Increase 'oomph' in a 98 Saturn

[TheStu]

I have a 98 Saturn SL2, with a 5-speed manual transmission, and about 135K miles. I like my car, since it gets great fuel economy (36-40 hwy) and generally runs well so long as I keep up with its insatiable oil and coolant thirst. The only thing I am not over the moon about is that it isn't exactly the zippiest off the line, and since I live in PA, and get to work via I-81, I sometimes get nervous trying to get onto the interstate from the on-ramp.

Is there anything I can do to increase the performance without sacrificing the fuel economy of my vehicle? I would prefer something affordable, and if I can do it myself that would be a bonus since I like to do as much of my own work on the car as possible.

 

[overst33r]

Wrap your headers and exhaust pipe with exhaust wrap for like $30... better flow=more power

 

[TheStu]

Originally posted by: mariok2006
Wrap your headers and exhaust pipe with exhaust wrap for like $30... better flow=more power

What exactly is is exhaust wrap? Is it some sort of insulation or what exactly?

 

[overst33r]

Originally posted by: TheStu

Originally posted by: mariok2006
Wrap your headers and exhaust pipe with exhaust wrap for like $30... better flow=more power

What exactly is is exhaust wrap? Is it some sort of insulation or what exactly?

Yes, the wrap helps maintain the temperature of the hot exhaust gases trying to escape, by letting them escape quicker you gain more power.

"When exhaust gases are pushed out of your cylinders to your exhaust manifold, the air surrounding the manifold begin to cool the gases. This cooling process reduces the velocity of the escaping gases and the engine must 'work' to push the gases through your exhaust system.

Wrapping the exhaust headers with exhaust wrap maintains hotter exhaust gases that exit the system faster through decreased density. Increased exhaust scavenging is produced, along with lower underhood and intake temperatures. "

something like this:

http://www.autobarn.net/exinwrbyth.html

 

[TheStu]

Huh, that sounds simple enough. I think I will have to buy some more jacks since i only have two and I will probably want to have the whole car lifted for this correct? Or would it be better to pull the exhaust system (sans manifold perhaps [or whatever the part that is immediatly attached to teh engine]) wrap it, and then put it back on?

 

[DougK62]

The best way to maintain the good fuel economy but give it noticeably more oomph is to put a turbo on it, which would probably cost as much as the car is worth. Your best bet is to just buy a different car.

 

[overst33r]

Originally posted by: TheStu
Huh, that sounds simple enough. I think I will have to buy some more jacks since i only have two and I will probably want to have the whole car lifted for this correct? Or would it be better to pull the exhaust system (sans manifold perhaps [or whatever the part that is immediatly attached to the engine]) wrap it, and then put it back on?

I think you should be able to wrap the headers with the hood open. For the exhaust, lifting the car would probably be much easier. I doubt you would have to remove anything from your car though, unless it is a tight squeeze to get the roll around the exhaust... you would also have to get some kind of heavy duty zip ties to faster then ends of the tape. I think you should just do the headers/exhaust manifold and see if you notice any power gain...

 

[j00fek]

put a nos sticker on it, i think it gives the car 25more hp.

 

[jtvang125]

Originally posted by: TheStu
Huh, that sounds simple enough. I think I will have to buy some more jacks since i only have two and I will probably want to have the whole car lifted for this correct? Or would it be better to pull the exhaust system (sans manifold perhaps [or whatever the part that is immediatly attached to teh engine]) wrap it, and then put it back on?

If you're going to do it, just wrap whatever you can without removing anything. That's just too much work for so little of a gain.

You'll probably see more gain with a higher flowing air filter.

 

[TheStu]

Originally posted by: j00fek
put a nos sticker on it, i think it gives the car 25more hp.

HAHA, maybe i should put a NOS sticker on my parent's old computer, that is running a little sluggish too!

 

[TheStu]

Originally posted by: DougK62
The best way to maintain the good fuel economy but give it noticeably more oomph is to put a turbo on it, which would probably cost as much as the car is worth. Your best bet is to just buy a different car.

