1991-1992 SC
1993-1994 SC1
1993-1994 SC2
1991-1994 SL
1991-1994 SL1
1991-1994 SL2
1993-1994 SW1
1993-1994 SW2
Remove two 7mm screws at the top of the panel.
Remove two philips screws from bottom of the panel.
Remove one 7mm screw from bottom of the panel.
Slide panel forward off of OBD connector.
Installation is the reverse of removal.
1993-1994 SC1
1993-1994 SC2
1993-1994 SL
1993-1994 SL1
1993-1994 SL2
1993-1994 SW1
1993-1994 SW2
Inside the center console is the airbag system’s inertia switch, which detects changes in the car’s motion. Hitting this box could result in the airbags going off. While you can just try to be careful when working under the center console, I recommend disabling the airbags whenever working near the switch.
Disconnect the negative battery cable. It’s the black one. You’ll need the 8mm socket.
Remove the airbag fuse. It is located in the fuse box in the passenger side of the center console. In my ’93 SL2, it was the far upper left fuse, but check the back of the fuse box cover panel to be sure you remove the correct one.
Disconnect the drivers side airbag. The harness is easy to spot because it’s bright yellow. It has a metal clip on it holding it in place – just wiggle the harness around and the clip will slide off of the metal it’s mounted to. Then use your flathead screwdriver to push the green locking pin out of the harness. With the pin out, you can push in the clip and undo the harness. Don’t worry about taking the blue pin out.
Re-enabling is the reverse of disable.
1993-1994 SC1
1993-1994 SC2
1993-1994 SL
1993-1994 SL1
1993-1994 SL2
1993-1994 SW1
1993-1994 SW2
Remove 4 screws from back of steering wheel. 15/16 inch screws.
Slide the airbag out of the steering wheel.
Disconnect the wiring harness. Use the flathead screwdriver to release the clip and disconnect the harness.
Installation is the reverse of removal.
For a full list of stock Saturn alloy wheels, check out
http://evilplastic.com/wheels.htm
’91-’95
’91-’95
’95-’02
’96-’99
’96-’99
’97-’00
’00-’02
’01-’02
’93-’95
’94-’97
’96-’97
’97-’98
’98-’99
’99-’02
’00-’01
’01-’02
Short answer: if you have to ask, then you probably can’t.
Long Answer: It depends. It is not a drop-in motor swap by any means. Even the GM Ecotec (found in the S-Series replacement, the ION) and Saturn 1.9L engines have different dimensions, mate to different transmissions, and have different electronic controls. Theoretically, the following would be required to make a non-Saturn 1.9L engine work in an S-Series:
– engine
– custom axles
– custom engine mounts
– standalone engine management
– probably a hundred little things you’d find along the way…
Doing all this requires a ton of skill, a lot of money, and significant time/downtime (this is the reason for the seemingly harsh “short answer”). Be ready to spend thousands and not be able to drive your car for a year or more. Also, if you had to ask this question, chances are you don’t have the skills to do the swap, and asking a shop to do it for you is going to cost you an enormous amount of money, if you can even find a shop willing and able to do it.
Also, this is all pretty much the same work that would be required to make any non-Saturn 1.9L engine work in an S-Series, and it will get expensive. Because of this, you have to decide if your money is better spent making the 1.9L fast (they have pushed near 400hp), and if you do want to do an engine swap, is the Ecotec the best choice? For similar money, you may decide you’d rather put a 6 or 8 cylinder engine in.
Only the Saturn 1.9L engine is a direct swap. The Saturn engine was designed and produced while Saturn was still a largely separate subsidiary of GM, and was not extensively using the GM parts bin. It is a unique engine, with many unique characteristics. It was not sourced from any outside vendor. (Past rumors have dubbed it an Isuzu engine, as well as others. It is not.) It was not used in any other vehicle.
The same engine was, however, used in all models of the S-Series (coupe, sedan, and wagon), so if you need an engine, it can come from any of these models. There are year-to-year differences, as well as single and dual cam versions, so you will need to pay attention to those. See the knowledge guide section regarding S-Series engines for more info on the different Saturn 1.9L engines.
The trim levels through the rest of the page will be referred to as “1’s” (SC1, SL1, SW1) and “2’s” (SC2, SL2, SW2).
1) The engine
The most commonly known difference 1’s and 2’s is the engine. The 1’s have the SOHC (85 hp ’91-’94, 100 hp ’95-’02), while the 2’s have the DOHC (124 hp ’91-’02).
2) The transmission
The 1’s transmissions (MP2, MP6) are geared for economy, the 2’s (MP3, MP7) are geared more for acceleration.
3) The seats
The seats in the 1’s are a single-piece back. The seat adjusts 2 ways: forward/backward slide, and forward/backward tilting seat back. There is no separate headrest.
The seats in the 2’s also slide forward/backward, and the seatback tilts forward/backward, but the seats also have a lumbar adjustment (driver’s side only) and a separate, adjustable headrest.
4) The fabric
The 1’s use a simple, durable fabric, while the 2’s use a more plush fabric. Also, the seats seem to be more cushioned.
5) Rear anti-sway bar
1’s do not have a rear anti-sway bar. 2’s do.
6) Front anti-sway bar
1’s front anti-sway bar is thinner than 2’s, due to the 2’s having a rear anti-sway bar.
7) Gauge cluster
1’s gauges show up to 110 mph and redline at 5,500 RPM. 2’s gauges show up to 130 mph and redline at 6,750 RPM.
8) EVO (Electronically Controlled Orifice)
Only found on 2’s, the EVO is a valve for the power steering that progressively decreases power assist as speeds increase and totally turns off the assist at around 35 mph. (Not sure if this one is accurate – have heard of people finding EVO’s on 1’s)
SL vs. SL1:
The SL is the bare-bones base 4 door model. It has pretty much no options at all. Will try to get more detail of just how stripped down it is later.
’93-’96 SC1 vs. SC vs. SC2
For ’91-’92, the coupes were only available as DOHC models, and called “SC”. The SC1 was introduced in 1993, and the SC was renamed SC2. The SC and SC2 are the same, aside from model year changes.
Aside from the differences listed above, there are a few differences specific to the 1st gen SC1 vs SC/SC2. First, the front is different. SC1 uses some of the SL/SW front end with fixed headlights, but with unique fenders to match the coupe door shape. SC2 has pop-up headlights and unique front facia. The SC1 does not have the trunk lid reflector the SC2 does.
(American International GMK412)
(Single DIN)
(Metra 99-3106)
(Single or Double DIN)
(?)
(Single DIN)
(Metra 99-3100)
(Single DIN)
(Metra – 1943/IK-3100 or 1943-3100)
(Single DIN)
(American International GMK411)
(Single DIN)
(Metra 99-3105)
(Single DIN)
