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Looking to finally make the plunge and get a 9-3...advice?

3K views 9 replies 6 participants last post by  itsaabtoyou 
#1 · (Edited)
(Update - bought it) Looking to finally make the plunge and get a 9-3...advice?

Ever since I was 10 years old and my friend's dad had a beautiful green 900, I've always wanted a Saab. Got a 1996 Nissan Maxima when I turned 16, but but now I'm 28 and the Maxima is on it's last legs...so now I'm finally looking at buying my first Saab.

In my area right now there are two 9-3 SE hatchbacks for sale, one's a 2000 and the other is a 2002 that have 69k and 83k miles respectively. Both are 2nd owner with all service records. My question for the forum is this - what type of questions should I be asking the owners about? The only thing I really know for sure is to make sure I have the oil change history to see that they've done regular oil changes in smaller intervals than the recommended 5k, because I don't want to deal with the dreaded oil sludge problem.

What are some common problems or issues or parts that should be changed by now that I should ask about? Timing chain? Balance shaft chain? I guess I've been scared for years by all the talk of expensive upkeep or issues with the engine that require total engine rebuild, especially since I've been spoiled by owning a boring Japanese family sedan that literally had 0 problems until recently (all i ever did was change the tires, get oil changes, yearly alignment in over 12 years of owning that car). I want to be as informed as possible when I make my purchase - I understand that all cars will have repairs and that Saab repairs will cost more than the average car, I just want to make sure I don't buy a car that will cost me more in repairs than it costs to purchase over the next few years.

Also does anybody know of a Los Angeles-based Saab mechanic that they can recommend?
 
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#2 ·
I'm pretty new to 9-3 ownership myself, but one thing I've picked up is to check to make sure the car has had the PCV#6 update. It helps with the crankcase pressure control, and as my car doesn't have it yet, I can tell you a symptom is oil sprayed all over the throttle body and intake manifold under the plastic cover just behind the head. If this fix has been done, you should see a vacuum line nipple coming off the oil filler tube with a line on it. If this is there, you can be sure that at least one of the previous owners kept up with more than just basic maintenance.
 
#3 ·
The 2000 car could be a t5 engine or t7, easiest way to check is pop the bonnet and if the oil cap is dead centre its a t5 (b204) and if its offset to the left as you look at it, then its a t7 (b205) .....the 2002 car is definitely t7 though unless he's fitted something different!

No sludge issues on the t5 engine, it's pretty bomb proof as long as it's been looked after, and good for 500bhp on stock internals....so very easy (cheap as chips) to tune and turn into a little monster if that's your thing :D
T7 not as strong and good to around 320 then things get pretty expensive.

If it's not been done I'd fit the latest PCV kit, drop & clean the sump then use decent oil for your own piece of mind.

These can also suffer with cracked bulkheads but more of a problem on the verts. Sit in the drivers seat and turn the wheel lock to lock while looking at the pedals, any major movement or noise then it's probably a split bulkhead, not the end of the world as it can be fixed for around £300-£350 iirc with the engine in situ, but it is am mot failure here in the Uk, not sure about the stages? so I'd factor that into the asking price if it is split. Mine did move a little bit but it wasn't split, you can also see the thing move from the engine bay!

Handling's not that great on these so they need a few things done to get even half decent like a steering rack clamp & brace (from PFS), subframe brace (from Abbotts/ebay/ piggy back the arb (cheap) or 22mm rear arb upgrade (hard to find!) I'd upgrade these as a minimum. Springs & dampers would also be on my list due o the cars age/milage, either get standard springs with bilstein b4 dampers or if you want it lowered I'd go for Eibach springs with Bilstein B8's. I was pretty impressed with the b8's but had Abbott springs fitted which are also good.

From what I've been told the head gaskets usually go around 100k

Personally, if I was to get another (especially another vert) I'd try and find one with some of the suspension mods already done as its not cheap to buy & fit everything, I spent a good £2k on the last car in suspension mods alone :rolleyes: Hamdled pretty well after though for a bendy vert!
 
#4 ·
Thanks for the replies. I'm not really a high performance driver, so I don't think I'll need any of the suspension mods other than the steering rack clamp & brace. Mostly I just have always liked 900's and 9-3's for their comfort, style, and roomy hatch. I put maybe 6,000 miles a year on my car because I work from home, and am not really a car enthusiast, just a big fan of Saabs.

