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saab 9-5 3.0 TID Hard to start Timing badly out Help.

8K views 18 replies 4 participants last post by  SaabLovePump 
#1 ·
I have some seious issues with the Saab I have just purchased on an internet site. Namely its a non runner The garage I had it towed to managed to get it started for about 20 seconds and then had to turn off because they feared damaging the engine with the timing being so far off, also there was a rattle coming from the dual mass fly wheel. The garage quoted me upwards of £2500 to fix it, which I dont think is worth spending on the car, It is currently sitting on my drive, where I intend to do the work on it myself. I have some basic mechanical and electrical skills having rebuilt a couple of engines in my distant youth. I would very much appreciate any help and advice, like where do I start. Thanks.
 
#2 ·
This engine is great when it works properly but it is notorious for dropped cylinder liners which is terminal, I've never heard of anyone being able to repair it. Thats the really bad news but a lot of "dropped liners" are in fact only head gasket problems. How do you know the timimg is out? and what caused it?

I would start with a compression test to get some idea of the state of the internals. Search amongst all the saab sites and you will find masses of info on the problems with this engine. How old is the engine as the later ones apparently didn't have liner problems. At the very least I think you will need to take the head to see what's happened.
 
#3 ·
I was told the engine was replaced in 2008 but I cant really trust the previous owners info, he swore blind that the problem was not the engine. Are there any numbers on the engine that could tell me if it was a replacement?
The garage where I originally sent it to said they had great difficulty starting it but when it did start ran very badly and lumpy through the timing being so off, and turned the engine off as he thought it might throw a piston. And they found some oil in a turbo hose.
My neighbour is a bit of a mechanic and has volunteered his expertise, so the first job will be a compression test. would you suggest having a look in the sump for metal fragments?
Thanks
 
#4 ·
A saab dealer will be able to tell you the details of the engine if you give them the engine number. If it was replaced in 08 then it should be one of the corrected engines.

I would be concerned about the diagnosis of the timing being out. Timing does not suddenly go out, it is usually due to the timing belt breaking or slipping. If thats the case the engine wouldn't run at all just very freely turn over (as it hits its valves). But if its making a terrible noise when runing there is clearly something wrong. A sump drop might well show up some something.

If compression is good that would rule out a head gasket or dropped liner.
 
#6 ·
Ok, so Ive bought a diesel compression tester and new battery and I,m ready to compression test. I believe I have to remove all the glow plugs to do the test, but that seems quite difficult with there being an electrical connection on top of th plug, and it does'nt seem to want to budge, sorry if I sound like a complete thicko, anyone have any ideas on how to remove them. And how do I stop the car from trying to start which would blow the guage to pieces apparently. Any help much appreciated.
 
#9 ·
The bird poo issue was more serious than first thought, apart from having a rotting hunk of junk on my drive it now transpires that the saab has attracted the wrong type of sparrow to my garden, slightly different from your average brown little jobbie, these guys carry 3 times the pooing ability, all over the bonnet roof and boot, its a mess. Will get the neighbours kid to clean for couple of quid.
Any ideas on glow plug removal, googled it but nada.
 
#10 ·
Neighbours kid refused to clean the car, her dad said she could go blind, something in the dried poo, even when I upped it to fiver.
Looks like I'm going to have to clean it myself. not looking forward to it, much prefer to be twiddling the spanners and removing glow plugs
 
#11 ·
Barnpot, this indeed does sound like a timing issue. Saab engines of this era are known for lumpy running, especially if you leave the bonnet open and the little brown jobbies manage to deposit their doings onto the engine block. Gets very dried and hard and lumpy and can only be removed with a blow torch or a small child. It sounds like you need to up the pay rate to get the job done.

