The banner above is an advertisment - if it asks you to download software, please ignore.
Site News - 3/26 M Car Covers (by State of Nine) | 12/12 Make Amazon Pay Saabnet!
Date: Sun, 13 Feb 2000 21:42:26 -0000
From: "John Mason" <jnmasonnopsamm.net>
Subject: Re: A terrible lesson I have learnt


Sorry to hear about your bad luck. I am fortunate enough to own an 89 T16V 130K miles with full main dealer service history. However, keeping this up is costing me dearly. I am soon to be facing a GBP400 full service bill from the main dealer. If they find anything wrong I will be looking at more. Is this REALLY worth it on such an old car? Wouldn't a good non-franchised Saab specialist who would probably charge half that make more sense? Interested in anyones thought =s including recommendations for a good Saab specialist in or around Dorset UK. Andrew <alanbnopsamb.swinternet.co.uk> wrote in message news:87u3ra$ucf$1nopsam8.svr.pol.co.uk... > I bought a 1989 turbo eight months ago at a rather cheap price. I thought > I'd got a bargain, but I hadn't. This is the story of how I got it badly > wrong. > > On the test drive the sheer power of the car (compared to anything I had > owned previously) clouded all judgement. So I just had to buy it. On the > way home numerous problems came to light. £300 ($450) later the car was > fixed. > A week later the drive-shaft popped out of the transmission. I took it to > my local garage (not Saab specialist) £250 and three weeks later the car was > 'fixed'. A week later and the driveshaft came out again. This time I took > it to a non-franchise Saab specialist. One week and £200 later the car was > 'fixed'. One day later the driveshaft came out again. This time I ordered > secondhand parts and fixed it myself (£100). I noticed that the driveshaft > seemed too short but couldn't explain why. So I drove the car 100 miles to > another Saab specialist. They diagnosed a broken engine mount. One > afternoon off work and £150 and I thought my problems were over. However, > on the way back the turbo blew. I spent that weekend fitting a secondhand > turbo bought for £150. > All quiet for a few months (apart from numerous small faults) until this > xmas when the driveshaft came out yet again. After two weeks of trying to > fix it myself I finally took it to the franchise Saab dealer. Unlike any of > the other places I had been to they diagnosed the problems: engine, cylinder > head and gearbox had all been changed at some time. The gearbox is from a > 900 injection, the block from a 16 valve and the head an 8v turbo. As a > result of the changed gearbox the driveshaft is too short. They also > diagnosed that the other engine mount and bracket had gone. Cost for all of > this work? £670. > When I get the car back next week I know this will not be the end of it. > For example, the clutch is on its way out and the car runs very hot. > > Many of you will be shaking your head, muttering 'silly person'. I now > realise that I was. The reason why I am telling you this story is that I > have learnt two lessons in the hardest way possible. As a person who likes > to save money, I never thought I would say this but: > > Lesson 1: Always buy a car with a full service record and preferably from > the main dealer. Also, it is well worth getting it inspected. > Lesson 2: With something like a Saab, except for routine work, never chance > it with any other garage than a franchised Saab garage. In my case they > figured out what had alluded a number of independent Saab specialists for > months. > > Perhaps a third lesson that I have yet to learn is that I should cut my > losses and sell it. > > Alan. > > >

Return to Main Index
StateOfNine.com
SaabClub.com
Jak Stoll Performance
M Car Covers
Ad Available

The content on this site may not be republished without permission. Copyright © 1988-2024 - The Saab Network - saabnet.com.
For usage guidelines, see the Mission & Privacy Notice.
[Contact | Site Map | Saabnet.com on Facebook | Saabnet.com on Twitter | Shop Amazon via TSN | Site Donations]