Date: Sun, 19 Nov 2006 16:27:40 +0100 From: Greg Farris <farrisnospam.org> Subject: Re: Lifetime of Saab
In article <1163823344.249474.46450nospam2000cwa.googlegroups.com>, smaartaassaabrnospaml.com says... > >What country, Finland, Sweden? When was it retired from the police? > >If it is in good shape then it is. The engines last forever. . . No they don't. SAAB engines are no different from other engines in the category, and are subject to the same wear and failure modes as their counterparts. If anything, the turbocharged models run at typically higher IMEP and specific output, and should thus be subject to greater wear. I believe the reason behind the SAAB reputation for longevity is the pride in ownership that leads many owners to take excellent care of them, and as well to boast of their achievements in long-lasting reliability. After all, the 96 generation already had a reputation for fantastic longevity, yet they had a demonstrably inferior body design, leading to massive rust problems, and their engine was nothing other than a Ford V4, the same as used in the Taurus models, which did not benefit from any particular cult reputation. The gearboxes were notoriously short-lived, a tradition SAAB has unhappily managed to perpetuate through the model-years! Don't get me wrong, I have never owned anything other than Saabs, and I am as proud an owner as the next - but please don't expect your motor to last "forever". If it genuinely has 400,000 Km on it, you cannot reasonably expect that much more trouble-free operation out of it. How do you know the engine wasn't already replaced at 300K? GF
