Why do Saturns sl of the 90's burn oil?

I have a 94 saturn sl1 single cam, it burns oil and i just want to know what it could be. I have seen a few other cars that look a like with the same problem.Why do Saturns sl of the 90's burn oil?
The reasons vary. If you follow most of the owner comments on the saturnfans.com forum, you'll notice that some owners have no oil burning at all, and others have severe oil burning. No one knows the exact cause... as it may be from various reasons. Some things that have been speculated have included valve timing, bad piston seals, etc...





However, batting around theory doesn't really help your immediate problem. My suggestion is to try simple fixes first. On the Saturns I've seen burn the ';least'; oil, I've noticed that the PCV valves have moved cleanly and freely when removed. Those which burn more (greater than 1 quart/3000 miles) tend to have plugged or impaired PCV Valves.





So my suggestion is to go to your Saturn retailer, or perhaps mail order for a replacement valve... but be sure to ONLY buy the OEM Valve. Do NOT buy an aftermarket. You will send your Saturn to a quick demise with a non GM/Saturn Valve. A few owners have suffered valve/head damage from a bad purchase. The valves don't cost that much, probably a few bucks. If you don't have a retailer close to you, you could clean them with gasoline and see how that works for you.





Good luck.