SiC's Silver Saab 9-5 2.3t Vector - Gone!

[SiC]

I suppose the good news is that it hasn't killed the box! Yet...

[stripped fred]

I'd give it some time to work, maybe 100 miles or so if you can.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Don't waste any more ATF on this, the box has clearly got problems that no fluid change is gonna solve.

[BorniteIdentity]

Not quite sure why it's doing that. 

 

It's fubar'd.

[beko1987]

Yea don't put more fluid in, fuck it, it's had its chance. If you really want to, try cherryade or something to have red fluid. If it's burning fluid up that quickly then it has issues.

 

Does the browning so quickly help point you into the right direction as to the issue?

[They_all_do_that_sir]

Get another one, raid this one for spares.

9-5 with no MOT and wonky box is bridge fodder.

 

HOWEVER

 

The shiter in me says whack an MOT on and use till after Christmas. It'll likely keep going and it's done its job

 

Sent from my VF695 using Tapatalk

[barefoot]

I say, stop sitting on your drive playing with the gearbox!

[bub2006]

My ggeabox issues in the kia doesnt sound so bad anymore. Hope the lucas does more help than what it did for me! Im still occasionally missing reverse and slip slighty from second to third when cold. Mine will probably benefit from a good flush and clean out though

[DodgeRover]

If it has come to the end And you end up breaking it I would be interested in the turbo and associated pipe work and a lump of exhaust front pipe.

Hope it doesn't come to that though.

On an older box going into gear with a thump would usually be dirt and a sticky valve of some sort.

[beko1987]

Plus even if it does die with a year's mot on, itll probably be worth slightly more as a 'running project' or 'drive away slowly' etc

 

Just put such truths as 'I've driven it to Afghanistan like this and it never missed a beat, easy fix. Selling due to upgrading to a bus' and it'll fly out the door

[SiC]

A small update. Just driven down to the barbers to get my haircut. Still not smooth (probably never will be), but can't figure out if it's getting better. But it might also be cooler weather is keeping it colder! Either that, or I know what and when to expect it now. I really need to pick a time when the traffic is heavy stop start.

 

Oh I might have figured out why the fluid I extracted was brown ... I used my Pela to extract the oil out of the dipstick and there would have been some of the old dirty oil at the bottom. What a dipstick!

 

Saying that, it's not cherry red on the dipstick anymore. But not as brown like I took out...

[They_all_do_that_sir]

 are the solenoids a big job to repair / replace?

[SiC]

No mega easy. Jack car up, remove front torque rod mount (don't need to hold the drivetrain), remove bracket for the mount, remove a couple of bolts for the valve body cover and then its in front of you. Just a couple more 10mm bolts and connector to remove to get it off.

 

A brand new valve body is £350. Second hand ones are £100 odd and no guarantee they won't have the same problem.

[NorthernMonkey]

Can you not remove the solenoids from the valve body in order to open them up and clean them? I know you can on the aisin-warner box fitted to my V70 as it's going to need doing in the not too distant future.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Let's have a look at the haircut then

[Pillock]

Wait until first snowfall and flog it

 

I reckon you've done about 100% more than anyone else would have, it's had its chance but it's either a warrantied box or break it for bits.

[beko1987]

Can you not remove the solenoids from the valve body in order to open them up and clean them? I know you can on the aisin-warner box fitted to my V70 as it's going to need doing in the not too distant future.

There's nothing to loose by trying, you may even find out you can, and be a hero on Saab circles!

 

I'm surprised you haven't written a load of diagnostic software to pinpoint the issue!

[SiC]

Just been for a 60 miles drive and it was flawless. But then I parked up at home and the shifts became hard again. So it made a good chance of testing out when its in this state. Gives me some good and bad news.

 

Bad news its still banging.

 

Good news is that I've figured out how to deal with it.

 

Basically, when moving it thuds if its hot, but the majority of the time the shifts are not that bad and only light thuds. The main trigger is stop+start traffic (i.e. Bristol traffic that isn't late). A minute or two is fine and waiting at lights is fine. Just crawling along, stopping+starting for 10-15 minutes causes its problems. The worst is anytime 2nd gear is involved. Accelerating normally, the worst case is that it flairs (imagine dipping the clutch in a manual) and most of the time its fine. Doing kick-down when banging in the gears is a no-no, unless you like a big thud (imagine selecting a gear and dropping the clutch in a manual) before action happens.

