Date: 1 Jul 2004 02:15:50 GMT From: Dave Hinz <DaveHinznospamcop.net> Subject: Re: 900 Se Auto..Timing chain...still a factor?
On Thu, 1 Jul 2004 01:21:12 +0100, derek <stokesynospamclear.ie> wrote: > Hi, > help wanted. I had Saabs years back, when the timing chain was a bit of a > cost thing to replace at around 90k miles. Hm, OK, never had one go, let alone that young, maybe you had a tensioner fail leading to a chain going? Those usually give you much (months) of warning. If you're talking early 80's or before, that tensioner has been redesigned. > Now, I'm back in the buying Saab market again, and looking at 900SE > Automatic, convertible.. 1996. (93 shape) > Is the timing chain still a consideration, or does it now go on forever? If you buy the 4cyl engine, it's a chain and will go probably hundreds of thousands of miles. If, for some reason, you buy the V6, it has a timing belt, isn't a true Saab-designed engine, isn't as tune-able, and needs more attention. The belts need to be replaced every (what, 45,000 miles is it?) or ugly, bad things _WILL_ happen. The 4 is the same rock-solid engine (ok, more or less, yes I know, etc) that you've come to expect of Saab. > Is > the life expectancy of the timing chain dependant on the type of driving, ie > city or long runs? While I'm here.. can anyone recommend any other places I > can research this car? I want one! You'll love it; the chain isn't a cause for concern, at all. Failures are unusual enough that I can't think of more than two mentions in the last year here. > Anyone got any good advice on what to look for? If the SE in your part of the world gives you the 9-speaker sound system, you'll love it. Dark Side of the Moon is a fantastic "show off the sound system" CD for it. If you care about rear seat legroom, the 9-5 has more of it, but there's no 'vert in the 9-5 line that I'm aware of. > My man, he say.."him costly horse to maintain... we buy a mule instead, and > I fix him every time he breaks. Then we buy new mule, or maybe a nice > donkey" Not sure why you'd have to "fix" a mule, aren't they sterile? but yeah, I see the point. Repair costs on my '99 9-5SE have been the usual (tires/oil/brakes/scheduled service) with the addition of a serpentine belt and it's tensioner at, oh, 70K miles or so. I didn't find brake parts to be too out of line, and tires don't care if they're on a racehorse or a mule. > And he's not even a Red Indian. He's Scottish, and tight as an Oyster. > Would I be better p/exing him for a more generous model? :-) Some questions are better left unanswered in a forum such as this... > Only joking about the last part. > I'm serious about the car. All advice/help appreciated. We're pretty friendly here, questions are most welcome. Can you get a copy of the service records, especially if it's a V6 engine? Dave Hinz
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