added(not consuming coolant)Oil looks good. Problem started...

Possible blown head gasket. Big problem . Have that checked immediately by a engine coolant pressure leak-down test. You can lose your engine and pronto! Small amount of coolant possible passing into crankcase or/and the cylinders.
17helpful
3answers

97 saturn sl2 temp light flashing and low coolant light flashing what could be the problem ? coolant is full and the heat works.

If the temp gauge is reading normal, the lights are flashing, and the coolant level is full, the level sensor in the coolant bottle is the problem. I'm a service consultant for a Saturn dealer and I've run across this many times.
Not finding what you are looking for?

967 views

Ask a Question

Usually answered in minutes!

Top Saturn Experts

ZJ Limited
ZJ Limited

Level 3 Expert

17989 Answers

Ronny Bennett Sr.
Ronny Bennett Sr.

Level 3 Expert

6988 Answers

Thomas Perkins
Thomas Perkins

Level 3 Expert

15088 Answers

Are you a Saturn Expert? Answer questions, earn points and help others

Answer questions

Manuals & User Guides

Loading...