Yea, I was checking it out, and it is apparently multiple thousands of dollars for the whole kit. And although I intend to keep the car for a few more years, I just don't think that is a justifiable purchase. It probably would not add much significant value to the car (I could be mistaken, but I probably will not be able to even remotely recoup the cost of adding the turbo on) so I think that one is a no.

The exhaust wrapping idea is a good one though, and definitely in my price range . Are there any other ideas like that one? I try to put good parts into my car, even if it may be overkill for the vehicle because I have been able to notice benefits from it. Like when I dropped Bosch Plus Four Platinum plugs in there, my fuel economy went up about 2 mpg, I now average about 38-39 mpg when before I was getting about 36-37, so that was good.

So like I said, any other ideas that are affordable but will add performance. What kind of maintanence things should I do? Transmission fluid, oil, stuff like that?

 

[Zenmervolt]

Honestly, there's not much you can do. Power is made from burning fuel, so if you add more power, you'll burn more fuel. Granted, you'll only use more fuel when you're using the extra power, but in most cases you'll end up with a slight hit in fuel economy.

I would be more worried about the loss of coolant and oil. If it's burning either, then that doesn't help economy or power and you can get more of both by fixing the coolant and oil leak.

ZV

 

[TheStu]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
Honestly, there's not much you can do. Power is made from burning fuel, so if you add more power, you'll burn more fuel. Granted, you'll only use more fuel when you're using the extra power, but in most cases you'll end up with a slight hit in fuel economy.

I would be more worried about the loss of coolant and oil. If it's burning either, then that doesn't help economy or power and you can get more of both by fixing the coolant and oil leak.

ZV

Any good way to figure out what exactly is causing the leak, wihtout replacing anything?

 

[Vette73]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
Honestly, there's not much you can do. Power is made from burning fuel, so if you add more power, you'll burn more fuel. Granted, you'll only use more fuel when you're using the extra power, but in most cases you'll end up with a slight hit in fuel economy.

I would be more worried about the loss of coolant and oil. If it's burning either, then that doesn't help economy or power and you can get more of both by fixing the coolant and oil leak.

ZV

Yea I was about to say he MIGHT have as much as a bad head gasket which would cause low performance. But seeing that it can hit 40Mpg and still moves I doubt it. So fix you coolant and maybe oil problem. Oil might be in the head as some of the eary saturn motors did use some oil from head issues.



I would say check/replace things that have been over looked. Like fuel filter, plug wires, plugs, clean out throttle body, etc...

 

[j00fek]

Originally posted by: TheStu

Originally posted by: j00fek
put a nos sticker on it, i think it gives the car 25more hp.

HAHA, maybe i should put a NOS sticker on my parent's old computer, that is running a little sluggish too!

:thumbsup: :laugh:

 

[CrackRabbit]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
Honestly, there's not much you can do. Power is made from burning fuel, so if you add more power, you'll burn more fuel. Granted, you'll only use more fuel when you're using the extra power, but in most cases you'll end up with a slight hit in fuel economy.

I would be more worried about the loss of coolant and oil. If it's burning either, then that doesn't help economy or power and you can get more of both by fixing the coolant and oil leak.

ZV

The 1.9 ltr motor used in that generation of Saturns was notorious for having the head crack and fail internally. The 97 I had burned oil from about 60k miles to when i got rid of it at 120k.
You might want to check your oil and make sure there isn't a kind of greyish colored goop on the filler cap or dipstick. If you have either of those signs you should start saving for major repairs or another car.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: TheStu

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
Honestly, there's not much you can do. Power is made from burning fuel, so if you add more power, you'll burn more fuel. Granted, you'll only use more fuel when you're using the extra power, but in most cases you'll end up with a slight hit in fuel economy.

I would be more worried about the loss of coolant and oil. If it's burning either, then that doesn't help economy or power and you can get more of both by fixing the coolant and oil leak.

ZV

Any good way to figure out what exactly is causing the leak, wihtout replacing anything?

Well, does the coolant leak out and leave puddles or does it just disappear?

Run the engine for a while and watch under the car to see if anything is dripping.

