Thought we might start a list of common repairs on the 9000.

Here goes :

Front flexible brake hoses tend to bulge around the macpherson strut mounting point and this is an MOT failure point.
New hoses cost around £10 to £15 and take an hour or two to fit. ( you have to remove the rear inner wing )

Another one I have noticed is the front wishbone mounting has an aluminum piece around the steel shaft which retains the bush.
This aluminum piece has cracked and disintegrated on both 9000's I own.
Anyone know a cheap source for a replacement?

Good idea!

There is a 'Saab Component Failure Rate.fp5' document at the following URL, but I have recently been unable to acces it: http://216.78.172.244/
Anyone know of another source of this info?

My experience of common repairs (non-service items) starts as follows (Most occur at higher milages):

- DI Packs
- Heater Matrix
- Metal coolant stubb-pipe to Turbo (Corrodes)
- Head Gaskets
- Turbo wastegate stuck (£50 to clean out soot, or $$$ for maindealer to replace turbo!)
- Timing chain, tensioner and slippers (guides).

Not so common items:
- Drivers door window switch (failed)
- ACC rear door fans stuck 'ON' (now stuck 'OFF'!)
- Cracked cyclinder head (0n CDE 2L LPT, '93) - V-rare, thankfully!

Excellent idea!

Slave Cylinder
Master Cylinder
Fan heater Rheostat - fan only works on setting 4.

Yes Kevin , had the problem too ,fan only working on setting 4.

High level brake light earth failed. Had to make new one close to bulb holder on hatch.

Hmmm

- Suspension bushes
- Premature gearbox failure on some c1994-95 cars, although I believe there was a warranty recall for this issue.
- APC Solenoid valve failure

I could pull out all my receipts from the last 28 months but it would make for a rather tedious post. http://www.saabscene.com/forum/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif

Fan working only on setting 4. This has just happened to mine as well. I'm sure there was a thread about the cure for this. Anyone know where?

Neil

had my 95 cse for 3 years - 70k when bought - 110 now.

some kind of clip loose on turbo so not working, dealer fixed under warranty

DI failed at 80k - 180 pounds for replacement, changed lamda (02) sensor before this diagnosed 105 pounds, might have been faulty anyway

fuel pump housing pipe kinked and the housing was overpressurised blowing off the return feed, a common fault I think - 190 pounds replacement, got second hand for around 80 from southwest saab

problem now with speedo, changed drive and transducer, must be electrical fault with feed to clock

problem with gearbox locking up, oiled linkage bush and been ok for 3000k so must have been fault

three mot's with only tyres, pads, etc

not bad for 50k motoring

I have had my 94 CSE 2.0 LPT for a year and 20k miles.
Repairs so far :
ACC blowing hot constantly - DIY repair £0
Rear section to exhaust and Cat - £500 from Kwikfit (robbing Ba***rds)
Drivers window out of alignment - DIY repair £0
Repair to paintwork after it was 'keyed' - £25 Paint, T-cut, etc.
Loose hose to radiator - DIY again £0
Broken Front Fog - £40 Twostroke.co.uk
Broken Headlight lens - £50 twostoke.co.uk
MOT repairs couple of bulbs, seized handbrake, loose fuel filler pipe, wiper blade. £85 incl MOT

Repairs Pending: :A/C hasn't worked since I bought it.
electrical problem(Interior light blows fuse every time i use it - so I don't use it!)
Driver's seat is a wee bit loose

Despite all this, the car is still a joy to own.

Stu

I forgot about Engine Mounts - they seem to crop up quite often. 2 out of 3 of my 9000's have needed replacements.

One more. The bracket from the back of the gearbox which supports the rear of the cat is prone to fracture.

I have a '93 9000 CS 2.0 LPT (Now done 93,000). I have had it for just over 2 years and had to do:-
1. Turbo wastegate
2. Replace Heater Matrix (Eurocarparts £55+vat)
3. Butterfly Bushes
4. Turbo coolant pipe
Jobs to be done (gulp!)
1. Gearbox pinion bearings
2. Turbo housing leaking (bolt missing)

Saabpiolt

The aluminium piece you refer to is called a bearing support, there are two on each side, they cost about £5.00 from Saab, europarts also sell them, not to bad to replace if they have corroded and fall to bits when you remove them, but they can become siezed and have to be cut off, corrosion of these supports is quite common, and a mot failure

Hey everyone! what does "mot" mean in "mot failure"? I've been searching for it, in other posts, and have yet to find it. I'm sorry to ask, but I know there are people out there who also don't know and will be happy to be informed. Thanks as always!!!!!! z

simple enough,MOT stands for Ministry of Transport
so mot Failure indicates that a vehicle has failed the Ministry of Transport test.

Which, considering we have not had a "Ministry of Transport" for a long long time, is quaint.

Department of Sound? Doesn't sound as good, does it.

A slightly fuller explanation of MOT test, for our non-UK members ...

And I'm sure that better informed members will correct the ifs and maybe's in this:

About 20 years ago the UK government became concerned about the number of accidents caused by critical component failures (brakes, chassis) in the many old cars on the road.

Through the Department of Transport (MOT) it instituted a mandatory annual test for cars over a certain age - which I think over time has dropped to three years. (Uncertain of this 'cos all the cars I've personally owned have all been well over three years old).

The test now includes - and this is why it is also relevent to more modern (3 yr old) vehicles - a test of exhaust emissions.

It is illegal to drive a car that doesn't have a current MOT Certificate. Thus, in theory at least, UK roads are populated with safe cars that pollute our world as little as possible.

In practice there is a considerable number of cars that don't have valid MOT's, driven by uninsured drivers who've never passed a driving test (insurance and a driving licence are also mandatory).

20 years Gassy? where have you been?

I bought my first car in about 1962/3 and it had to have an MOT then; although when introduced they were commonly known as 'The Ten Year Test' because only cars that old had to be tested.

just a little further useless information ,in New Zealand , they have a warrent,same as the MOT only there trailors and caravans etc have to have its own warrent.That about right PVA??

My first car, an Austin 7 (1930 vintage) had to go with the arrival of the MOT. With brakes which were ineffective over 35mph to say nothing of the lights, poor door locks etc. there was no way in a million years it would have passed. The MOT test probably saved my life.

So where was the hill you went down at over 35mph in a baby seven?? The rattle from the starter dog would have put the wind up any modern MOT tester

Hi MikeH.

The WOF (warrant of fitness) in NZ is a 6-monthly affair!, for cars over 5 years old (annual up to then), and all imports from scratch. A brave attempt, but as is usual, only penalises those who would look after their cars anyway, judging by some of the rust-heaps seen carousing the streets. Anyway, who's to say a car passed today cannot fail next week? And, yes, includes all trailers, caravans etc. It's cheaper to rent an occasional trailer, than keep one's own licenced, WOF'd etc.

If I were really cynical (which of course I never am), WOFs and MOTs are part of any expensive government's greater plan to devolve responsibility and cost on the citizen, much as VAT (GST) and lotteries are public taxes collected by the public!!!

It behoves every man/woman to recognise bullshit when they see it.

PVA,
thanks for the info,I did wonder as to the Moiri
driven Holdens that blast past you full of kids and dogs.
Mike