2nd Aug 2006, 12:25

Well, I would like to know what they did to repair the problem. All you state is that it cost $1440, but that doesn't help anyone with similar symptoms who wants to know what to suggest to a mechanic to check.

13th Dec 2006, 18:19

I am a current owner of a 2000 Saturn LS2 with the V6 and Automatic Transmission. I have had the car since August 2006 with only 91,000 km on it. The car has currently over 102,000 km on it and the only problems I have ever dealt with the car is that I had the MAS Airflow Sensor replaced and a new Power Steering line. However this Saturn model is a pleasure to drive. Being at 6'6" it is very comfortable to drive especially for great distances. The only complaint is that the V6 should be mated to a 5 Speed manual transmission. Your thoughts??

14th Dec 2006, 07:03

"The only complaint is that the V6 should be mated to a 5 Speed manual transmission. Your thoughts??"

I think it would be a great combination. We have the V6 too and it's blazing fast with the automatic. At least the auto knows when to shift, but I agree, a manual would be ideal.

The car's based on the previous generation Opel Vectra, and the engine (L81) was used in the Opel Omega. I believe that it was available in Europe with a manual.

2nd Mar 2007, 08:43

For the man that has hesitation in his car. I think that your problem may lie in the the carburetor. For 70 they cleaned mine, you can do it a lot cheaper if you know how and the hesitation has stopped. I have a 1995 SL2 I believe.

2nd May 2007, 17:28

I have this same car, 2000 LS2, smokin hot car, blazing fast, but I have the same bogging down problem and I have replaced the MAF sensor, what is up with that?

27th Sep 2007, 11:45

We have a 2002 Saturn L300 with about 100,000 miles. After changing the thermostat at 90,000 miles the Service light, the one with the wrench, started coming on intermittently. When the Service light comes on the transmission shifts with a jolt. I have a Scan Tool and can read the codes, but no code is stored to read after the Service Light comes on, in fact shutting the car off a traffic light and then restarting the car "fixes" the problem.

The hard shifts seem independent of temperature and distance driven. The light comes on more often for my wife, the car is a transportation module to her, she is not as aware as I am. She accelerates harder than I do and takes the engine to a higher RPM.

I tend to feather the throttle to cause the engine to shift at an earlier rpm hoping for better gas mileage.

I thought I had done something wrong while replacing the thermostat, then the temperature sensor, and finally the front O2 sensor. Then I drove a friend's 2000 L Saturn with the V-6 and he warned me that accelerating hard away from a light would cause the Service Light to come on and then the car would shift hard.

The engine runs fine and gas mileage has not fallen off. Anyone else have this problem?

I see the Mass Air Flow, MAF, sensor diagnosis and will check ours, it did get disconnected when I replaced the thermostat. I have also seen a Transmission Pressure Sensor, TPS, diagnosis as well as a shift solenoid diagnosis (or are these the same part? I only have experience with manual transmissions). But those solutions seem to involve pulling the engine to access the side plate of the transmission. I have also seen a solution of just putting a can of transmission cleaner.

Anyone have this problem and can give a solution?

1st Oct 2007, 13:06

I agree with your guess of the MAF sensor. It's relatively cheap and easy to replace, and a faulty sensor WILL make the tranny shift pretty rough. It's a common problem on the L81 V6.

18th Oct 2007, 16:49

I have a 2000 LS1 Saturn with 118,000 miles on it. My transmission fluid is black so I would like to change it. But I want to do it myself. The only thing I have don't myself on my car is change the oil. Does anyone have any suggestions or a website I could go to that tells me how to do it? I heard that Saturns are made very tricky, so that only dealerships know how to change it. Is this true?

24th Oct 2007, 10:44

Back to my posting at the start of October about my wife's Saturn with the intermittent hard shifting that occurs with the sporadic appearance of the Service light, the one with the wrench.

I changed the Mass Air Flow Sensor yesterday and this morning she reports the light came back on and it was shifting hard. Yesterday she let me know the problem is becoming more frequent. So much for the $130 fix.

I changed the Automatic Transmission Fluid and filter at 90,000 miles. The fluid was not burnt, not quite as red as the new fluid, but still in good shape.

My next thought is to try some "miracle" cleaner in the transmission in case a shift solenoid is sticky (this is my first experience with an automatic transmission, I'm not fluent in terminology) At least this is a cheap approach. The next two steps would be for me to get a new engine computer at $400. After that would be having the dealership do a transmission rebuild at $1000 to replace the shift solenoid and the pressure sensor.

Does anyone have a recommendation on a transmission cleaner?

13th Dec 2007, 11:09

I have a 2000 Saturn LS2 and I too have had the service light with the wrench come on followed by hard shifting. Turning the car off and back on does seem to solve the problem. Thankfully, I was married to a auto tech at the time and that prevented being screwed by dealerships. We found that the hard shifting is due to the PCV (Pressure Control Valve) located IN the transmission. The valve regulates the pressure of the fluid inside your transmission from what I understand. I was advised to fix it because it can potentially ruin your transmission. I decided not too because if it ruins my transmission, I have to replace the trans anyways which will cost about $2000.00. If I fixed the PCV, it was going to cost $1500.00. I figured I would rather pay $2000.00 and have a brand new transmission than to pour $1500.00 into an old transmission.

The hard shifting has not occurred for several months now, but I am lately getting a 'vacuuming' noise from my engine. I found a vacuum hose that was disconnected and thought it was the culprit, but even after reconnecting it, the sound still occurs and the service light is still on.

Personally, I hate this car. I have had it since 2005, after it was given to me as a gift from my grandparents, and I have fixed the stupid thing at least once every three months and the costs have been exorbant. Ranging from $500-1000 per repair, I have almost paid two years worth of car notes. I am currently looking into other cars and will NEVER recommend Saturns to ANYONE.