1999-2009 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
OK, so this is where Jae & I don't necessarily agree 100%. *IF* you decide to use Auto-Rx & your oil is fairly fresh, then you DON'T need to change your filter but you DO still need to make room for the extra 10 oz of new stuff (the Auto-Rx; does the 2.3L engine take 4 qts of oil or 5?). Changing the filter is probably the easiest way to get enough oil out, but you can also loosen the oil drain bolt & dribble out enough oil to make room. (Actually, you could probably remove the filter & let it drain for 5 minutes, then simply spin the same one back on & have enough room.) I had 6k miles (my 1990 900) & 9k miles (my wife's 1999 9³) on the M1 oils when I added Auto-Rx to them, so I just put on a new filter in each instance. I would definitely NOT run more than one cleaning cycle w/o changing the filter by the end. The same for the rinse. You may not have any sludge to fill up the filters, but I wouldn't take the chance. The instructions on the Auto-Rx website 'splain why.
With this info about your likelihood of doing the work yourself, I'd probably take it to a trusted indy to do the filter swap & Auto-Rx add (yes, it does go in thru the oil filler cap). Dealers tend to give me too much grief whenever I've asked them to do something out of the ordinary. My indy understands my car's quirks, & so, by extension, realizes I probably have a lot of quirks of my own for owning a Saab. :-)
For UOAs, I go to H.O.Penn Machinery. Denis Adiletti is the sales rep & a Saab 9-5 owner, so he gives other Saab owners a discount. The UOA is around $13, but you'll save on shipping if you order several single kits at once. They also sell a suction pump for $15 that works great for pulling the sample yourself. You stick a thin plastic tube down the filler neck & pump the handle until your sample bottle is 3/4 filled. Hardly any mess (the thin plastic tube is a little oily when you pull it out) & you don't have to ask anyone to do you a crazy favor. Denis's phone number is 860.594.4867 & his email is where my email should be. (My blue name at the top of this post has his email instead of mine, so clicking on my name will send an email to him!)
I did say you should be fine with 5k mi oil changes using a much better oil, & I still think that. All of this discussion has been aimed at excessive worries about sludge. If you're not too worried, simply go with better oil & 5k mi changes & you should be fine. If you're worried enough to consider an "entire engine flush," then I'd definitely do the Auto-Rx thang instead.
But like Jae said, we're nerds with a sickness. And I'll *ALWAYS* agree with him about that. (But no, I won't do a table dance with him in front of the marketing dept. Even *I* have my limits.... :-D)
posted by 146.82.1...
H.O.Penn Machinery's analysis service
, Wed, 16 Nov 2005 12:55:13
No Site Registration is Required to Post - Site Membership is optional (Member Features List), but helps to keep the site online
for all Saabers. If the site helps you, please consider helping the site by becoming a member.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
