Kevin's Saab Maintenance Pictures

The directories and galleries below this page encapsulate the Saab 9-5 Maintenance that I have recently carried out.
The work is done on a 1999 Saab 9-5 SE 2.3t Estate, but much is applicable to other variants and years.

I hope that the information and images prove useful.  I have tried to include images of both the basics and the obvious, since to many of us neither of these things is true the first time we do them.

The Car De-Sludge Project

The First Oil Change

Unless the car is completely shot, people seem to recommend doing a quick and dirty engine flush and oil change.  I'm not convinced these engines could cope with so called "flushing oil" due to the turbo and the engine having wear on it.  So in my thoughts its best done with a 5w30 or 5w40 Semi-Synth that you can get fairly cheaply.  A short term (15 minute) flush additive is often recommended especially if you think the engine has sludge as it hopefully clean some of the bits you cannot inspect.  Some people would leave the old filter on after this oil change but I think its a flase economy since a) if the engine is sludged or dirty the old filter may be fully contaminated already and b) if the new oil liberates more sludge and dirt then even a good filter could get overwelmed.  Shopping around a filter is less that £6.

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This oil can be left in the car for a few miles or days or minutes as you think best.  As we've used normal oil that is in specification for the vehicle, and have drained the flushing agent, all we are doing is running the engine with clean oil for a short while. 

The Second Oil Charge (Starts)

The First Oil Change should have improved things.  After the De-Sludging Inspection we will need to refill with Fully Synthetic Oil.  At this point we have to start that oil change by removing the oil from the first change and as much of the contamination as possible.

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Obviously we stop that process after draining the oil and removing the filter.  Things get harder then.

The Actual De Sludging Inspection

I carried out about the maximum number of inspection & cleaning steps that you can without removing anything complex from the vehicle.  So there are a number of separate tasks below. 

Sump Drop - Access

Getting to the sump to remove even its bolts can be challenging.  The exact challenges vary a little by model and year, but the exhaust, the subframe and the curse of GM all impede the process. 

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Some instructions advice partially releasing the subframe to lower that rather than boosting the engine on its mountings.  It all depends which parts you feel bravest with.  The sump is in a very tight gap at the timing cover end.

Sump Drop

Once we have reasonable access its only a matter of undoing loads of bolts.  With the increased gap between the engine and subframe there is only one of the bols which cannot be reached with a normal socket wrench (and extensions).

There are lots of images here of the inspection & cleaning. 

Its usually only on Aero's fed only on quality Fully Synthetic that everything is clean when you take it apart. There is nearly always a random seeming piece of metal in the sump! Its almost like the idea that a empty purse should never be gifted.

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Cam Cover

If the bottom is dirty then its especially important to check inside the Cam Cover.  The only cost in this is that the gasket set should be replaced when you have it open.  I'm unclear whether you can sometimes safely reuse the gasket, if say you only fitted it recently.

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Oil Cooler

Although we drained the oil (twice) the oil in the cooler is not directly affected.  If we are lucky the First Oil Change will have mixed with the original oil in the cooler (and its pipes) and diluted the worst.  The only cost on this is a little more clean oil will be needed when we fill up again, and its recommended that you fit (or atleast have) new o-rings. 

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Warning: One new o-ring got crushed and failed during assembly so its best to have some spare o-rings whether old or new.

Oil Sender

There is a possibility that the Oil Pressure Sender itself might be giving false readings due to sludge particles.  There is also some feeling in the forums that the sender often fails after about seven years.  Its cheap enough but quite difficult to access. 

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Turbo Oil Inlet

One of the worst places to get a build up of sludge is on the way to the turbo.  Checking out this pipe only involves the cost of new gaskets and seals.  It is fairly fiddly to remove and harder still to put back as the connection for the exhaust manifold gets in the way.  Its worth doing though. 

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Problems Afterwards

There were a few niggles once the car was put back together, and it had to go back on the ramps again.  So that's documented here.

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PCV System - Upgrade to version 6

The PCV System is the third aspect of the sludging problem.  The first was the placement of the exhaust and CAT under the sump.  The second was the failure to specify Fully Synthetic Oil especially given GM's liking for ever longer service intervals.  If the car has big problems then this system can be degraded even if it is already on the latest (final) version #6.  As I understand it version #4 was the one that moved one of the pipes onto a bush drilled into the oil filler pipe.  (Version #5 - abandoned that and went back to #3).

I should really have had #6 installed on the car, and it was always intended to do this.  In the context of the big inspection it would be foolish not to do this.  By shopping around the cost can be quite moderate.

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Vacuum Pipes

Vacuum pipes on cars have always had a limited life span.  I suspect they suffer more than water and oil pipes as there is little to somerate their temperate cycles, and they are in effect pressurised.  While you have everything going on it may be worth replacing the standard vacuum pipes.  I did not consider the turbo or braking specific pipes.  Partly this upgrade was forced on me as the pipe from the throttle body to the vacuum switch had snapped at the switch.  This may have happened while I was removing & installing PCV piping, or it could have been broken for some time.  By shopping around online I got Silicone Pipes in 4mm for £3/m delivered.  I used about 2.5m doing all of the obvious 4mm vacuum pipes.

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Thats all for now! Last Update: 23 June 2009