Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2005 22:31:53 GMT From: th <someguynospamwhere.se> Subject: Re: 1995 Saab 9000 CDE - buy or not to buy
The Malt Hound wrote: > <scarternospamr.com> wrote in message > news:1106752072.825547.143540nospam2000cwb.googlegroups.com... > >>Hi, >> >>I am interested in buying a 95 9000 CDE I found, but a trusted >>mechanic >>says that I should run from it...that the engine is garbage. Yet, >>it >>seems many people like this car. It's got 100,000 miles on it, and >>is >>only $3,750 >>Can somone tell me what they think? >> >>Thanks so much! >>scarter >> > > > Did the mechainic actually look at the car before he came to that > conclusion? Or was this his (misguided) opinion of SAAB 4 cylinder > engines? > > The SAAB 4 cylinder turbo engine is one of the best designs in > automotive history. It is among the most reliable and has incredible > longevity. If your "trusted mechanic" thinks otherwise, he doesn't > know anything and it is he you should be running away from... > This is probably true for the engines in the C900/9000/early 9-3 models (B201/B202/B204/B234). I have had three of them with more than 200000 problem-free km each. However the new 4-cyl engines in the 9-5/late 9-3 (B205/B235) have problems with crankcase ventilation leading to early oil wear out and corresponding early cam shaft chain wear out if you don't change change oil frequently enough. They also have a problem with excessive balance shaft chain wear out in combination with automatic transmissions. The balance shaft chain problems were also noticeable on the B234 although there I'm not sure about the relation with the transmission. I think there was a version of the B204 engine with balance shafts as well, but I've not heard anything about problems with that version. As the engines are not really designed for changing the chains the repair is quite costly compared to service on engines with timing belts that require regular changes. Then you could always argue whether the DI cassette is part of the engine or if it is considered as a part with limited life time?!? Probably the B205/B235 can also become very reliable if Saab gets the time and resources to fix the problems. However I doubt that this will be case as the model life times are getting shorter and shorter. If you read Saab plans the 9-5 will be replaced by a new model in 2007 or 2008 after just 10 years on the market. As a consumer I would like a reliable car that runs at low cost without problems and not a car with a lot of new and fancy functions that have not been proven in real life. 10 years market time is too short for all design problems being discovered and corrected. To a great extent the motor press journalists are to blame here as they require new models every now and then and for instance already now thinks that the 9-5 is an old and out-of-date model. A very good example here is the Volvo 240 series, a very reliable car that can last forever with low repair costs. It had long enough market time to have the early model problems at the end of the production. Boring? -- th
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