wooo my first car!!

[DonP]

I bought a 90 (parts car)

No such thing as a 1990 Saturn me thinks....

[followthereaper]

No such thing as a 1990 Saturn me thinks....

This says they started production in 1990.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn_%28automobile%29

[slayer32390]

Same issues mentioned above; since I've had it, I've replaced alternator $250, starter $300, brakes $770 (4 new rotors) and tires $300. Eats oil at the rate of 1 qt per 1000 miles. I'm not sure if I have overheating issues, but the tip with the AC does work turning on the fan if you are stuck in traffic. You do not want to overheat - if you warp the aluminum head then nothing but troubles. put in new spark plugs at 150K and replaced them at 190K. They were in great shape (no oil fouling like I thought I would find), but the electodes were .060 from wear and tear. Stock gap is .040, so I'll change at 30K miles next time. BE CAREFUL! Aluminum heads strip out, use thread anti-seize stuff. Working on the Saturn is a breeze as far as tune ups. If I wasn't so lazy I'd have done all the work myself and saved some dough.

wow man i have no idea what half the shit you just said means lol im not a car junkie type of person. but thanks for the tips...?

[DonP]

This says they started production in 1990.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn_%28automobile%29

OK, but FusionFarmer has one strange Saturn - back half is a 90 and rest is a 98. The changed style in 1996.

[El_Kabong]

If you have no idea of what Don wrote, I recommend that you go get yourself a Haynes manual for your car: http://www.haynes.com/na.html . He gave you some bare bones advice, not anything fancy. These manulas taught me a lot and saved me a bundle of cash when I was younger. In addition, I knew when a sleazy garage was trying to rip me off. Congrats on your first car.

[DonP]

wow man i have no idea what half the shit you just said means lol im not a car junkie type of person. but thanks for the tips...?

Just that if you take good care of it, it will last you a very long time. If you feel up to it, get a service manual or take shop classes in school. You'll save lots of money learning how to take care of it yourself.

Yours is a 1999 with 52K. If it last as long as mine, you'll have it for another 150K miles. Always watch the oil - running out of oil will kill it. Saturns just use up oil, just a fact of life. Yours might not be doing it yet, it gets bad at 75K - 100K miles.

[finnman]

ditto on checking the oil.
I never knew crap about cars untill I got married at age 20.
My wife had a 66 Mustang. Not getting payed much being in the NAVY, I got myself a Chiltons Manual and learned how to fix the stang myself.
23 years later we still got the car. I'll be getting it painted next year.
The car never ran so good.
Like said above, GET A MANUAL. It will save you BIG BUCKS in the long run.
p.s. the oil stain in the driveway is from the Saturn