 

However if its not banging (i.e. getting some airflow over things), drives normally again, changes smoothly and pulls very well - as the Bini Cooper driver was surprised by when he was being out dragged on the dual-carriage way.... Also those Pirelli P-zero tyres grip extremely well and make it handle pretty darn good. Despite being a big car, she handles corners pretty darn well, no real body roll and carries the speed well and yet still smooth over road bumps.

 

Now my dilemma. I could carry on driving it like this. However, I simply can't drive cars that I know are broken in some way! It bugs me and makes me really want to fix it. However on this, its going to require money to make it perfect and its really not worth spending out to do this.

 

I have only a week left on the insurance cooling-off period on where I can cancel it without charge, so I need to make a decision very soon on what I'm going to do with it. I don't think anyone would want it in this state for what I paid and if I sell it much cheaper as whole thing, then I'd rather take the £60 cartakeback, while keeping the Coil Pack (worth £50 second hand and common problem on Saabs) and fully working SID2 (£20) as spares for another Saab.

 

Hmm.

[SiC]

There's nothing to loose by trying, you may even find out you can, and be a hero on Saab circles!

 

I'm surprised you haven't written a load of diagnostic software to pinpoint the issue!

That was actually one intention of getting a 9-5! Well apart from this one being cheap and I wanted one too.

 

It has given me more spur as there really is not a lot of aftermarket tools for them! Just I need a working example that I can live with.

[Timewaster]

Hmmmmm. Swedish shite? Works well if it is cold?

 

Sell it to the SVM!

[Honey Badger]

For stop start traffic would it be better to hold it in first and only put it in drive when your moving.

 

My Accord occasionally thumps into gear from 1st to 2nd but only at low revs, I've found that it changes smoothly if i rag the arse out of it, which is what I now do as much as possible.

 

For the good of the car obviously.....

 

Screw changing the fluid again, if it's burning up fluid fast enough to discolour it after a few hundred miles it's time to get James Brown involved, after thrashing it mercilessly.

[Lankytim]

Drain the oil again and refill with Aldi baked beans. 

[barefoot]

.....Just been for a 60 miles drive and it was flawless. But then I parked up at home and the shifts ...

Stop pissing about with it on your drive and drive the fucker.

[NorthernMonkey]

Shame you're not a bit further north as I'd quite happily have a go at the solenoids. Mind you, I'm saying this whilst full of mojitos and stella so it's probably safer to ignore anything I type in the next hour or so.

In other news, Divine Comedy were IMMENSE!!

(to make any sense of this last statement, refer to the Freelander for sale post by sutty...)

[The Moog]

Shame you're not a bit further north as I'd quite happily have a go at the solenoids. Mind you, I'm saying this whilst full of mojitos and stella so it's probably safer to ignore anything I type in the next hour or so.

In other news, Divine Comedy were IMMENSE!!

(to make any sense of this last statement, refer to the Freelander for sale post by sutty...)

Sounds like a definite promise..

[SiC]

I'm actually going up norf to Preston at the weekend. However I know the wife will outright refuse for us to take the Saab!

 

I have been half tempted to throw it into Cannock auctions for shits and giggles...

[beko1987]

Them come home in something else bought from there

[Jerzy Woking]

I purchased a cheap 9-5 to see if I liked it enough to get a more modern one. The plan was to run it until the MOT ran out, stick it in for the test and if repairs were going to cost too much, scrap it. But it passed with only an advisory on worn brake pads, so decided to keep it for another year.

 

But then I saw an Aero HOT for sale i

n the exact spec I wanted, so went to see it and it was so good I purchased it on the spot. And the seller took my one in p/x (the deal meant he gave me almost double what I paid for it). Two happy buyers. He rang me later to say the odd noise mine had at times was because the ATF was low - oops. 

 

They are great cars, and sorry to hear of your issues. Don't let it put you off the marque though.

[cort16]

you like cheap broken saabs right?

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2008-Saab-9-3-Vector-Sport-DTH-Estate-/291903743824?hash=item43f6d1a750:g:RXoAAOSwOyJX-MYZ

[oldcars]

Let's have a look at the haircut then

Car or head?