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Date: Tue, 18 Jul 2000 00:13:27 +0200
From: Robert Brown <rjbnopsamnetNOSPAM.se>
Subject: Re: broken belt on '87 turbo


Hi, OK - I'm male and know diddley about turbos but here's a quick opinion: The belt allows the crankshaft to drive the alternator, the water pump, and possibly the servo steering. Without the belt, the electrics and servo steering won't work so well until you get a new one fitted. Losing the water pump temporarily will have caused the temperature to rise, with risk of overheating and cracks to the cylinder head if you drove too far - depends on how high the temperature got before you got the car switched off. For the purposes of the *current* repair job, assume that the head is undamaged. The mechanic, I believe, should charge you for the cost of a new belt (USD 10?), plus about 20 minutes' labour cost. If you have sustained damage to the cylinder head due to overheating, you will eventually notice one or more of the following: 1) frothy oil on the dipstick (coolant getting into the oil system) 2) surge of gas in cooling system (exhaust gases being forced into the coolant) 3) car running on three or less cylinders at cold start (coolant leaking into cylinder) 4) higher temperature level in general (exhaust gases in coolant) This is not to scare, but rather to give an indication of what to look for if you suspect that you drove the car way too long with the temperature in the red. If you get none of these symptoms, then you can pretty much assume that everything's OK. Just ask the workshop to replace the belt and drive on. You can also buy a new belt and offer a beer to a friend to install it if you don't feel like doing it yourself or paying the workshop costs. I'm asuming that the belt just wore out, but there may be something that caused a quick failure: it may be a good idea to check to see that the water pump (get the mechanic to point it out for you) hasn't seized and caused the belt to overheat and break. If it has, that shouldn't be an expensive job. Many part manufacturers make one to fit the Saab, or you can buy Saab's own overpriced model if you like ;-) Good luck. Tell us how it all went when you're done. Regards, Robert Gothenburg 1983 900 8v 1 carb great to work on 1999 9-3 200 lots of electronic shit I can't fix 1983 99 r.i.p. Carole Hackett wrote: > First of all, I am a female and know SQUAT about cars so I am at the mercy > of my auto mechanic. > > Last night while driving home a belt went on my car. It bounced around > inside the engine for awhile (I didn't realize what the noise was), then the > red (battery) light went on. I managed to get home (about 5 miles) - I'm > thinking it was the alternator belt (?). > > It is at my local mechanic right now - he could tell me anything and since I > don't know much more than nothing I am pretty much at his mercy. I gave him > the belt since it was still hanging on inside the engine so he could just > replace it, but that has not been my luck with auto mechanics. I can't > afford to take it to "THE" Saab dealer in my area. > > Would anyone like to enlighten me so I sound like I know what I am talking > about when I get the phone call ("uh....it looks like you're going to need a > new engine..."). > > Thanks, > > Carole

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