Date: Fri, 1 Oct 2004 12:10:18 -0400 From: "Fred W." <Fred.Willsnospamove this to reply to' myrealbox.com> Subject: Re: I may head up to Manassas; what do I need to look for?
"LauraK" <lkrznospamcomnospam> wrote in message news:20041001110521.17374.00001302nospam27.aol.com... > They've got two 9000CSE. Both auto. What should I be looking for? What > would be > big warning signs saying don't buy? > I've run Carfaxes on them. Both were clean. Both are one owner cars. > I'll have a mechanic look at them if I think one's worth buying. Won't > have the > insurance money until next week anyway. > But it's looking like a gorgeous weekend for a drive through the Blue > Ridge so > I might as well take advantage of it. > > lauraknospamousergraphics.com > http://www.madmousergraphics.com > web design, print design, photography A few important maintenance areas must have been done on time: Regular oil changes, cooling system problems & transmission fluid changes. I'd want to have some records of service history of some kind if possible. If not, before starting, pull off the oil fill cap and shine a flashlight inside. Check for any undue amount of sludge buildup that might indicate the oil changes might have been stretched. Pull the dipstick and check the oil for white or milky appearance that would indicate coolant leakage. I would expect the oil would have been recently changed (in preparation for sale) too. Run the engine and listen for any timing chain noises. Pull the dipstick on the transmission and check the color an smell of the fluid. It should be bright red (not dark or black) and should not have a burnt smell to it. Drive the car and be especially observant of how the transmission behaves. The autoboxes are particularly prone to breakdown, which can be expensive. Make sure that you get full boost from the turbo. They often fail oin a mode which will give you "base boost" only (maxes out at about half way on the boost gauge). While not a serious problem, it can be $$ to sort out due to the electronics involved. By all means have an *experienced* SAAB mechanic give it a full inspection. They will know all the weak points and the warning signs. -Fred W
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