I think the 2000 got sold so now i'm looking more seriously at the 2002. The owner doesn't have all the service records - nothing before 26,000 miles - but seems to have kept up with regular oil changes (5k or less). Saw the SID unit has been replaced and of course the DI cassette, but from the looks of it, I should expect both of those to eventually die again and it would be prudent just to purchase a spare DI cassette unit to leave in the trunk so I won't ever get stranded.

I'm not much of a DIY'er - but my thinking here is instead of buying another $8-$10k soul-less Japanese car, I'd rather spend $4k on a Saab now and another $4k in repairs over the next 4 years. Assuming everything else looks fine on the car, if I buy the PCV update kit #6, and have a mechanic drop & clean the sump for me, is there anything else I should really know or check out?
 
#5 ·
Thing is that this is an enthusiasts site. so nothing wrong with that but it can be a wee bit OTT. I have a 2001 se 9-3 that's one owner who changed the oil every 4-5 k so he was the ideal first owner.

I'm not saying the car is perfect (12 years old) but they are good solid reliable cars with a touch of style and a lot of safety. the only issue may be the odd body part you cannot find but overall it won't let you down and will run nicely.

I can't say the same for the later GM cars tho. it's worth the time waiting for the right car and owner to come along. enjoy...
 
#6 · (Edited)
Drive it on the highway up a long hill and accelerate. See if it vibrates under acceleration. That can be simple (wheel balance) or complex (driveshaft related) but it's worth checking. Make sure the tranny shifts smoothly. If manual see how the clutch feels. Listen for funny accessory noises... and listen to the A/C compressor engage. Engine should be moderately quiet - no clattering or odd noises.

At 83K, expect to replace the struts / shocks soon. They are worn out, although the car will pass the bounce test. You don't need a rack brace, an poly bushing from Powerflex will fix that issue at much lower cost. A rear bar upgrade, and quality struts are a good idea - don't cheap out. I'd do a full strut rebuild and replace mounts, etc when you do them.

Check the A/C. Look for missing SID and ACC pixels. If convertible, operate the top a couple times. You'll want to do some basic maintenance once you get it, but nothing major. Install PCV update #6 and clean the sump.

Don't worry about the timing or balance chain - they are good for at least 150K, usually 200K.

EDIT: No bulkhead worries if your in the USA. Griffen Dai is right about the suspension: rear bar, upgraded shocks, upgraded spring, rack bushing... these cars handle nicely after that. But, you do spend a few $'s on the parts (and labor if you don't DIY).
 
#7 ·
Going to take it by a Saab mechanic this week that a friend who's had three 900's recommended, but if all checks out there I think I'm going to jump on it. PVC update #6 and a clean out of the sump will be the first thing done, then i'll grab a spare DI cassette to keep in the trunk. I'll come back and post some pix if I end up buying the car

Rear struts were replaced at 61k

SID unit replaced at 47k

Right drive shaft replaced at 76k

DI Cassette Unit replaced at 30k
 
#8 ·
So after taking it to 2 mechanics to review, I ended up getting the '02...except the first day on the free way I got the "fill coolant" error and pulled off. The engine overheated for about a minute (on the streets after I got off the freeway) while I found a place to pull over safely and turn the engine off (i did blast the heater right away to pull heat away from the engine). Turns out a heater hose split (it was absolutely fine when I checked everything the morning I bought it, must've happened while I was driving) and was spilling coolant everywhere.

Got that fixed and got it back today. The mechanic I took it to swore to me there would be no problems from the brief overheating, am I being paranoid here? Car runs great with no odd sounds and the temp gauge stays right square in the middle as I'm driving. Anything I should be paying close attention to?
 
#10 ·
Drove it around some more tonight and everything seems good. The only issue that I noticed is that the car smells a lot like coolant when I get out after a drive, although it's not blowing white smoke like it did when the hose leaked caused the overheat. I think this is just because when the hose split it was spraying coolant all over (it was all over the battery and DI unit mostly) and the coolant dried and is now getting heated up when the engine runs. Not sure how long this will linger, but hopefully soon it'll be just back to normal.
 
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