Also, check the spark plugs, you can usually see if they're oil-fouled or have any unusual deposits on them. http://www.dansmc.com/Spark_Pl...ark_Plugs_catalog.html

ZV

 

[TheStu]

Originally posted by: CrackRabbit

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
Honestly, there's not much you can do. Power is made from burning fuel, so if you add more power, you'll burn more fuel. Granted, you'll only use more fuel when you're using the extra power, but in most cases you'll end up with a slight hit in fuel economy.

I would be more worried about the loss of coolant and oil. If it's burning either, then that doesn't help economy or power and you can get more of both by fixing the coolant and oil leak.

ZV

The 1.9 ltr motor used in that generation of Saturns was notorious for having the head crack and fail internally. The 97 I had burned oil from about 60k miles to when i got rid of it at 120k.
You might want to check your oil and make sure there isn't a kind of greyish colored goop on the filler cap or dipstick. If you have either of those signs you should start saving for major repairs or another car.

I have never noticed any of that on the dipstick, its has always been either clear (just after an oil change) or dark. As far as goop on the oil cap... I don't think that I have ever seen anything like that, but i will keep an eye out for that.

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

Originally posted by: TheStu

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
Honestly, there's not much you can do. Power is made from burning fuel, so if you add more power, you'll burn more fuel. Granted, you'll only use more fuel when you're using the extra power, but in most cases you'll end up with a slight hit in fuel economy.

I would be more worried about the loss of coolant and oil. If it's burning either, then that doesn't help economy or power and you can get more of both by fixing the coolant and oil leak.

ZV

Any good way to figure out what exactly is causing the leak, wihtout replacing anything?

Well, does the coolant leak out and leave puddles or does it just disappear?

Run the engine for a while and watch under the car to see if anything is dripping.

Also, check the spark plugs, you can usually see if they're oil-fouled or have any unusual deposits on them. http://www.dansmc.com/Spark_Pl...ark_Plugs_catalog.html

ZV

The coolant does not seem to leak all the time, but every now and again it will leak rather considerably. I will park my car, and then come back and there will be a puddle under the car. I do not recall if this is usually associated after long driving, but I will also keep that in mind.

I just replaced the spark plugs maybe 2-3 months ago, so they should still be fine. One of the old was looked as though it had been dunked in oil, and I have been checking it periodically to make sure that hasnt happened again and so far it hasnt. I'll pull the plugs next weekend when I replace the rear brakes to make sure they are still in good shape.

Could either the oil or coolant be solved by replacing some hoses or fittings, things that easy or is it slightly more in that I have to replace the pumps or something?

 

[Aikouka]

Originally posted by: TheStu
The coolant does not seem to leak all the time, but every now and again it will leak rather considerably. I will park my car, and then come back and there will be a puddle under the car. I do not recall if this is usually associated after long driving, but I will also keep that in mind.

Were you running the air conditioner?

 

[TheStu]

Originally posted by: Aikouka

Originally posted by: TheStu
The coolant does not seem to leak all the time, but every now and again it will leak rather considerably. I will park my car, and then come back and there will be a puddle under the car. I do not recall if this is usually associated after long driving, but I will also keep that in mind.

Were you running the air conditioner?

Sometimes, I just got that refilled with freon (well, not freon but you know what i mean) and that will drip, but that is just water, I checked that, it was clear and odorless, ergo water. I do know what coolant looks like, that is green and smells like... coolant.

Unless there is some other connotation that i don't realize.

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: TheStu
I just replaced the spark plugs maybe 2-3 months ago, so they should still be fine. One of the old was looked as though it had been dunked in oil, and I have been checking it periodically to make sure that hasnt happened again and so far it hasnt. I'll pull the plugs next weekend when I replace the rear brakes to make sure they are still in good shape.

Could either the oil or coolant be solved by replacing some hoses or fittings, things that easy or is it slightly more in that I have to replace the pumps or something?

