Sold 9-5 Aero Sans MOT - would make good tent - £3 a ticket

[Ohdearme]

I’ve potentially got some new sensors available from the fella-me-lad breaking the aerobto get me my atf pipes. I really need to go find if front or rear is bust.

 

Usually it’s the rear but the slightly wonky indicator and crack in bumper make me think I should sniff about the front in case it is the assembly and not the sensor that’s broken.

 

Been a bit too busy clearing the drive of Alfas to have a proper look yet.

 

Also, on the subject of windscreen repairs, I rolled the dice on a £5 Amazon kit, it has filled the pick marks ok but a combination of shit kit, old biggish crack and my lack of skill has meant the main chip still looks bollocks.

 

It will do for now but a new windscreen beckons come mot...

[Ohdearme]

I’m also sat typing this in an ATS Thingybob centre as I joined Groupon to get my air con anti-bac’d and regassed for £45 instead of £60.

 

As long as there are no leaks it will save me buying a spatula to lever my sticky arse and balls off the very comfy leather for the rest of summer.

 

Free coffee, plus magazines!

 

Car also is a bit hunty on idle, plugs and filters going on the list.

 

 

Edit to add apparently I get a choice of flavour on the anti-bac whatever that means...I went for Apple although coconut was tempting.

[Ohdearme]

Air con is now nipple shatteringly cold however, close inspection of the sheet reveals I have 225/50/17s on the front and (correct) 225/45/17 on the rears.

 

Decent tread left so I’ll ignore it for now as the axles are at least matched.

 

A mistake at the garage or by the previous punter, no doubt.

 

 

Also atf leak becoming worse so I’m going to have stop driving it till I get the parts now.

 

Train to Durham instead of A1 beckons tomorrow.

 

[mrbenn]

You mean SAAB don't include a ball/leg separator as standard kit? Bit mean. Suppose a previous owner could have kept it for their continued use and enjoyment.

[Ohdearme]

The wait for replacement pipes is almost over.

 

A kindly gent has sent me the requisite parts, or more accurately has entrusted them for delivery to myhermes so sometime next week I’ll probably be searching the local hedgerows to find where my item was ‘delivered’

 

Pretty much just in time as I can’t really call the leak anything other than severe now.

 

 

Mmm, ketchup

[jon.k]

When I had the problem with the sensors they were still available on eBay. It was just that garages couldn’t get them from the normal suppliers so they were understandably reticent about fitting them.

[Ohdearme]

Hermes delivered package with no damage and to my front door, not a hedgerow. Good work for a fiver.

 

Old pipes not sexy but less Swiss cheesey than my own.

 

 

Assumed CD player was empty as buttons to date have done nothing. Got in this morning, Coldplay ejected at me. Suspect intermittent CD player fault or car is haunted by Chris Martin loving ghost.

 

[SierraMikeHotel]

Ooh, windscreen jealousy. Mine is utterly knackered, really must get around to organising a replacement!

 

No dead pixels on your SID either? That's my other round-to-it job.

[Ohdearme]

Ooh, windscreen jealousy. Mine is utterly knackered, really must get around to organising a replacement!

 

No dead pixels on your SID either? That's my other round-to-it job.

 

I tried to do a SID fix on my 9-3 that was worse and made a pigs ear of it, fortunately SID is fine, a few bits of fan bar on the AC don't show up but I'm ignoring that as things always get worse before they get better when I do stuff.

[Guest Hooli]

Oh my CD player does that, the CD sticks very slightly ejected so it thinks it's empty but you still can't see it. I'm thinking it's the mech gummed up with old grease but I've not bothered to take it out & look. A smoll squirt of WD40 at the outside edges of the slot might help soften things up. Or I just use a thick bit of card/plastic to push the CD back in & eject it again.

[Ohdearme]

Just been outside to photograph the remains of the Alfa on my drive to scrap it and I have just noticed it has done an oil wee all over the floor. Marvellous.

[mrbenn]

It knows!

[Ohdearme]

Booked car in to a local Indy for pipes to be fitted.

 

Could probably have had a crack at it myself (not hard, just a bit fiddly).

 

Reality would be pipes off, kids interrupt, car not fixed, need to go work, panic buy £266 323.

 

Should be two hours of expert labour whilst I go decadently swig a Starbucks and cake.

 

I did some diy though, £4 on knock off hammerite, hammered finish for a touch of class* and a bit of wet and dry sanding. Hopefully pipes will fare better this way.

 

Started raining immediately post spray so boot is doubling as dryer.

 

Drive will probably rinse off...

[Ohdearme]

Paint fume riddles trip to garage complete, wait for wallet emptying begins.

 

More interesting Saab content lurking

[Ohdearme]

It’s back and the pipes are done but so is the bank balance.

 

Like a punter sending a hooker to the clinic and being surprised at results, I asked the man to have a sniff about while it was on the ramps and in car buying terms I should have rubbered up.

 

Anti roll bar bushes worn

OSF track rod end boot split

NSF driveshaft boot split

Front subframe mounting bushes failed

Front pipe blowing

Rear suspension upper and lower rose joints worn

NSR tyre worn inside edge (see suspension knackerage above)

 

Hmm, no less than seven exclamation marks on my report, best I’ve had yet.

 

Fixed the handbrake for free though.

 

£180 lighter and joy compounded when I got home to find a nip from North York’s for 80 on the A1, in an A1 - cock.

 

MOT in October so will do some gradual fixes but the subframe is going to be a bend over job.

[Guest Hooli]

Subframe bushes are something I suspect mine needs too, they'd explain the random clonks over bumps anyway.

[Shep Shepherd]

That flat-front 900 is painted in a rare colour!

[Ohdearme]

Subframe bushes are something I suspect mine needs too, they'd explain the random clonks over bumps anyway.

