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From what I have read (long)...
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Posted by JerseySaab [Email] (#666) [Profile/Gallery] (more from JerseySaab) on Sun, 15 Sep 2013 10:27:39 Share Post by Email
In Reply to: Advice needed- How are the 2000,9-5s, car is Aero Auto, mgw, Sun, 15 Sep 2013 09:46:52
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The main problem with the early 9-5 is that the 4-cylinder engines are very prone to sludging, left unchecked that leads to terminal oil starvation and a blown engine. (I've been keeping an eye on the 9-5 board to learn about them. Since good 9000s are getting scarce it is likely my next Saab would be a 9-5.)

The reason for the sludging problem is that there were a number of changes made to the Saab engine to make it cheaper to manufacture and more fuel efficient. One of these changes was low-tension piston rings to reduce internal friction. Unfortunately this brought on increased blow-by and the PCV system could not handle it. Unless the oil and filter were changed RELIGIOUSLY at no more than 5K miles with full synthetic oil they would start to sludge up. If the car does not have full service records from new showing this maintenance it is suspect.

This problem was not fixed until the 2004 model year. It can be retrofitted to the earlier engines (the "PCV6" kit), however the damage may already have been done. The only way to know for certain is to drop the oil pan for a visual check.

Now if it's a V6 model, that does not have the sludging problem but the timing belts have to be changed every 60,000 miles -- or else!

I have not read about any unusal transmission problems in either stick shift or automatic models, they seem pretty solid in that respect. (At some point they went from 4-speed auto to 5-speed.)

Overall, 2004 and 2005 seem to be regarded as the "sweet spot" for this model. At that point the sludging problem and other new model teething issues had been fixed, but GM had not yet started decontenting the car and cheapening the interior.

Another PITA problem I've read about, though less of a deal-breaker, is that the subframe bushings are a wear item and need to be replaced maybe every 100K miles or so. Main symptom would be clunks going over bumps. This is one of those things where the parts are cheap but it's an insane amount of labor to install.

These cars can also develop problems with the air distribution parts in the ACC system that are difficult (lots of labor, like pulling the dashboard out) to fix.

Not sure how routine servicing and parts accessibility for commonly-replaced parts (alternator, water pump, etc.) compares to the 9000, or how much tougher the AC might or might not be to service. (The 9000 is unusually easy to get to things like the evaporator and expansion valve.)

Anyhow, that's my "informed" take as someone who has never owned one. There's a lot of good reading on the 9-5 board for more details.

->Posting last edited on Mon, 16 Sep 2013 15:08:50.


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