Cage Rage

[Nick Calne]

Bloody car is at it again.

It's been in the garage for three weeks and has needed a new exhaust, cat, o2 sensor, throttle body thingy, coil pack and turbocharger ... and it isn't even fixed yet.

The bill is estimated at around £2000 and that's all my money for improving steamer no.2 gone.

ARRRGGHHHHH!!!!

...

...

(Sorry, don't mean to spread ugly stuff about, but just had to let it out)

[KuzzinKenny]

It must be FRENCH !!  :lol:

KK

[smoketriples]

The bill is estimated at around £2000 and that's all my money for improving steamer no.2 gone.

And that's why no garage ever see's my cages or bikes.  Most of that money is labor and inflated parts prices.  I've now collected enough tools that the only place that sees my car is the tire shop because for $12 USD a wheel to mount and balance I can't be bothered to grunt them on myself :).

[PeteH]

It's been in the garage for three weeks and has needed a new exhaust, cat, o2 sensor, throttle body thingy, coil pack and turbocharger ... and it isn't even fixed yet.

What are they doing...throwing parts at it and hope they work??? Hmm, agree it does sound French

[Chris Canning]

Diesel?/Petrol? how many miles has it done.

[NKL]

I would hope its petrol if it needs a coil pack.

[Nick Calne]

It's a 2003 Saab 9-5 2.3 Aero HOT (petrol) with 75000m on it.  Should be good for another 200,000m...

Given the total reliability of the Swedish cars I have had before both Volvo's and Saab's I have had before this should not be happening.  On the other hand if I'd bought a French car I would assume I'd brought disaster on myself!!

As my French colleague occasionally reminds me, "there is no merit in anything French!"

[JetdocX]

As my French colleague occasionally reminds me, "there is no merit in anything French!"

Contraire.  They build some really nice bizjets.

[smoketriples]

Aha....that was my other hobby marque for years (saabs).  Owned two stroke saabs, V4s, turbo fours, etc.  I'm down to only 3 now, an old style 900 turbo convertible and a couple of early 9000 turbos.

Other than the famous oil sludge issue with the 2.3, you should not be having these problems.  Yes, the coil pack is an expensive failure and not totally unexpected, but the rest of it??

If you are interested I can hook you up with a saabnut friend of mine who lives about an hour out of London who can at least give you some advice  :).

-Eric

It's a 2003 Saab 9-5 2.3 Aero HOT (petrol) with 75000m on it.  Should be good for another 200,000m...

Given the total reliability of the Swedish cars I have had before both Volvo's and Saab's I have had before this should not be happening.  On the other hand if I'd bought a French car I would assume I'd brought disaster on myself!!

As my French colleague occasionally reminds me, "there is no merit in anything French!"

[Chris Canning]

Without going into a long rambling story,regardless of all the tosh you read about long life oil changes it ain't true,I use a Mercedes Sprinter to earn a living,bang on the dot I drop the oil out at 5000 miles and so do all the other guys I know who run one,and hence why 350,0000 is the norm and I include the turbo,I've a friend who's just needed a short motor and a turbo following manafactureres instructions :(

[Nick Calne]

Aha....that was my other hobby marque for years (saabs).  Owned two stroke saabs, V4s, turbo fours, etc.  I'm down to only 3 now, an old style 900 turbo convertible and a couple of early 9000 turbos.

Other than the famous oil sludge issue with the 2.3, you should not be having these problems.  Yes, the coil pack is an expensive failure and not totally unexpected, but the rest of it??

If you are interested I can hook you up with a saabnut friend of mine who lives about an hour out of London who can at least give you some advice  :).

That might be helpful, thanks.  I've heard about the sludge issue but never understood what was really involved.  Given the length of time the car's going to be off the road is it worth having them drop the sump and potentially  clean it out I wonder?

[smoketriples]

I'll defer to my buddy over there, I just posted him a note asking if he'd mind if I hooked you two up to talk saab.  

My wrenching experience is with 'classic' saabs so after 1993 model year all I have is hearsay.  Our 91 9000T has the 2.3 and it was unsludged by the previous owner, another saab club buddy.  He could only fit 3 quarts of oil in with a filter change and knew something was wrong!

Generally the 2.3 will run forever.  I carried a spare ignition cassette but in over 300k miles never needed it.  I replaced clutch and slave once, 2 waterpumps, 1 alternator, and swapped the transmission after the wife left 5th gear somewhere on the roadway.  Beast will still run but it's been retired due to terminal rust.  She put well over 300k on her first 9000T (an 86), and only retired it after it was pranged by a teenager.

e

[cosmo]

Sadly, I believe SAAB has breathed it's last. GM never made money with it, and no one else seems inclined to try.

Cosmo

[Nick Calne]

Looks that way.  Don't think the GM thing did Saab any good.  But thinking about it, did GM do anyone any good ever?

[smoketriples]

GM killed it.  I owned a GM Saab for a short time and it was pure garbage.  Cable actuated clutch in a 1997 model car...puhlease.....

I loved the old 2 stoke saabs, and my classic 900 convertible is a garage queen that'll go to my heirs....but Saab as a company is dead.  

Spyker sold the factory to the chinese and is leasing it back because they couldn't make payroll or pay for parts...