Well, oil leaks usually aren't that fast and easy. Unless you're lucky and it's just a loose oil filter or drain plug, it'll probably be a seal, worn valve guides, a plugged PCV valve, or improperly sealing oil rings, all of which are very labor intensive. Coolant can be easy. Clean the engine really well, drive it around, and check it for fresh oil or coolant decorating a previously clean area. That should help you pinpoint the problem. Also squeeze your hoses to check them--they should be firm but flexible. Any squishiness, obvious cracks, or bulging where they connect with their fittings might be a sign that they're on their way out. Also check the waterpump (which can be hard to do, it's usually buried). If you still have the original waterpump, it could be on its way out, they're considered maintenance items. Another possibility is that the coolant is boiling over on some days and not on others. Look for patterns (does it leak more on hot days? When you drive hard? When you're running the AC?), and try to pinpoint the source of the leak. I had a VW Golf that would leak coolant, and I simply could not figure out why until I realized that it was running a pressurized system for some reason, and the cap on the overflow bottle had an O-ring that had come slightly out of its groove, allowing it to leak when the coolant got hot enough. Strange design, which made it hard to figure out. You might want to burp the coolant system of air as well. The procedure varies from car to car, but generally taking the radiator cap off and squeezing the hoses slowly, and then putting the radiator cap on to the first click and letting it idle for half a minute should help. Check your manual, though, I know that on my car (MR2), it has a very unusual method, and standard techniques will actually introduce air.

 

[TheStu]

Wow, thanks for all the information. I'll keep track of all of this from now on so I can try to pinpoint the problem. I want the car to last me as long as possible, and all of this should help.

Keep the ideas and suggestions coming.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: TheStu
The coolant does not seem to leak all the time, but every now and again it will leak rather considerably. I will park my car, and then come back and there will be a puddle under the car. I do not recall if this is usually associated after long driving, but I will also keep that in mind.

That's odd. The first thing I'd check for the coolant is all the hose clamps and hoses. It's possible that one is just loose. Also check the radiator cap (NOT with the engine warm), it may be damaged and not holding pressure. Something to consider replacing.

Originally posted by: TheStu
I just replaced the spark plugs maybe 2-3 months ago, so they should still be fine. One of the old was looked as though it had been dunked in oil, and I have been checking it periodically to make sure that hasnt happened again and so far it hasnt. I'll pull the plugs next weekend when I replace the rear brakes to make sure they are still in good shape.

Good policy, I'd keep checking on them as long as you're losing oil, I'd say maybe once a month if you haven't seen any issues so far.

Originally posted by: TheStu
Could either the oil or coolant be solved by replacing some hoses or fittings, things that easy or is it slightly more in that I have to replace the pumps or something?

Coolant might be, but oil wouldn't be that simple unless it's the drain plug (not terribly likely given that it seems to have persisted through more than one oil change, but worth checking).

ZV

 

[TheStu]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

Originally posted by: TheStu
The coolant does not seem to leak all the time, but every now and again it will leak rather considerably. I will park my car, and then come back and there will be a puddle under the car. I do not recall if this is usually associated after long driving, but I will also keep that in mind.

That's odd. The first thing I'd check for the coolant is all the hose clamps and hoses. It's possible that one is just loose. Also check the radiator cap (NOT with the engine warm), it may be damaged and not holding pressure. Something to consider replacing.

Originally posted by: TheStu
I just replaced the spark plugs maybe 2-3 months ago, so they should still be fine. One of the old was looked as though it had been dunked in oil, and I have been checking it periodically to make sure that hasnt happened again and so far it hasnt. I'll pull the plugs next weekend when I replace the rear brakes to make sure they are still in good shape.

Good policy, I'd keep checking on them as long as you're losing oil, I'd say maybe once a month if you haven't seen any issues so far.

Originally posted by: TheStu
Could either the oil or coolant be solved by replacing some hoses or fittings, things that easy or is it slightly more in that I have to replace the pumps or something?

Coolant might be, but oil wouldn't be that simple unless it's the drain plug (not terribly likely given that it seems to have persisted through more than one oil change, but worth checking).

ZV

Alright, thanks, I'll check the hoses and whatnot tomorrow.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Less weight in the car may help improve mileage and acceleration. Rip out the back seats of your car and lose that gut.