Service Engine Soon Light

Hello Saturn Enthusiasts: I have a 2001 SC1 3 Door Coupe that I
bought used. It has 64000 miles on it. A light came on that says
"Service Engine Soon". Does anyone know what service is required
when this light comes on. Also how often is it recommended to change
the manual transmission fluid. Any help appreciated.

 

Could be any one of dozens of services. The only way to know is to read the
trouble code, for most of us that means going to the dealership or a
garage. In my case it indicated a dead evaporative system valve.

 

Go to Autozone or most other big part stores, they have a OBD2 reader and
can tell you the problem and maybe sell you the part to fix it.

how about change it every 30K miles or so? that's what I recommend. You'll
have to check your owners manual for what Saturn recommends.

 

The service engine light indicates many things. The main culprit is the gas
cap not clicked 3 times when you put it back in after filling with gas.
Remove the cap, put it back on and turn it till it clicks 3 times. After
driving it for a few miles, the light may go off, otherwise, you will need
to take it into Saturn or a GM mechanic to have the light reset.

If that;s not it, then you need to have the engine codes read. You can
either goto a auto parts store and buy a code reader which runs typically
from $50 up to hundreds. They come with a book which helps to decipher the
codes.
if you aren't technically inclined best to simply git-er-done and take you
SC into the shop to let them take care of it.

FYI, the manual tranny is "filled for life" and should not under normal
operating conditions be changed for 100K miles or slightly more. If you have
just gotten the car, it is wise preventive measures to change all fluids
anyways. The radiator fluid (if orange) is rated at 100K mi also. The spark
plugs are rated at 30K mi. though. I highly reccomend having the plugs
changed to platinim plugs, this will extend the life to 100K miles and give
you better performance.