[jrichard]

Hello All, I'm a new member of this great forum have not yet owned a Saab, despite my appreciation of the cars.

However, I am currently planning to purchase a 9000 Manual and have been following some of the forum topics and generally doing research into likely problems that the model may suffer.

A number of questions have come to my mind which I would be grateful for your experienced input on:
1) Of the Eco engines, the 2.3L appears to generally acheive the same as or better MPG than the 2.0L - is this true?
2) I have read that the manual gearbox can give trouble after 80K miles or so, is this true and if so how serious can the problem be - ££?
3) What major work could I expect to need to do on a 100k 2.3 LPT that has been serviced at the specified intervals since new. I'm thinking about engine wear mostly, do valves, pistons, cranks, turbos etc tend to last OK and to what sort of milage?

Sorry about all the questions, I am a keen DIY mechanic and will be happy to work on the car myself but having previously owned 'simple' cars with fairly cheap parts, I am a bit fearful of the complexity and higher parts costs of the 9000.

Thanks to all for reading, thanks to admin for letting me join the forum!
James2038

 

[Zaphod Beeblebrox]

Hi, James 2038, and welcome to Saabscene. A good starting point would be here.

1. Manual gearboxes tend to be bullet proof - a known problem is pinion bearings which tend to need replacement after 100k or so, if you are unlucky.

2. Engine wear at 100k with regular servicing? James, they are hardly run in at that point! But if you do decide on a Turbo, make sure about the history.

3. Go to a Saab Independent dealer, rather than a main one. It is less expensive. They know their stuff, and in the main, are enthusiasts themselves.

HTH

 

[Simon Chiles]

Welcome to Saabscene James,
Fuel consumption: I have a 2.3 LPT manual and do 500 miles per week, 50% motorway, 10% on country roads, 40% in snarled up Birmingham traffic. I've had a consistent 32-33mpg since 1.5 yrs' ownership

Also, my father's 2.0 LPT 9-3 does the same consumption, and he's not so heavy-footed as me

Manual g-box: I'm still on my original box, although synchros seem to be a perennial issue with manual owners. My 3rd started giving up at 123K, but I'm still going strong at 160K; I just gate it more carefully. I did find an oil change helped when I first bought the car. It will cost approx £500 to rebuild the box 'though (however I will get the clutch done at the same time).
Major work: if the car's been properly serviced at the intervals you say, then engine wear should be OK. The turbo's tricky; not sure what others recommend, but get a mate to check for blue smoke from the exhaust. BTW I'm still on my original Garrett unit.
Complexity & costs: Compared to some other cars, I find the amount of space in and around a 9K engine bay a relief! I think most of the mechanicals are OK for DIY (but timing chains, tensioners, guides are not for me!). IMHO, the rest of parts & servicing costs no more than for so-called 'safer' marques. Find a good Saab independent, and shop around at places like Elkparts, and you should find your cost of ownership acceptable.

 

[jrichard]

Thanks for the welcome guys and the encouragement on running costs of the 9000. I am all the keener to buy one now!

The item the scares me the most is the thought of timing chain replacement being needed. Having not owned or listened to a 9000 engine before, is it obvious when listening to the engine if the chain is worn?

I assume it is advisable to replace it as soon as any noise is noticed so as to avoid the potential damage that would presumably result should it snap/skip?

One last thing, I've read the ABS sensors can fail, how much do replacement ABS sensors cost and are they tricky to replace?

Thanks again for your help, my wife is coming around to the idea of a 9000 with statements being made by me such as "safest car on the road" and "great for holidays and if we have children" helping my arugment significantly...!
James

 

[djtaylor]

Pity you didn't ask this question a couple of weeks ago, I could have provided a nice wav file of my chain.

I think the easiest way to describe is it that of a bicycle chain going backwards. Quite rattley but don't confuse it with say a hydraulic tappet which will tick more rythmically.

David.

 

[Zaphod Beeblebrox]

James, on the 9000, if it has been standing for a little while, say weeks, it is quite normal for the timing chain to rattle for a few minutes at start up, but it should not be there subsequently.

HTH

 

[Paul D]

Worn timming chain rattle is fairly constant, and may even get worse as the engine warms and the chain expands slightly.

Whereas...worn tappets are noisey at start up only, then sound fades - as the oil pressure increases in the rocker cover oil feed channels to the hydraulic tappets. This effect may also be caused by low oil/oil pump pressure.

Tappets have high pressure and low pressure chambers. Low pressure is driven off engine oil feed and pressure, as described above. High pressure chamber is sealed at manufacturer. Rarely does this fail (usually because engine hasn't been used for a long time or tappet removed and left out of an oil bath, causing corrossion are seal failure). If high pressure chamber seal fails, the tappet will remain constantly noisey, and sound is clearly traceable to rocker cover.
Rarely, a tappet

 

[Paul D]

Worn timming chain rattle is fairly constant, and may even get worse as the engine warms and the chain expands slightly.

Whereas...worn tappets are noisey at start up only, then sound fades - as the oil pressure increases in the rocker cover oil feed channels to the hydraulic tappets. This effect may also be caused by low oil/oil pump pressure.

Tappets have high pressure and low pressure chambers. Low pressure is driven off engine oil feed and pressure, as described above. High pressure chamber is sealed at manufacturer. Rarely does this fail (usually because engine hasn't been used for a long time or tappet removed and left out of an oil bath, causing corrossion are seal failure). If high pressure chamber seal fails, the tappet will remain constantly noisey, and sound is clearly traceable to rocker cover.