Saab 900 / 9000 - READ ONLY

131 messages, Last post on Mar 07, 2004 at 4:08 PM

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#72 of 131 Need Help/Advice on problem with 94' 900 Turbo Convertable by spencer14 Mar 10, 2001 (8:05 pm)
My 1994 900 Turbo blew a head gasket (at 58K miles). My mechanic who works exclusively on SAABs, informed me that the gasket was a symptom of a more serious problem. He's informed me that the Engine Block needs to be replaced because it has corroded to the point that the gasket does not fit with a tight enough seal. He believes that the chain of events that caused the problem started with the Antifreeze "going bad" and circulating through the cooling jackets and the engine block - causing the block to corrode which eventually led to the head gasket problem. This sounds strange - anyone heard of something like this happening - does the mechanic's explanation seem legitimate? It does not make sense to me, especially given the car is a 94' with less than 60K miles and has ran great up until now. Any other possible explanations? Thanks
#73 of 131 Advice Needed On Repair Costs: 97 SAAB 900 S by benjamin4 Mar 19, 2001 (11:08 am)
I hope jimrearden's report at #52 is a relatively isolated case. I have been planning to buy a used Saab 900 S. I would love a newer 9-3 or 9-5 but just can't afford it. I decided after reading Consumer Reports' reliability guide that 97 was a year that might not be so risky- average/slightly above average reliability(CR indicated that the 99 Saab 9-5 is very reliable. But, I don't have enough money for one right now). I am a little concerned about the cost of repairing Saabs. Can any one give me feedback on experiences with the the 97 Saab? How much more will I spend on fixing a Saab than any other foreign car (Japanese, German)? I mean, If I spend $470 replacing the brake system on my Toyota, how much more would the same repair cost for the Saab? In your experiences is 97 known to be any better or worse than any other years in terms of reliability?
#74 of 131 Maintenance and repair costs by mfarmer2 Mar 20, 2001 (6:06 pm)
I know that www.intellichoice.com offers detailed information on vehicle maintenance costs. Also, www.carpoint.com has information about reliability, including the types of problems and repair costs, on used vehicles. Hope this is helpful. Mary
#75 of 131 1993 Saab 900S by jji7363 Mar 27, 2001 (8:40 am)
I have a 1993 Saab 900S (the last year with the "classic" design) with 58000 miles. It's the base model with auto trans (no turbo or ragtop) and I just love it. However, our family has grown to the point that it's no longer practical. I'm trying to determine a reasonable asking price to list it in the Auto Trader. I would appreciate any input that folks on this bulletin board might provide.
#76 of 131 Hi jji7363- by pocahontas Mar 27, 2001 (9:05 am)
In addition to the feedback here, you should try using Edmund.com's Used Vehicle Appraiser. Also, place a free ad in Edmunds' used vehicle MarketPlace. You'll find the link to that in their Used Vehicle guide. Good luck. Pocahontas Host Hatchbacks Message Board
#77 of 131 Weird cars! by alex18t Mar 27, 2001 (11:14 am)
I own a Saab 900S no turbo on it. it's a 5spd and it is just so darn quirky. i love the way the car looks and the interior is very european but the transmission is just baffling. the shifter moves and vibrates pretty violently when shifting and accelerating. also the exaust sounds like the average 17 year old kid's rice burnin' souped up civic. i know nothing of saab engineering but im guessing that i can attribute the shifter movement to the transmission or engine mounts that have gone bad and therefore the whole drivetrain moves durring acceleration. have any other saab owners experienced this?... umm... other than all that bad stuff, i can say that the car is very functional, has the most comfortable seats of any car and has brakes that nearly rival Porche. it's scrappy and can handle the corners even though the body roll is unnerving. the saab makes by 2000 Celica GT seem like a go kart because it's so much smaller and there is so much more feedback not to mention no ABS. For people looking to buy one all i can say is test drive one extensively and remember that you are buying one of the last truly unique makes of cars available to the average joe.
#78 of 131 re:weird cars by gretchen8 Mar 28, 2001 (6:43 pm)
What year is your saab 900, alex18t? I just bought a '95 turboSE. It came with 81K miles and all the options. I have the same complaints. Kinda noisy at Mcdonald's drive thru plus the shifter vibration (not wildly or anything). I really love driving it . . .except for the stick shift. I took it back for an adjustment because I have to push the clutch pedal through the floor to shift and I don't have long legs. They replaced a cable but that made no difference. In fact it was impossible to shift after the cable change. That finally improved after a little driving. The mechanic said I needed a new clutch, the owner said no, it didn't, but said he would replace it if I still had problems. I was hoping for feedback from this message board. I think I will have the clutch replaced anyway. After all, it's still under the short term warrenty. I hope this isn't a sign of things to come.
#79 of 131 weirdcars... by alex18t Mar 29, 2001 (1:02 pm)
it's a 95 900S bought it with 64k and im pretty sure the guy who owned it before baybied it. the clutch effort you describe sounds strange to me. my clutch uses a good amount of effort when compared to my celica but it is essentially a luxury car style clutch... if that makes any sense. it's easy to use. in 1st and 2nd gears i need to push it pretty much to the floor but from 2nd to 5th i barely use the clutch, it shifts very smooth. your turbo might have a more heavy duty clutch to handle the power and with that usually comes inresed pedal effort. there's few good saab mechanics but maybe he's right about the clutch. and as for this being a sign of things to come. all i can offer is that a friend of mine has owned something like 4 - 6 saabs and he bought them all after 100,000 miles. he says they drove great right up till the day he sold them! Rock solid cars in his opinion. I happen to agree. a company so based on building up an already existing design as opposed to redesigning it must have some kind of advantage when it comes to build quality.
#80 of 131 Spencer14 by maab Mar 29, 2001 (5:19 pm)
There are a few things that can damage a head gasket (other than high milage and age): over reving the engine, and overheat (due to bad circulation, bad thermostat, clogged heater core, etc.). The only time I've heard of potential corrosion due to anti-freeze is with 100K mile anti-freeze (ones you change at 100K mile). Did he remove the head, and measured the block to be no longer flat? It just doesn't sound right.
#81 of 131 Transmission - '91 900S Auto by patbcam Apr 03, 2001 (8:49 am)
I need a fair source for a rebuilt auto transmission for a 91 900S. I'd appreciate any references. I'm in the MidAtlantic area (PA/NJ/NY) Thanks. Pat