The give away for me should have been the fact I almost straight lined the roundabout the first time I came to a corner after purchase, I just assumed it was because I was coming from the livelier Alfa.

 

Evidently not!

[Ohdearme]

Plus more ancient Saab-age arrived on my way out

[Ohdearme]

Subframe bushes are something I suspect mine needs too, they'd explain the random clonks over bumps anyway.

Interesting...

 

https://youtu.be/p5-kj7wO5dM

 

Cheaper than paying to have them drop the whole frame.

[Guest Hooli]

The give away for me should have been the fact I almost straight lined the roundabout the first time I came to a corner after purchase, I just assumed it was because I was coming from the livelier Alfa.

 

Evidently not!

 

Hmmm if they cause that then maybe not, mine will happily get the arse out if you brake to the apex....

 

One day I'll make the effort to get underneath properly & pry things about to find the clonk as it's annoying.

[Ohdearme]

Hmmm if they cause that then maybe not, mine will happily get the arse out if you brake to the apex....

 

One day I'll make the effort to get underneath properly & pry things about to find the clonk as it's annoying.

 

In mine that could be all the worn bushes, I don't have major suspension clonks but when applying lock there's a slight thunk feeling, a bit like the steering wheel nut is a quarter turn loose (but it isn't).

 

Also, there's a wallop when going into gear through PRND, I assumed that was due to low ATF but mechanic states that lack of bushes is making it worse as nothing to absorb the thunk.

 

Those youtube vids have inspired me to have a go with next months play money, what's the worst than can happen?

[Guest Hooli]

I've got a random clonk when both wheels hit a bump or one wheel hits a massive bump. Could be anti-roll bar bushes but like I say I've not bothered to look yet. Steering etc is fine, so maybe it's not the subframe.

 

Gearbox wise, has it had a fluid change? Mine was nearly scrapped due to the state of the gearbox when SiC got it but he changed the fluid & it improved things. I've then done the obvious of just ignoring it for about 17k & it's kept improving.

[Fraz]

That’s not too bad a list of bits to change.. it’s all cheapish for bits.

 

This thread makes me want a Saab 9-5 Aero estate now

[Ohdearme]

I've got a random clonk when both wheels hit a bump or one wheel hits a massive bump. Could be anti-roll bar bushes but like I say I've not bothered to look yet. Steering etc is fine, so maybe it's not the subframe.

 

Gearbox wise, has it had a fluid change? Mine was nearly scrapped due to the state of the gearbox when SiC got it but he changed the fluid & it improved things. I've then done the obvious of just ignoring it for about 17k & it's kept improving.

 

Yes, when doing the pipes they've drained and replaced 4 litres of it. It's the 5 speed autobox in mine so requires prime 3309 stupido fluid at £11 a litre, not to mention the two litres I've got through while it's been leaking...

[Exiled_Tat_Gatherer]

I've got the 9-3 to do all round I reckon..... I've been ignoring the clonk - but know at least one of the subframe bushes needs doing..... Of course I've avoided that by putting a deposit on a 9-5 - thinking being it gives me leeway to do it 'properly'.

 

I've been checking out a guy - Trionic Seven - on the toob..... he has some good vids on replacing certain bits and is pretty clear on the method. I'll still fuck it up though - that's a given!

[SiC]

Yes, when doing the pipes they've drained and replaced 4 litres of it. It's the 5 speed autobox in mine so requires prime 3309 stupido fluid at £11 a litre, not to mention the two litres I've got through while it's been leaking...

It doesn't have to be that expensive. You can get small 20l drums of it for around £50 nowadays. Doesn't have to be mobil1, just 3309 speed. It used to be special fluid when it came out in the 2000s, but loads of transmission now use it. Often comes as a universal type fluid where a number of fluid specs are supported. Hooli 9-5 only had cheap stuff in it.

 

Two ways of changing it. One is to drain, refill, drive and repeat. That will take about 20l to change 98% of it. I did that in the Laguna V6 (angle now owns) with the same box. I used a Pela 6000 to suck it out of the dipstick tube and a draper funnel kit to refill.

 

On Hooli box I did the procedure that Saab say and it does it uses far less fluid and a more comprehensive flush. That is to drain, refill and overfill with 1 litre more. Then disconnect the cooler line at the bottom. Start engine, leave in park and let it pump out a litre. Stop engine, fill a litre back in. Repeat until fluid comes out clear. Last time don't put that extra litre in.

 

All methods require you to keep track of how much fluid comes out. Min to Max is only 300ml. Also the box needs to be at a set temperature (iirc 85c) to accurately measure the fluid level. Incorrect fluid levels make these boxes change badly.

[Vantman]

I buy my fluid online at Vauxhall Superstore, £9.95 a litre and free carriage. My 9-5 started vibrating from 4th to 5th gear so I done a 4 litre change which improved things and I am doing another 4 litre change next week plus a Tech 2 upgrade which hopefully will fix it completely.

[SiC]

Oh yeah I upgraded the transmission ECU in Hoolis with my Tech2 to the latest/final version. That made a big difference too.

[Ohdearme]

On Hooli box I did the procedure that Saab say and it does it uses far less fluid and a more comprehensive flush. That is to drain, refill and overfill with 1 litre more. Then disconnect the cooler line at the bottom. Start engine, leave in park and let it pump out a litre. Stop engine, fill a litre back in. Repeat until fluid comes out clear. Last time don't put that extra litre in.

 

 

^^ This is what he indy did, plus it had tow litres of new mixed in due to my top ups anyway.

 

It's saved me doing the drain/drive/drain/drive approach I was planning before I clocked the major leak and that would have cost me more time, oil too.

 

I'll bear the oil drums in mind, hoping it won't need changing for another 30k or more though