As for the glow plugs, Saab themselves have since issued a statement: "We accept that we did not make the issue of glow plug removal simple enough for your average thickie to work out. Our original Swedish logic dictated that the glow plugs stay exactly in place, whilst you drop the engine out from below. We accept this method is too onerous for the average UK mechanic and we have now modified this removal method. The current advice is to remove each body panel, the wheels, the differential, the floor pan, all interior fittings and approach the glow plugs from the rear after angle-grinding away the engine block. Do so very quietly as the notoriously hard-to-see hexagonal thread (which only comes out at night), can be captured with the special spanner available from Saab dealerships that have now closed. When ABBA reform, we will be making available a further issue of these spanners available to the general public (not UK)."

BP, until Saab get their act together, I suggest you keep the festering heap of junk propped up against the wall and out of the way of family and friends who will just laugh at you. Cannot help with the bird issue, except suggest you cover the car with the bedroom duvet cover (but don't tell the wife). Good luck.
 
#12 ·
So rotting heap of junk. looks good and neighbours approve, the bird poo issue has only recently come into play because the guys on this site who are supposedly experts. turns out they probably have a simlar piece of rusting heap sitting on thier own driveweayay. hanging aroung waiting for a compresion test
The real reason why you bypased this question is because really dont know the answer.
PS. youve completely lost me as a Im am merc owner for the last 15 years, if theres a problem its sorted. Saab throw away engine.
.
 
#13 ·
The guys on this site are genuine Saab fans, not somebody out to make a quick buck by buying a heap of junk and then passing it off as ok. You were the one who wrote about bird poo. I thought this was a serious site for serious mechanics or Saab fans. Not piss-taking cretins that couldn't even unscrew a glowplug from his own arse. Everybody knows how to do that, so why don't you shove a compression tester into your own brain and see if you can get a reading? You might need to put it on 'vacuum' setting first. As for Mercs... Berks.
 
#14 ·
What I was really hoping for was a dialogue with a person in the know, a simpe fault finding procedure starting from scratch, I've bought all the kit and i'm ready to rock n roll. not so, no experts here exist on this site, not real mechanics just doodling around trying to fix thier own rust buckets. The more I read about saab the more depressed I become like make sure you change the oil and filter every 6 thousand miles and you might if your lucky get some life out of your complete dodgepot engine.
No-one knows how to remove the glow plugs on this site, its not even a saab engine it belongs to vauhall and is a ISUZU DMAX
If you want to make empty flippant remarks at least get your facts right mate.
 
#15 ·
Glow plug removal, there is a reason why no answers forthcoming. No_one here actually knows, this is to the rest of the world, Ive googled it like many others. Its round with a rubber gator and a electrical plug on top, no where to get hex socket or spanner on it. Anything else like mole grips will just do damage. Right Pan?
 
#16 ·
'Pisspot', I reckon that most people on here who have ever raised a bonnet will know how to get the glow plugs out. It's common knowledge on Saabs that the top of the glow plug has a daylight transparent hex-grip special adaptor. They used to be stored near the fuse box in a special clip. I think it's grossly unfair that you broadcast to the rest of the world that we know nothing here. You've logged in as our guest yet don't even know whether it's the camshaft or the interior light that's causing the number plate to be spelt incorrectly and you splatter your bird poo all over the site.

Saabs are magnificent machines, albeit a little quirky sometimes. The rust you speak of was an optional extra only if you could afford it, which I doubt you can, and the engines were not sourced from some lousy Kazakstan truck manufacturer as you suggest. If anybody else on here thinks they can can help this scottish dimwit then please chip in. But don't give him the answer unless you want to be insulted with some scandalous claims about your beloved Saab.
S-A-A-B... "Sveden Arcng Ardelweiss Brochoen". The approx English translation of the classic Swedish name is 'Sweden Automobiles Best Followed Through', which basically means you can't beat a Saab. Ha! Beat that Barnpiss!
 
#17 ·
I'm new to this site tho have scanned it a few times seeking mechanical answers man. Bin following this thread open-mouthed and now feel a bro should actually register here and say summit sweet.
PanHandle, you think you bein a little hard on Barnpot for asking a simple question? I know he looks foolish man cos o his retarded question, but I think a little more respeck is in order bro. Wass going down maan?
 
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